Michael Block

Prof. Michael Block, full professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, is atomic and nuclear physicist investigating superheavy elements. He studied physics at the University of Mainz and received a PhD in Physics in 2002. As postdoctoral researcher at GSI (2002-2006) he led the SHIPTRAP project. After a stay at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, USA as visiting Assistant Professor (2006-2007) he became a Staff Scientist at GSI Darmstadt (2007-2014) in the superheavy element department. Since 2015 he leads the superheavy element physics departments at the GSI Helmholtz Centre in Darmstadt and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz.

His research interests include the properties of superheavy elements, Penning trap mass spectrometry, laser spectroscopy and nuclear spectroscopy.

In 2013, he was awarded the Flerov Prize for his work on Penning trap mass spectrometry.

He is presently the head of the mass spectrometry division of the German Physical Society (DPG).