Lia Medeiros Receives Special Commendation from Nature’s Inspiring Women in Science

Lia Medeiros, current Member in the School of Natural Sciences, has received a scientific achievement special commendation from the judges at Nature Awards, after originally being shortlisted for the 2022 Scientific Achievement Award. As a part of their 2022 Inspiring Women in Science Awards, she was commended for her work as the co-lead of the EHT Gravitational Physics Working Group, part of the team that captured the first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy, where she worked on running simulations, imaging, and model comparison.

At the Institute, Medeiros is using theoretical simulations of extreme astrophysical objects and phenomena to test fundamental theories of physics, like general relativity, and study black hole properties, for example with EHT data. She is cited for her algorithm which has achieved “unprecedented resolution and accuracy” and for “modeling hypothetical black holes that challenge our understanding of gravity.” 

The Inspiring Women in Science Awards, selected by editors from Nature Portfolio, as well as academic scientists and external experts, honor and provide support for young women in STEM careers around the world and those looking to engage with STEM subjects. 

Nature Portfolio hosts the Nature research and Nature Reviews journals, in addition to Nature Communications and Scientific Reports. Noted as leading publishers in science, these journals publish some of the world’s most groundbreaking scientific discoveries. A supporter of numerous awards, Nature is partnered with The Estée Lauder Companies to fund Inspiring Women in Science.