Fabrizio Nestola presented with the Alexander von Humbldt Research Award

10.07.2019

University of Padova’s Department of Geosciences director, Fabrizio Nestola, was honored with the Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in June. Named after naturalist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt, this prestigious award is granted in recognition to non-German scientists whose discoveries and innovations have made a significant impact within their disciplines.

Held in Berlin, Germany, during the Foundations annual meeting, which recently celebrated the 250th birth of the von Humboldt, was presented by president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Hans-Christian Pape, in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The Alexander von Humboldt Research Award is given to 100 scientists from universities and research centers around the world in recognition of their scientific careers, and who for a year will work with their German colleagues on high-profile research projects. Fabrizio Nestola will work with Frank Brenker from the Goethe University of Frankfurt (Institute of Geosciences / Mineralogy) on a common project engaged in the study of natural diamonds on the micro and nanometric scale. The collaboration aims to create an international master’s degree program in Geological Sciences between the departments of which the two professors belong.

Fabrizio Nestola, professor of Mineralogy, is the group leader of a Unipd laboratory for crystallographic investigation in non-environmental conditions of high-pressure mineralogical phases. The laboratory, consisting of Italian and international researchers, is well-equipped thanks to the 1.5 million euro European Research Council (ERC) grant awarded to Prof Nestola in 2012.
Nestola's main field of investigation is mineral physics and the study of their high pressure and high-temperature behavior the definition of their compressibility and thermal expansion, and their phase transitions.