Women in Quantum: Ashley Nicole Warner
By Ana Ciocoui
March 27, 2025
At the Quantum Algorithms Institute, we recognize that diverse perspectives drive innovation in quantum technology. As part of our Women in Quantum series, we highlight the careers, challenges, and aspirations of women working in this evolving field.
In this feature, Ashley Nicole Warner, an experimental physicist at D-Wave Systems, shares her non-linear path into quantum materials. After beginning in theater, she pivoted to physics and completed her B.Sc. at UC San Diego, where her interests ranged from synchrotron experiments to science communication. Her journey took her to graduate school at UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, where she completed a master’s thesis on topological semimetals. Now working at the intersection of quantum computing and materials science, Ashley brings curiosity and creativity to every stage of her work—from the lab to the mountains.
Ashley Nicole Warner is an experimental physicist at D-Wave Systems. After originally pursuing a theater degree, she took a jump and in 2018 graduated with a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of California, San Diego. She enjoyed her undergrad adventures ranging from interning for the YouTube channel Physics Girl to running synchrotron experiments across the US. In 2019 she moved to Vancouver, BC for graduate school at UBC's Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.
After her MSc thesis on topological semimetals and scanning tunneling microscopy was completed in 2022, she worked in materials failure analysis before making her way back to quantum materials. In her free time she can be found in the mountains hiking or snowboarding, laughing with friends, or alternating her hyper-fixations between a good book, and a video game.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed are solely Ashley’s and may not resemble the views or opinions of her employer.
What got you interested in quantum technology initially?
In undergrad, I attended a special tutorial section for my E&M (electricity and magnetism) course, and the professor went off on a random tangent about wave-particle duality and wavefunctions, and how that was something we would learn in higher-level courses. I was immediately interested and asked him to elaborate, and he started writing some equations on the board and explaining how wavefunctions were represented mathematically. I was kind of stupefied but also immediately hooked. It blew my mind. Suddenly I didn’t care so much about E&M, I wanted to hear more about that! Eventually I ended up taking that upper-level quantum mechanics course and I found these concepts even more fascinating; I ended up following that passion and it’s taken me to where I am today.
Growing up, what were your perceptions of a job in the STEM field and of the people in it?
There was no perception, really. I was always obsessed with outer space as a kid but I certainly didn’t consider what this interest meant for me in terms of a future career. This is a bit of a tangent, but at the moment I’m reading a book called Her Space, Her Time, about the history of physics and the role women played in its development. I was really surprised that the entire field of astrophysics was essentially started by women; they were responsible for so much of the groundwork. I’ve noticed lots of other women scientists got their start via astronomy as well; I’ve always wondered what draws us toward this field in particular.
I always loved the physical sciences and physics in general even before I knew what it was; as a kid, I watched a lot of science shows like Mythbusters. But I didn’t come from a science family; my mom worked part-time on and off for elementary school technical support, and my dad was a firefighter. I grew up in a small town in California where it felt like nobody knew a scientist firsthand, so I had no concept of what a job in STEM looked like outside of doctors in the medical dramas I saw on TV.
In high school, I actually ended up dropping physics, and in first year undergrad I declared a theatre major (to this day I still love musical theatre!). But science came full circle for me when I became an adult and got thrust into the real world with all its traumas and pressures; I slowly gravitated back to what had always fascinated me and brought me joy as a child.
What has been your favorite project or research experience so far?
Starting grad school was a huge undertaking, and navigating that process successfully is something I’m proud of. I remember the first time I found out that you could do a PhD and get paid for it - I didn’t know anyone who had gone to grad school so I was really shocked that you could get a graduate education and not go into debt for it. I thought it was like med school or law school, where you’d have to take out these huge loans. It seemed like a whole new world had opened up to me. I wanted to get out of the US and travel, but never had the funds to support that ambition. So I started looking at grad programs all over the world, which was initially overwhelming. I then filtered for grad programs in towns near ski resorts, which was a little absurd but helped me narrow it down to a few options. I decided to come to UBC, even though I didn’t know anyone here and didn’t really have much savings. I just shoved my car full of stuff and drove straight up. It’s kind of crazy when I look back on it; it was a huge risk but also the most I’ve ever dared to dream and believe in myself.
Did you feel you had adequate mentorship and support on your learning and professional journey?
A recurring theme in my journey is financial hardship - I’ve always had some sort of job to get me through school. During my undergrad, I had an internship for this YouTube channel called Physics Girl, as well as serving at a brewery, and doing IT work for the physics department. I was constantly in survival mode. When I decided I wanted to go to grad school, I realized I would need to get research experience, but I couldn’t afford to work for free. I still wanted to pursue quantum physics but got roped into an oceanography research role because it was one of the few funded opportunities. Right around this time a new professor (Dr. Alex Fraño) joined the physics department and was looking for students to join his lab. My boss from my IT job knew my situation and set up a meeting with Dr. Fraño for me (against my will might I add). Regardless, Dr. Fraño and I ended up having a two-hour conversation about his work in condensed matter physics. It was so refreshing and so cool! At the end of it, he offered me a job in his lab and made sure I was paid more than the competing research job in oceanography. I am so grateful to my old boss for meddling, and to Dr. Fraño for making sure finances weren’t a barrier to pursuing my interests in physics.
Who is a woman that inspires you, and why?
Working with Diana Cowern on Physics Girl was such a wonderful experience for me. It was such a lovely blend of my inner scientist and inner entertainer, and I’m also grateful for the memories I made during my time working with her. During the COVID pandemic she fell ill with an extreme case of long covid that is now classified as debilitating ME/CFS. I encourage everyone to read up on ME/CFS spikes since the pandemic and/or consider supporting research efforts.
What is a challenge you have faced that you are especially proud of overcoming?
Moving to Canada by myself, as I mentioned earlier. Also, in hindsight, if I look back on the childhood I had, I’m really proud that I was able to discover and pursue a career in STEM. I didn’t have a traditional support system to help me navigate the intricacies of things like getting into academia, balancing work and courses, writing a thesis, or immigration. I navigated so much of it by the seat of my pants. Everything I did was entirely self-motivated. My thesis dedication page says, “This one’s for me” and I feel that summarizes my journey.
How do you think quantum technology can impact the lives of people in your community (either for better or worse)?
A place that’s near and dear to my heart is Catalina Island, a small island off the coast of southern California. It's home to Avalon, a very touristy 7.47 sq km town. Cruise ships create an influx of 3,000+ visitors 3-4 times a week year-round. The daily tripling of population is quite grueling for many locals, especially being in a climate where drought conditions hit the hardest (the only source of fresh water on the island is rainwater). In addition, there are lots of ecological issues with invasive species management which are compounded by conflicting desires among the conservancy, islanders, and various special interest groups. It might be far-fetched, but I genuinely hope that quantum technology will be able to help with optimizing tourist traffic, mitigating drought conditions, and even modeling biodiversity projections to help similar small communities around the world. If the acquisition and modeling of the science is better, then the communication of the science becomes easier.
We can see from AI and facial recognition technologies the consequences of considering responsible development only after the technology has hit the market. As the global conversation around quantum computing develops, the concept of responsible innovation has emerged. RI aims to foster a culture of engagement between the quantum computing community and society so that we experience not only the benefits of quantum computing research but also good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Do you feel quantum computing is developing responsibly? Why/why not?
I wish money wasn’t as much of a driving factor to making literally everything in the world go ‘round. I wish that more labs and research groups would have the resources to utilize quantum computing and further develop it. Materials science principles are often used as a foundation to prove the efficiency of quantum – and classical – computing, and I hope this industry will continue to include the scientific community and offer accessible avenues that significantly reduce the guess work in researching new materials, such as photovoltaics, which is something that could transform our energy sourcing and help speed up decarbonization. Stuff like this is where all the money should be going, but I do fear that this is not where the money will stay. Investments in many tech industries primarily come from military and defense, which will incentivize other kinds of research. We need to fund quantum technology from sources that will support the solving of global problems that can better our livelihood and planet.
The development of quantum technology has thus far been concentrated in well-funded research labs and a subset of companies that exist mostly in the ‘global north’ due to the level of infrastructural development needed and the existing research environments. Going forward, who would you like to see included in the development and deployment of quantum technology?
I would love to see the inclusion of historically excluded groups and nations, specifically nations that have previously suffered under colonialist policies. For example, take the ecological crisis in Brazil’s Amazon jungle. This crisis has massive climate consequences locally and worldwide, which impacts communities that lack the infrastructure to survive drastic climate shifts. Wouldn’t it be cool if existing satellite information on deforestation could be used to feed into an optimization model to help decision-making on where to prioritize conservation and reforestation efforts? I would really like to see these kinds of initiatives that not only benefit the whole world but have a concentrated socioeconomic impact on communities historically wronged by the global north.
Given the current trajectory of development, it is a possibility that global division will emerge as only a few countries have access to quantum computing. Areas without access are left behind as those that have access take advantage of this technology. Given existing digital divides, this scenario may worsen global inequality. What does responsible quantum innovation look like to you?
Well, it starts with listening to different voices than what most industries usually listen to. Physics struggles with diversity- case in point, in the 40 years span between 1983 and 2023 only 66 Black women in the US obtained doctorates in physics (for comparison, in the span of 2010 to 2019, the number of physics PhDs in the US ranged from 1,600 to 1,900 annually, according to AIP.org). There’s a concept called "interest convergence" which suggests that policies or reforms are only implemented when they align with the interests of those in power. This is something that I wish people realized more. DEI initiatives and similar social progressions are viewed through the lens of whether they will turn out to be profitable. I’ve felt that those with the most influence don’t care about DEI policies until the effect on their optics passes a certain threshold – a threshold that is malleable to whatever the political climate is. The heavy lifting for fostering inclusion is often left to the workers and students.
When you surround yourself with people who look like you and grew up like you, chances are, they’ll think like you too. You miss out on invaluable perspectives, and all sorts of new ways to approach problems. If we really are going to use quantum computing to address global problems, we need to find a way to change existing power structures in favor of including global voices.
Quantum technology can be leveraged in positive ways that benefit humanity (eg, lattice modeling) but it can also be leveraged in ways that make the world far worse, such as exacerbating geopolitical tensions and opportunity divides. Responsibly developing quantum technology is clearly going to be challenging. Are you overall optimistic or pessimistic about the way we will choose to develop this technology?
I don’t know if I feel very optimistic about any industry right now, to be honest. I fear society doesn’t incentivize helping our collective humanity. Nothing about quantum technology is inherently different from any other technology humanity has ever developed. The barriers to ethical development are imposed by the system we live in and are therefore similar across all technologies.
What dreams/ aspirations do you have for the future of quantum computing?
I would love for it to address these huge ecological issues. Dealing with climate change and the inequalities it exacerbates should be the thing we are focusing all of our energy and time on. And if we could help places like Catalina Island while we’re at it, that would be excellent.