Dr. Isabel Rabey - Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics

My name is Isabel and I am a postdoc in the Quantum Dynamics division of Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. I work in the cold molecule subgroup, researching collisional properties of polyatomic molecules. A typical day for me always involves discussions with the students in my team, normally over a (very important) coffee. The time in between is normally a mix of data analysis, simulation work and writing, depending on what our priorities are for the week.

This year has certainly been interesting! The biggest challenge for me this year was certainly on a personal level. Not being able to travel, to see colleagues at conferences, as well as friends and family all over the world, has been difficult. Also, all the Zoom meetings... But in general, I have been very lucky. The experiment I work on can be controlled remotely and so during lockdown we managed to measure some of the most exciting results I have seen since starting here. I feel very proud of my team and what we achieved this year, despite all the challenges.