Four Université Côte d'Azur professors named "junior members" of the Institut Universitaire de France

Winner of the IUF Innovation Chair: Cyril Ronco

Doctor of engineering and member of the Humboldt Foundation, Cyril Ronco has been an associate professor at the Nice Institute of Chemistry (Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS) since 2014. His research focuses on the discovery and development of pharmacological effectors in oncology and infectious diseases. To commercialize the results of his research projects, he co-founded the startups ROCA Therapeutics and BiPER Therapeutics. He was also awarded the prize for young academic researchers in medicinal chemistry by the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique.

Winners of the IUF Fundamental Chair: Rachele Allena, Claire Michel and Mathias Albert

Rachele Allena, associate professor at the J.A. Dieudonné laboratory (Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS) since 2021, studies biomechanics and develops numerical models to quantify cell deformation. The ambitious aim of her research is to develop mechanotherapies to inhibit biological phenomena such as carcinogenesis by modifying the mechanical properties of cells, their components or their environment.

Claire Michel is associate professor at the Nice Institute of Physics (Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS) and a member of the "Waves in Complex Systems" team. Her work focuses on non-linear optics, notably light fluids and optical turbulence.

Mathias Albert, associate professor at the Nice Institute of Physics (Université Côte d'Azur / CNRS), works on condensed matter theory. His research focuses on the properties of complex quantum systems such as disordered superfluids and highly correlated gases of ultra-cold atoms.

Congratulations to our four winners!

"Université Côte d'Azur commends the four professors who have recently been appointed Junior Members of the Institut Universitaire de France. This reflects the excellence of recruitments made in recent years and illustrates the growing strength of our university in the field of innovation, recently confirmed by our success in the PIA calls for proposals: PUI, Prémat-Mat, etc.).” Noël Dimarcq, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Université Côte d'Azur

"The SPECTRUM Graduate School is extremely proud to have four of its professors appointed to the Institut Universitaire de France. We are particularly pleased that women and men are equally represented among this year's winners. The appointment of four of our young colleagues to this prestigious organization confirms the progress achieved on the path of excellence by Université Côte d’Azur, with a total of 16 appointments since 2018.” Médéric Argentina, Director, Graduate School of Formal, Physical and Engineering Sciences (EUR SPECTRUM)
Institut Universitaire de France

IUF aims to encourage high-level research in universities and to strengthen interdisciplinarity by motivating institutions and professors to achieve excellence in research, considering that this will have a positive impact on teaching, on the training of young researchers and, more generally, on the dissemination of knowledge. IUF also contributes to greater gender equality in research and to a balanced distribution of research in French universities, notably by encouraging policies that ensure scientific research is evenly spread throughout the country.

Professors appointed to the Institut Universitaire de France continue to work in their home institutions but are relieved of two-thirds of their teaching load.