Nergis Mavalvala is an astrophysicist known for her work in gravitational wave detection. She is a professor at MIT and has contributed significantly to the LIGO project, which made headlines in 2015 for the first direct observation of gravitational waves, confirming a key prediction of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. Born in Pakistan, Mavalvala moved to the United States for her education, earning her Ph.D. from MIT. She has received numerous awards for her research and is recognized for her efforts to promote diversity in science, encouraging more women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in STEM fields.