This year’s German Conference for Women in Physics (Deutsche Physikerinnentagung 2026) was hosted by the RPTU University in Kaiserslautern. It took place from 28-30th September under the organization of our colleague Prof. Dr. Elke Neu-Ruffing and her team.
Katerina represented the Laboratory for Lightwave Metrology with her talk “sSNOM-driven modeling of the electric field-resolved response of biological cells”.
She presented how the optical properties of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii internal structure, retrieved from tip-enhanced mid-infrared spectra, were used in a forward model aimed to resolve the cells’ near-field electric-field response. This study is crucial for guiding our current efforts in setting up a near-field FRS microscope and subsequent FRS image analysis and interpretation.
The annual German Conference for Women in Physics celebrates the achievements of female physicists in Germany, serves as a platform for discourse on the importance of gender equity in STEM fields in general, and in Physics in particular, and has been catalyzing societal change for almost three decades.
This year’s program included an excellent line up of panelists, contributed talks, posters and a record participation with over 250 participants. Several workshops offered the opportunity to develop skills in science communication, scientific writing and give insights into various career pathways in industry and tech-entrepreneurship.
All in all, three days full of inspiring contributions by outstanding physicists at different stages of their carriers made this conference an absolute success!