Understanding our Universe

The following interviews were first published in this year's edition of The Wheel, the College's annual newsletter, in July 2024. 

St Catharine’s boasts a diverse community of brilliant minds excelling in their fields. Here, we meet some of our exceptional female Fellows making a sizeable impact on humanity’s understanding of the Universe – be it nature, the Earth, or the Cosmos. 

Dr Jenni Gibbons (2016)

Jenni is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut as well as University Associate Professor in Engineering and a Fellow of St Catharine’s. When she was selected to undergo astronaut training in 2017, she was the youngest candidate chosen by the CSA, and the third ever woman. 

“From a young age, I liked building and making things, as well as being outside and learning about the world around me. At school, I became interested in physics and mathematics, but wanted to maintain and utilise my creativity in my studies. Engineering seemed like a natural fit for me; using science to creatively solve problems to improve people’s lives. 

"The idea of working in a laboratory and learning about new phenomena always appealed to me, so I focused my efforts on research and began my career at McGill University in Montreal, working multiple summers in combustion and engineering research laboratories. Following my PhD and subsequent post doctorate in the Department of Engineering at Cambridge, I became University Associate Professor as well as a Fellow of St Catharine’s. 

"I had always been interested in Canada’s space program, so applied without expectation when the CSA announced it was hiring new astronauts. I was hired in 2017 and moved to Houston, Texas to begin basic astronaut training. Since then, I have acted as the ground team communicator for multiple dynamic events on the International Space Station, including five spacewalks, as well as the training lead for the newest class of astronauts at NASA. I am now assigned as the Backup Astronaut for the Canadian seat on the Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission in over 50 years set to fly around the Moon in Autumn 2025. 

"While not scientific, the most important discovery I have made in my career so far is that relationships should be a priority in one’s life; whether friends, family, colleagues, or mentors, these are people who affect how you learn, grow and succeed. This is particularly true in human spaceflight. Throughout our training, one of our highest priorities for mission success is crew cohesion, team care, and a positive culture. 

"There are many highlights to my role and I often feel extraordinarily fortunate to fill it, but the most important  for me is the people who share a passion for our mission. They are dedicated, innovative, and have been dreaming about supporting spaceflight for most of their lives. From  the engineers who design the systems we work with on  the ground or in orbit to the recovery crew who retrieve us from the capsule after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, this team is extraordinary.”

Professor Chiara Ciccarelli (2018)

Chiara studied Physics in Rome before coming to Cambridge for a PhD in spintronics. Following a Junior Research Fellowship at Gonville & Caius College, she built her own THz spintronics research group in Cambridge as a Winton Fellow, also benefiting from a Royal Society Research Fellowship. 

“Picking Physics at University was a difficult choice –  I wasn’t sure about job opportunities, so considered studying economics. Deep down, I knew this was not the right choice for me and ended up picking Physics without asking too many questions or making too many plans. Sometimes you need to trust your gut. 

"I think that there are very few things that are more exciting than being the first to understand a new piece of nature, however small. My ‘piece of nature’ is magnets. Magnets are extremely important to all of us because this is how we store the huge amount of digital data that we all produce every day: for example by sending an email or by uploading a video on TikTok. 

"As our society becomes increasingly digital, we must  find new solutions to reduce the energy impact of storing and handling this enormous amount of data. In my group we look for new physics and materials that allow pushing the speed and energy limits for writing and reading magnetic information. Having a team of brilliant people who share my curiosity, and being able to help them thrive, is a great reward that gives me the energy and passion to overcome research.”

Dr Sophie Koudmani (Junior Research Fellow 2021)

Sophie hails from Hamburg, Germany, and read Physics at Oxford, followed by a PhD in Astrophysics at Cambridge. She leads the University of Cambridge Black Hole Working Group, and recently spent over a year conducting research at the Centre for Computational Astrophysics in New York. 

“I became interested in Physics while at high school. I am captivated by tackling fundamental questions and unravelling mysteries – about our existence and the development of our Universe – through cutting-edge experiments, observations, and theoretical models. Later, astrophysics stood out to me as an incredibly interdisciplinary field, merging various branches like particle physics, general relativity, and fluid dynamics to study extreme phenomena in the cosmos. 

"As a Junior Research Fellow, I am fortunate to spearhead independent research projects and pursue ambitious ideas early in my career. I uncovered the pivotal role of massive black holes in shaping the evolution of dwarf galaxies, the most abundant galaxy type in our universe. Prior to my research, these dwarf galaxies posed theoretical challenges known as the dwarf galaxy anomalies due to discrepancies between observations and models. By integrating black holes into new theoretical models and conducting an extensive suite of computer simulations, I revealed that black holes significantly influence the evolution of dwarf galaxies, particularly in the early Universe. This work has provided crucial benchmarks for the cutting-edge James Webb Telescope, which has confirmed many black holes in early Universe dwarf galaxies as predicted by my simulations. 

"I most enjoy the diversity of tasks in my role – it is truly enriching, and each day is different. From immersive research and problem-solving to engaging with peers at conferences, mentoring aspiring scientists, and advocating for inclusivity in Physics, each aspect brings its own fulfilment.”