Short Biography
I am a permanent researcher of the French Government since 1993. My position is that of “Physicien des Observatoires" (Classe exceptionnelle) which is a specific position in France somehow equivalent to Professor of Universities, and whose tasks include 50 % of academic research, 30 % of Observation for National Services in Geosciences, and 20 % of Teaching duties. I have devoted my 25 years of scientific career to Tectonics, with a special emphasis on recent and active Tectonics, and on seismogenic faults. I got my PhD in 1993 from IPGP, Paris, on the mechanisms of active extension and rifting in Afar, East Africa, under the co-supervision of P. Tapponnier (tectonics) and V. Courtillot (paleomagnetism). My first ten years of career in IPGP were a time when I mainly worked on plate- and regional- scale tectonics, dedicated to understand the mechanisms of continental rifting and oceanic spreading, and the relationships between tectonics and magmatism. I then moved to Lamont, New York, USA, for 1.5 years, where I worked with C. Scholz and focused on the mechanics of faulting. Over the following 10 years which I mostly spent in the LGIT laboratory (now ISTerre), Grenoble, France, and at USC, California, USA, for a 2 years-visiting period, I devoted my work to understand the relationships between the properties of the tectonic faults and the properties of the large earthquakes these faults produce. Now in the GEOAZUR laboratory, Nice, France (which belongs to the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, OCA, and to the Université Côte d’Azur, UCA), since the end of 2010, I have expanded my work to develop novel paleoseismological approaches and use them to recover long pre-historical earthquake histories. In 2003, I have been awarded by the French Academy of Science, for my innovative work on normal fault mechanics.
To conduct the above works, I took the leadership of multiple large projects, and numerous groups of researchers and students. During three years, I have led the “Dynamics of faults and earthquakes” team in Geoazur, a group of about 25 researchers, students, post-docs and technicians. In last decade, I have also led three large, ANR scientific projects (QUAKonSCARPS, and CENTURISK, and currently FAULTS_R_GEMS) gathering several national and international laboratories. I am also a member of many local and national key scientific committees. Since 2016, I am Deputy Director of the GEOAZUR laboratory (about 170 persons).
Over my career, I have also ensured international responsibilities. In particular, I have been Associate Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth (AGU) over the last 16 years (2002-2017), and I am also Associate Editor for CR Geoscience, Elsevier, since 2013.
I have been teaching multiple classes on Active Faults and Seismo-Tectonics at all University levels, yet with a special emphasis on Master classes, and I have supervised or co-supervised 18 PhD students and post-docs, and about 45 younger students at various levels.
EDUCATION
• IPGP, Paris, HDR, Mechanisms of continental rupture, 2002.
• IPGP, Paris, PhD Thesis, Dynamics of extensional systems in Afar, 1993.
CAREER
• Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, GEOAZUR, “Physicienne des Observatoires de classe exceptionnelle” since 2016.
• Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (OCA), GEOAZUR, Nice, “Physicienne des Observatoires, 1ère classe”, 2010-2016.
• Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), LGIT, Grenoble, “Physicienne des Observatoires, 2ème classe”, 2003-2010.
• University of Southern California (USC and SCEC), Los Angeles, USA, Visiting Scientist, 2002-2004.
• Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), “Physicienne Adjointe des Observatoires” (Research assistant), 1993-2003.
• Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Univ., New York, 1996-1997.
• Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), “Attachée temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche” (teaching assistant), 1991-1993.
• Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), PhD Thesis, 1989-1992.
• British Petroleum-France Exploration,Assistant geologist,1988 (6 months).
• Elf-Aquitaine-Norway Exploration, Assistant geologist, 1986 (3 months).
EXPERIENCE AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
• Tectonicist, Researcher of the French Government since 1993, Active Tectonics, Geomorphology, Fault and Earthquake mechanics, Paleoseismology.
• Associate Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, from 2002 to 2017 ; CR Geoscience, since 2013.
• Visiting Researcher, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 2002-2004 ; Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, New York, 1996-1997.
• Manager of Researcher Teams, Deputy Director of Geoazur lab (2016-…) ; head of Fault and Earthquake Dynamics team, Géoazur, 2011-2014 ; head of Seismic Cycle and Transient Deformation team, ISTerre, 2007-2010.
• Member of National Research Committees, Research Council of Nice University, since 2012 ; Head of Academy of Excellence "Natural and Anthropogenic hazards" of IDEX UCA-JEDI (2015-…) ; Research and Academic Councils of Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, 2014-2015 ; Solid Earth National CNAP committee, 2011-2015 ; Council of Geoazur Laboratory, 2010-2014 ; National Alliance AllEnvi on Natural and Environment hazards 2010-2018 ; Head of National INSU committee ‘Telluric hazards and Risks’, 2009-2011 ; National Specialized Committee in Earth Sciences, CSST, 2009-2011 ; Post-seismic intervention National Committee, since 2009 ; National Solid Earth committee of CNRS (section 18), 2004-2008 ; Council of LGIT Laboratory, 2007-2010 ; National CNU 36 committee, 2000-2003.
• Ambassador for INSU-CNRS, Presentation of the theme “from seismic hazard to exploration of the Earth-25 years of research and progress”, for 25 years-anniversary of INSU-CNRS, 2010
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• PI of FAULTS_R_GEMS ANR Project, 600 000 dollars, 10 French Laboratories, 5 European and American Laboratories, 2017-2021.
• Scientific PI of the EPOS-ERIC project « hosting headquarters of EPOS-ERIC in Nice », 2014.
• PI of CENTURISK ANR Project, 700,000 dollars, 5 French Laboratories, 2 New-Zealand Laboratories, 2010-2014.
• Principal Contributor to the XTREM Labex project (eXTReme phenomena on Earth and in Macrocosm), 8 Laboratories in Nice in Geophysics, Astrophysics, Physics and Maths, 2011.
• PI of QUAKonSCARPS ANR Project, 700,000 dollars, 3 French laboratories, 2006-2010.
• PI of the Tectonics Work-package of the G-GAP ANR Project, 700,000 dollars, 5 French laboratories, 2008-2012.
• Leader of the National CNRS-INSU “Horn of Africa” project, 20 laboratories, 1998-2002.
• PI of multiple scientific projects (i.e., fundings < 30,000-50,000 dollars) since 1993.
• Leader of multiple tectonic field trips since 1990 (East Africa –Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea– over 15 years, Yemen, Lebanon, Lesser Antilles, Italy, New Zealand, France, etc.), and co-PI of two geophysical marine cruises (Tadjouraden, R/V Atalante, 1995, and Aguadomar, R/V Atalante, 1998).
TEACHING AND STUDENT SUPERVISION
• 16 PhD Theses and 2 postdocs supervised or co-supervised.
• 40 students of various levels supervised during 2-6 months each.
• Active Tectonics classes at various levels, yet most in high-level and Erasmus classes (in English).
AWARDS
• Member of the Société Philomathique de Paris, since 2018.
• Chevalier des Palmes Académiques, 2012.
• French Academy of Science, Award « M. Gouilloud Schlumberger », 2003, for innovative work on active normal faulting.
• Annual bonus awarding research and teaching quality (PEDR, then PES), since 1993 but during my visits in USA.
OTHERS
• Professional training to team and project management, 2008 and 2013.
PUBLICATION RECORD
• 52 international publications in peered review journals.
• Index Citation : 2364 in April 2018 from ISI Web of Science.
• H-index= 27.
• Most cited paper: 511.
• Average citation per item: 46.
• Number of citations per year over last three years: 210.
OTHER SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION
• 1-2 scientific meetings per year, including AGU, San Francisco.
• Science outreach through many articles, communications and films for the public (see recent example : theconversation.com)
