Prof. Volker Springel is a scientific director of the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) in Garching, Germany, where he leads the department of computational astrophysics. One of his central interests lies in studying cosmic structure formation with magnetohydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. He investigates, in particular, magnetogenesis in galaxies through dynamo processes, and the relevance of particle transport processes in the diffuse intragalactic plasma for galaxy evolution. Before joining the MPA, Springel has been professor at Heidelberg University and a group leader at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies. He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and a foreign member of the US National Academy of Sciences.