Peter Thirolf studied physics and received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Following research stays at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Germany and the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, he joined the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). He is now a professor of physics at LMU. His research interests include the structure of exotic (heavy) nuclei, development of a nuclear clock prototype, radiation detectors for medical physics applications, Penning-trap-based mass spectrometry of heavy and superheavy elements, and high-power laser-driven heavy-ion acceleration.
