Fred Wolf

Prof. Fred Wolf is a Professor of Dynamics and Biological Physics at Georg-August-University Göttingen and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization. He serves as Director of the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks and holds leadership roles in multiple interdisciplinary initiatives, including the German Research Foundation Priority Program on Evolutionary Optimization of Neural Processing and the Max Planck School Matter to Life. His research focuses on theoretical neurophysics, integrating computational models with experimental data to understand neuronal circuit evolution, sensory information processing, and biophysical mechanisms of neural networks.

Wolf’s academic career includes roles such as Head of the Research Group 'Theoretical Neurophysics' at the Max Planck Institute, Director of the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, and Co-director of the Collaborative Research Cluster 'Physics to Medicine'. He holds honorary professorships and has been a Fellow of the American Physical Society since 2015.

His research interests emphasize evolutionary principles of neural networks, dynamics of large-scale cortical circuits, and high-bandwidth encoding by neuron populations. He combines ergodic theory, non-equilibrium statistical physics, and advanced imaging techniques to study synaptic nanoarchitecture and neural plasticity. Wolf leads interdisciplinary teams at the interface of physics, neuroscience, and biophysics, contributing to initiatives like the Multiscale Bioimaging Excellence Cluster.

Notable awards include the APS Fellowship, and his work spans collaborations across institutions such as the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has directed training programs like the Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition and the International Max Planck Research School Neurosciences.