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Gerd Materlik FRS

Prof. Gerd Materlik elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

Professor Gerhard (Gerd) Materlik, Chief Executive of Diamond Light Source, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Prof Materlik is a leading figure in the development of synchrotron facilities over the past three decades. He has published some 200 scientific papers in the fields of diffraction, imaging and spectroscopy, and synchrotron light source developments.

Appointed CEO at the launch of the Diamond Light Source project in 2001, Professor Materlik successfully led the complex project to construct and operate the UK’s national synchrotron. In 2007, after Diamond welcomed its first users and was formally opened by Her Majesty the Queen, he was awarded an honorary CBE.

Today, Diamond has 20 operational beamlines with two more nearing completion, providing facilities for thousands of researchers. It is increasingly recognised as a vital national facility conducting world-class research. The government recently confirmed funding for Diamond Phase III, and work has begun to design and construct 10 new beamlines by 2018.

Prof Materlik was previously Director of the Hamburg Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, the German Electron Synchrotron DESY, and Professor of Physics at Hamburg University. He has received international awards for outstanding contributions to the development of modern X-ray techniques and held visiting professorships at Oxford, Reading, Southampton and Stanford Universities.

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society said: “It is a true pleasure to welcome this year’s new Fellows to the Royal Society. They join the ranks of the UK and Commonwealth’s leading scientists, counting themselves among early Fellows such as Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle and Charles Darwin. The Society aims to expand the frontiers of knowledge by championing the development and use of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet. It is the contribution of excellent individuals such as these which makes this possible.”

Prof Materlik said: “This is a tremendous honour. I feel very fortunate to have been involved in such a fascinating area of science, and throughout my career I have had the support of wonderful teachers and colleagues. Diamond is a very exciting project and a real team effort. I am grateful to everyone who has been involved in contributing to its success, and look forward to the next stage of the development and operation of this world-class research facility.”

Founded in 1660, The Royal Society is the UK’s national academy of science. On Friday 20 May, it

announced the election of 44 new Fellows, including Prof Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust and Prof Kostya Novoselov of the University of Manchester, joint winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

For a full list of the new Fellows, and for further information, please visit: http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/new-fellows-2011

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Gerd Materlik FRS

Prof. Gerd Materlik elected a Fellow of the Royal Society