Matthias van Ginneken is an expert in the study of extraterrestrial materials, focusing on micrometeorites and impact spherules. Micrometeorites are tiny particles from space that survive their passage through Earth’s atmosphere, while impact spherules are small spherical particles formed by the intense heat and pressure of meteorite impacts. With over 40 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals like Science Advances and Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Matthias’ research has led to significant discoveries, including the establishment of a weathering scale for Antarctic micrometeorites and the identification of large airbursts that occurred over Antarctica in the past. This year, Matthias managed the feat of having five papers published on the same day on May 13th; four in Meteoritics and Planetary Science and one as a first author in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, which is the oldest journal in the world.
Throughout an 11-year career since earning a PhD, Matthias has led and collaborated on multidisciplinary national and international projects, such as studying samples from asteroid Ryugu through JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 mission. He has extensive experience in advanced geological and microscopic analysis techniques and has supervised and mentored students in their research projects.
Matthias’ work has been recognized through invitations to speak at prominent conferences and seminars worldwide, and he actively engages in public outreach activities to share a passion for planetary science.
Matthias is now a new technician in the Physics Teaching Laboratory at the University of Kent. Besides the teaching duties he is passionate about, he is committed to advancing our understanding of cosmic materials and inspiring the next generation of researchers.
