Dr. Natalie Fardian-Melamed is an associate research scientist in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University in New York. Her research focuses on developing new mechanisms for light–matter interaction that enable sensing beyond conventional limits, with a particular emphasis on photon avalanche phenomena in lanthanide nanomaterials. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellowship and a Fulbright Scholarship, and was named a Rising Star of Light. She’s also on Laser Focus World’s editorial board.