Mariam Kiran, a quantum research scientist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was recently honored as a finalist at the British Council's Study U.K. Alumni Awards 2025 , which celebrate the achievements of U.K. alumni worldwide.
The British Council , which promotes U.K. higher education, presents the annual awards to recognize emerging leaders with U.K. ties in fields such as science, the arts, business and social work. Kiran was a finalist for the Science and Sustainability Award, which honors outstanding work in the physical sciences for the benefit of society. She and two other finalists were chosen from more than 1,300 candidates worldwide.
Kiran began her career at ORNL in 2023 as a group leader for quantum communications and networking in the lab's Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate. Before joining ORNL, she worked as a research scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she led artificial intelligence efforts for computer networking in wide area networks and wireless networking technologies. She earned a master's degree in advanced software engineering in 2007 and a doctorate in computer science in 2011, both from the University of Sheffield in England.
Kiran's research focuses on exploring quantum phenomena in communications and quantum technology and on developing key technologies and applications that will help make the quantum internet a reality. Her group's experiments have showcased advances such as quantum key distribution for bolstering the cybersecurity of the nation's critical infrastructure, quantum signal coexistence over fiber channels, and innovations for optimized quantum sources, detectors and technologies.
Kiran's other honors include a 2017 DOE Early Career Award and a 2015 U.K. Royal Society Award. She's a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and the IEEE Women in Engineering Society.
ORNL continues to empower the pursuit of quantum innovation, advancing world-leading scientific discovery to enable a quantum revolution that promises to transform a vast range of technologies critical to American competitiveness. These traits are embodied by ORNL's celebration of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in 2025. Click here to learn more about quantum science at ORNL.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science . - Matt Lakin
