Meet our new assistant professor

I joined IMAU last January and was pleased to find a warm and welcoming atmosphere where people interact freely. Coming from a different field, this has been invaluable, as I feel comfortable asking questions and engaging with others.

As a trained analytical chemist, I specialise in developing stable isotope-based tools to answer the question: “Where does this molecule come from?”. My research focuses on isotopologues—molecules with different isotope numbers on specific positions—to reveal insights beyond traditional stable isotope measurements. In the past 15 years, I have developed and applied these techniques in several areas, including food authentication, astrobiology and environmental science.

At IMAU, my plan is to unlock the potential of isotopologue tracers in atmospheric and climate science. I’m planning to focus on organic molecules, from methane to more complex ones, such as terpenes which give pine forests their particular smell. These organic molecules can play a crucial role in shaping climate through the greenhouse effect, changing atmospheric chemistry, aerosol formation, and some even play a role in cloud formation! Tracing their origin and history remains challenging, however, which creates major uncertainties in climate science. I aim at bringing together a research team that would uncover the isotopic fingerprint of these molecules, to understand where they are coming from and how they are degraded. And IMAU is the perfect place for this!

I’m therefore truly excited to collaborate with my colleagues at IMAU and with (future) students. Together, I believe we can push the boundaries of isotopologue research in climate science and uncover new insights into the role of organic molecules in our atmosphere.

Alexis Gilbert