Dr. Melanie Campbell, professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo, didn’t always know she wanted to be a physicist, despite coming from a family of scientists and mathematicians. “My father was a physicist and my older brother was in math, so I figured there were enough physicists in the family at that point. I had wide interests when I went to university,” said Dr. Campbell. As a young student, she initially thought she might pursue a career in economics or political science. It wasn’t until Dr. Campbell happened into a physics class at the University of Toronto that she discovered she excelled in the discipline. There, she was taken under the wing of supportive faculty who convinced her to pursue an academic career in the field. She pursued a master's degree in Physics at Waterloo, where she initially focused on coursework rather than research. She found that she was drawn to optical physics and focused on spectroscopy. She also decided that she would continue in the field but move in the direction of multidisciplinary research, a decision that led her to pursue a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Physiology, from Australian National University, Canberra, as well as a post-doctorate in Mathematics and Statistics, at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).
Throughout her work, Dr. Campbell has brought a multidisciplinary and applied understanding to the field. Today, the Waterloo alumna leads a research group that investigates ocular development, eye disease, and linear and non-linear optics of the eye. She and her team investigate the fundamental refractive properties of the eye's components to improve diagnosis and therapy for various ocular conditions. In her latest project she uses the eye as a window onto the brain, imaging amyloid, a protein that occurs in association with nerve cells in both the eye and the brain early in Alzheimer’s disease.
After finishing her PhD and postdoc in Australia, Dr. Campbell initially began teaching at Waterloo as a University Research Fellow within the School of Optometry. Said Dr. Campbell, “The fellowship was a good fit because one of my specialties is optics of the eye and interactions of instrumentation with the optics of the eye. It allowed me to teach optometry subjects to optometry students.” In the following years, she changed her primary appointment to Physics, though she remains cross appointed to the School of Optometry and Vision Science, as well as to Systems Design Engineering.
In addition to these research activities, Dr. Campbell is active in service and has served as a former president of the Canadian Association of Physicists as well as on various committees and task forces supporting women in the field. She is the recipient of the “Women of Distinction Award” from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations and the “Canadian Association of Physicists L'institut National d'Optique Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Applied Photonics” from the Canadian Association of Physicists.
When asked what draws her to Physics, Dr. Campbell said she appreciates the openness of the field. “It's the sense of discovery, and the depth of understanding, the newness to it… there's always something new to discover and something to learn. For me, I’m particularly drawn to the fact that I can apply it in very multidisciplinary ways, to real world problems.”
She also loves teaching Physics. As a teacher, Dr. Campbell focuses on building an inclusive environment. As someone who benefited from mentorship herself, she knows the importance of encouraging students to succeed, especially young women. “It's very important that students aren't afraid to ask a question, that they don't feel overwhelmed by who they consider to be more intelligent fellow students,” said Dr. Campbell. “One of my favorite sayings is there is no poor question. If you have a question, somebody else has the same question, so please speak up with your question because it's important to everyone that you ask and that it get answered.”
In her research career, service, and teaching, Dr. Campbell attempts to strike a balance: “When you're trying to do research and to keep up with grants and publications and supervise students and have undergrads and grad students in your lab, as well as being a role model and encouraging students at all levels, teaching, and doing service, it can become a juggling act.” Her love of the community keeps her motivated. “Physics students are very bright. I still find myself very excited,” said Dr. Campbell.
