Dr Theresa Fruth of the University of Sydney has been awarded the 2026 AIP Ruby Payne-Scott Award for Excellence in Early-Career Research for her contributions to the global search for dark matter: for outstanding contributions to experimental dark matter searches and leadership ensuring Australia’s position in the next generation of global dark matter experiments.

Dr Fruth is an internationally recognised expert in liquid xenon time-projection chamber technology used in experiments searching for dark matter.

Early in her postdoctoral career at University College London, she took on a technical coordination role with the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment, leading a team of up to 20 scientists, engineers and technicians to deliver an integrated detector at an underground laboratory in South Dakota.

Her work on LZ has included leading simulations that underpinned the experiment’s landmark dark matter search results. Her technical leadership was recognised with the Institute of Physics Astroparticle Physics Early Career Prize in 2020 and the LZ Good Citizenship Award in 2021.

Dr Fruth is now helping secure Australia’s role in the next generation of international dark matter research. She was lead editor of the XLZD Design Book, the strategic roadmap for a future global dark matter experiment, and was elected to its ten-member Executive Board.

In Australia, she leads the light-sensor working group for SABRE South, the first underground dark matter experiment in the Southern Hemisphere.

Theresa is one of 11 members recognised with 2026 AIP Awards for outstanding accomplishments in research, leadership, education and communication. Read more about the 2026 AIP Award recipients.

The 2026 AIP Awards will be presented at AIP Congress 2026 in Sydney this December.