Laura Schmidt

Laura Schmidt is a Researcher in the Combustion Engineering group at ZARM, University of Bremen, where she works on the ERC Synergy project FireSpace. Her work focuses on developing a new experimental platform for the Bremen drop tower to investigate flame spread and heat release of spacecraft-relevant materials under microgravity, including the design and application of suitable diagnostics for flame characterisation. She collaborates closely with the international FireSpace consortium at Ghent University, Centrale Lille Institute, Sorbonne University, and New York University.

She joined ZARM in August 2026, having submitted her PhD thesis in Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Her thesis isolates exothermic char oxidation from endothermic pyrolysis and moisture effects in the smouldering combustion of solid wood, developing threshold and scaling frameworks for when oxidation becomes relevant to fire safety. Her work has received recognition in both the fire safety and wood science communities, including the First Place Student Oral Presentation Award at the Society of Wood Science and Technology (2024). Prior to her PhD, she completed the International Master of Science in Fire Safety Engineering (IMFSE, magna cum laude) across Ghent University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Queensland; her Master's thesis on char fall-off in loaded cross-laminated timber columns received the Margaret Law Award for Outstanding Thesis Research (ARUP, 2020).

Alongside her academic work, Laura brings several years of experience as a professional fire safety engineer (WSP, Australia and UK), where she developed performance-based fire safety strategies for buildings, including combustible mass timber construction. This combination of research and consulting experience gives her a practical, holistic perspective that continues to inform her approach to experimental fire research.

She is a member of the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) and the Combustion Institute (British Section), and reviews for Fire Safety Journal and Wood and Fiber Science.