Meet the programme's professors

The CLUES programme is coordinated by 3 professors from the Agriculture, Forestry, Water and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Department of AgroParisTech, and affiliated with the EcoSys joint research Unit with the French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA):

Erwan PERSONNE

erwan.personne@agroparistech.fr ; Phone: +33 1 30 81 55 70

Erwan Personne is teacher and searcher since 1998 in environmental sciences wiTraining: PhD in Environmental Sciences, MSc in Bioclimatology and Physical Chemistry.

th the Agricultural University (AgroParisTech). He has published on the soil-water-atmosphere continuum and on the exchange processes between the agro-ecosystem and the atmosphere concerning ammonia and ozone. He’s one of the developper of the « ROSAA » device (experimental device for the ammonia flux measurements with high level of detection). He’s the developer of the « SurfAtm » model, which is based on a resistive scheme, for the mass, pollutant and energy transfer between soil, plant and atmosphere. He coordinates the upcoming Master's theme area on “Agriculture, Environment, Forestry, and Landscapes” at AgroParisTech/Paris-Saclay University, which CLUES is part of.

His research foci are the integration of the exchange processes for the gaseous compounds (ammonia, ozone, pesticide) with the exchange models in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.

Sébastien SAINT-JEAN

sebastien.saint-jean@agroparistech.fr ; Phone: +33 1 30 81 55 54

Training: PhD in Environmental Sciences, MSc in Fundamental Physics and Liquid state Physics. 

Sébastien Saint-Jean is teacher and researcher since 2007 with AgroParisTech. His research focis include:

• Water-leaves tnteractions (leaf wetting, splashing)
• Atmospheric Dispersion of particles (spores, pesticides)
• Airborne Fungal diseases

Benoît GABRIELLE

Benoit.Gabrielle@agroparistech.fr ; Phone: +33 130 815 551

Training: PhD in Bioclimatology, MSc in Fluid Mechanics, MEng in Energetics.

Benoît GABRIELLE is currently full professor in environmental biophysics with AgroParisTech, and leader of a research group on biosphere-atmosphere exchanges in the EcoSys research unit affiliated with INRA and AgroParisTech. He first joined INRA after a Ph.D. on the environmental balance of oilseed rape crops in the context of biodiesel production. His research foci include biophysical modelling of agro-ecosystems to predict emissions of contaminants to the atmospheric, water, and soil compartments, adaptation of the life-cycle assessment methodology to agricultural chains, bioenergy chains, waste recycling and pesticide use in agriculture. He was lead-author on the recently released special report on renewable energy of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Course coordinators, lecturers and instructors include:

Nathalie de Noblet

Nathalie.de-Noblet@lsce.ipsl.fr ; Phone: (+33) 1.69.08.77.26

Nathalie de Noblet is a research scientist at the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences (LSCE), and her research foci include:

• Biosphere / Atmosphere Interactions
• Role of Land Dynamics in the climate system (managed ecosystems and natural dynamical behavior; wetlands)
• Modelling terrestrial ecosystems
• Interactions between climate, managed ecosystems, and socio-ecological systems

Alain VIDAL

Alain Vidal is an expert in water conservation in agriculture and has been interested in global water, food and poverty crises all his life. In 2004, he joined the management team of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food part time, and was appointed Director in May 2009.

Alain began his professional career in Morocco, in 1986, where he worked for 10 years at the French Environmental Research Institute, Cemagref. Following that, he worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization on innovations in the uptake of scientific research and exchange of technology, before returning to Cemagref between 2003 and 2009 as director of European and international affairs. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 refereed papers, and edited five books. Alain received his PhD in water science from the University of Montpellier in 1989.

Alain is in charge of the course on Food Security and Poverty Alleviation of the CLUES programme.

Claire CHENU 

Claire Chenu is a Soil Science professor with AgroParisTech. Her research interests include interactions between soil organic matter, microorganisms and soil mineral matrix. Understanding these interactions is crucial for managing soil structure and enhancing carbon sequestration in soil using appropriate cropping systems.

Xavier RAYNAUD

Xavier Raynaud is an assistant professor in ecology and environmental sciences at Université Pierre et Marie Curie. His research foci include soil ecology, microbial ecology and plant ecology. He coordinates the course on Ecosystem responses to global changes in the CLUES programme.

Thierry BRUNELLE

Thierry Brunelle is a researcher with the International Research Center for Environment and Development (CIRED). His research focuses on the modelling of land use change, and the following topics:
 food security / diet change
 climate change
 bioenergy
 development 

He will be teaching on the various approaches to quantify and the land-use changes, integrated assessment models and technico-economic scenarios.