Laila Reimanis

Laila grew up in Vermont and received her B.S. in Engineering Physics from Cornell University. As an undergraduate, she developed mesostructured copper electrodes for electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Laila also interned at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for two summers in the III/V photovoltaics group, where she studied deep level defects and transport properties in GaAs grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Laila’s research interests at the intersection of physics and chemistry led her to pursue a PhD in Materials at UCSB, where she joined Ram Seshadri’s group to study quantum materials. With a focus on topological superconductors, she performs powder synthesis of nitrides, employing x-ray and neutron diffraction and SQUID magnetometry for analysis. She uses density functional theory (DFT) calculations to inspire experiments and interpret empirical data. In her free time, Laila enjoys endurance running and cycling, rock climbing, and playing the flute.