Biography:Roland Wiesendanger

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Roland Wiesendanger during the awarding of the Julius Springer Prize 2016

Roland Wiesendanger (born 5 October 1961) is a German physicist, specializing in nanoscience. Since 1993 he has been a full professor at the University of Hamburg, Germany, where he established a National Center of Competence in Nanotechnology. He has been awarded three times in a row with the ERC Advanced Grant of the European Research Council as first scientist in Europe. In the Laudatio for the International Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics (2016), his pioneering work on Spin-Polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Magnetic Exchange Force Microscopy, which allow for investigations of the magnetism of individual atoms on surfaces as well as the spin structure of solid surfaces with atomic resolution, was highlighted.

Early life and education

According to the CV published on his department website, Wiesendanger was born in Basel.[1]

He grew up in Lörrach, Germany, where he attended high-school, the Hans-Thoma-Gymnasium from 1972 to 1981.[citation needed] In 1981 he studied physics, mathematics, and astronomy at the University of Basel, Switzerland.[citation needed] Since 1984 he had been working in the field of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy.[citation needed] In 1986, he graduated in Physics with highest distinction and in 1987, he received his Ph.D. with “summa cum laude” for his work on “Scanning Tunneling Microscopy on Non-Crystalline Solids”.[citation needed] Until his Habilitation degree in 1990, he set up a unique Surface Science Instrument (“NANOLAB-I”) which allowed for the simultaneous investigation of the structure, electronic and magnetic properties of surfaces at the atomic scale.[citation needed]

Career

In 1992 Wiesendanger received an offer for a full professor position for Experimental Physics at the University of Hamburg, connected with the Foundation of the Microstructure Advanced Research Center Hamburg. Since that time, he has been working on various research topics and projects in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Memberships and service

Since 2000 Wiesendanger is a member of the National Academy Leopoldina, since 2005 member of the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg, and since 2008 member of the German Academy of Technical Sciences (acatech). In 2012 he became Honorary Professor of the Harbin Institute of Technology (China) and in 2015 he received an Honorary Doctor degree from the Technical University of Poznan (Poland).

He has organized numerous international conferences like the International Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM’97) Conference in Hamburg (1997) or the 1st Otto Stern Symposium in Hamburg (2013). He has been a speaker at more than 500 international conferences, workshops and colloquia worldwide.

Work

Wiesendanger is author or co-author of more than 600 scientific publications as well as several books.

Study about the origin of the coronavirus-pandemic

In February 2021, he released a working paper and preprint, non-peer-reviewed publication suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 had escaped from a lab in Wuhan, a story which was picked up by many German news services including TV.[2] Wiesendanger himself does not see his "study" as a formal scientific publication, but it "is intended to serve as information for a broad public in Germany".[3]

Selected awards and honors

  • 1992: Gaede-Prize [4] of the German Vacuum Society
  • 1992: Max Auwärter Prize[5]
  • 1999: Karl Heinz Beckurts-Prize[6]
  • 2000: Member of the National Academy Leopoldina[7]
  • 2003: Philip Morris Research Prize[8]
  • 2005: Member of the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg
  • 2008: Member of the German Academy of Technical Sciences (acatech)
  • 2008: 1st ERC Advanced Grant[9]
  • 2010: Nanotechnology Recognition Award of the American Vacuum Society
  • 2012: Fellow of the American Vacuum Society
  • 2012: Honorary Professor of the Harbin Institute of Technology, China[10]
  • 2013: Foreign Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences[11]
  • 2013: 2nd ERC Advanced Grant[12]
  • 2014: Heinrich Rohrer Grand Medal[13]
  • 2015: Honorary Doctor Degree from the Technical University of Poznan, Poland[14]
  • 2015: Hamburg Science Prize[15]
  • 2015: International Fellow of the Surface Science Society of Japan
  • 2016: Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics[16]
  • 2018: 3rd ERC Advanced Grant[17]
  • 2019: Honorary Medal „De Scientia et Humanitate Optime Meritis“ of the Czech Academy of Sciences[18]

References

  1. "CV of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Roland Wiesendanger". n.d.. http://www.nanoscience.de/HTML/PDF/CV_Wiesendanger_english.pdf. 
  2. "Hamburger Forscher: Coronavirus stammt wohl aus Labor". Norddeutscher Rundfunk. 18 February 2021. https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/Hamburger-Forscher-Coronavirus-stammt-wohl-aus-Labor,corona6764.html. 
  3. Lars Wienand: Der Physikprofessor, Wuhan und die Biowaffen. Telefoninterview T-Online, 20. Februar 2021.
  4. List of prize winners. Website of Gaede Prize. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  5. Hamburger Physiker wird Max-Auwärter-Preis verliehen. Press release nanoscience.de. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  6. List of prize winners. Website of Karl Heinz Beckurts-Prize. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  7. List of members. Website of Leopldina. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  8. List of prize winners 2007. Website of Philip Morris Research Prize. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  9. Physikprofessor der Universität Hamburg bei europäischer Exzellenzinitiative erfolgreich. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  10. Wiesendanger erhält Ehrenprofessur von chinesischer Elite-Uni. Press release on pro-physik.de. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  11. Prof. Roland Wiesendanger received an honorary doctorate from Poznań University of Technology. Press release on scienceinpoland.pap.pl. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  12. Prof. Dr. Roland Wiesendanger erneut bei europäischer Exzellenzinitiative erfolgreich. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  13. Erster internationaler Heinrich Rohrer Preis geht an Professor Roland Wiesendanger. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  14. An honorary doctorate degree for a specialist in nanotechnology. Press release of Poznan. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  15. Hamburger Wissenschaftspreis 2015: 100.000 Euro für Physikprofessor Roland Wiesendanger. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  16. Der Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics 2016 geht an Roland Wiesendanger und Xiang Zhang. Press release of Springer. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  17. Physikprofessor der Universität Hamburg zum dritten Mal bei europäischem Exzellenz-Wettbewerb erfolgreich. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.
  18. Honorary Medal an Roland Wiesendanger verliehen. Press release of the University of Hamburg. retrieved on 26 August 2019.

External links

  • Literature from and about Roland Wiesendanger
  • Website of the research group of Roland Wiesendanger (http://www.nanoscience.de)