Dr. Sana Amairi-Pyka is the Lead Scientist for Quantum Communications at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Since 2021, she has led the development of the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) project, aiming to position the UAE as a pioneer in space-based quantum communication technologies and ensure the global availability of secure free-space optical communication networks.

Sana earned her Ph.D. in Quantum Optical Metrology in 2014 from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. During her five-year postdoctoral fellowship at Humboldt University of Berlin, she designed and tested novel laser sources for space applications, including the European Space Agency’s LISA mission. Her work was recognized in 2017 with prestigious funding from the Berlin Senate (BCP), and she was named an ambassadress for the “Brain City Berlin” initiative. In 2020, she transitioned into the industrial sector as Project Leader at the European Photonics Industry Consortium, where she supported innovation across Europe’s photonics, quantum, and space industries. Since 2017, she has also served as an external expert for the European Commission on research and innovation programs.

Dr. Amairi-Pyka is an accomplished experimental physicist, lecturer, and author of numerous publications in top-tier journals. She has built and enhanced research laboratories across Europe, the MENA region, and Australia. Most recently, she earned an Executive Leadership Development certificate from Stanford Graduate School of Business, equipping her to scale deep-tech innovation and lead strategic transformation at the intersection of quantum science and space technology.

Dr. Sana Amairi-Pyka is the Lead Scientist for Quantum Communications at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Since 2021, she has led the development of the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) project, aiming to position the UAE as a pioneer in space-based quantum communication technologies and ensure the global availability of secure free-space optical communication networks.

Sana earned her Ph.D. in Quantum Optical Metrology in 2014 from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany. During her five-year postdoctoral fellowship at Humboldt University of Berlin, she designed and tested novel laser sources for space applications, including the European Space Agency’s LISA mission. Her work was recognized in 2017 with prestigious funding from the Berlin Senate (BCP), and she was named an ambassadress for the “Brain City Berlin” initiative. In 2020, she transitioned into the industrial sector as Project Leader at the European Photonics Industry Consortium, where she supported innovation across Europe’s photonics, quantum, and space industries. Since 2017, she has also served as an external expert for the European Commission on research and innovation programs.

Dr. Amairi-Pyka is an accomplished experimental physicist, lecturer, and author of numerous publications in top-tier journals. She has built and enhanced research laboratories across Europe, the MENA region, and Australia. Most recently, she earned an Executive Leadership Development certificate from Stanford Graduate School of Business, equipping her to scale deep-tech innovation and lead strategic transformation at the intersection of quantum science and space technology.