Laura M. Herz

Early life and education Herz was born in June 1974. She was educated at Erzbischöfliche Liebfrauenschule Bonn, an all-girls Catholic gymnasium. She spent two years as an exchange student at the University of New South Wales. She joined the University of Cambridge for her doctoral studies, earning a PhD in 2002. Here she worked on exciton and polaron dynamics in organic semiconductors.

Herz has appeared on BBC programmes discussing the history and development of science, including the BBC Radio 4 show In Our Time and BBC World Service's History Hour

Research and career Herz was a research fellow at St John's College, Cambridge from 2001-2003. Herz was a University Lecturer from 2003 to 2008, Reader in Physics from 2008 to 2010, and became Professor of Physics in 2010.

Herz’s research focuses on the photophysics of organic, inorganic and hybrid semiconductors and on understanding the processes that determine their effectiveness in solar-energy conversion. has investigated the mechanisms governing charge-carrier mobility and recombination, properties that influence their performance in photovoltaic devices. Her research has encompassed a range of emerging semiconductor systems including conjugated polymers, biomimetic porphyrin nanorings and nanostructured semiconductors. Herz’s work has guided materials synthesis, chemical engineering and device development, advancing technology for renewable energy conversion. 2024 Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) 2024 Faraday Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics 2024 Fellow of the Materials Research Society 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division mid-career Award, Royal Society of Chemistry 2018 Nevill Mott Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics 2018 Friedrich-Wilhelm-Bessel Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation 2018 Oxford University Student Union Outstanding Graduate Supervisor