Hans Wolfgang Spiess’ research interests focused on the development of magnetic resonance techniques for elucidating structure, dynamics, phase behavior and order in synthetic macromolecules and supramolecular systems.

He applies these methods to study new polymer materials in order to relate their microscopic and macroscopic behavior. In the course of his career he also took part in the development of Fourier Rheology to unravel non-linear flow in polymers, as well as computer simulation of supramolecular structures.

Moreover, he worked on NMR imaging of the lung and NMR signal enhancement by laser polarization, dynamic nuclear polarization and parahydrogen induced polarization.