Irene, Spain

10 Questions with Irene Abril Cabezas

Irene from Spain is a Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge, UK.

She is a physicist in Cosmology. Her work focuses on studying the afterglow light from the Big Bang to learn more about the very beginning of the Universe and the subsequent distribution of dark matter across cosmic time.

Irene participates in the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Enjoy the interview with Irene and get inspired:

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in science / in your discipline?
   
   In all honesty, I decided that I would study Physics at university quite late. This was possibly because what I thought a scientist looked like was nothing like me. My family and teachers played a major role in this decision. They were very encouraging during high school and ensured that I participated in different outreach activities such as European Researchers’ Night or Summer Science Campuses. They were all fantastic opportunities to discover my interest in Physics.
   In retrospect, I think I owe my passion for Astrophysics & Cosmology to my hometown, La Silva (El Bierzo, León). My family, both near and distant, reunites there during the summer. Every 10^th of August, we celebrate the day of St. Lawrence, our patron Saint. This festivity coincides with the Perseids meteor shower, which is also known as “the Tears of St. Lawrence.” Observing this astronomical event in the pure night skies of El Bierzo is breathtaking. In Astrophysics & Cosmology, I found the tools that allow us to understand in detail this heavenly phenomenon and the many others that accompany us every night.

2. Who are your role models?
   
   I love hearing about other female scientists, their stories, and the steps that brought them to where they are now. During my (short) career, I have felt quite lonely at times, and it has always been an absolute joy to learn about other women who have pursued their passion for science. I am quite lucky now at the University of Cambridge: it attracts many researchers from all walks of life, and they always bring inspirational stories. For example, last term, cosmologist Silvia Galli visited us from France, and it was great to hear from her and her life experiences first-hand.
   I am also incredibly grateful for the online efforts showcasing female scientists’ work. While preparing for this interview, I came across Alicia L. Bruzos’ blog post for #LINO23. There, I learned about her role models, who are now my own role models. And the list continues: Ángeles Alvariño, Josefina Castellví, María Josefa Yzuel… Learning about their lives was truly inspiring. All in all, all these women play a crucial role in my life. They shape my actions and the future I imagine for myself.

3. How did you get to where you are in your career path?
   
   During my undergraduate studies, the summer breaks always meant an incredible opportunity to discover more about life as a researcher. Each spring, I would send applications for undergraduate summer research programs until one of them (among many rejections) was successful. As a result, I was trained as a researcher in institutions across Asia and Europe, including the University of Oxford (United Kingdom), the Academia Sinica Institute of Astrophysics & Astronomy (Taiwan), the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (Germany) and the Institute for Cosmological Sciences (Spain).
   These experiences were key in enriching my skill set and exposing me to a wide range of topics in Astronomy & Astrophysics. But, more importantly, my research supervisors became my mentors. I am incredibly grateful that they offered their time to train me and that even after the summer program finished, they still guided and supported me in the next steps of my career.
   When I finished my degree in Spain, I received a fully funded scholarship to read a Master of Advanced Studies in Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. This is when I met my future Ph.D. supervisor. I initially hesitated to apply to the Ph.D. program because it entailed a 4-hour exam before the first interview stage. My mentors were key at this point. They were able to fight (and beat!) my impostor syndrome; I managed to apply to the Ph.D. program and eventually got an offer to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. And here I am now!

4. What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
   
   The cosmic microwave background (CMB) was emitted when the Universe was less than 400,000 years old. This radiation, corresponding to the afterglow light from the Big Bang, travels for more than 13,000 million years before it reaches our telescopes. Moreover, the trajectories of the CMB photons are deflected according to the dark matter distribution they encounter. This phenomenon, known as CMB lensing, is a powerful probe of cosmology and fundamental physics: it can be used to map the underlying matter distribution across cosmic time, which in turn contains a wealth of information about the properties of neutrinos, inflation, or dark energy.
   As part of my Ph.D., I work as a member of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Collaboration. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), located in the high Chilean Andes, is now decommissioned after 15 years of operation. We were able to produce a map of the dark matter distribution using CMB lensing, and I am now involved in the final analysis of the data gathered by this fantastic telescope to address key questions about the origin of the Universe, the nature of dark energy or the formation of cosmic structure. Being a member of the ACT lensing working group is really the highlight of my Ph.D. It is great to do incredibly exciting science with amazing people.

5. What’s a time you felt immense pride in yourself / your work?
   
   In December 2022, I was the first prize winner of the WONNOW Women in Science and Technology Awards, founded by Caixa Bank and Microsoft Iberia, to promote female talent in STEM areas. I did not know this at the time, but the award became an incredible platform to bring my research to a broader audience. I appeared in numerous regional newspapers and was interviewed on the Spanish National Radio to discuss women in science. Furthermore, I was added to Mujeres en Ciencia e Innovación‘s list of award-winning scientists. I was incredibly happy to share my research with the public and use it as a tool to inspire the younger generations. It makes my work all the more meaningful.

6. What is a “day in the life” of you like?
   
   It is actually extremely difficult to describe what a “day in the life” looks like, because each day is completely different to any other! During term time, my day comprises a combination of my own research, reading about the research of others, teaching small groups of undergraduates, lectures or seminars, research group meetings, doing outreach, or preparing for talks when needed. I also spend a fair amount of time doing less exciting activities, such as dealing with emails or applying for research or travel grants. The flexibility of my day-to-day life also means that I am able to take one or two days off if I have family or friends visiting.
   Outside of term time, I always take the opportunity to attend different conferences or workshops where I can interact with the scientific community and present my research to them. In addition, last year, I returned to my hometown as an invited speaker for the first Soapbox Science event in Spain. Soapbox Science events transform public spaces into a place where anyone can interact first-hand with scientists. It was a fantastic opportunity to share the science I love with the people I love. This year, you will find me at the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting! I am extremely excited to put my research into a whole new perspective thanks to this meeting, to discuss education among the younger generations and to learn new ways to promote wider recognition for science and research.

7. What are you seeking to accomplish in your career?
   
   It is my aim to use Cosmology as an inspirational tool that contributes towards reducing inequalities. To do this, I will continue expanding my outreach activities to introduce people from different backgrounds to my field. I also want to ensure that the scientific community is a welcoming place for them once they arrive.
   On a personal level, I would love to return to Spain, my home country, and be a scientist there. My family is really important to me, and I would love to have them closer to me. It would also make running outreach activities easier as there would be no language barrier between me and the public. But who knows where my scientific career will take me…

8. What do you like to do when you’re not doing research?
   
   Here at the University of Cambridge, every student is associated with a college. In my opinion, the collegiate life and the community it brings are among the highlights of studying here. In particular, I sing in my college choir, where I have made life-long friendships. I also do other music-adjacent activities, such as ballet, and attend regular yoga classes. Overall, I try to keep active on a day-to-day basis to counterbalance the long hours spent in front of my computer doing research.
   I love spending time at home, reading books, baking fresh bread or taking care of my friend’s allotments. Every year, I also start a new needlecraft project. My grandmother teaches me the technique over the long holidays and I continue it throughout the year. I feel it is a wholesome way to connect with her and with previous generations of women in my family who passed on this knowledge.

9. What advice do you have for other women interested in science / in your discipline?
   
   My advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career in science is to participate in extracurricular activities where they can discover their passions. I encourage them to apply to as many opportunities as they can and to try to avoid being disheartened by rejections. Moreover, school grades usually do not measure how good a scientist they will be. They shouldn’t let this stop them, either.
   When doing science gets difficult, instead of thinking that they aren’t good enough, they should ask as many questions as they can, without being ashamed of doing so. This is extremely important because asking questions keeps you engaged with the topic at hand. In those moments, it is also very important that they are surrounded by a community they trust and that will support and encourage them. In this regard, building support networks needs to be a priority for both them and their institutions. I would not have been able to be where I am now without the support of family, friends, and institutions who offered the resources I needed to become a scientist.

10. In your opinion, what will be the next great breakthrough in science / in your discipline?
    
    I am incredibly excited about the breakthroughs that the Simons Observatory will bring. This observatory is newly built and operational (since April 2024) in the high desert of northern Chile, where the Atacama Cosmology Telescope once was. I am fortunate to be part of one of the six UK institutions that have joined this international astronomy mission. Altogether, the collaboration will map the cosmic microwave background to address fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe. I am particularly excited for the Simons Observatory to deliver a measurement of the mass of neutrinos. These particles are ubiquitous (about a thousand trillion of them pass through your body every second), but because they interact so weakly with matter, we do not yet know how much they weigh. Simons Observatory is such a powerful mission that we will be able to observe the effect of neutrinos in three(!) different ways. This is of great importance because once we report the sum of neutrino masses, we will know that it is an extremely robust and reliable measurement.

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Bonus question:
What should be done to increase the number of female scientists and professors?

Women have always played an extremely important role in the advancement of science. Little by little, this is starting to be recognized. This is why initiatives such as WONNOW Awards or Women in Research Blog are so important. We need to continue showcasing the amazing powers that we have. I am also a strong supporter of implementing quotas to achieve at least 30% representation in institutions, departments or research groups. Once there is a “critical mass” of women, the system equilibrates itself. They serve as a role model and encourage even more women to do science alongside them.

Photo/Credit: (1) Irene Abril Cabezas (Leading outreach activity (SOAPBOX Science Spain)), (2) Irene Abril Cabezas (Atacama Cosmology Telescope CMB lensing working group meeting in Cambridge ), (3) Irene Abril Cabezas (Caixa Bank and Microsoft Iberia WONNOW Awards ceremony).

The interview was realized in June 2024 before the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting by Ulrike Boehm.