What if a young girl building her own airplane could unlock the secrets of quantum gravity?

Meet Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, the American theoretical physicist whose groundbreaking ideas in quantum gravity and celestial holography have drawn comparisons to Isaac Newton. Born on June 3, 1993, in Chicago, Illinois, Pasterski’s story is a thrilling blend of childhood ambition and cutting-edge science. From constructing aircraft in her garage to spearheading global research collaborations, her path showcases unyielding dedication and boundless curiosity. In 2026, she stands at the forefront of physics, challenging our grasp of the cosmos and igniting passion in aspiring scientists worldwide.

From Garage Tinkerer to Skyward Dreamer: Early Life and Aviation Adventures

Growing up in a family of lawyers, with her father Mark Pasterski and mother Maria Gonzalez as steadfast supporters, Sabrina developed an early obsession with science and engineering. Of Polish and Cuban heritage, she was captivated by spaceflight and airplanes from a young age. For one birthday, she unwrapped a Cessna 150 and dove into flying lessons in Canada with her dad.

At only 12, Pasterski tackled a jaw-dropping challenge: assembling a Zenith CH 601 XL aircraft from a kit. Over two intense years, she customized it and chased airworthiness certification. Though the airplane faced grounding by the National Transportation Safety Board over safety concerns, this hands-on saga sharpened her problem-solving prowess and fueled a passion for bold innovation. She even launched Sabrina Aircraft Manufacturing in 2005, a company she still runs today.

Her schooling kicked off at the Edison Regional Gifted Center in 1998, where her genius shone bright. This groundwork led to the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, graduating in 2010. Along the way, she earned a spot as a semifinalist for the International Physics Olympiad team and snagged an internship at Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s rocket venture.

Overcoming Rejections: Undergraduate Triumphs at MIT

Pasterski’s road to college wasn’t smooth sailing. Turned down by several elite schools and waitlisted at MIT, she finally gained admission in fall 2010 to study aerospace engineering. Her airplane-building exploits? They sealed the deal.

Once at MIT, she soared. As the first freshman picked for the NASA January Operational Internship, she also claimed the debut Freshman Entrepreneurship Award. In 2011, she interned at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Pivoting to physics, she dove into the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at CERN.

In a mere three years, she earned her Bachelor of Science in physics in 2013, boasting a flawless 5.0 GPA. She became the first woman in decades to lead MIT’s physics class and scooped the Joel Matthew Orloff scholarship for her stellar achievements.

Quantum Leaps: Graduate Breakthroughs at Harvard

Backed by a Hertz Fellowship, Pasterski chased her PhD at Harvard under the mentorship of physics icon Andrew Strominger. Her focus shifted to quantum gravity, where she teamed up with Strominger and Alexander Zhiboedov to uncover a revolutionary gravitational memory effect. This discovery tied symmetries to spin memory in gravitational waves, propelling our understanding of the universe’s core rules.

She defended her PhD in 2019 with a thesis called “Implications of Superrotations.” Key publications from this era include “New Gravitational Memories” in 2016, dives into flat space amplitudes and conformal symmetry in 2017, and gluon amplitudes as 2D conformal correlators that same year.

Leading the Charge: Professional Milestones and Frontier Research

Post-PhD, Pasterski thrived as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University from 2019 to 2022, exploring celestial holography, a mind-bending idea that views the universe through holographic lenses. In 2021, she founded and led the Celestial Holography Initiative at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. By 2022, she rose to research faculty there.

Her influence grew as she coordinated the Strings 2023 conference and stepped up as Deputy Director of the Simons Collaboration on Celestial Holography in 2023. This group landed an $8 million Simons Foundation grant to bridge gravity and quantum mechanics. She also holds a visiting scholar role at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

In 2026, Pasterski remains a powerhouse, captivating audiences with keynotes at events like the Canadian Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics and the AAAS Annual Meeting. Her ongoing work probes quantum gravity, black holes, and scattering amplitudes, leaving an indelible mark on physics.

Honors That Shine: Awards and Global Recognition

Pasterski’s trophies tell a tale of excellence. In 2013, she grabbed the European Physical Society High Energy and Particle Physics Prize for her MIT-CMS contributions. Forbes spotlighted her on its 30 Under 30 Science list in 2015 and as an All Star in 2017. Later honors include the IMSA Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award in 2019 and Simons Foundation backing in 2023.

A Lasting Spark: Legacy and Horizons Ahead

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski’s epic from aviation whiz kid to physics trailblazer is a masterclass in grit and genius. She’s demolished obstacles, expanded scientific horizons, and lit a fire under the next wave of innovators. As 2026 unfolds and beyond, her discoveries are set to rewrite the stars, urging everyone to chase science with her same enthusiasm.