• In this interview, Elisenda Lara, EPIC’s MarCom Manager, talks with Laura Horan, Staff Engineer and Head of Product Management at Vanguard Automation, about how young people can be inspired to join the photonics industry. • How has your career in photonics evolved? • Physics has always been my calling. • As a child, I was very curious about how the world worked and how everything interconnected. • This passion drove me to pursue a physics degree and, subsequently, a PhD in the Photonics Systems Group at the Tyndall National Institute in Ireland, where I explored the potential of hollow core photonic crystal fibres for biomedical sensors. • What did you learn from your PhD?
Article Summaries:
- Laura Horan, Staff Engineer and Head of Product Management at Vanguard Automation, discussed her journey from physics student to photonics industry leader. After earning a PhD at Tyndall National Institute on hollow‑core photonic crystal fibres, Horan moved from academia to industry, designing contact lenses in the UK and automotive optical sensors in Germany. In 2022 she joined Vanguard Automation as a Senior Applications Engineer, later promoted to Staff Engineer, where she now leads product management for the company’s 3D nano‑printing technology, advancing photonic integration. She highlighted the main challenges of shifting from research to commercial product development and adapting to different cultural and regulatory expectations across countries.
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