Award: Professor Thomas Nilsson is “Affiliate Professor” at TU Darmstadt
23.06.2025 |
The Scientific Managing Director of GSI and FAIR, Professor Thomas Nilsson, will be even more closely involved in the scientific and research landscape in the region in future: He is an “Affiliate Professor” at TU Darmstadt and is now officially associated with the Department of Physics. TU Darmstadt recently awarded this academic title to an internationally outstanding scientific personality for the first time. The award was presented to Professor Thomas Nilsson by the Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs, Professor Thomas Walther, at a ceremony in the Uhrturmhörsaal at TU Darmstadt.
The renowned Swedish experimental physicist Professor Thomas Nilsson has been Scientific Managing Director of GSI and FAIR since December 2024. With his comprehensive experience and internationally recognized expertise, he plays a key role in the scientific development of the research facility and the international accelerator center FAIR, which is currently under construction. He has been significantly involved in the FAIR project for a long time and has already served in various positions on the FAIR Council and as a member of the GSI Supervisory Board. He has also been Vice-Chair of the Joint Scientific Council of FAIR and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of GSI since 2020.
His academic career began with a degree in Engineering Physics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. During his doctorate, he forged his first links with the then Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (now TU Darmstadt), which he deepened as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Physics at TU Darmstadt from 2004 to 2006.
As Professor of Physics at Chalmers University, Thomas Nilsson conducts research in fundamental interactions in subatomic systems, particularly in nuclei with a large excess of neutrons or protons. These exotic states open up new insights into the structure of matter. He is also a member of the Physics Class of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which is responsible for selecting Nobel Prize winners, among other things.
TU Darmstadt is delighted to be able to link Professor Nilsson more closely to the university and the Department of Physics by awarding him the title and thus further strengthen its international networks. The GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and FAIR GmbH also welcome the decision of the Technische Universität Darmstadt with great pleasure. The award generates further impetus and not only strengthens academic excellence on site, but also opens up new opportunities for international scientific exchange. (TUDa/BP)