Tasneem Zehra Husain facts for kids

Tasneem Zehra Husain is a brilliant Pakistani theoretical physicist. She is one of the first women from Pakistan to earn a PhD in physics. She is also the very first Pakistani woman to specialize in string theory, which is a fascinating area of physics.

As a well-known scientist, she often visits schools and colleges. She does this to inspire young people in Pakistan to learn about science and technology.

Tasneem Husain has represented Pakistan at important science meetings. These include the Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany. She also led the Pakistan team to the World Year of Physics (WYP) Launch Conference in Paris. In 2013, she was asked to be a moderator for a panel of famous scientists at the Cambridge Science Festival.

In November 2014, Tasneem Husain released her first novel. It is called "Only the Longest Threads." Kirkus Reviews described her book as a "fictional approach to physics." They said it showed both the science and the passion of the people who study it.

Biography

Early life and education

Tasneem Husain grew up and had her early schooling in Lahore. When she was eleven, she left regular school and was taught at home. She took her O Levels exams privately at age 13. Then, she took her A Levels at age 15. During these years, she spent a lot of time writing. In 1988, she won an international essay competition. It was held by the Children as the Peacemakers Foundation in California, USA.

After her home schooling, Husain attended Kinnaird College in Lahore. There, she earned her Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Mathematics and Physics. She then got her Master of Science (M.S.) in Physics from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.

She later received a scholarship to go to Trieste, Italy. This was for a year-long post-graduate degree in High-Energy Physics. She studied at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).

Advanced studies

Tasneem Husain earned her PhD in Theoretical Physics from Stockholm University in 2003. Her advisor for her PhD was Ansar Fayyazuddin. She completed her PhD when she was twenty-six years old. This made her the first Pakistani woman to become a string theorist. After her PhD, she went to Harvard University for two years. There, she worked on post-doctoral research.

Career in physics and writing

After her research time at Harvard University, Tasneem Husain returned to Pakistan. She joined the School of Science and Engineering at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. She became an Assistant Professor of Physics.

Tasneem is also a talented writer. She is well-known for her novel, "Only The Longest Threads." She has also written articles for 3quarksdaily.com. She even teaches writing classes at CERN, which is a famous science research center.

Promoting science in Pakistan

Tasneem Husain is a strong supporter of science in Pakistan. She is very interested in education and making science popular in her country. She designed Pakistan's logo for the World Year of Physics (WYP). She also actively participated in the WYP Physics Stories project. This project was led by Argonne National Laboratory in the United States.

Husain helped the Lahore University of Management Sciences create a School of Science and Engineering. This school allows students to study sciences in Pakistan.

She has worked to make basic theoretical physics easier to understand for high-school students. She created animated presentations and showed them to many high school and college students. Tasneem Husain has also taught both Mathematics and Physics at her old college, Kinnaird College. She has helped train Pakistan's physics team for the International Physics Olympiad. Husain is also a trustee and board member of the Alif Laila Book Bus Society. This is a non-profit group that helps children who are not as lucky.

External resources

• Tasneem Zehra Husain at ICTP
• A physicist and a writer
• Tasneem Zehra Husain's interview with Dawn News