Prof. Dr. Christina Scheu
Curriculum Vitae
Obituary
Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials mourns the loss of Christina Scheu
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Christina Scheu, head of the independent research group “Nanoanalytics and Interfaces” at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials and professor at RWTH Aachen University. Christina Scheu passed away on 29 September 2026 after a serious illness.
With her passing, the institute has lost an outstanding scientist, a dedicated mentor and a warm-hearted colleague. Over many years, she not only shaped research at the institute, but also supported young scientists with great commitment throughout their careers.
Research for the energy transition
Christina Scheu’s research focused primarily on materials for the energy transition. She investigated thermoelectric materials that convert waste heat into electricity, catalysts that split water to produce green hydrogen, and materials for fuel cells and batteries.
Among the techniques she used was high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which allowed her to examine materials down to the atomic resolution and understand how their internal structure and chemical composition influence their properties. She was particularly interested in interfaces, grain boundaries and other defects - regions within a material that can significantly affect its electrical, thermal and catalytic performance. Her research therefore not only helped explain why certain materials perform particularly well or lose performance over time, but also revealed ways of tailoring their properties and extending their lifetime.
Scientist and mentor
Christina Scheu’s commitment extended far beyond her research and her responsibilities as a group leader and professor. She supported the members of her research group with great care and personal dedication. It was important to her that young researchers not only succeeded scientifically, but also had the opportunity to grow personally. She was always ready to share her advice and experience and supported them with great passion – even after they had left to the next positions.
Supporting women in their professional and personal development was particularly close to her heart. As a mentor, she helped female scientists at the institute prepare for job interviews and supported them as they navigated academic appointment procedures and took the next steps in their careers.
Scientific career
Christina Scheu was born on 11 December 1965 in Limburg an der Lahn and studied physics at the Technical University of Darmstadt. She completed her PhD in 1996 at the former Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart and the University of Stuttgart. After a postdoc at the Technion in Haifa (Israel) and several positions as a research group leader in Stuttgart (Germany) and Leoben (Austria), she accepted a professorship at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 2008. In 2014, she joined the Max Planck Institute in Düsseldorf, where she established the “Nanoanalytics and Interfaces” research group. In the same year, she also became a professor at the Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.
With Christina Scheu, we, the scientific community, her collaborators and her students have lost not only a dedicated scientist, but also a warm-hearted colleague and dear friend who cared deeply about the people around her and, in particular, the members of her group.
Our deepest sympathy goes to her family and to all those who were close to her.
If you wish to express your condolences publicly, please write to: info@mpi-susmat.de. Your contribution will be published on this page.
- Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany), Physics, Dipl.- Physikerin, (1993)
- Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Department Prof. Rühle (Stuttgart) and University of Stuttgart (Germany), Materials Science, Dr. rer. nat. (PhD, with honours) (1996)
- Minerva-Fellow, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Group of Prof. Kaplan, Haifa, Israel (1996-1998)
- Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Metals Research, Department Prof. Rühle, Stuttgart, Germany (1999-2003)
- Group Leader, Materials Testing Insitute (MPA) of the University of Stuttgart, Institute Head Prof. Roos, Stuttgart, Germany (2003-2005)
- Group Leader, University of Leoben, Department Metallurgy and Materials Testing, Department: Prof. Clemens, Leoben, Austria (2005-2008)
- Full Professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Department of Chemistry, Munich, Germany (2008-2014)
- Full Professor at the RWTH Aachen, Faculty of Georesources and Materials Engineering, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Aachen, & Independent Research Group Leader “Nanoanalytics and Interfaces” at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany (2014-2026)