Françoise Combes

Françoise Combes is Professor at the prestigious Collège de France (Chair of Galaxies and Cosmology) and Astronomer at Paris Observatory, affiliated with the LERMA laboratory. She has held successive academic and research positions since 1975, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Astronomer ranks at École Normale Supérieure and Paris Observatory.

Education

• 1980 – PhD Thesis, Paris VII: "Dynamics and structure of galaxies"
• 1975 – Agrégation of Physics
• 1974-75 – Thèse de 3ème cycle, Paris VII: "Conditions of nucleosynthesis in a symmetric universe of matter-antimatter"
• 1971-75 – Student, École Normale Supérieure (Ulm), Paris

Research Interests

Professor Combes leads investigations into the formation and evolution of galaxies, focusing on the dynamics of spiral and barred structures, galaxy interactions, and the role of dark matter. Her work combines N-body and hydrodynamic simulations with cutting-edge observations of the interstellar medium, molecular gas, and high-redshift galaxies. She also studies active galactic nuclei (AGN), their fueling mechanisms, and the feedback processes that regulate star formation in galaxies. Recent efforts emphasize molecular absorption systems toward quasars and the use of facilities such as ALMA and MeerKAT.

Scientific Awards & Distinctions

• 2021 L'Oréal-UNESCO International Award for Women in Science
• 2020 Gold Medal of CNRS
• 2019 Commander of the National Order of Merit
• 2017 Jules Janssen Medal (SAF), Gothenburg Lise Meitner Prize
• 2013 R.M. Petrie Prize (CASC), Honorary Fellow of the RAS
• 2009 Tycho Brahe Prize (EAS), Member of Academia Europaea
• 2004 Member of the French Academy of Sciences
• 2001 Silver Medal of CNRS
• and numerous other national and international honors

Leadership & Service

Professor Combes is the incoming President of the French Academy of Sciences (2025-2026) and has served as Vice-President of the Academy (2023-2024). She is Vice-President of the Assembly of Professors at the Collège de France and has chaired or been a member of countless international committees, including ERC, ANR, ALMA, ESO, HST, and IAU panels. Since 2003 she has been Scientific Editor of Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Laboratory & Collaborations

Her research is anchored at LERMA, the Laboratoire d'Études du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique, a joint CNRS–Observatoire de Paris research unit. She leads collaborative projects using ALMA, NOEMA, MeerKAT, and other world-class observatories, working with a global network of post-docs, PhD students, and senior researchers.