Written by: Dr. Johnathan Baker

Victoria Kaspi, a renowned Canadian astrophysicist, was born on June 30, 1967, in Austin, Texas, but her family relocated to Canada when she was just seven years old. She pursued her undergraduate studies at McGill University, graduating in 1989, and later moved to Princeton University, where she earned her PhD in 1993 under the supervision of Nobel laureate Joseph Taylor. Kaspi's illustrious career has been marked by her groundbreaking research on neutron stars and pulsars. She held positions at the California Institute of Technology, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining McGill University as a faculty member in 1999. At McGill, she was appointed as one of the university's first Canada Research Chairs and later became the Lorne Trottier Professor of Astrophysics in 2006. Additionally, she is a Fellow in the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Kaspi's most notable contribution is her observation of the pulsar associated with the supernova remnant G11.20.3 in the constellation Sagittarius. Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, she demonstrated that the pulsar was precisely at the center of the supernova, which was observed by the Chinese in 386 CE. This discovery strengthened the conjectured relationship between pulsars and supernovae, casting doubt on previous methods of dating pulsars by their spin rate. Kaspi's research with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer led to a deeper understanding of magnetars, a type of neutron star with extremely strong magnetic fields. Her work showed that soft gamma repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars could be explained as magnetars, providing valuable insights into these enigmatic objects. In another groundbreaking discovery, Kaspi helped identify the pulsar with the fastest known rotation rate, PSR J1748-2446ad, which rotates at an astonishing 716 times per second. Throughout her career, Kaspi has received numerous awards and honors for her outstanding contributions to astrophysics. Some of her notable awards include:

• Killam Research Fellowship (2003)
• Steacie Fellowship (2005)
• Prix Marie-Victorin (2006)
• Canada Council Killam Prize (2010)
• Royal Society of Canada's Rutherford Memorial Medal (2010)

Victoria Kaspi's pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of neutron stars and pulsars, cementing her position as a leading figure in astrophysics. Her research has not only deepened our knowledge of these enigmatic objects but has also inspired a new generation of scientists to explore the mysteries of the universe.