• Study at Hertford
    • Study at Hertford
    • Undergraduates
    • Graduates
    • Visiting students
    • Outreach with schools & colleges
  • Life at Hertford
    • Life at Hertford
    • Accommodation
    • Food & catering
    • Library & resources
    • Chapel & faith
    • Clubs & societies
    • Support & wellbeing
  • Our people
  • About Hertford
    • About Hertford
    • Our vision
    • News
    • Hertford today
    • Events
    • Hertford history
    • Publications
    • Rare books & Archives
    • International Programmes
    • Conferences & events
    • Governance & legal
    • Vacancies
    • Visit us
  • ALUMNI
    • Welcome
    • Alumni societies
    • Alumni benefits
    • Update your details
    • Meet the team
    • Alumni FAQs
  • INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES
    • International Programmes
    • Directors’ welcome
    • Our programmes
    • Our partnerships
    • How to apply
    • Life in Oxford
    • Hertford in Asia
  • SUPPORT US
    • Support your college
    • Make a donation
    • Your impact
    • Celebrating your generosity
  • CONTACT US
  • INTRANET
xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
  • ALUMNI
    • Welcome
    • Alumni societies
    • Alumni benefits
    • Update your details
    • Meet the team
    • Alumni FAQs
  • INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES
    • International Programmes
    • Directors’ welcome
    • Our programmes
    • Our partnerships
    • How to apply
    • Life in Oxford
    • Hertford in Asia
  • SUPPORT US
    • Support your college
    • Make a donation
    • Your impact
    • Celebrating your generosity
  • CONTACT US
  • INTRANET
  • Study at Hertford
  • Life at Hertford
  • Our people
  • About Hertford

Study at Hertford  ›

  • Undergraduates
  • Graduates
  • Visiting students
  • Outreach with schools & colleges

Life at Hertford  ›

  • Accommodation
  • Food & catering
  • Library & resources
  • Chapel & faith
  • Clubs & societies
  • Support & wellbeing

About Hertford  ›

  • Our vision
  • News
  • Hertford today
  • Events
  • Hertford history
  • Publications
  • Rare books & Archives
  • International Programmes
  • Conferences & events
  • Governance & legal
  • Vacancies
  • Visit us
Home / Our people / Professor Claire Vallance

Professor Claire Vallance

Tutorial Fellow in Chemistry

Professor of Physical Chemistry

claire.vallance@hertford.ox.ac.uk

Claire joined Hertford in 2002, at the same time as starting a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in the Department of Chemistry. In 2005 she was appointed to a University Lectureship in Physical Chemistry in association with Hertford College, and was awarded the title of Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2014.

Undergraduate teaching

Claire is responsible for all of the physical chemistry tutorial teaching in Hertford, covering topics including thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, spectroscopy, photochemistry, surface chemistry, and much more.  Within the Department of Chemistry, Claire currently gives lectures for the first-year Chemical Kinetics course and the third-year Astrochemistry option.

Graduate teaching

Claire has an active research group within the Department of Chemistry, and supervises a number of postdoctoral fellows, D.Phil. students and fourth year (“Part II”) students on the MChem course.

  • Research interests

    Claire’s research group focuses on two areas, which span both fundamental and applied aspects of experimental physical chemistry. The first employs state-of-the-art ultrafast imaging methods to study light-induced and electron-induced reactions, which are important in fields such as atmospheric chemistry, astrochemistry, and photobiology. The second applies mass spectrometry and spectral imaging, coupled with machine learning, to a number of problems in clinical medicine. Further details of Claire’s research can be found at http://vallance.web.ox.ac.uk. She is also co-founder of the spin-out Mode Labs (www.modelabs.tech), which is developing remotely deployable environmental sensors based on optical microcavity technology.

  • Related websites

    https://vallance.web.ox.ac.uk/
    https://modelabs.tech/
    https://pimms.chem.ox.ac.uk/

  • Publications

    Claire has written textbooks on Astrochemistry, Reaction Dynamics, Symmetry and Group Theory, Chemical Kinetics, and Properties of Gases, and has published over 160 research articles.  A full list can be found at Research | Claire Vallance research group

Academic

  • Principal

  • Tutors & Lecturers

  • Visiting Student Lecturers

  • Professorial & Research Fellows

  • Visiting Fellows

  • Emeritus Fellows

Hertford College, Catte Street, Oxford, OX1 3BW

© 2026 Hertford College Registered Charity No. 1137527

  • Contact us
  • Privacy
  • Legal

Site by Franks and Franks