Pope appoints Nobel laureate as member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Pope appoints Nobel laureate as member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Professor Stefan Walter Hell

Pope Francis appoints Professor Stefan Walter Hell as an Ordinary Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

By Devin Watkins

The Pope added another illustrious name to the prestigious Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Monday.

Professor Stefan Walter Hell is a director both of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, and of the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, in Germany.

Born in Romania on 23 December 1962, Professor Hell was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work on improving the resolution of microscopes.

Speaking to Vatican Radio’s Christine Seuss, Professor Hell said the papal nomination came as a surprise.

“I was very pleased by the nomination because the Pontifical Academy, of course, is one of the most prestigious academies in the sciences because it deals with many problems that are currently faced by humanity,” said Professor Hell.

He said he has no particular plans regarding his role at the academy but added that he hopes to contribute to a number of issues that the Pontifical Academy is currently facing. 

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