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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
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idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
A portrait of a successful PTB researcher - International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February
She always wanted to become a physicist and conduct world-class research. And she made it: Tanja Mehlstäubler from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is now one of the leading international researchers in the field of precision laser spectroscopy and ion traps for atomic clocks and quantum computers. Her steep path led her via a German and an American physics degree to PTB, where she habilitated and now heads a department with 30 people. Women in leading positions in so-called STEM subjects such as physics are still in the minority, as the annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February reminds us. But at PTB, Tanja Mehlstäubler is in good company: there are many outstanding female researchers here. PTB will be introducing many of them in its Instagram series "Meet the PTBists", which is all about interesting women and men at PTB.
Physics is Tanja Mehlstäubler's great passion. Her enthusiasm is great when she talks about quantum physics, atomic clocks and their heart, the ion traps. She has numerous scientific developments to her name. Perhaps the most important: the multi-ion clock, a new type of optical atomic clock that is one of the most accurate in the world. "I consider it my greatest life achievement to date to have proposed a new clock concept that is now running successfully after 10 years and has been taken up internationally," she says.
Tanja Mehlstäubler's path to date has been remarkably purposeful: as one of the top students in her year at grammar school, Tanja Mehlstäubler received funding from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation) to study physics in Würzburg. She then completed a Master's degree at the University of Stony Brook in New York, went to the SYRTE - Observatoire de Paris as a postdoc and then back to Germany, to PTB. There she became the first head of a junior research group, completed her habilitation and now, in addition to her work at PTB, she teaches as a professor at Leibniz Universität Hannover. Her work is very diverse: she heads a department with 30 people, in addition to preparing lectures, international industry and research collaborations and consultancy work. What she particularly likes about her job: "The best thing about science is working with people all over the world and being able to get to know them better, crossing borders and conducting research together in order to understand the world better."
Many women and girls still have to overcome more obstacles than men to realise this scientific dream. Their share in science is still significantly lower than that of men.
PTB has been committed to increasing the proportion of women in its work for years. Today, women make up 37 per cent of the total workforce. "For a physical-technical institution, we can be proud of this," says PTB President Cornelia Denz.
In order to continue on this positive path, PTB is involved in the nationwide network initiative "Komm, mach MINT" (which could be translated as "Come and join STEM"). This initiative encourages girls and women to study STEM subjects and professions. "Excellent research and services require equality, diversity and originality," says Cornelia Denz. "It is therefore a matter of course for us to promote equal opportunities and diversity at PTB. Gender equality is extremely important to us and we will continue to prioritise this: with role models, with mentoring and with the right framework conditions. This includes family-friendly working hours, leadership training and personnel development."
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was adopted by a United Nations General Assembly in 2015 and has been held annually on 11 February ever since.
(es/ptb)
Contact:
Prof. Dr Tanja Mehlstäubler, Head of QUEST Research Group 2 Quantum Clocks and Complex Systems, phone: +49531 592-4710, Opens local program for sending emailtanja.mehlstaeubler(at)ptb.de
Prof Dr Cornelia Denz, President of the PTB, phone: +49531 592-1000, Opens local program for sending emailcornelia.denz(at)ptb.de
Other excellent female scientists at PTB:
Joanna Freyse is Managing Director of the Systemic Metrology Innovation Cluster. Interview with her in the latest issue of the PTB newsletter Genau! (in German only):https://www.ptb.de/cms/presseaktuelles/journalisten/nachrichten-presseinformatio...
Julia Hornig helped set up the Competence Centre for Wind Energy and heads the "Gases" department. Interview with her in the launch issue of the PTB newsletter Genau! (in German only):<https://www.ptb.de/cms/presseaktuelles/journalisten/nachrichten-presseinformationen/presseinfo.html?tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=13066&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bday%5D=1&tx_news_pi1%5Bmonth%5D=12&tx_news_pi1%5Byear%5D=2023&cHash=740de67fd5819535fdbd5ac633f98f43
PTB's Instagram series "Meet the PTBists" (in German only):
You can follow it on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ptb.bund/ - or simply directly on the PTB homepage https://www.ptb.de/cms/, where we reproduce all of PTB's social media posts without you needing an account.
Tanja Mehlstäubler Tanja Mehlstäubler heads a research group with 30 persons at PTB.
(Credit: PTB)
At a network meeting: around a third of the female managers at PTB. Their number is growing steadily ...
(Credit: PTB)
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Physics / astronomy, Social studies
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