Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski is a Cuban-American physicist known for her work in high-energy physics and theoretical physics. She earned her PhD at Harvard University, conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University, and became a faculty member at the Perimeter Institute at age 27. She is the founder of the theoretical framework known as Celestial Holography.

Early Life and Education

Born in the state of Illinois, Pasterski began her education at the Edison Regional Gifted Center and graduated from the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in 2010. At age 14, she applied to MIT to obtain approval for her single-engine aircraft project. MIT professors Allen Haggerty and Earll Murman accepted her after watching a video of the aircraft she built.

She completed her undergraduate studies at MIT in three years with a perfect 5.00 GPA. During her undergraduate years, she contributed to the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. She pursued her doctoral studies at Harvard University.

Scientific Contributions

In her first year at Harvard, Pasterski discovered a physical effect known as the spin memory effect. This effect is considered a potential method for measuring the net effects of gravitational waves. This work predates LIGO^【1】’s announcements of wave detections.

In a 2015 paper she authored alone, she developed a theoretical structure known as the Pasterski–Strominger–Zhiboedov triangle. This work was cited by Stephen Hawking in 2016.

Pasterski is also the founder of the Celestial Holography theory. After receiving her PhD from Harvard in 2019, she launched the Celestial Holography Initiative at the Perimeter Institute with support from the Simons Foundation. This project continues today as the Simons Collaboration on Celestial Holography.

Science Communication and Social Impact

Pasterski has undertaken global initiatives to increase the representation of young women in STEM fields. In 2016, she was invited to the White House as part of the “Let Girls Learn” initiative and appeared on the cover of Marie Claire magazine alongside Michelle Obama. She has also worked to encourage girls in Cuba and Russia to pursue careers in STEM.

Pasterski has been featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for her scientific achievements and has been profiled in prestigious publications such as WIRED, Scientific American, and the History Channel.

Some Awards

2015: Forbes 30 Under 30 – Science

2016: Marie Claire Young Women Honors – “The Genius”

2018: Albert Einstein Foundation – Genius 100 Visionary

2023: Simons Foundation – Deputy Director, Celestial Holography