Tuckahoe NY Pride

Nergis Mavalvala is an astrophysicist and professor at MIT whose research helped open the era of gravitational-wave astronomy. As a key member of the LIGO collaboration, she contributed to the laser interferometry techniques and instrumentation that enabled the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, confirming a major prediction of Einstein’s general relativity. She has led efforts in precision measurement and quantum technologies that push the limits of sensing. Born in Pakistan and trained in the United States, Mavalvala is also a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ visibility in science, emphasizing mentorship, inclusion, and scientific curiosity for future researchers worldwide.

Quote: “We think that when we make a discovery we’ve answered a question, but almost always what we have really done is pose a new question.”