Dr. Ana Maria Rey obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics in 1999 from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. She pursued her graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a Ph.D. in 2004. She then joined the Institute of Theoretical, Molecular and Optical Physics at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as a Postdoctoral Fellow from 2005 to 2008.

She joined JILA, NIST and the University of Colorado Boulder faculty in 2008. She is currently a JILA and NIST fellow and a Professor Adjoint in the Department of Physics. Rey’s research focuses on how to control and manipulate ultra-cold atoms, molecules and trapped ions for use as quantum simulators of solid state materials and for quantum information and precision measurements. Rey’s recognition to her work include, among others a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2013), the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists (2019), the National Academy of Science membership (2023) and the Presidential Rank Award (2023).