From Actress to Astrophysicist: Irini Lambertis on Early Black Holes and JWST Detections

In this episode of Science Quickly, host Rachel Feldman speaks with Irini Lambertis, a NASA Goddard postdoctoral fellow affiliated with the University of Maryland, about her unusual journey from performing arts to astrophysics and her cutting edge work on early massive black holes. They explore how JWST discoveries of tiny red dot sources are reshaping our picture of the young universe, and Lambertis shares her mentorship philosophy and practical advice for early career scientists.

• Unconventional career path reveals resilience and adaptability
• Investigating the first massive black holes and their host galaxies
• JWST little red dots and their implications for early galaxy evolution
• Mentorship and community as essential components of scientific success
• Strategic guidance for navigating gatekeeping, funding, and career decisions

Introduction

The podcast opens with an introduction to Irini Lambertis, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center who is also affiliated with the University of Maryland. The conversation centers on her unusual path to astrophysics, moving from acting to science, and how her background informs her approach to research and mentorship. The host frames the discussion within SIAM’s inaugural class of Young American Scientists and underscores Lambertis’ role in advancing our understanding of space, technology, and medicine through collaboration and rigorous inquiry.

From Acting to Astrophysics

Lambertis recounts growing up in Brooklyn and attending LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts where she pursued acting. A chance encounter with a science book, A Brief History of Time, on a school library shelf catalyzed a shift in her interests. The moment was transformative, revealing that the scales of the universe exceed everyday human intuition and that there is always more to discover. She humorously notes that her first exposure to the word astrophysics occurred via Top Gun, illustrating how pop culture can unexpectedly spark scientific curiosity. She eventually enrolled in the University of Rochester, majoring in physics despite not having prior calculus training. Her early academic struggle, including a C minus in an honors physics course, became a source of motivation rather than a setback, illustrating the value of perseverance and resilience. These experiences shaped her later approach to teaching and mentoring, where she emphasizes the benefits of embracing failure as part of the learning process.

What Attracted Her to Astrophysics

The guest describes the allure of astrophysics as rooted in the enormity of the cosmos and the open question of how galaxies and their central black holes grow together across cosmic time. Lambertis emphasizes that understanding the universe requires tolerating uncertainty and acknowledging that our current models are always provisional. Her trajectory demonstrates how a willingness to be an outsider can fuel a lasting passion for discovery, especially when paired with the discipline of physics and the creativity nurtured in the arts. She highlights the transition from a classroom focus to research, including inertial confinement fusion, and explains how building the skill set to tackle deep problems eventually led her to space physics and giant black holes.

Research Focus: Early Massive Black Holes

The discussion moves to the core of Lambertis' research, which centers on the growth of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. She describes the longstanding questions about the co-evolution of galaxies and their central black holes, noting that even the Milky Way’s Sagittarius A* is dwarfed by its galaxy in sheer mass. Lambertis explains how she uses multi-wavelength data from NASA’s flagship telescopes and, more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study early massive black holes in the first galaxies. A particularly intriguing development is the discovery of little red dots with JWST that at first glance appeared to be galaxies but may be powered by actively growing black holes. Her recent work aims to determine how similar these early black holes are to known growing supermassive black holes and how to reconcile these observations into a coherent narrative of early galaxy formation and enrichment of the interstellar medium. The goal is to connect the growth of black holes with the broader properties of their galaxies and the cosmic timeline that shaped the elements we find on Earth today.

Unique Perspective and Methods

Lambertis describes her skeptical stance toward authority in scientific discourse, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of little red dots. She emphasizes the importance of not taking established assumptions at face value and applying lessons from unrelated subfields to gain fresh perspectives on old problems. A recurring theme is the value of cross-disciplinary thinking and revisiting older literature that may have been forgotten or overlooked. Her background in acting informs her communication style, enabling her to distill complex topics into accessible explanations for broader audiences and to cultivate inclusive mentoring practices. She argues that science is inherently collaborative, and that genuine objectivity is impossible because human researchers bring biases to experimental design and interpretation. This village approach—building supportive communities and connecting people across disciplines—keeps her motivated through funding shortages and competitive pressures.

Lambertis also discusses practical strategies for early career researchers. She describes founding NASA Peer at NASA Goddard as a way to cultivate mentorship networks that span identity, discipline, and career stage. The program advocates for multiple mentors and emphasizes the importance of sustaining a love for the scientific question. She cautions that maintaining passion is crucial because the long arc of a scientific career requires resilience and a clear motivation beyond status or prestige. Her advice for young scientists includes cultivating mentorship, aligning with a mission you genuinely care about, and building a network that offers diverse perspectives and support.

Mentorship, Community, and Career Guidance

The conversation highlights the mentorship dimension of Lambertis’ career. She argues that success in astrophysics, and probably in many STEM fields, relies heavily on social and collaborative factors, including the presence of a supportive community. Lambertis shares her belief that the gatekeeping aspects of academia can be navigated by building and leveraging a robust network of mentors who can offer guidance across technical, career, and identity-related aspects of the journey. Her experience underscores the importance of mentorship in shaping opportunities, especially in competitive environments with funding constraints. By sharing her own path from actor to scientist, she presents a candid perspective on resilience, strategic planning, and the cultivation of a scientific identity grounded in passion for inquiry rather than accolades.

Advice for Early Career Scientists

In closing, Lambertis offers concrete advice for students and early career researchers who want to swim against the current of siloed academic structures. She calls for building a protective and expansive mentorship network, and for finding your people who support your development. She emphasizes the need for strategic thinking, personal passion, and a willingness to take strategic risks in pursuing bold ideas. Lambertis’ message is one of empowerment through community, persistent curiosity, and thoughtful navigation of the scientific landscape, with an emphasis on collaboration as a driver of robust, credible science.

Closing Thoughts

The episode ends with a forward-looking note on Lambertis’ ongoing research and the broader goal of understanding how the first massive black holes formed and what role they played in shaping the early universe. The host hints at upcoming Young American Scientist honorees and the continuing exploration of how neuroscience and other fields intersect with space science to illuminate the learning process and the growth of knowledge.