International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Women in Physics

To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Simran and Mina share their experience as UCL physics students.

Hi! I’m Simran and I’m a second year PhD student in the high energy physics (HEP) group. I work on the LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment, which has recently released world-leading constraints on WIMP-nucleon interactions. 

Most of my work is within the backgrounds group, aiming to develop a deeper understanding of the different signals we see in our detector. These come from particles found in the environment or detector materials, and from physics processes within the detector. Developing a robust background model is key to increasing our sensitivity to dark matter signals.

At UCL, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at conferences and attend international collaboration meetings, where I’ve met the other incredible people I get to work with. Working on a particle physics experiment is a collaborative experience, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the diverse range of people on my experiment.

I’ve also enjoyed all the karaoke we do at collaboration meetings! I’ll soon be off on a long-term attachment to SLAC national laboratory at Stanford, which I’m really excited for!

As part of the Centre of Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a project with the Guardian data science team, using machine learning algorithms to analyse sentiment in House of Commons speeches over time. It was a valuable opportunity to interface with industry experts, and I found the project very interesting. 

Alongside my PhD, I’ve also been involved in demonstrating in undergraduate laboratories, and helped run outreach activities. 

I’ve had a great experience within my research group and with the wider HEP group - I’m surrounded by inspiring women who do incredible work! The group works hard to cultivate a supportive and friendly environment for everyone, and I’d recommend joining the community at UCL!

Hello, I’m Mina, a third year MSci Physics student. Here at UCL I have been taught by amazing lecturers and have met great course mates who have become some of my closest friends. 

What is unique about studying physics at UCL is that it offers high-quality education while also having a kind and supportive atmosphere, allowing you to enjoy what you are studying and to spend your years at university learning but also collecting good memories and experiences. 

For the past three years I have had the opportunity to work on experiments in the laboratory, such as recently using a scanning tunneling microscope to image surfaces, including charge density waves on tantalum disulphide. Having enjoyed working in the lab and all my modules throughout the degree, I intend to do research in the future.

In addition to my studies, I am part of the UCL Women in Physics group, where I help organise social and academic events within the physics department to bring together those in the field. 

As women in the past have been highly under-represented in physics and other STEM subjects, I hope to see the number of female physics students continue to rise in the future. I am extremely happy to have chosen the UCL Physics department as the place to do my degree and would definitely recommend it to any young woman aspiring to become a physicist.