Fusion Forward
Fusion Forward is a podcast hosted by Helixos co-founder Alex Borovskis that dives into the future of fusion energy through engaging and insightful conversations with the people shaping the field.
Each episode features an interview with a guest - whether a scientist, engineer, policymaker, investor, or thought leader - exploring their journey into fusion and unpacking key ideas across science, technology, economics, and politics.
With curiosity at its core, Fusion Forward is designed to educate and inspire people, from industry professionals and researchers to policymakers and science enthusiasts.
Whether you're new to the topic or deep in the field, we invite you to think big, get curious, and move Fusion Forward.
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01
Troy Carter
Dr. Troy Carter joins us to share his journey into fusion energy, the activities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the cutting-edge MPEX system. We explore how MPEX will test materials for future fusion reactors under extreme plasma conditions and why it’s key to making fusion power a reality.
About the guest
Troy Carter is the Director of Fusion Energy Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Troy oversees the division’s world-class technical capabilities in plasma physics, fusion materials, and fusion technologies. He is responsible for developing major projects such as the Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment, or MPEX, and ORNL’s research contributions to the international ITER experiment.
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02
Ian Castillo
Tritium may not be all that scarce (Canada’s CANDU reactors alone have produced kilograms of it over the years), but keeping a steady, reactor-grade supply is still a major engineering challenge.
In this conversation, Ian Castillo, Co-CEO of Fusion Fuel Cycles, details how the upcoming UNITY-2 testbed will demonstrate the world’s first integrated, commercially relevant fusion fuel cycle. Along the way, he explains why “tritium is the fuel” for today’s machines, how “the breeder really acts as a tritium multiplier,” and what it will take to close the fuel-cycle gap between prototypes and commercial fusion power.
About the guest
Ian Castillo leads tritium systems at Fusion Fuel Cycles, where his team is building UNITY-2 to demonstrate the viability of a truly closed tritium loop. He began his career at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, gaining foundational experience in nuclear technology.
03
Ahmed Diallo
“People call it the holy grail, but I think humanity will be working on fusion for the rest of humanity.”
Recording at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, fusion scientist Ahmed Diallo lays out the roadmap he calls “Fusion 2.0.” Ahmed explains why advanced fuels, high-field magnets, and clever energy-recovery schemes are reshaping what a commercial plant could look like.
About the guest
Ahmed Diallo is a plasma physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and Fusion Program Director at ARPA-E. His current research spans fuel-cycle engineering, high-heat-flux materials, and advanced-fuel concepts. He also serves as an advisor to start-ups working to bridge the gap between lab demos and commercial fusion plants.