Profile Ulrich Pöschl

Ulrich Pöschl is director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University (JGU) in Mainz, Germany. He studied chemistry at the Technical University of Graz and was postdoctoral researcher, group leader, and university lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Departments of Chemistry and of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC), Atmospheric Chemistry and Biogeochemistry Departments; and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Institute of Hydrochemistry. Among other internationally leading scientists, Pöschl worked with the Nobel laureates Paul Crutzen and Mario Molina. His current research and teaching are focused on the effects of multiphase processes, i.e., interactions between gases, liquids, and solids, in the Earth system, climate, life & health. He is engaged in numerous international scientific collaborations, has been honored with prestigious scientific awards, and is among the world’s most highly cited researchers  (Web of Science; Google Scholar). Pöschl has advised and mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are now faculty members or senior researchers in scientific leadership positions around the world (Alumni). In accordance with Pöschl’s open and equitable approach of scientific teaching and mentoring, his students, postdocs, and alumni successfully pursuing an academic career come from a wide range of ethnic and societal backgrounds (~50% international) with a fairly even gender balance (~50% female). Pöschl actively promotes open science, and he initiated the innovative and successful approach of interactive open access publishing with public peer review and online discussion (multi-stage open peer review) as established in the leading international scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP, www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net) and the European Geosciences Union (EGU, www.egu.eu). Moreover, Pöschl initiated and co-chairs the global open access initiative OA2020 (oa2020.org).

Professional Career

since 2012         
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Director of the newly founded Multiphase Chemistry Department. Research & teaching: multiphase chemistry in the Earth system, climate and public health, i.e., chemical reactions, mass transport and phase transitions of gases, liquids and solids linking the atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere on molecular to global scales. Focal points: biological and organic aerosols, aerosol-cloud-climate interactions, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, protein nitration and oxidation, inflammatory and allergic reactions. Methods: environmental observations, laboratory experiments, mathematical models. Managing director/deputy managing director of the Institute (rotating).

since 2007        
Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Faculty member of the Department of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Geosciences. Habilitation & venia legendi in Geochemistry (17.01.2007).

2005 - 2012  
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Research group leader in the Biogeochemistry Department (Meinrat O. Andreae). Research & teaching: chemistry, physics and biology of aerosols and clouds; biogeochemical cycling of gases and particles; field measurements, kinetic and thermodynamic experiments and models.

1999 - 2005  
Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Research group leader at the Institute of Hydrochemistry (Reinhard Niessner) and
head of an independent junior research group. Habilitation & venia legendi in Chemistry (21.06.2006). Research & teaching: analytical and physical chemistry, environmental science and technology; formation, aging and measurement of aerosols and nanoparticles in ambient air and combustion exhaust.

1997 - 1998  
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany.
Research scientist with Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, Atmospheric Chemistry Department. Research: reaction mechanisms and numerical simulation of atmospheric chemistry and transport; photochemistry of ozone and organic trace gases; polar stratospheric clouds and denitrification.

1996 - 1997  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Postdoctoral fellow with Nobel laureate Mario Molina, Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratory & Center for Global Change Science, Department of Chemistry and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Research: experimental chemical kinetics and mass spectrometry; formation and condensation of sulfuric acid.

1993 - 1996  
Technical University of Graz, Austria.
Research assistant in the group of Karl Hassler, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry. Research: organometallic chemistry and molecular spectroscopy; synthesis and structure elucidation of cyclic silicon compounds.

Education

1993 - 1995   
Doctoral Studies in Chemistry, Technical University of Graz, Austria.
Doctoral thesis at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (Karl Hassler) on the subject “Synthesis, spectroscopy, and structure of selectively functionalized cyclosilanes“; doctoral exams (07.11.1995) and graduation with distinction as "Doctor technicae“
(PhD equivalent).

1991 - 1993   
Diploma Studies in French, Karl Franzens University of Graz, Austria.
Institute of Romance Languages.

1988 - 1993   
Diploma Studies in Technical Chemistry, Technical University of Graz, Austria.
Diploma thesis at the Institute of Inorganic Chemical Technology (Gerhard Herzog) on the subject “Thermoelectricity of oxidic semiconductor ceramics“; diploma exams (04.06.1993) and graduation with distinction as ­"Diplom-Ingenieur" (MSc equivalent).

1980 - 1988   
Secondary School, Klagenfurt, Austria. Foreign language focus (English, French, Latin), final exams (23.06.1988) and graduation with distinction.

1976 - 1980   
Elementary School, Klagenfurt, Austria.

Awards and Honors

Highly Cited Researcher 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 (Web of Science)

Union Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2023

Copernicus Medal of the Copernicus Gesellschaft e.V., 2015

Pius XI Gold Medal of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 2012            

Union Service Award of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), 2005

Young Scientist Award of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, 2000

Schrödinger Scholarship of the Austrian Science Foundation, 1996

Research Awards of the Austrian Federal Minister of Arts and Science, the Industrial Union of Carinthia and the Josef Krainer Foundation, 1996

Graduation “Sub Auspiciis Praesidentis” by the Austrian Federal President (highest award in the Austrian educational system), 1996

Student and research scholarships of the Technical University of Graz, the Pro Scientia Foundation, and the Austrian Science Foundation, 1991-1994

Miscellaneous Professional Activities

Lecturer & student advisor at the Technical Universities of Munich and Vienna (1999-2005), Inter­na­tional Max Planck Research School (since 2005), and University of Mainz (since 2007).

Faculty Member (since 2009), Steering Committee Member (since 2012), and Steering Committee Chair (2020-2022), Max Planck Graduate Center with the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, https://www.mpgc-mainz.de/.

Quality assurance manager, Institute of Hydrochemistry, Technical University of Munich (2000-2005).

Referee for international scientific journals and funding organizations (since 1996).

Coordinator of international scientific projects and conferences (since 2000).

Initiator and promoter of interactive open access publishing with a two-stage process of publication, public peer review, and interactive discussion (since 2000).

Conference (Co-)Chair, Berlin Open Access Conferences (since 2015), https://openaccess.mpg.de/Berlin-Conferences.

Initiator (2013) and Co-Coordinator (since 2016), Global Open Access Initiative OA2020, https://oa2020.org/.

Founder (2000/2001), chief executive editor (2001-2022), and advisory board member (since 2022) of the international scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), www.atmos-chem-phys.net.

Executive Editor, EGU Letters (since 2020), https://www.egu-letters.net/.                          

Scientific Coordinator, EGUsphere (since 2022), https://www.egusphere.net/.

Atmospheric sciences division president (2003-2007), council member (2003-2014), and publications committee chair (2006-2014) of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), www.egu.eu.

Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Karl Popper Foundation (KPF), University of Klagenfurt (AAU), https://www.aau.at/kpf/ (since 2023).

Member, Consortium Council (Konsortialrat), Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus (UFS), https://schneefernerhaus.de/en/ (since 2023).

Member, University Council (Universitätsrat), Augsburg University, https://www.uni-augsburg.de/en/ (since 2023).

Language Skills

German (native), English (fluent), French (conversation level).

Scientific Publications

Over 400 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles that received over 43.000 citations with h-index 111 according to the Web of Science (>64.000 citations with h-index 129 according to Google Scholar) and several hundred contributions to conferences, proceedings, and books. Highly Cited Researcher 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 (Web of Science).
Comprehensive lists of publications & statistical parameters:
Publication list
http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=czxG87cAAAAJ&hl=en
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/849640
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1412-3557

Selected Publications

underlined: student, postdoc, senior scientist from Pöschl group/department; * corresponding author

Berkemeier*, T., Pöschl, U.: Carbon Nanoparticle Oxidation by NO2 and O2: Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Pathways, Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 63, e202413325, 2024.

Pöhlker*, M.L., C. Pöhlker, J. Quaas, J. Mülmenstädt, A. Pozzer, M.O. Andreae, P. Artaxo, K. Block, H. Coe,
B. Ervens, P. Gallimore, C.J. Gaston, S.S. Gunthe, S. Henning, H. Herrmann, O.O. Krüger, G. Mc Figgans,
L. Poulain, S.S. Raj, E. Reyes-Villegas, H.M. Royer, D. Walter, Y. Wang, U. Pöschl: Global organic and inorganic aerosol hygroscopicity and its effect on radiative forcing. Nature Communications, 14, 6139, 2023.

Su, H., YF. Cheng*, U. Pöschl: New Multiphase Chemical Processes Influencing Atmospheric Aerosols, Air Quality, and Climate in the Anthropocene. Accounts of Chemical Research, 53, 2034-2043, 2020.

Pöschl*, U.: Air Pollution, Oxidative Stress, and Public Health in the Anthropocene. In: Health of People, Health of Planet & Our Responsibility, Springer, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31125-4_7, 2020.

Reinmuth-Selzle*, K., C.J. Kampf*, K. Lucas, N. Lang-Yona, J. Fröhlich-Nowoisky, M. Shiraiwa, P.S.J. Lakey, S. Lai, F. Liu, A. T. Kunert, K. Ziegler, F. Shen, R. Sagarbanti, B. Weber, I. Bellinghausen, J. Saloga, M. G. Weller, A. Duschl, D. Schuppan, U. Pöschl*: Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Allergies in the Anthropocene: Abundance, Interaction, and Modification of Allergens and Adjuvants. Environmental Science and Technology, 51, 4119-4141, 2017.

Fröhlich-Nowoisky*, J., C.J. Kampf, B. Weber, J.A. Huffman, C. Pöhlker, M.O. Andreae, N. Lang-Yona, S.M. Burrows, S.S. Gunthe, W. Elbert, H. Su, P. Hoor, E. Thines, T. Hoffmann, V.R. Després, U. Pöschl*: Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions, Atmospheric Research, 346-376, 2016.

Cheng*, YF., G. Zhen, C. Wie, Q. Mu, B. Zheng, ZB. Wang, M. Gao, Q. Zhang, K. He*, G. Carmichael,
U. Pöschl*, H. Su*: Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China, Science Advances, 2, e1601530, 2016.

Cheng*, Y., H. Su*, T. Koop, E.F. Mikhailov, U. Pöschl*: Size dependence of phase transitions in aerosol nanoparticles, Nature Communications, 6, 5923, 2015.

Pöschl*, U., Shiraiwa*, M.: Multiphase Chemistry at the Atmosphere−Biosphere Interface Influencing Climate and Public Health in the Anthropocene, Chemical Reviews, 4440-4475, 2015.

Elbert, W., Weber*, B., Burrows, S., Steinkamp, J., Büdel, B., Andreae, M.O., Pöschl*, U.: Contribution of cryptogamic covers to the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen, Nature Geoscience, 459-462, 2012.

Shiraiwa*, M., Pfrang, C., Koop, T., Pöschl, U.: Kinetic multilayer model of gas-particle interactions in aerosols and clouds (KM-GAP): linking condensation, evaporation and chemical reactions of organics, oxidants and water, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 12, 2777-2794, 2012.

Pöschl*, U.: Multi-stage open peer review: scientific evaluation integrating the strengths of traditional peer review with the virtues of transparency and self-regulation, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2012.00033, 2012.

Pöhlker, C., K.T. Wiedemann, B. Sinha, M. Shiraiwa, S.S. Gunthe, M. Smith, H. Su, P. Artaxo, Q. Chen, Y. Cheng, W. Elbert, M.K. Gilles, A.L.D. Kilcoyne, R.C. Moffet, M. Weigand, S.T. Martin, U. Pöschl*, M.O. Andreae: Biogenic potassium salt particles as seeds for secondary organic aerosol in the Amazon, Science, 337, 1075-1078, 2012.

Su*, H., Y. Cheng*, R. Oswald, T. Behrendt, I. Trebs, F.X. Meixner, M.O. Andreae, P. Cheng, Y. Zhang,
U. Pöschl*: Soil nitrite as a source of atmospheric HONO and OH radicals. Science, 333, 1616-1618, 2011.

Shiraiwa*, M., Ammann, M., Koop, T., Pöschl, U: Gas uptake and chemical aging of semi-solid organic aerosol particles, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108, 11003-11008, 2011.

Shiraiwa, M., Sosedova, Y., Rouvière, A., Yang, H, Zhang, Y., Abbatt, J.P.D., Ammann, M., Pöschl*, U.: The role of longlived reactive oxygen intermediates in the reaction of ozone with aerosol particles, Nature Chemistry, 3, 291-295, 2011.

Pöschl*, U., Martin*, S.T., Sinha, B., Chen, Q., Gunthe, S.S., Huffman, J.A., Borrmann, S., Farmer, D.K., Garland, R.M., Helas, G., Jimenez, J.L., King, S.M., Manzi, A., Mikhailov, E., Pauliquevis, T., Petters, M.D., Prenni, A.J., Roldin, P., Rose, D., Schneider, J., Su, H., Zorn, S.R., Artaxo, P., Andreae, M.O.: Rainforest aerosols as biogenic nuclei of clouds and precipitation in the Amazon. Science, 329, 1513-1516, 2010.

Fröhlich-Nowoisky, J., Pickersgill, D.A., Despés, R.V., Pöschl*, U.: High diversity of fungi in air particulate matter, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 12814-12819, 2009.

Pöschl*, U., Y. Rudich, M. Ammann: Kinetic model framework for aerosol and cloud surface chemistry and gas-particle interactions - Part 1: General equations, parameters, and terminology, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 7, 5989-6023, 2007.

Franze, T., M. G. Weller, R. Niessner, U. Pöschl*: Protein nitration by polluted air. Environmental Science & Technology, 39, 1673-1678, 2005.

Pöschl*, U.: Atmospheric aerosols: composition, transformation, climate and health effects, Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., 117, 7520-7540, 2005.

Pöschl*, U., T. Letzel, C. Schauer, R. Niessner: Interaction of ozone and water vapor with spark discharge soot aerosol particles coated with benzo[a]pyrene: O3 and H2O adsorption, benzo[a]pyrene degradation and atmospheric implications. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 105, 4029-4041, 2001.