Laura Pavel (born 19 October 1968) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic.

She has a BA in Letters of the "Babeş-Bolyai" University in Cluj-Napoca, the Romanian-English section (1992).

PhD in Letters (Literary and Drama Theory), with a thesis dedicated to Eugène Ionesco (2002).

She is part of the literary group gathered around the cultural journal Echinox.

Presently she is Professor at the Faculty of Theatre and Television of the "Babeş-Bolyai" University.