Ursel Fantz, born 1963 in Sindelfingen, studied physics at the Technical University of Stuttgart. After taking her PhD at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering she moved to the University of Augsburg in 1995. Here she took her lectureship degree in Experimental Physics in 2002. During these years, a close collaboration developed with the IPP on atomic and molecular physics of divertor plasmas at the ASDEX Upgrade fusion device and, with IPP’s Technology division, on the development of sources of negatively charged ions for ITER plasma heating.

In 2004 she joined IPP, where she continued the cooperation with the Experimental Plasma Physics group (EPP) at Augsburg University. Into focus came the neutral beam heating for ITER, particularly the physics and technology of high-frequency driven ion sources. In 2006, during a stay at the National Institute for Fusion Science in Nagoya/Japan she participated at the LHD fusion device in development of neutral beam heating devices on the basis of negatively charged ions. Being appointed Professor Extraordinary at the Augsburg University she took charge of the EEP group there. In 2010 she was appointed acting head of IPP’s ITER Technology & Diagnostics Division.