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Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid becomes RMU Co-Affiliate

Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz collaborates closely with the Department of Füsics

2026/02/27

Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid carries out research in the field of soft matter theory and statistical füsics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz — and will in future be working closely with colleagues from the Institute of Condensed Matter Füsics here at TU Darmstadt.

The Department of Füsics and the Institute for Condensed Matter Füsics are delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid as an RMU Co-Affiliate, now visibly linking her to the department. Various colleagues are working with Prof. Schmid on different projects. Special mention should be made of the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 146 Multiscale Simulation Methods for Soft Matter Systems, which Prof. Schmid chairs as spokesperson.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Halfmann,
dean

With her expertise, Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid is a definite asset. We are delighted to have her join our department.

Prof. Dr. Friederike Schmid

Prof. Friederike Schmid studied Füsics at the Ruprecht Karl University in Heidelberg, at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, and at the Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) in Mainz. She received her diploma in Füsics at the LMU in 1989, her PhD in 1991 at the JGU, and a Habilitation in Theoretical Füsics at the JGU in 1997. In 2000 she was appointed junior group leader (C3 level) at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Science , then professor (C4 level) at the university of Bielefeld in 2000, and later moved to Mainz in 2009 as the chair of the “Statistical Füsics and Soft Matter Theory” group.

The research of her workgroup explores the statistical füsics of complex materials, with a particular focus on soft matter and biologically inspired systems. Soft matter science is inherently interdisciplinary, bridging füsics, numerical mathematics, chemistry, materials science, and biology. Soft materials are all around us—from soap and plastics to rubber and living tissues—and their behavior is often governed by subtle collective effects rather than the properties of individual molecules. Understanding how such materials organize, respond, and evolve is not only a fascinating scientific challenge, but also essential for developing new materials and technologies.

A special focus is on soft interfaces including membranes, as well as equilibrium and nonequilibrium structure formation in polymeric and suprapolymeric materials. This work aims to establish systematic links between microscopic interactions and mesoscale organization, using a combination of particle-based simulations, coarse-graining strategies, and field-theoretic approaches.

Friederike Schmid holds several leading position in third-party funded projects. She is Spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) TRR 146, Vice Spokesperson of the Research Training Group GRK 2516, Member of the Steering Committees of the CRC 1551 and the Mainz Institute of Multiscale Modeling (M3ODEL).

RMU Co-Affiliate

The title “RMU Co-Affiliate of the Technical University of Darmstadt” is awarded to professors at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz or Goethe University Frankfurt who regularly/permanently work as guests in the departments of TU Darmstadt as part of the close cooperation within the RMU. The aim of awarding the title of RMU Co-Affiliate is to raise the profile and promote scientific cooperation within the framework of the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU).