Pippa joined UvA in 2020 as a postdoc in the groups of Gianfranco Bertone and Samaya Nissanke. In Amsterdam, she established herself as a leading expert on the interplay between dark matter, black holes, and gravitational waves. She has produced a series of important results that will have a lasting impact on the field.

For example, as the lead author of the recent Nature Astronomy paper “Distinguishing Environmental Effects on Binary Black Hole Gravitational Waveforms,” she, together with Bertone and members of his research team at UvA, demonstrated that gravitational-wave observations with future interferometer LISA can uniquely reveal the signatures of different dark matter environments around black holes.

Bertone says: "Pippa’s groundbreaking work has opened up new avenues in physics and astronomy that promise to be the subject of extensive investigations over the next decade. I believe she embodies the spirit of the L'Oréal Italia and UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ initiative, not only through her exceptional contributions to science but also in her commitment to mentoring and advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the scientific community.

Nissanke adds: "Dr. Cole is an exceptional scientist in every sense—she has pioneered a new field in how to uncover the environments around merging black holes and has made significant contributions to our understanding of the nature of dark matter and the early Universe through gravitational waves, the ripples in the fabric of spacetime itself. Beyond her scientific excellence, she has mentored and inspired countless students and team members, serving as a true role model in STEM. I couldn’t be prouder of her, and I’m absolutely thrilled to see what breakthroughs lie ahead in her career, especially with the momentum this award brings.”

Ninell Sobiecka, President and CEO of L'Oréal Italia, commented: “We are proud to reward the excellent talent of these young female researchers. Women can give a different perspective and contribute, alongside men, to solving urgent problems. The numbers tell us however, that today only 30% of female researchers are women and only 18% occupy senior positions. For Women in Science has the ambition to change this situation.”

Since 2023, Pippa has held a research fellowship at the University of Milano-Bicocca. The prize awards her €20 000 to support her research.