Astrochemistry at the Intersection of Disciplines

In the final segment of this interview, Gabi Wenzel—visiting scientist at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian—reflects on the deeply interdisciplinary nature of astrochemistry and emphasizes the importance of maintaining openness in collaborative, cross-disciplinary work.

Wenzel is an experimental physicist with expertise in astrochemistry and molecular spectroscopy. She earned her PhD in laboratory astrophysics at the Institute for Astrophysics and Planetology Research (IRAP) in Toulouse, France, where she explored how cosmic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) interact with ultraviolet and infrared light, shedding light on their relaxation mechanisms in the gas phase. Her work bridges laboratory experimentation and astronomical observation to expand our understanding of molecular complexity in space.

Currently, Wenzel conducts research with both the McGuire Group at MIT and the McCarthy Group at the Center for Astrophysics. She focuses on the rotational spectroscopy of PAHs, using a compact chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave (CP-FTMW) spectrometer she developed at MIT, alongside high-resolution cavity-enhanced FTMW spectroscopy at the CfA.