Stephan Sobolev

Stephan Sobolev serves as Professor of Geodynamics at the University of Potsdam's Institute of Geosciences with a joint appointment at GFZ Potsdam since 2015, currently leading the ERC Synergy Grant Project MEET as Principal Investigator since 2020.

Education:

• PhD in physics/mathematics (1980), Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences
• MSc in Geophysics with distinction (1976), Novosibirsk State University

Research Interests: Professor Sobolev's work centers on computational geodynamics, deep Earth physics, and numerical modeling of tectonic processes. His research integrates seismology and geophysical data to simulate mantle convection and lithospheric deformation, with significant contributions published in Nature, Science, and Nature Communications.

Scientific Awards:

• Member of Academia Europaea (2021)
• ERC Synergy Grant (2019)
• GFZ-Senior Researcher Award (2004)
• Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (1992)
• Academy of Sciences, USSR Medal (1987)

Advising and Grants: He has supervised 10 completed and 2 current PhD students plus 8 completed and 3 current postdocs since 1991. His secured funding totals approximately €5.8 million since 2009, highlighted by the prestigious ERC Synergy Grant.

Labs and Teams: Founder and former Head (2007-2019) of GFZ Potsdam's Section of Geodynamic Modelling, he now leads the interdisciplinary ERC MEET project team advancing computational geoscience methodologies.