Ursula Keller

Ursula Keller has been a tenured professor of physics at ETH Zurich since 1993, and serves as a director of the Swiss research program NCCR MUST in ultrafast science since 2010. She received a „Diplom“ at ETH Zurich in 1984, a PhD at Stanford University, USA, in 1989 was a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs, USA, until 1993. Her research interests are exploring and pushing the frontiers in ultrafast science and technology.

Applied research in cutting-edge ultrafast lasers combined with fundamental research using ultrafast lasers in attosecond science has allowed the Keller group to make internationally leading contributions in both areas. Pioneering contributions include the development of real-world ultrashort pulsed lasers, the study of fundamental modelocking physics and pulse formation, the invention of techniques for frequency comb generation and stabilization, and groundbreaking studies of the physics of light-matter interactions on attosecond timescales.

She is the only individual to receive the Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus W. Quinn Prize, Charles H. Townes Award and Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize. Her many other awards and honors include: the IEEE Edison Medal, European Inventor Award for Lifetime Achievement, Weizmann Women & Science Award, IEEE Photonics Award, SPIE Gold Medal, LIA Arthur L. Schawlow Award, Leibinger Innovation Prize, and Zeiss Research Award. She is a Fellow of OSA, SPIE, IEEE, EPS and IAPLE and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Academy Leopoldina and Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences. She has served the community through her work on international advisory boards, international conference committees, editorial boards and association boards including the Board of Directors.