Margaret Doyle, a graduate student in the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging (MBIB) Division’s Yano/Yachandra/Kern group, and Christian Patrick Nikolaus Tanner, a graduate student with MBIB faculty scientist Naomi Ginsberg, were among the 27 young scientists selected to represent the University of California as a UC President Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Fellow at the recent gathering in Germany. “Attending a week of lectures and discussions by Nobel Laureates on topics ranging from attosecond pulses to exoplanet science was a unique and privileged experience that I am honored to have had,” Doyle said, noting that she was inspired by the Laureates’ tenacity and perseverance throughout their careers.
“The experience reaffirmed for me the importance of staying connected with other scientists around the world to tackle the big problems we face today,” Tanner added. “I was able to listen and learn from two of the only three living female Nobel Laureates in Physics: Anne L’Huillier and Donna Strickland. I also relearned my appreciation for the beauty of science in our everyday lives, like in soap bubbles, thanks to a discussion with Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman.”
The week concluded on Mainau island, where Doyle witnessed 30 Laureates from physics and chemistry sign the 2024 Mainau Declaration on Nuclear Weapons, an appeal against nuclear war.
“I cherished the opportunity to connect with many other young scientists from across the world, who were outside of my field and whom I likely would never have crossed paths with otherwise,” Doyle reflected.
