Stephen Hawking steps down from Cambridge post

Stephen Hawking is giving up his prestigious position as Cambridge University's Lucasian Professor of Mathematics.

Hawking, famous for his research on black holes and theoretical physics, steps down Wednesday but will continue to work for the university as before.

Tradition dictates that professors retire from the post the year they turn 67 and Hawking celebrated his 67th birthday in January.

The position, created in 1663, has been filled by the likes of Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Babbage, one of the fathers of modern computing.

Hawking is best known among the general public for his book A Brief History of Time, first published in 1988.

He was scheduled togive a public lecture attheWaterloo, Ont.-based Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics earlier this year but was forced to cancel aftersuffering a chest infection. Hawking suffers from a disease that damages the motor neurons in his brain and spinal cord.

University spokeswoman Genevieve Maul says an advertisement seeking a new academic for the job has been posted and that Hawking's replacement will be announced shortly.