Juna Sathian 

Dr Juna Sathian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering at Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne. She is the Programme Leader for Physics and the Group Leader of Quantum and Molecular Photonics Research Group. Her current research focuses on infrared laser technology, room-temperature maser technology, and brightness-enhanced solid-state light sources. Dr Sathian completed a PhD in Nonlinear Optics and Laser Physics from Queensland University of Technology, Australia in 2013. In 2014, she joined Imperial College London as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. She is currently a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a Visiting Academic at Imperial College London. 

Dr Sathian is the only female member of the team of six academics awarded the Institute of Physics (IOP) 2023 Michael Faraday Gold Medal and Prize for outstanding and sustained contributions to experimental physics. Together, they were the first to solve a 60-year-old problem – getting a solid-state MASER (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) to work at room temperature. 

Besides her research and teaching, she is active in outreach and career talks in STEM, influencing the younger generations' future. She is passionate about encouraging more girls to study science, promoting this in local schools, encouraging more women to undertake leadership roles, and bringing communities together.