Dr Beatriz Sanchez-Cano is a PostDoctoral Research Associate within the School of Physics and Astronomy and studies Mars’ Plasma. Dr Sanchez-Cano has recently been awarded an STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship, is a Guest Investigator for the BepiColombo mission and collaborates with Prof. Mark Lester to supervise undergraduate project work.
What is your official Job Role?
I am currently a postdoctoral research associate at the planetary science group (former RSPP). However, I have recently been awarded an STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship and will start my own investigation line in October this year at the same group.
Can you briefly describe your role within the School of Physics and Astronomy
I do mainly Mars plasma research, including modelling and data analysis of the Martian ionosphere, atmosphere-ionosphere coupling, induced magnetosphere, and Mars’ interaction with the solar wind. I analyse data from several missions at Mars, including Mars Express (where I am co-investigator), MAVEN, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Science Laboratory.
Furthermore, a couple of years ago I was selected as Guest Investigator of the BepiColombo mission. In this role, I am in charge of analysing the solar wind data obtained by BepiColombo during its 7-year trip to Mercury, which includes data from the flybys to Earth, Venus and Mercury.
In addition, I collaborate with Professor Mark Lester on the supervision of 1-2 undergraduate students per year on the 3rd and 4th year projects as well as literature review projects.
What made you want to start on this career path?
I have always liked everything related to space so much and I was good in Maths and Physics at school and high-school levels. That is why I decided to study Physics at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (I am originally from Spain). When I was in my last year of the degree I was very lucky and a Professor saw some potential in me and gave me a research contract to start doing Mars’ ionosphere research. During this contract, I finished my degree, did a Master thesis and a year of my PhD until I got a University fellowship to continue and finish my PhD.
What made you choose Leicester/what’s your favourite thing about working at Leicester?
During my PhD, I did several long research stays in foreign centres, including the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste (Italy) and the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency in Noordwijk (Netherlands). When I was finishing my PhD, a good colleague that was a postdoc at ESTEC at that time forward to me an announcement of a postdoc position in Leicester that was 100% my profile. Professor Mark Lester was looking for someone to do Mars’ ionosphere research with Mars Express! I met Mark once before in a conference in the US and I didn’t doubt that I should apply for this position.
Thanks to that, I have been more than 7 years in Leicester and have loved all the time that I have spent here so much! My favourite part of working at Leicester the amazing people in the Planetary Science Group. I have learned a lot from them and thanks to them, I have expanded my expertise beyond Mars to cover most of the Solar System.
If you could give your former self one piece of advice what would it be?
Be yourself always and listen to the people that know more than you do, as you can always learn from them!
What is your favourite thing to do outside of work?
I have many hobbies, and really enjoy painting and pottery. Since around 4-5 years ago, I have been going to some Leicester Adult Education College pottery lessons that I have really enjoyed very much. In there, I have met very nice people of all ages and have filled my house with many pottery pieces at the same time! Here are some examples:
Do you have any pet colleagues or interesting collections?
Unfortunately I do not have a pet here in Leicester mainly because I live alone and I used to travel very often (of course not during COVID 19). Therefore, it is difficult to have a pet under these circumstances. However, my family in Spain has several pets and I particularly enjoy having some time with a lovebird, which is mostly free at home, my brother has, when I’m there.
Instead of pets I have a larger collection of Starbucks mugs! When I go to a different place (only if I go), I try to buy a mug, and I have now more than 100 mugs.
This is only a small sample:
What is your proudest achievement (doesn’t have to be work related)?
I am very proud of my selection as Guest Investigator of BepiColombo because it was a hard competition and it has opened to me a new world of science and collaborations with incredible people around the world. I am also very proud of the STFC fellowship that I have just been awarded, although I am still assimilating it.
In addition, last year I was awarded the 2020 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists of the European Geoscience Union. My peers submitted the application on my behalf without telling me and when I knew that I was given this prestigious award, it was an amazing surprise and I felt really proud of the great people that have always been supporting me.
If you had to describe yourself in one word what word would you choose?
I think hard-worker is the best word that describes me.
For more information on Dr Sanchez-Cano’s recent fellowship award here is an article with more information:
If there are any members of staff you would like to see highlighted in these segments please email Ejb71@le.ac.uk
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