Dr. Christina Back is Vice President of Nuclear Technologies and Materials at General Atomics. She is an internationally recognized expert in both fission and fusion energy research, with over 30 years of experience leading research for private industry, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and U.S. Department of Defense. She regularly serves on National Academy of Sciences, national laboratory, and university committees. As a technical expert, she has been invited to the 2015 White House Summit on Nuclear Energy and provided testimony to U.S. Congressional Committees. Dr. Back earned a B.S. from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Florida. She has over one hundred peer-reviewed publications, two patents, and was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Back believes nuclear energy is a critical capability necessary for U.S. and global energy security and national security needs. She is committed to bringing innovation through engineered materials and advanced technologies to make transformational advances in nuclear power and propulsion. At General Atomics, Dr. Back is responsible for all nuclear fission programs and related technology development. Major thrust areas include space and terrestrial advanced reactors, accident-tolerant nuclear fuel, and energy storage solutions. In today's world, space has become accessible to all. She views space nuclear power and propulsion technologies as critically important to explore and protect this domain.