The swimming behavior of fish, blood circulation in human vessels, and the movement of glaciers have one thing in common: they can all be described using the same fundamental mathematical equations. Soon, this can be done with even greater precision. Tabea Tscherpel, Professor in the Numerics Group at TU Darmstadt, is developing stable algorithms for this purpose. In recognition of her work, the Hans and Ria Messer Foundation presented her with the Dr. Hans Messer Foundation Prize yesterday (6 November 2025), which is endowed with 100,000 euros. To mark what would have been the 100th birthday of the foundation’s founder, Dr. Hans Messer, the prize money was doubled in 2025.

Tscherpel’s research focuses on the computation of complex fluid flows. Although the Stokes and Navier equations were formulated in the 19th century, exact solutions are only possible for idealized cases, despite the equations' universal relevance. Therefore, numerical approximations are necessary. However, traditional methods reach their limits when applied to complex flows. This is where Tscherpel's research comes into play: she develops highly accurate and numerically stable methods for approximating solutions to the Stokes and Navier-Stokes equations over long simulation times. With the prize money, she plans to further develop her work to enable extremely precise simulations of flows in curved and moving domains—such as blood flow in pulsating arteries and many other phenomena.

Tscherpel has been fascinated by the fundamental relevance of mathematics—used across disciplines ranging from the natural sciences to medicine and climate research—since her school days. She studied mathematics at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the University of Cambridge, and received her PhD from the University of Oxford in 2019. Postdoctoral research positions followed at RWTH Aachen University and Bielefeld University. For the past three years, Tscherpel has been conducting research and teaching at TU Darmstadt. Her expertise contributes to the university’s research profile topics “Computational Engineering” and “Thermo-Fluids and Interfacial Phenomena,” where she develops mathematical foundations for a wide range of applications.

Tscherpel will use part of the prize money to fund a doctoral position and to strengthen collaboration within her field. “The cliché of mathematicians working alone in an ivory tower hardly applies to anyone in my environment,” she emphasizes. Collaboration and regular exchange are highly valued by her and her colleagues. For this reason, she also plans to organize an international workshop and support her doctoral researchers in attending international conferences. Tscherpel is not only pleased about the generous prize money, but especially about having been able to convey the relevance of her research to the jury—bringing more visibility to her field.