Women In Quantum: Cierra Choucair

By Ana Ciocoiu

February 27, 2025

At the Quantum Algorithms Institute, we believe that diverse perspectives are essential to the advancement of quantum technology. In 2024, Ana Ciocoiu conducted a series of interviews to highlight the careers, challenges, and aspirations of women in the STEM workforce, with a focus on quantum computing.

This series explores the experiences of women shaping the future of quantum—how they got started, what inspires them, and the impact they hope to make.

In this feature, Cierra Choucair shares her journey from studying physics and engineering to becoming a journalist and data analyst at The Quantum Insider. She is also the Founder and CEO of Universum Labs, a platform designed to break down barriers in scientific collaboration, and the creator of The Daily Qubit, a newsletter making quantum computing more accessible.

Cierra Choucair is a journalist and data analyst at The Quantum Insider, where she covers the latest in quantum computing and decodes the complexities of the field for a broad audience. She is also the Founder and CEO of Universum Labs, an innovative platform that empowers users to explore quantum research and collaborate globally, with the goal to remove the silos that obstruct scientific discovery.

The Founder and author of The Daily Qubit, a quantum computing newsletter, Cierra delivers clear, easy-to-read insights into the latest news and research, keeping academia and industry professionals informed on technological advancements. Her journey began with a deep love of physics, which laid the foundation for a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Driven by a passion for making science more accessible, Cierra is dedicated to helping others embrace its challenges and unlock its potential to shape our collective future.

What got you interested in quantum technology initially?

It actually started back in university. I took a physics class for the first time and failed it; this was the first time I’d ever failed a class, and it broke me. I took physics again and fell in love with it; I started to get really interested in how the universe works, and I wanted to be able to explain everything around me. When I stumbled upon quantum mechanics, it completely changed the way I viewed reality; there’s so much out there that is incomprehensible! Our actual sphere of knowledge is so small by comparison. After school, my career path took quite a few turns and I eventually ended up in the tech space. I started to become really infatuated with computer science, and realized that I wanted to work at the intersection of computer science and physics which brought me to quantum computing.

Growing up, what were your perceptions of a job in the STEM field and of the people in it?

For the longest time I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals, but over time I gravitated towards theater. It was only during my last year in high school that I decided to go into medicine, and that was mostly because I took calculus, biology, chemistry, and psychology, and really wanted to do something that would let me explore the crossovers between these subjects. I thought medicine would be a highly respectable career choice, and I wanted to be known as someone who had a respectable title because I derived a lot of value from that. Going into STEM felt like the right choice, so I let go of theater, and went to university to study medicine. Over time I realized that I was uninterested in it. I kept filling up my schedule with chemistry courses! My advisor suggested that perhaps I would enjoy the physical sciences more.  I ended up doing some work with a graduate student and fell in love with doing research and answering questions that had never been answered before. This was around the time that I took that disastrous physics class and thought it was the worst subject on the face of the earth! I only fell in love with physics the second time I took that class, and I attribute this to a lot of personal growth that happened in the interim; I was asking a lot of existential questions and wanted to understand the world around me. And physics gives you the tools to do that in a creative way. The mix of creativity and critical thinking still, to this day, feels poetic to me.

What is a challenge you have faced that you are especially proud of overcoming?

I actually ended up transferring into Engineering Physics because I figured it would give me better career opportunities. But I ended up completing only 3 years of my Bachelor’s - I had already had my first daughter by then, and in order to remove ourselves from a domestic abuse situation, I left school to support us financially and ended up in food service. Part of me was longing to go back to science, but I didn’t know how to get there because I felt that nobody would ever take me seriously again. I didn’t have a degree, and a degree is crucial to getting anywhere in most STEM fields. While working as a manager at Starbucks I was picking up lots of side jobs to learn technical skills, and I worked my way to a software company, and then to an engineering position at a data science company.

What has been your favorite project or research experience so far?

I actually ended up quitting that engineering position about 1 year and 6 months in because I realized I hated it. I thought being an engineer would provide me the validation I craved, but credibility doesn’t come easily, especially as a woman without a formal degree.  I realized that I could spend loads of money and time getting degrees to make up for that perceived lack of legitimacy, but at this point I had two daughters and that option was not on the table. I also realized that I could keep looking for another job I didn’t want to be doing, or take this time to build something meaningful to me. There was an idea I wanted to put out into the world and a platform I wanted to build - specifically, I wanted to create the tools that would help other people like me get into the quantum computing space, and other STEM fields. If you don’t have credentials it feels just about impossible, but it isn’t! This is how I ended up starting Universum Labs*. It’s pretty crazy what can happen when you go online and start writing on a topic you’re really passionate about. Within about 3 weeks I had a quantum physicist from NASA reach out and want to connect, and everything sort of just grew from there.

Did you feel you had adequate mentorship and support on your learning and professional journey?

I don’t know if I would call it mentorship specifically, but I’ve had some incredibly validating interactions with people in the quantum computing space since writing my newsletter. The NASA physicist ended up connecting me with a senior physicist from IBM Quantum. Eventually, we got to meet and I pitched him my idea for this technical platform. He thought it was a fantastic initiative, and I felt so inspired and validated by that. Since then, I’ve developed connections at companies like NVIDIA and Quantinuum, and a lot of those interactions have been as simple as sharing my favorite resources or chatting about my latest interests. There are so many people out there, many of them not technically trained, who are just so, so excited about quantum computing and yearning to be a part of it. Getting to meet other people and share in their excitement has been an incredibly rewarding part of this journey,

Who is a woman that inspires you, and why?

Chanda Prescod Weinstein. She wrote the Disordered Cosmos, which I read right as it came out. The way she relates personal experience to the physics of the universe and to her experience as a woman in physics is so profound. I related to it because when I did physics in school, it wasn’t a welcoming environment. Every day you’d go to class expecting people to assume that you don’t know what you’re doing or talking about. I had this partner in my E&M class who once took it upon himself to condescendingly explain to me what a derivative was. I wanted to scream internally because we had all taken the same calculus classes to get there. I really didn’t enjoy the environment of studying physics as a woman; everyone sort of underestimated me and my capabilities. So I really related to that aspect of her book.

What would you like to accomplish in the future?

I have a newsletter right now where I’m essentially building my audience and understanding what they want from a resource that will be designed to help them navigate quantum computing. I have spoken to people with all levels of experience, from professors and academics to software engineers and those with no formal training in STEM, and it’s really helped me understand what my objectives should be. My goal right now is to build out an MVP, within the next few months, and then fully launch to the public by the end of this year. As a solopreneur with two kids, it’s been slow going sometimes! I really hope to be able to show people that you don’t have to let formalities keep you from pursuing a passion in STEM. There are people across the globe with tons of ambition and potential but aren’t given the resources to succeed. I want to make something to close that gap.

How do you think quantum technology can impact the lives of people in your community (either for better or worse)?

I’m really excited to see how quantum helps us create more sustainable technologies. Other applications such as drug development from molecular simulation are exciting and important, but I’m interested in sustainable technologies, or technologies that contribute to sustainability the most because I hope that quantum will help us create a better future for our children.

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 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 don’t think we have enough dialogue between those actively progressing quantum computing and society as a whole. I think that right now, so much of quantum computing is highly technical and already difficult to explain to investors and other stakeholders, let alone to the general public. Since the general public doesn’t understand the technology I don’t think we have the ability to develop responsibly. This is something I see with AI too. When I ask people what AI is, the responses I get, even from what I would consider educated people, are just plain wrong. People really don’t understand how the technology works, much less what is going on behind the scenes. As long as we have this divide, we are just not going to have the opportunity to consult the public in a way that will inform ethical decision making.

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 like to see more young people involved in the development of this technology. This will deeply impact their future, and this generation has already experienced so much on a political and global level. If I compare my 10 year old self to my daughter, the maturity level is just so different. She’s so aware of everything going on around her. I think it’s really important to start including younger people in quantum computing not only because they have the highest stake in the outcome but also because they are incredibly smart and socially aware.

Given the current trajectory of development, it is a possibility that global division emerges 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?

Everyone has to be involved. Where we’re born is simply luck of the draw; we have no say in where we are born or what resources we are given. It’s incredibly unfair that identical individuals could experience vastly different trajectories simply based on their place of birth. We’re all living on the same planet! I really wish we could develop as a global community and not get so mired in conflicts and divisions. Everyone everywhere deserves the same chance, and instead of just talking about it we should be actively doing something to make it happen. We’re complaining about a lack of talent in the field and yet at the same time excluding 99% of the globe from any opportunities that would allow them to make the contributions we’re so desperate for.

Quantum technology can be leveraged in positive ways that benefit humanity (eg, drug discovery) but it can also be leveraged in ways that make the world far worse, such as exacerbating geopolitical tensions and opportunity divides. Developing quantum technology in a responsible way is clearly going to be challenging. Are you overall optimistic or pessimistic about the way we will choose to develop this technology?

I think that if we keep going at this rate, then I’m incredibly pessimistic. I can see this going the way of just about every other technological innovation, where select countries restrict resources and access to the detriment of everyone else. I also worry about the ways in which we might weaponize it as history tends to repeat itself. So if we don’t learn from AI or, going further back, from nuclear weapons, then the outcome could be the same . I think that lots of people are going to have to stand up and refuse to let that play out. And thankfully I am really optimistic about the voices that are speaking out not just within the quantum community but also the younger generations.

What dreams/ aspirations do you have for the future of quantum computing?

I dream of a technology that everyone has access to. This is essentially my own personal and very ambitious dream for the technology I want to build. I hope that we find a way to make quantum technology  accessible to all. I want people to see that their reality is so much more than they think it is; quantum mechanics is inspiring that way.