"I read the email, and then I laughed because I thought I read it wrong," recounts Dr. Martell, who uses she/they pronouns. "I couldn't really believe it because it just seems like such a wild opportunity. I was quite shocked to hear that I was accepted, but I'm very excited to go."
Dr. Martell, a Dal alum (PhD'23) and former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Mita Dasog's research group who recently started a new position as the lab's program manager, will join 600 young scientist peers from around the world and 35 Nobel Prize winners in Lindau, Germany from June 29-July 4 for a week of workshops, panel discussions, social events, and lectures.
The exclusive gatherings have been held annually in the southern German town since 1951 and focus on one of three natural science Nobel Prize disciplines: physiology/medicine, physics, and chemistry, 2025's theme.
"Sarah is an emerging leader in materials science with a remarkable ability to translate fundamental research into real-world applications," says Dr. Dasog, who supported Dr. Martell's candidacy through the Global Young Academy, one of the conference's nominating institutions. "Beyond her impressive research, Sarah is deeply committed to advancing science literacy and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the scientific community. Her insights, energy, and perspective will undoubtedly enrich the dialogue among emerging and established scientific leaders."
Making global connections
Key themes of the meeting include artificial intelligence in chemistry, the circular economy, the importance of science diplomacy, and science communication, a topic of particular interest to Dr. Martell.
"I'm really excited for the more philosophical discussions about our role as scientists in society today, especially with so much misinformation out there," they say.
They are also looking forward to making hundreds of new connections, admitting to browsing LinkedIn in search of updates from others announcing their participation.
While there isn't a specific Nobel Laureate who Dr. Martell is hoping to cross paths with ("All these people are rockstars," she says), she plans to seek out Ada E. Yonath and Frances H. Arnold the only women in an otherwise male-dominated group of attending Laureates.
"Even though they're not really in my direct field, I want to hear more about their experiences," she says.
Back on the world stage
This isn't the first time that Dr. Martell's scientific prowess has taken her to Germany. In 2022, she and fellow Dal chemistry PhD student Tina Taskovic advanced to the global finals of the Falling Walls Lab pitch competition in Berlin.
Before an international audience at the Falling Walls Science Summit, she pitched a new method of on-demand hydrogen generation in which synthesized porous silicon nanoparticles react with water.
While nothing that stressful is in store this time, she hopes to be selected to present her work at one of the week's "Next Gen Science" sessions. Otherwise, she'll enjoy being a sponge, soaking up as much knowledge as possible in the presence of so many great minds.
"It's going to be a wild experience that I'm really excited for."
