Research

Main research interests: STED microscopy and related concepts

Stefan Hell is a physicist. He pioneered breaking the diffraction barrier in a light microscope using conventional lenses. In 2014, he was honoured by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy” together with Eric Betzig and William E. Moerner.

Pioneered breaking the diffraction barrier in a light microscope using conventional lenses

Invention and development of STED microscopy and related concepts

Discovered and demonstrated on-off switching of (fluorescence) signal as key mechanism for overcoming the diffraction resolution barrier.

Career

• Director, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry; Member of Chem-Phys-Tech & Biomedical Section of Max Planck Society; Head, Optical Nanoscopy Division; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
• 2004 Hon. Prof., Faculty of Physics, University of Göttingen
• 2003 Adj. Prof., Faculty of Physics, University of Heidelberg
• 1997-2002 Group leader, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Göttingen, Germany
• 1996 Habilitation in Physics, Univ. Heidelberg
• 1994 Visiting Scientist, Dept. Engineering Science, Oxford University, UK
• 1993-1996 Principal Scientist, Laser Microscopy Group; University of Turku, Finland
• 1991-1993 Postdoctoral Researcher, EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory)
• 1990 Doctorate in Physics, University of Heidelberg
• 1981-1987 Physics studies, University of Heidelberg

Functions

• since 2020 Member of the Senate of the Max Planck Society
• since 2009 Spokesperson, DFG Center Molecular Physiology of the Brain Göttingen
• since 2007 Board of trustees, X-LAB, Göttingen
• 2007-2010 Board of trustees, Niedersachsen Foundation for Innovation
• since 2005 Secretary of the International Society on Optics Within Life Sciences (OWLS)
• since 2003 Associate Member, European Neuroscience Institute (ENI), Göttingen
• since 2003 Board of directors, Laser Laboratorium Göttingen e.V.
• since 2002 Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society, Biomed. and Chem.-Phys.-Techn. Section

Honours and Memberships

• 2015 Verdienstorden des Landes Baden-Württemberg
• 2015 Glenn T. Seaborg Medal of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
• 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• 2014 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience
• 2014 Carus-Preis, City of Schweinfurt
• 2013 Carus Medal of Leopoldina, German National Academy
• 2013 Doctor honoris causa, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania
• 2012 Romanian Academy, member of honor
• 2012 Science Prize of the Fritz Behrens Foundation
• 2011 Doctor honoris causa, Vasile Goldis University, Arad, Romania
• 2011 Hansen Family Award
• 2011 Körber European Science Prize (Physical Sciences)
• 2011 Gothenburg Lise Meitner Prize 2010/2011
• 2011 Meyenburg Prize for Cancer Research
• 2010 Ernst-Hellmut-Vits-Prize
• 2009 Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, external member
• 2009 Doctor honoris causa, University of Turku, Finland
• 2009 Otto Hahn Prize in Physics
• 2008 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Council (DFG)
• 2008 Lower Saxony State Award (Niedersächsischer Staatspreis)
• 2007 Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities, regular member
• 2007 Julius Springer Prize for Applied Physics
• 2007 Cozzarelli Prize awarded by the Proc. Natl. Acad. Sc. USA
• 2006 Innovation Award of the German President (Zukunftspreis des Bundespräsidenten)
• 2004 Gottlieb Daimler- and Karl Benz Prize, Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences
• 2002 Karl-Heinz Beckurts-Prize
• 2002 Carl-Zeiss Research Award of Ernst-Abbe-Fonds
• 2002 Innovation Award of Leibinger-Foundation
• 2001 Helmholtz-Prize for metrology (co-recipient)
• 2000 ICO Prize, International Commission for Optics (ICO)