Professor Daubechies earned her Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Although her degree is in (theoretical) physics, she thought she would become an engineer while growing up. Her mother was heartbroken when she opted for pure science instead, and predicted Ingrid would end up in the gutter, jobless. Fortunately, matters turned out better. Her academic work focuses on mathematical methods for the analysis of signals, images and data, with applications in many directions.

She enjoys working in collaboration with others, in her scientific work as well as otherwise. The latter includes, most recently, a collaborative mixed media art installation that celebrates the beauty, creativity and fun of mathematics: https://mathemalchemy.org.