EU XFEL Young Scientist Award for Camila Bacellar

Camila Bacellar, beamline scientist and group leader of the Alvra endstation at SwissFEL, received today the European XFEL Young Scientist Award. 

Camila Bacellar with the European XFEL Young Scientist Award

Camila’s research focuses on the use of ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy to probe excited state dynamics in chemical and biological systems. In particular, Camila is bestowed the honour as a result of her research into the structural and electronic dynamics of heme proteins, such as cytochrome C and myoglobin – collaborative work that took place between EPFL, SwissFEL and European XFEL.

The award recognises the contribution of young scientists to research at the European XFEL. Since the European XFEL first started in 2017, Camila was involved in multiple beamtimes and user assisted commissioning experiments, including one of the European XFEL’s first ever beamtimes. These took place during her postdoctoral work at EPFL in the group of Majed Chergui, with the collaboration continuing after she joined PSI in 2020. Sharing expertise and exploiting the complimentary competencies of European XFEL and SwissFEL has led to successful research outcomes, not least in investigations into cytochrome C, which benefited from European XFEL advanced capabilities in X-ray emission spectroscopy and SwissFEL expertise in X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Camila received the award online in the 2022 European XFEL Users’ meeting.

An interview with Camila Bacellar can be read at XFEL: European XFEL Young Scientist Award goes to Camila Bacellar

Text: Paul Scherrer Institute / Miriam Arrell