Patrice Coll

Patrice Coll is a Professor at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPD) and serves as the Director of LISA (Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques). His research spans multiple disciplines including atmospheric science, environmental chemistry, astrobiology, and environmental health. He leads an extensive research program investigating the connections between air pollution and respiratory health, as well as planetary science with a focus on Mars and Titan.

Coll's research interests primarily focus on the fate of organic carbon, exobiology and astrochemistry, and oxidative and particulate pollution. His work bridges Earth's atmospheric systems with planetary exploration, particularly investigating organic molecules in extraterrestrial environments and their implications for life detection. He has made significant contributions to understanding atmospheric aerosols, both in urban environments on Earth and in simulated extraterrestrial conditions.

Analysis of Coll's recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a strong interdisciplinary focus bridging atmospheric science, environmental health, and planetary exploration. His work demonstrates a consistent pattern of investigating organic molecules in various environments, from Parisian urban atmospheres to simulated Martian conditions. A notable trend is the increasing integration of health impacts with atmospheric chemistry, particularly regarding respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis and COPD. His team has developed innovative experimental platforms like PolluRisk for studying air quality health impacts and has contributed significantly to Mars exploration science through instrument development and analysis of organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments.

As Director of LISA, Coll leads research activities in atmospheric science, desert aerosol cycles, becoming organic carbon, exobiology, astrochemistry, spectroscopy, and pollution studies at multiple scales. His laboratory has developed specialized equipment including miniaturized gas chromatographs for field deployment and atmospheric simulation chambers that produce realistic urban atmospheres for preclinical exposure studies. The research group maintains strong collaborations with international space agencies and participates in major planetary exploration missions.