Itamar Procaccia

Itamar Procaccia is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science since 1985, where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry (1989-2001) and Head of Department (1987-1988). Currently Director of the Minerva Center for “Aging, from Physical Materials to Human Tissues” (2019–present), he previously directed the Minerva Center for Nonlinear Physics (2004-2014) and maintains adjunct roles at NORDITA (1992-2006). His extensive international collaborations include visiting professorships at The University of Chicago, Rockefeller University, and Niels Bohr Institute.

His research spans theoretical physics with focus on mechanical properties of amorphous materials, fracture mechanics, turbulence, fractals, nonlinear dynamics, and statistical mechanics. Key contributions include foundational work on instabilities in physical systems, stochastic processes in glass transitions, and cross-coupling phenomena in metallic glasses. His interdisciplinary approach bridges condensed matter physics with biological aging processes through current Minerva Center leadership.

Procaccia’s exceptional contributions are recognized by Israel’s highest scientific honor (Israel Prize for Physics, 2009) and the American Physical Society’s Leo P. Kadanoff Prize (2023). His comprehensive award portfolio includes:

• Fellowships in four national academies (American Physical Society, German Leopoldina, UK Institute of Physics, Royal Danish Academy)
• International honors: Fiorino d’Oro (Florence), Euroattractor Prize (Polish Academy), Grand Star of Brazil’s Order of Scientific Merit
• Prestigious professorships: Raman Chair (India), Gauss Professorship (Germany), ERC Advanced Grant (€2.5M)
• Seven honorary doctorates from institutions in Brazil, Spain, and Israel
• Knighthood as Grande Ufficiale in Italy’s Order of Star of Solidarity

His research leadership extends to directing major international centers including Brasilia’s International Center of Condensed Matter Physics (2006-2009) and serving on IUPAP’s International Commission for Statistical Physics. Significant grant support includes the European Research Council’s Advanced Grant (2010) and AIRBUS Professorship (2015), enabling cross-disciplinary work on material aging phenomena.

Current initiatives focus on the Minerva Center for “Aging, from Physical Materials to Human Tissues,” integrating his expertise in fracture mechanics with biological aging research. He maintains active roles in Academia Europaea’s Physics Committee and China’s 1000 Talents Program, reflecting his ongoing global scientific influence.