After graduating (Master) in quantum physics at the Faculté des Sciences of Tunis (Tunisia), Sami Mahmoud has prepared his PhD at the Université de Montréal (Quebec, Canada) under the supervision of Prof. N. Mousseau. He defended his thesis entitled “Numerical study of point defects diffusion in nickel-based alloys” in May 2019. In TimeMan, Sami Mahmoud will use the activation-relaxation technique to model defects in minerals.