“Women often have to prove themselves first”

The breakthrough was nothing short of a sensation: in July 2012, CERN in Geneva announced that it had discovered the Higgs boson. The elementary particle, whose existence had been postulated by theoretical physicists decades ago, was detected using the largest particle accelerator in the world—a 27-kilometre tunnel, in which the researchers collided protons with protons to produce the Higgs particles. 

The discovery of the Higgs boson was also a day of rejoicing for Lea Caminada, a particle physicist at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland. She was involved in the construction of the so-called pixel detector, which, by reconstructing the collisions of the protons, enables verification of the Higgs boson. Caminada coordinated the tests and the initial activation of the detector—first at PSI, then at CERN—and says, “It’s a fascinating privilege to help solve some of the world’s most fundamental questions: What is matter made of? How did the universe begin?” Caminada, whose job requires her to commute between Villigen and Geneva, is currently working on evaluating data produced by the detector—and developing the next, even better version.

Her talent and enthusiasm for natural sciences are what led Lea Caminada to study physics at ETH Zurich. The low number of women (20%) during her studies posed no great problem; she felt comfortable and accepted. Later, as a postdoctoral researcher in the US, she enjoyed a more balanced gender ratio among physicists. Upon returning to Switzerland, however, things changed again. She realised that the higher the rung on the academic ladder, the more difficult the situation becomes for women. Sometimes it is subtle, unconscious prejudice that Lea Caminada experiences in working groups: “As a woman, I’m sometimes taken less seriously. Men are seen as more capable in technical professions. Women don’t necessarily have to be better than men, but they do have to demonstrate their abilities more actively and prove themselves.” This makes it all the more important to start at an early age and introduce both girls and boys to technical professions: “Girls don’t just lack female role models—they also know far too little about these professions,” says Caminada. 

To be part of the solution, Lea Caminada volunteered as a mentor for Swiss TecLadies. At the same time, the physicist is also herself a mentee: she is currently participating in a mentoring programme at the Paul Scherrer Institute for female researchers who would like to take on a leadership role. Her mentor, however, is a man—there are still not enough women in leadership positions to cover such roles. “Hopefully not much longer thanks to programmes like Swiss TecLadies,” says Lea Caminada.

Text: Adrian Ritter
Photos: Felix Wey