Serena Valtolina

PhD student in the “Pulsars” research group

What is your current position at our institute?

I’m a PhD student in the “Pulsars” research group.

How and when did you choose to do physics?

When I was a child, I always dreamed about becoming an astronaut. To me, stars, galaxies, and space are still the most fascinating topics to learn about. During school then, I realized that elegant and precise mathematical formulas could describe all those concepts, and that has piqued my imagination and desire to get involved. Being able to add a new little detail to our understanding of the Universe we live in became my new dream.

What is your academic education?

• Bachelor degree in Physics, University of Milano Bicocca
• Master degree in Astrophysics, University of Milano Bicocca
• Erasmus+ Traineeship student, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (AEI) in Potsdam

Can you please describe your research?

Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) experiments aim to detect low-frequency gravitational wave signals by observing radio emissions from millisecond pulsars. My research focuses on testing and trying to improve the current PTA data analysis tools and theoretical predictions.

Why did you chose the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics for your research.

I chose this institute because it is one of the best research centers in the world for gravitational-wave science. More importantly, the working environment here is very stimulating, dynamic, and supportive.