Pierre Coheur, Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Pierre Coheur

Scientific Career

2017-: Professor at ULB
2015-2017: Associate Professor at ULB
2013-2015: Senior Research Associate (Maître de Recherches) at FRS-FNRS
2005-2013: Research Associate (Chercheur Qualifié) at FRS-FNRS
1999-2005: Postdoctoral Researcher (Chargé de Recherches FRS-FNRS ; Belspo/Prodex)
1994-1998: IRSIA/FRIA fellow (PhD bursary), ULB

Research interests

Remote-sensing of Earth and planetary atmospheres ― Atmospheric radiative transfer and retrievals ― Atmospheric chemistry ― Environmental chemistry ― Molecular spectroscopy.

Publications and academic CV

Full list of publications.
Academic CV. Last updated December 2023

Awards

Frontiers Planet Prize, National champion (2023); Certificate for outstanding contribution to the Mars Express mission (2023); Research.com Environmental Sciences in Belgium Leader Award (2023); Researcher of the “Fondation de l’Université” (since 2010); Stas Award of the Royal academy of Sciences (1999).

Membership of science committees and institutions

Chairman of the IASI Sounder Science Working Group (EUMETSAT-CNES), 2019-now (and member from 2009)
Member of the MTG-IRS Mission Advisory Group (EUMETSAT), 2017-now
Lead Investigator of the Nitrosat Earth Explorer candidate mission (ESA)
Member of the ACE Science Team, 2004-now
Member of the Local Committee for Chemistry of the Solvay Institutes, 2013-now
Member of F.R.S.-FNRS committees: SEN4 (2016-2018); SEN 1(2012-2014); FRIA jury P10 (2016-2018 and 2021-now) and 16 (2013-2015)
Member of the Science Committee and former president of the FRS-FNRS Doctoral School “Sciences de l'Univers, de l'Espace, de la Terre et du Climat (UNITER)”, 2005-now

PhD supervision or co-supervision

Mauri Rosier; Gaia Pinardi; Beata Opacka; Gilles Lecomte; Hélène De Longueville (2023); Ermioni Dimitropoulou (2021); Jimmy Bouche (2021); Stamatia Doniki (2019); Gaétane Ronsmans (2018); Veerle De Bock (2018); Simon Whitburn (2017); Enrico Dammers (2017); Sophie Bauduin (2016); Yannick Willame (2015); Martin Van Damme (2015) Jean-Lionel Lacour (2015); Yasmina R’honi (2014); Robin Campion (2011); Catherine Wespes (2010).

Former Postdocs

Valentin Duflot (now at NILU); Federico Karagulian (now at ENEA); Michaël Theunissen; Robin Campion (now at now at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México); Yasmine Ngadi; Oliver Scharf (now at IFG Institute for Scientific Instrument); Hervé Herbin (now at LOA, Université de Lille 1); Brice Barret (now at LA, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénée).

Running projects

“Hyperspectral atmospheric IR sounding missions” (HIRS); ESA/BELSPO Prodex
“Building a benchmarking service for Chemistry-Climate Models with sustainable satellite records of ozone, its radiative effects, and related tracers” (BCCM-O3) BELSPO FED-tWIN
“Win4excellence/Space4relaunch” FWB
CCI for ozone (O3-CCI)and Other Long Lived Greenhouse gases (LOLIPOP), ESA
“SPectroscopy in support to the exploration of planetary atmospHERES” (SPHERES). ARC; RW
“Satellite Application Facility on Atmospheric Composition Monitoring (ACSAF)” 4th phase. EUMETSAT
“Long-term Assessment, Proxies and Indicators of Ozone and Water vapour changes affecting Climate and Air quality” (TAPIOWCA), BELSPO Brain
“Assessment of the REactive Nitrogen Budget and Emissions at Regional and Global scales” (ARENBERG ); BELSPO FED-tWIN

Teaching

Bachelor in Chemistry CHIMF325 "Spectroscopies moléculaires" (shared with Jean Vander Auwera)
Bachelor in Physics PHYSF304 “Spectrophysics and astrophysics” (shared with Sophie Van Eck)
Master in Chemistry CHIMF474 "Environmental Chemistry” (shared with Laurence Rongy)
Master in Environmental Science and in Chemistry ENVIF526 "Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change” (shared with Cathy Clerbaux)
Master in Environmental Science and in Chemistry ENVIF451 "Remote sensing of climate and environmental variables” (shared with Sophie Bauduin and Lieven Clarisse)

Principal responsibilities at ULB

At rectoral level

Vice-recteur au développement durable, ULB, 2024-
Advisor for the Rector – Research in Science and Technology, 2023-now
Member of the Research Council, 2021-2023
Member of the selection committee of the Research Council, 2021-2023
Member of the Commission on Ethics and Integrity in Research, 2021-2023
Academic sponsor for an institutional research data repository, 2023-now

At Faculty level

Chair of the Teaching Commission of the Chemistry Department, 2023-now
Secretary of jury for the Bachelor in chemistry, 2023-now
Board of Doctoral Committee, 2010-now (President 2014-2021)
Member of the Chemistry Department Board
Member of the Commission for Quality in Teaching for Chemistry
Head of Chemistry Department 2021-2022 (vice-president in 2020 and 2023)
Head of SQUARES laboratory, 2017-2023