Quinn (Qinghuai) Zheng

Professional biography

Quinn has worked at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) since 2017. As a geoscience technical specialist in the Environmental Risk Assessment Division, he conducts technical assessments of environmental impact assessments, licensing applications and compliance documentation for a wide range of nuclear facilities and projects. His work supports science-based regulatory oversight across all stages of the project lifecycle.

Expertise and education

He is a licensed professional engineer in Ontario and holds a PhD in hydrogeology from McMaster University. His academic background and practical experience include physical and contaminant hydrogeology, groundwater flow and mass transport modelling, groundwater control, geotechnical investigation and design, environmental impact assessment, site assessment and remediation, and project management for projects of different sizes.

Roles and responsibilities

In his role, Quinn conducts technical assessments, supports inspections as a subject‑matter expert, contributes to public outreach activities, and participates in public hearings to address questions from Commission members. In addition, he is involved in regulatory research projects and has contributed to the development of national and international standards.

Other highlights

Quinn is an experienced numerical modeller specializing in groundwater flow and contaminant transport in variably saturated porous and fractured media. He has developed models of groundwater systems on a local and regional scale. He also has expertise in geostatistics, which supports the analysis and characterization of complex subsurface conditions.