# Theo Geisel (physicist) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Theo_Geisel_(physicist) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Theo_Geisel_(physicist).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Geisel_(physicist) > Source revision: 1323029434 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|German physicist (born 1948)}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Dr. Theo Geisel | image = Dr. Theo Geisel A00.png | imagesize = | caption = | othername = Prof. Theo Geisel | birth_name = Theo Geisel | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|08|24}} | birth_place = [Limburg an der Lahn](/source/Limburg_an_der_Lahn), [Hesse](/source/Hesse) [Germany](/source/Germany) | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = [University of Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt)
[University of Regensburg](/source/University_of_Regensburg) | doctoral_advisor = Joachim Keller | academic_advisors = | thesis_title = Theorie der Ramanstreuung in den Ammoniumhalogeniden | thesis_year = 1976 | workplaces = [University of Regensburg](/source/University_of_Regensburg)
[University of Würzburg](/source/University_of_W%C3%BCrzburg)
[University of Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt)
[University of Göttingen](/source/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen)
[Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Dynamics_and_Self-Organization) | doctoral_students = [Dirk Brockmann](/source/Dirk_Brockmann)
[Viola Priesemann](/source/Viola_Priesemann) }} '''Dr. Theo Geisel''' (born 24 August 1948 in [Limburg an der Lahn](/source/Limburg_an_der_Lahn), [Hesse](/source/Hesse)) is a German [physicist](/source/physicist). Geisel is a director at the [Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Dynamics_and_Self-Organization) and professor of theoretical physics at the [University of Göttingen](/source/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen). His research is primarily concerned with the behavior of [complex systems](/source/complex_systems) ranging from theoretical investigations in [quantum chaos](/source/quantum_chaos) to [nonlinear](/source/nonlinear) phenomena occurring in the [brain](/source/brain). ==Biography== Geisel studied physics in Frankfurt and Regensburg. After graduating from the [University of Regensburg](/source/University_of_Regensburg) in 1975, he worked as Post-Doc at the [Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Solid_State_Research) in Stuttgart (1976–77) and at the [Xerox Palo Alto Research Center](/source/Xerox_Palo_Alto_Research_Center) (1978–79). In 1980, he returned to Regensburg as assistant professor. During 1983-87 he worked as a Heisenberg fellow, later he became professor for theoretical physics at the [University of Würzburg](/source/University_of_W%C3%BCrzburg) (1988–89) and the [University of Frankfurt](/source/Goethe_University_Frankfurt) (1989–96). During this time, he was awarded the prestigious [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize](/source/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz_Prize). Since 1996, he has been professor for theoretical physics at the [University of Göttingen](/source/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen) and Director of the [Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Dynamics_and_Self-Organization). He is chairperson of the [Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience](/source/Bernstein_Network) (BCCN) Göttingen which he founded in 2005.[http://www.pro-physik.de/Phy/pjtoc/31598/3 Physik Journal 2/2009, p. 48] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222053444/http://www.pro-physik.de/Phy/pjtoc/31598/3|date=2009-02-22}} Since 2013, Theo Geisel is member of the Göttingen Academy of Science,{{cite web|url=https://adw-goe.de/mitglieder/personendetails/person/theo-geisel/|title=Prof. Dr. Theo Geisel: Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen (AdW)}} the oldest continually existing such institution in Germany. ===Personal life=== Geisel is also a classical and jazz musician and performs regularly on flute and saxophone. He has recorded a jazz album with the band [August Stockinger's Flohzirkus](/source/August_Stockinger's_Flohzirkus). ==Main areas of research== Theo Geisel is known for fundamental research on nonlinear and stochastic dynamics with applications in a broad range of complex living and non-living systems. He is leading in transferring methods between fields, including randomly appearing motion known in chaos theory to solid state physics, pattern formation theory established for fluids to the analysis of neural circuits,{{cite journal|vauthors=Wolf F, Geisel T|title=Spontaneous pinwheel annihilation during visual development|journal=Nature|volume=395|issue=6697|pages=73–8|year=1998|pmid=9738500|doi=10.1038/25736|bibcode=1998Natur.395...73W|s2cid=4380047}} the discovery of new mathematical objects called unstable attractors in neuronal models{{cite journal|last1=Timme|first1=Marc|last2=Wolf|first2=Fred|last3=Geisel|first3=Theo|title=Prevalence of Unstable Attractors in Networks of Pulse-Coupled Oscillators|journal=Physical Review Letters|volume=89|issue=15|year=2002|doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.154105 |bibcode=2002PhRvL..89o4105T|pmid=12365993|article-number=154105|arxiv=cond-mat/0202438|s2cid=9726600}} and recently concepts from the physics of nano-structures to the predictability of tsunami waves.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfN6d0GVoZg predictability of tsunami waves] *[Nonlinear dynamics](/source/Nonlinear_system) *[Computational neuroscience](/source/Computational_neuroscience) *Forecast of [epidemics](/source/epidemics) *[Lévy walk](/source/L%C3%A9vy_walk)s ([anomalous diffusion](/source/anomalous_diffusion)) *Dynamics of [neuronal network](/source/neuronal_network)s *Development of [cortical map](/source/cortical_map)s *[Neural synchronization](/source/Neural_synchronization) *[Quantum chaos](/source/Quantum_chaos) *Semiconductor [nanostructures](/source/nanostructures) ==Awards and fellowships== *[Heisenberg Fellow](/source/%3Ade%3AHeisenberg-Programm) of the [Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft](/source/Deutsche_Forschungsgemeinschaft) (German Research Foundation) 1983 *[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize](/source/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz_Prize) 1994 *Fellow of the [American Physical Society](/source/American_Physical_Society) 2008{{cite web|url=https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?initial=&year=2008&unit_id=&institution=|title=APS Fellows|publisher=American Physical Society|access-date=March 9, 2021}} *[Gentner-Kastler Prize](/source/%3Ade%3AGentner-Kastler-Preis) 2009 ==Editorial boards== *[Physical Review Letters](/source/Physical_Review_Letters) (Divisional Associate Editor for Biological Physics) *Chaos - Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science ([American Institute of Physics](/source/American_Institute_of_Physics)) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{GoogleScholar|Qylof50AAAAJ}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Geisel, Theo}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:People from Limburg an der Lahn Category:20th-century German physicists Category:Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize winners Category:Max Planck Society people Category:Academic staff of the University of Göttingen Category:University of Regensburg alumni Category:German theoretical physicists Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society Category:21st-century German physicists Category:Max Planck Institute directors Category:Academic staff of the University of Regensburg --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Theo Geisel (physicist)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Geisel_(physicist)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Geisel_(physicist)?action=history)). 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