What an intriguing premise! Let's develop Dr. Elena Vance:
Core traits: Brilliant but obsessive physicist, lost her sister in a timing-related accident, works in an underground lab, sleep-deprived, has a habit of writing equations on coffee mugs.
Internal conflict: She wants to reverse time to save her sister, but fears the paradox might erase her own existence.
External conflict: Her university wants to shut down her fringe research, and a rival physicist tries to steal her work.
What draws you to this character? What aspects should we deepen?