Laure Zanna

Laure Zanna is the Joseph B. Keller and Herbert B. Keller Professor in Applied Mathematics at New York University, with joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics at the Courant Institute and the Center for Data Science. Her research bridges physical oceanography, climate physics, and machine learning.

• PhD (2009), Harvard University
• MSc (2003), Weizmann Institute of Science
• BSc (2001), Tel Aviv University

Her work focuses on understanding the ocean's role in climate systems, combining numerical simulations, turbulence modeling, machine learning, and data-driven approaches to study processes like ocean heat uptake, carbon cycling, and sea level rise. She leads M²LInES, an international collaboration applying scientific machine learning to improve climate models.

The 15 most recent publications highlight trends in deep learning for climate emulation, stochastic parameterization, and causal inference in spatiotemporal climate fields. Key areas include mesoscale eddy modeling, air-sea flux uncertainty, and multi-scale climate interactions.

• Nicholas P. Fofonoff Award (2020), American Meteorological Society

Zanna’s leadership in M²LInES and her interdisciplinary approach to climate modeling emphasize the integration of data science and geophysical fluid dynamics. She collaborates with institutions like GFDL and WHOI, advancing methodologies for climate prediction and ocean reanalysis.