He is one of the world's leading researchers in neutrino Physics (as the founder of MSW Effect). Alexei Smirnov, a scientist with ICTP’s High Energy Physics Section, is a co-recipient of the 2005 Bruno Pontecorvo Prize. Smirnov is being honoured “for his prediction and study of the influence of matter on neutrino oscillations, now known as the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect. He has been named a Humboldt Research Fellow, one of Germany's most prestigious awards in science. Smirnov was honoured for his lifetime achievements in physics. The award enables outstanding scientists and scholars from abroad to spend up to six months at the Humboldt Institute to carry out research on projects of their own choosing.
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