- Awards and Distinctions
Research Associate Heide Ibrahim has been invited to the National Academy of Sciences’ prestigious US Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium.
Heide Ibrahim, a member of Professor François Légaré’s team, was invited to present her research to some of the best and brightest of the next generation of scientists. Participants in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Kavli Frontiers of Science 2022 Symposium are elected by their peers as Kavli Fellows in recognition of their outstanding research contributions.
“I am very grateful to have been able to be a part of this outstanding symposium. The multifaceted program bridged highly specialized fields – much in the tradition of the ancient universal scholars,” said Heide Ibrahim. “Presentations on fake news, the role of language in science, the development of messenger RNA vaccines, or even ethics in space research have brought forth new insights and ideas.”
The symposium was held April 8-10, 2022, in California. It brought together scientists who were 45 years old or younger to support their commitment to outstanding research. A NAS committee selected the new members from among young researchers who have already made recognized contributions to science.
“I am very proud of Heide Ibrahim’s appointment. This recognition demonstrates not only her scientific excellence, but also the quality of our infrastructure at INRS.”
François Légaré, professor at the Centre Matériaux Énergie Télécommunications and scientific director of the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS).
Indeed, the ALLS laboratory, which is part of the LaserNetUS network, is making major scientific discoveries. The observation of molecular roaming with ultrafast lasers is one of them.
Fundamental science at the forefront
Heide Ibrahim, AllS’ head of scientific coordination and communication, has been recognized over the past two years for her research in ultrafast molecular imaging. Indeed, the molecular road movie she directed was noticed by major scientific journals, such as Science and Physics Today, as well as by the magazine Québec Science, which selected the research as part of their 29th edition of “Discoveries of the year” in Quebec.
At the Symposium, she presented her work under the title “Intense Lasers Explode Molecules to Film Atomic Motion”. The scientist, who stands out for the creative approach to her work, introduced the ALLS laboratory to the scientific community.
She spoke about the high-performance molecular camera that the team uses to film the dynamics of atoms moving in molecules. The method is based on a principle of coulombic explosion induced by ultrafast laser pulses.
“This camera can even image statistical dynamics. In fact, sometimes the best way to study the mechanism of an object is to take it apart…”
Heide Ibrahim
About the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
The NAS is committed to the advancement of science in America and its members are active contributors to the international science community. About 500 current and deceased members of the Academy have won Nobel Prizes.
Since the creation of the program in 1989, more than 5,000 outstanding young researchers have participated in a Kavli symposium and have been named Kavli Fellows. These Fellows include candidates who have been nominated by numerous scientific institutions.
