Portraits of the UM

With the Amarok observatory, Professor Olivier Torrès has put his research at the service of the health of managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A career doubly rewarded by the Julien Marchesnay Prize in 2024 and by his appointment to the rank of Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in 2025.

Mircea Sofonea is an epidemiologist at the Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections (PCCEI) laboratory. Although his discipline has only become widely known since the Covid epidemic, for him it's a vocation that goes back a long way. Portrait of a researcher who knows how to stay the course.

As Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg and Director of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Lutz Gade has built up world-renowned expertise in his field over the years. Over and above his academic achievements, it is also in recognition of his investment in cooperation between the University of Heidelberg and the University of Montpellier that he was awarded the honorary title of Doctor honoris causa by the UM in February 2025.

After studying the impact of human activities on marine biodiversity, David Mouillot is now looking at the possible impact of coastal marine resources in reducing human poverty. The professor at the University of Montpellier and researcher in the Marbec laboratory has just been awarded an ERC Advanced grant to conduct transdisciplinary research on this new subject.

Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada, Armand Soldera has been awarded the honorary title of Doctor honoris causa by the University of Montpellier. A well-deserved honor for this Professor of Chemistry, who is as committed as he is to forging lasting links with the UM and its constituent parts, including Polytech Montpellier.

Professor at UM's Institut des biomolécules Max Mousseron, chemist Jean-Yves Winum designs and synthesizes enzymatic inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases, an interesting target for anti-cancer treatments and against various pathogens. His career has been rewarded with the Prix Michel Delalande from the Académie nationale de pharmacie.