Göttinger Graduiertenzentrum für Neurowissenschaften, Biophysik und Molekulare Biowissenschaften

Luther, Stefan, Prof. Dr.


  • 1997 Diplom in Physics, Georg-August-University Goettingen
  • 2000 PhD, Georg-August-University, Goettingen
  • 2001-04 Postdoctoral Associate, University of Twente, Enschede, NL
  • 2004-06 Postdoctoral Associate, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • since 2007 Max Planck Research Group leader (W2, tenured since 2013), Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Germany
  • since 2008 Honorarprofessor, Faculty of Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany
  • 2009-2012 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA
  • 2016-2018 Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston MA, USA
  • since 2016 DZHK-Professor, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UMG, Germany



Major Research Interests
The mission of the Biomedical Physics Group is the investigation of self-organization far from equilibrium in complex biological and hydrodynamic systems, combining expertise from fluid dynamics, soft- condensed matter physics, nonlinear dynamics and theoretical biology.
The research group is devoted to both analysis of biological and medical processes using physical methodology and facilitation of medical procedures by technical means.
Complex spatio-temporal wave dynamics underlies a variety of debilitating crises in extended excitable systems. An example are cardiac arrhythmias. This electro-mechanical malfunction of the heart is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the industrialized world.
We employ experimental, numerical and theoretical techniques to elucidate fundamental molecular and dynamical mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrillation, and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Homepage Department/Research Group
http://www.bmp.ds.mpg.de

Selected Recent Publications


  • Christoph J, Chebbok M, Richter C, […], Luther S (2018) Electromechanical Vortex Filaments During Cardiac Fibrillation, Nature 555, 667-672
  • Mohamed BA, Hartmann N, […], Luther S (2018) Sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium leak contributes to arrhythmia but not to heart failure progression, Science Translational Medicine 10, eaan0724
  • Christoph J, Schröder-Schetelig J, Luther S (2017) Electromechanical Optical Mapping, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 130, 150-169
  • Schumann-Bischoff J, Parlitz U, Abarbanel HDI, Kostuk M, Rey D, Eldridge M, Luther S (2015) Basin structure of optimization based state and parameter estimation, Chaos 25, 053108
  • Parlitz U, Schumann-Bischoff J, Luther S (2014) Quantifying uncertainty in state and parameter estimation, Phys. Rev. E 89, 050902(R)
  • Bittihn P, Luther G, Bodenschatz E, Krinsky V, Parlitz U, Luther S (2008) Far field pacing supersedes anti-tachycardia pacing in a generic model of excitable media, New J. Phys. 10 No 10, 103012
  • Otani NF, Mo A, Mannava S, Fenton FH, Cherry EM, Luther S, Gilmour Jr. RF (2008) Characterization of multiple spiral wave dynamics as a stochastic predator-prey system, Phys. Rev. E. 78, 021913
  • van Nierop E, Luther S, Bluemink J, Magnaudet J, Prosperetti A, Lohse D (2007) Drag and lift forces on bubbles in a rotating flow, J. Fluid Mech. 571, 439-454
  • Toegel R, Luther S, Lohse D (2006) Viscosity destabilizes bubbles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 114301
  • van den Berg TH, Luther S, Lathrop D, Lohse D (2005) Drag reduction in bubbly Taylor-Couette turbulence, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 044501