Lorentz Medal awarded to Daan Frenkel in Leiden

The Lorentz Medal recognizes scientists who have made pioneering contributions to theoretical physics. Daan Frenkel, professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, has been awarded the KNAW (Royal Dutch Academy for Sciences) award for his pioneering and innovative work in theoretical physics. 

Frenkel is considered one of the most creative and versatile computer physicists in the world who prefers to make his models simpler than more complex. In many of his scientific breakthroughs, Frenkel used surprisingly simple codes, according to colleagues. Frenkel's research is not limited to theoretical physics, but also brought innovative insights into related fields, including chemistry, biology and crystallography. Recently Frenkel was involved in a publication that - based on his previous work - proposes a new method for distinguishing the DNA of different pathogens.

The presentation of the Lorentz Medal 2022 will take place on November 10, 2022 in Leiden in the context of Leiden European City of Science 2022. 

About the Lorentz Medal

The Lorentz Medal is awarded every four years to a researcher who has made pioneering contributions to theoretical physics.

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was one of the greatest Dutch physicists and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics 1902. He received the Nobel Prize together with Pieter Zeeman for their research into the influence of magnetism on spectral lines: the Zeeman effect. Lorentz mainly conducted theoretical research into the electromagnetic properties of matter: his electron theory. In 1877 he was appointed as the first professor of theoretical physics at Leiden University.

The KNAW instituted the Lorentz Medal on 11 December 1925 on the occasion of Hendrik Antoon Lorentz's fiftieth anniversary as a doctorate. More than half of the laureates went on to win the Nobel Prize.