Fotini Markopoulou is a Greek theoretical physicist on the faculty of PI who studies a background-free space called quantum graphity.

Quotes by Fotini Marcopoulou in Time One

[T]aking the idea that General Relativity is an effective theory seriously involves rethinking physics without spacetime.

In general, an entire spacetime … can only be seen by an observer either in the infinite future or outside the universe. This is unphysical, so …

[W]e will work with a microscopic theory that is a pre-spacetime quantum theory. … A quantum information processor which can be used as a pre-spacetime theory.

[I]t may be possible to have an underlying (“micro”) time without running into the observationally excluded preferred frame.

… unlikely that micro and macrolocality will coincide …