Credit: Laura Cattaneo

Laura earned her PhD in Experimental Physics at Politecnico di Milano in 2011, where she worked on fabricating and characterizing nanomaterials such as thin films, nanowires, and nanoparticles. In 2014, she moved to the Netherlands for a postdoc in the Spectroscopy of Solids and Interfaces group at Radboud University, where she studied the optical properties of liquid crystals as part of an international training network, collaborating not only with academic teams but also with companies such as Philips and Merck. Afterwards, she joined ETH Zurich to work in the Ultrafast Laser Physics group, focusing on atomic and molecular dynamics on attosecond timescales—the shortest time intervals ever measured.

Since May 2020, she has been awarded a group leader position and built her own group, “Ultrafast Liquid Crystal Dynamics”, at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. Her team studies liquid crystal dynamics across a broad range of timescales, from picoseconds down to attoseconds, and from bulk materials all the way to single molecules. Together with her team, she has built a state-of-the-art laser laboratory from scratch, complete with two main research beamlines for terahertz and high-harmonic generation spectroscopy and a custom sample preparation facility. Their work has also taken them to large-scale free-electron laser facilities. In November 2024, Laura was honored with the Mildred Dresselhaus Guest Professorship by the “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter” Hamburg Cluster of Excellence.

She is also a mother of two kids, born in 2019 and 2020, right at her transition between ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, and during the COVID lockdown, which makes her very close to the topic of work–life balance in science.

Beyond research, she cares deeply about outreach and gender equality. She has served as Second Deputy Equal Opportunity Officer at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics from 2020 to 2024, and she is currently the Contact Person for Gender Balance for the international network for Non-linear Extreme ultraviolet to hard X-ray Techniques (NEXT) funded by the European Cooperation for Science and Technology (COST).

Why did you choose to be a scientist?

Making decisions has never come easily to me. I’ve often found it difficult, sometimes even painful, because I dislike closing off possibilities. What has always come naturally to me though, is my curiosity and love of learning. For me, the process of gaining knowledge has been just as fascinating as the subject itself; it’s the journey towards understanding something that continues to inspire me. In the end, I chose to follow a scientific path because it added an irresistible element of challenge, a way to constantly test and push myself. Looking back, I realize that these two aspects – curiosity and challenge – remain the driving forces behind my daily motivation.

What scientific development are you currently most excited about?

The scientific development I’m most excited about right now goes back to when I first started my position as a Max Planck group leader. At the time, I wrote my proposal without being certain that it was even possible to generate high harmonics in an organic system as delicate and temperature sensitive as liquid crystals, and that the emitted light could actually reflect, or be sensitive to, the degree of order in the system.

It turned out not only to be possible, but even more rewarding than expected – the light we measure also carries information about the size of the unit responsible for the observed electronic configuration, which in fact does not correspond to a single molecule. We published these findings last year in APL Photonics, and we are now preparing a follow-up paper that confirms this latter aspect – originally just a hypothesis in the first work – along with several new insights. Being able to experimentally confirm a hypothesis you once only dared to formulate is an absolutely priceless satisfaction.

What direction do you think your research field should go in?

I think the field should move towards using ultrafast spectroscopies to tackle more complex and realistic molecular systems. Until now, much of our understanding of electron–nuclear coupling has come from very simple or highly-ordered systems. But organic and hybrid materials, such as liquid crystals and supramolecular assemblies, offer a unique opportunity – they combine structural flexibility with functional properties relevant for energy conversion, photonics, and even quantum technologies. By applying high-harmonic generation and complementary X-ray methods, we can begin to uncover how electronic and structural dynamics interact in these soft yet highly functional systems. This would not only deepen our fundamental understanding of these systems, but also position such materials as tunable platforms where structure and order can be used as design parameters for new functionalities. More broadly, I see the future of the field at the intersection of ultrafast spectroscopy, molecular design, and large-scale facility science. Bringing these elements together will allow us to address the complexity of matter in motion, and ultimately to design materials with tailored, dynamic properties.

How would you describe your research philosophy?

My research philosophy is closely tied to my philosophy of life. First and foremost, the topic I work on has to excite me; it needs to spark my curiosity. But that alone is not enough. As I learned from my supervisors, it is essential to identify a clear and specific question to answer. For me, the question is the cornerstone. The answer can be built step by step, using the tools available and analyzing results with scientific rigor, but the guiding question must always remain central.

I also firmly believe in the power of collaboration. Progress comes not only from technical skills in carrying out experiments, but also from team discussions, from questioning interpretations, and from openly exchanging ideas. In the end, I see communication as the true engine of science.

What do you most (and least) enjoy about being a scientific researcher?

What I enjoy the most is connected closely to what I mentioned earlier: I love the process that leads to even the tiniest increase in knowledge compared to what we already know. I really value discussions – the hours spent debating graphs, trying to understand what is happening, and finally converging towards a result.

What I find more challenging is balancing the demands of research with family life. I currently work in Germany while my family is based in Switzerland, which makes it difficult to share daily life with them. Like many researchers, I’m learning how important it is to find sustainable ways to balance professional passion with personal well-being.

What actions do you feel employers in chemical research should take to make a difference for women scientists?

I believe the role of a mentor is crucial – by that I mean a qualified mentor who is aware of both the local and international academic landscape. Such mentoring should be systematically offered to all women who wish to pursue or continue an academic career. Employers should also support women’s participation in conferences and professional events, so they can build their academic paths, make informed choices, and align career steps with their aspirations and goals. In addition, hiring processes should follow clear guidelines to ensure balanced representation of women at every stage of the research pipeline, from undergraduate and PhD students, to postdocs and up to young group leaders.

How can publishers, editors, funders, and conference organizers better support women scientists?

I would love to see conferences or workshops where all invited and contributed talks are given by women, or special journal issues where every paper includes a woman as first and/or last author. Initiatives like these would not only highlight outstanding research by women but also provide strong role models for younger scientists.

Do you have any advice you would like to share with women starting out in chemical research?

I would say that research is one of the most beautiful professions: it is dynamic, constantly evolving, and above all, it is a team effort built on communication. At the same time, it is also one of the most challenging careers, not because of physical demands, but because competition for permanent positions is extremely high, and this pressure can heavily affect personal life.

My advice is to arm yourself with the three Ps: patience, perseverance, and, above all, passion. It is passion that will carry you forward and keep you motivated, even when the path feels uncertain.

To women in particular, I would say the same as to men: pursue your curiosity and ambition without hesitation. The academic environment is slowly changing, with increasing awareness of gender balance, more concrete measures like dedicated fellowships and quotas, and support for returning after maternity leave. The profession of “woman scientist” or specifically “woman chemist” is no longer an exception or a dream, it is a reality, and one worth embracing fully.

This interview was conducted by the editors of Communications Chemistry.