Prof. Dr. J. Anton Zensus concludes his tenure – a defining figure in international radio astronomy
 

On February 1, 2026, Prof. Dr. J. Anton Zensus will conclude his tenure as Director of the Radio Astronomy / Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Department at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR). He will remain associated with the institute as Director Emeritus and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society.
 

For more than three decades, Prof. Zensus has played a key role in shaping international radio astronomy and establishing global scientific collaborations. His work combined scientific excellence with the development of international research infrastructures and helped establish radio astronomy as a globally connected instrument of modern astrophysics.

A particular milestone was his central role in the development and international coordination of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), which in 2019 enabled the first direct imaging of a black hole. In addition, he was involved in the development and use of global VLBI networks and in the scientific preparation of major international projects such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

In addition to his research, Prof. Zensus is committed to promoting young scientists and strengthening transatlantic and international cooperation in fundamental research. For his scientific achievements, he has been awarded the Karl Schwarzschild Medal (2024) and the Tycho Brahe Medal (2023), among others, and has received an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (M2FINDERS).

Even after concluding his tenure, Prof. Zensus will continue to contribute his experience and perspective to the work of the MPIfR and the international research community in selected scientific and institutional roles.