Gábor Csányi appointed new director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Leading expert in machine learning in molecular research joins as part of the Max Planck Liquids Initiative

The Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz is welcoming a new director: Prof. Dr. Gábor Csányi, an internationally recognized expert in using artificial intelligence and machine learning to better understand materials at the atomic scale. His appointment marks an important step in strengthening theoretical and data-driven research at the institute.

Gábor Csányi’s appointment is part of the Max Planck Liquids Initiative, which is generously co-funded by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. This initiative brings together leading scientists to explore the molecular world of liquids and interfaces — a key challenge for understanding processes in chemistry, biology, and materials science. The initiative is also connected to the MaxWater Initiative of the Max Planck Society, which focuses on the structure and behavior of water at the molecular level. More information can be found at www.maxwater.mpg.de.

Csányi’s department develops computional models (force fields) that allow scientists simulate how atoms and molecules move and interact — work that leads to faster and more accurate predictions in materials science in general and liquids in particular.

“Machine learning gives us new ways to describe materials — from their quantum building blocks to complex structures we can see under the microscope,” says Csányi. “I’m excited to bring these methods to the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and to collaborate closely with my new colleagues.”

Originally from Hungary, Csányi studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge and earned his PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has received several awards for his scientific work, including the F. W. Bessel Prize of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and was recently elected to be a Fellow of the Royal Society.

“With Gábor Csányi, we are gaining a leading researcher who combines artificial intelligence with molecular science,” says Prof. Mischa Bonn, Managing Director of the MPI-P. “His expertise will perfectly complement our experimental and theoretical work and open new directions for the science of complex materials, and specifically aqueous systems.”