Fanny Brun has been a research fellow at the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) within the Institut des géosciences de l'environnement since 2020. Originally from the Grenoble region, Fanny has always enjoyed hiking in the mountains. When she was offered the opportunity to do a PhD in glaciology, she didn't hesitate for long, as it allowed her to combine her passions for science, climate and adventure. During her thesis, she specialized in satellites and the many possibilities they offer for observing the Earth, while regularly taking part in scientific expeditions in the field. In this way, she mapped changes in glacier thickness in Asia, an important step in assessing the contribution of glaciers to water resources.
As a postdoc at Utrecht University, she looked at recent changes in lakes on the Tibetan plateau, and was able to show that glacier mass loss played a relatively minor role in lake growth. Her numerous field missions in Asia have enabled her to build up a solid network of partners. She actively collaborates within this network to reinforce the skills of partners and participate in training at universities in Asia, and in Nepal in particular.
Fanny Brun receives the Collège de France Award for Young Researchers for its 2024 edition.