The laws of motion

It’s Physics 101 – put enough momentum into something and it will break through any barrier in front of it.

This scientific principle is less classroom curriculum and more of a core belief for QUT Associate Professor Soniya Yambem, guiding her path from a small village in Manipur, India, to the QUT Centre for Materials Science.

“Materials physics is critical for everyday modern technologies such as mobile phone displays, OLED televisions and solar cells,” Professor Yambem said.

“I study how materials behave when made into fundamental electronic components, exploring their unique properties and identifying ways they can be applied in real-world technologies, such as sensors for specific industries.”

Currently, Professor Yambem, in collaboration with QUT biologists, is working with the Australian wine industry so that vineyards can use sensors to test the quality of grapes before processing, saving them time and money if grapes are inferior.

She is also working on developing sensor technologies that support the agriculture industry by assessing the nutrient uptake of plants.

“On the health side, we’re working on more sensitive sensors for point-of-care diagnostics or for measuring health parameters such as stress levels, hydration or electrolyte levels of the body,” she said

“All types of research have a fundamental goal to make life and the human experience better – better medicine, better technology, faster transport, more sustainable energy sources.

“And physics is no different.”

Professor Soniya Yambem now leads the biosensors and bioelectronics research team at QUT, but her path to a career in science started during her childhood in an Indian village.

She recalls as a young toddler going to “a very rundown” school with her mother, a primary school teacher, and dreaming about seeing planets in the backyard of her house.

“There were holes in the walls and we didn't have desks and benches or tables and chairs, but I’d sit and read about the stars and the mysterious nature of life just pulled me towards physics – I wanted to know more. At one time, I wanted to be an astrophysicist and go to the moon,” she said.

For Professor Yambem, being a scientist was always the goal.

“I didn't know how to become a scientist, and I didn't know that professors at universities were scientists as well,” she said.

“I would read about Einstein or Newton, but it never occurred to me that there were people who invented things teaching at universities.”

A deep love of learning saw her go on to complete a Master of Science, Physics at Delhi University and, through what she describes as an act of “destiny”, a Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, at the University of Houston.

“After my final semester of my master’s degree, one of my friends called me saying, ‘Hey, there's an interview about a PhD in the US. Do you want to come along?’” Professor Yambem said.

“Long story short, I got selected. I couldn't believe it. I even had to look up the university. I feel I got lucky that I was in the right place at the right time. I got the scholarship with no tuition fees. I didn't even give an English exam.

“I don't know why my friend called. No one in my family had studied outside of my hometown, let alone gone out of the country. I didn’t have the connections nor the finances nor the knowledge of how, so I wasn't searching for anything, but it happened. I felt like it was my destiny.”

The decision to study overseas wasn’t an easy one for Professor Yambem. She says growing up she was made to feel like the only way she could make a difference in people’s lives was to become a bureaucrat.

“When you're growing up in such a remote corner of India, you only know what your parents tell you and mostly people think that your life will be set if you get a government job. But I was very much interested in science, maths and physics. Towards the end, it caused a lot of conflict with my family. I had to tell them, ‘I'm not asking for your permission, I'm asking for your blessings.’

“Having said that, even though my mum was not as educated in terms of qualifications, she was educated enough to be a teacher in that small school.

“My dad used to travel 10 kilometres by foot to attend his high school and dreamed of building a school in his locality so that no other kids would ever have to travel that far. He went on to build his school and was the headmaster for a very long time.

“Even though I grew up in that village, I was privileged that my parents knew the importance of education and how it can influence and change someone's life.”

Professor Yambem says there remains a preconceived notion that physics is inaccessible as a discipline – buried in layers of highly esoteric and complex math. A ‘boys club’ of sorts that she says she only realised after moving outside of India.

“When I was doing physics as an undergraduate, it was almost like a 50-50 split,” she said.

“It was only when I started teaching in Australia that it hit me. At one point in time, I was the only ongoing female physicist in the school.”

Government figures indicate that women make up just 15 per cent of those working in science and technology in Australia, with profound under-representation of women in science, and in particular physics.

Unfortunately, Professor Yambem says progress towards equal representation of women remains slow.

“People are becoming more aware of this gap – there's a lot more noise about it,” she said.

“There’s not an easy solution but I'm committed to doing everything I can to encourage women and girls to get into physics or other STEM subjects."

A passionate science communicator, Professor Yambem remains involved in STEM engagement and outreach activities such as hosting high school students for science camps at QUT, visiting regional Queensland for National Science Week activities and inspiring school students at The ConocoPhillips Science Experience.

“Diversity – of thoughts, of practice, of people – is very important.”