“I’m passionate about science”: a graduate of the Balseiro Institute received important recognition

Yanina Fasano, Ph.D. in physics, was honored with the Georg Forster Research Award, an award given to professionals with distinguished careers in science. Yanina is a teacher and a graduate of the Bachelor and Doctorate in Physics from the Balseiro Institute

“It was a great surprise. It is a recognition of my work carried out during my career together with so many other people ”, reflected Yanina and added that, in addition to the immense satisfaction, the recognition means an opportunity to broaden her research horizon through different techniques in Germany.

The foundation grants several prizes to stimulate the continuity in the scientific formation of people selected by a committee. Nominations come from professors working in Germany and, in addition, letters from experts are requested to support the proposals.

There are ten people of science selected from emerging countries. One of the criteria is the possible multiplier effect of the scientists they select.

“Dr. Fasano is an international authority on the vortex and spectroscopic properties of superconducting materials. He has made important contributions in the use of superconducting vortices as a model system to explore the structural properties of exotic states of matter ”, they indicated in the award nomination.

Yanina was always clear that she was going to study science. At first he doubted whether astronomy or physics. He finally leaned on the last one. And he also did a master’s degree in philosophy and history of science. “I’m passionate about science, it’s another level of enjoyment,” he commented on the “GPS” program on El Cordillerano Radio (93.7).

“Nature surprises us, it has so many mysteries that we still do not know. Even the answers on the simplest things are reviewed all the time, ”he said and stressed that he really likes his work. The watchword for her is not to settle for an answer. “It has to be improved, it is a way of thinking about life.”

Yanina was born in Rosario, although she lived in San Lorenzo until she was 20 years old. The step towards the Balseiro Institute was considered natural because when he found out that they were granting scholarships, it was ideal. The study expenses for doing it in Rosario forced her to work. He said that he always leaned towards experimental physics, “my professors told me that in the Balseiro there were laboratories with a lot of equipment. That attracted me a lot ”.

At age 20, he took the entrance exam and adapting to a new city was not an issue. “We studied all day, from 8.30 to 19. There was no time for other things,” he said.

Fasano will travel to Germany to develop a scientific project on the properties of superconducting materials, a field that generates great interest for its potential applications in quantum computing.

Recognizing a woman always invites us to review the complications she had to face to achieve her professional goals. Yanina admits that she was very lucky because together with her partner, also a physicist, they defined that the advance would be at par. “I know that not all women have the same experience,” she said.

Likewise, in practice there are objective difficulties because, for example, in a pregnancy the woman puts the body into it. “And even if you have a good delivery, you can have non-trivial consequences that pregnancy leaves you. Also the instinct of waking up at night, thinking about breastfeeding, “said Yanina, adding that this reality can delay your steps in the race.

“My experience is still very good,” he acknowledges and highlights that his partner was brought up in a family in which they were always clear that it was important to share tasks. For this reason, for Yanina the role of women is fundamental when they educate their male children.

At this point in his life, he decides to reduce the hours in the laboratory and dedicate them to his children. “You have to be happy with those decisions and take charge.”