Jean-Michel Morel

Jean-Michel Morel is a Chair Professor in Imaging at City University of Hong Kong and a Professor at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay. His career spans roles as a PhD student at Université Paris IV, postdoc at SISSA (Trieste), teaching assistant at Université de Marseille, and assistant professor at Université Paris Dauphine. He has held visiting positions at Universitat Illes Balears, UCLA, and Duke University.

His research focuses on mathematical foundations of image analysis, algorithm development, and applications in satellite imaging, computer graphics, and art theory. He co-invented widely used image denoising algorithms deployed in over 700 million cameraphones via DxO Labs. He founded Image Processing Online (IPOL), a journal enabling reproducible algorithmic research with 15 university collaborators and 500,000+ experiments.

Industrial collaborations include French Space Agency (CNES), Planet, Huawei, AFP, Kayrros, Tarkett, and Chow Sang Sang. His team secured €1.1M/year in funding from 2013-2023 through grants and contracts. Key awards include the CNRS innovation medal (2015) and a 2018 honorary doctorate.

Current research explores mathematical models for perceptual image classification, computational art theories using computer graphics, and synthesizing abstract textures/shapes. His work bridges pure mathematics with applied image science, emphasizing reproducibility and industrial impact.