At SciX 2026, the Scientific Director of Leibniz IPHT was recognized for his pioneering contributions to Raman spectroscopy and its clinical applications

Jürgen Popp, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT), received two international honors at the SciX 2026 spectroscopy conference in Nevada: the Ellis R. Lippincott Award and Honorary Membership in the Society for Applied Spectroscopy (SAS).

The Ellis R. Lippincott Award recognizes Popp’s pioneering work in clinical Raman spectroscopy and his contributions to establishing the technique as an important analytical tool and advancing its medical applications. Presented annually by Optica, the Coblentz Society, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, the award is among the most prestigious international honors in vibrational spectroscopy.

The Society for Applied Spectroscopy also recognized Popp’s outstanding contributions to the field by naming him an Honorary Member. The society’s highest distinction particularly acknowledges his achievements in translating spectroscopic techniques from fundamental research into biomedical and clinical applications.

Following the Lippincott Award ceremony, Popp outlined new directions in his research in a plenary lecture titled “Data-Driven Clinical Raman Spectroscopy and the Emergence of Optical Digital Twins.” He demonstrated how Raman spectroscopy and artificial intelligence can accelerate molecular diagnostics in infectious disease medicine and oncology. Looking further ahead, he introduced the vision of personalized optical digital twins. The concept involves combining molecular fingerprints obtained, for example, through repeated Raman and infrared measurements with clinical data and physiological information from sources such as wearable devices. The goal is to create individualized health profiles that could detect subtle deviations from a person’s normal physiological state at an early stage, potentially paving the way for more preventive and personalized healthcare.

“I am particularly pleased to receive both honors at SciX,” says Jürgen Popp. “I also see them as recognition of the outstanding work of our teams at Leibniz-IPHT and the University of Jena, as well as our long-standing collaborators. Together, we are working to translate spectroscopic methods from fundamental research into medical practice.”

Popp has served as Scientific Director of Leibniz-IPHT since 2006 and is Professor of Physical Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University Jena. His research combines vibrational spectroscopy and biophotonic techniques with applications in infectious disease diagnostics, oncology, and precision medicine.


 Photos: Glen Jackson/SciX and Leibniz IPHT