Markus W. Sigrist, born on September 6, 1948, in Illnau, Zurich, Switzerland, is a distinguished physicist renowned for his contributions to laser spectroscopy and sensing. He pursued his education at ETH Zurich, earning a diploma (Master) degree in physics in 1972, followed by a Ph.D. in 1977 with a thesis on laser-generated stress waves in liquids. Postdoctoral research took him to the University of California at Berkeley from 1978 to 1980. Returning to ETH Zurich, he held various academic positions, achieving his habilitation in 1985. His career included a sabbatical as a guest professor at Rice University in Houston in 1990 and later becoming an adjunct professor there from 1994 to 2013. As a professor of experimental physics at ETH Zurich from 1995 to 2013, he led the Laser Spectroscopy and Sensing Group, pioneering research in laser development and spectroscopy for diverse applications, including medical, forensic, environmental, and industrial fields. Post-retirement, he remains Professor Emeritus at ETH and has served as a guest professor in France and a foreign expert in China. Sigrist’s prolific research encompasses mid-IR laser spectroscopic sensing for medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and the development of advanced laser sources and detection schemes. He has mentored numerous Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, contributing significantly to the academic community through his supervision and examination of over 50 Ph.D. theses.