Axiel Yaël Birenbaum, PhD, NRC postdoctoral fellow (2019-2021), and member of the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) Applied Deep Learning team, is a force to be reckoned with.
She boasts an education and work experiences that took her to numerous different countries before leading her to the NRC. Axiel's doctoral work was completed at ETH Zurich in Switzerland in Materials Science. She also attended universities in London and Dublin for her previous degrees, worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States and was a visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Axiel's work was to understand the fundamental physics of solids in order to design novel materials for energy-related applications. She leveraged machine learning, atomistic computer simulations, and group theory in her research. Axiel's skills and curiosity are appreciated both through her work with the Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre to develop accelerated electronic structure theory calculations with deep learning as well as her volunteer efforts. Axiel volunteers her time for community science events and teaching middle-school girls to code. She is also a vocal advocate for women and LGBTQ+ people in science.
"I appreciate the fact that my enthusiasm and curiosity are welcome at the NRC and these often lead to new opportunities in my fields of study. Having accomplished my dreams of becoming a physicist, I want to be an inspiration for the new generation."