They make the Université de Lyon: meet Pierre-Antoine Geslin

The Université de Lyon met with Pierre Antoine Geslin, 2019 IMPULSION winner and CNRS research officer at the laboratoire de Science des Matériaux MATEIS

Tell us about your career path

As a graduate of Mines Saint-Étienne, I completed my PhD at the laboratoire d’Etude des Microstructures (LEM) at ONERA, south-west of Paris. Following my PhD, I completed a postdoctoral program in Boston, USA, at Northeastern University and then at the Institut Lumière Matière (ILM) at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1. In 2017 I obtained a position as a research lecturer at the Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. I have been a CNRS research officer at MATEIS since 2018.

Tell us about your research project

One of my research areas is studying the mechanical behavior of metals and alloys. As part of this research, I develop and use digital simulation tools to study and predict the plastic behavior of alloys in order to enhance their composition and the manufacturing processes of metal parts. In particular, the plastic deformation (or permanent deformation) of metal parts can be achieved by displacing the nanoscopic defects of the crystal lattice known as dislocations. Better understanding these plasticity mechanisms will help develop future alloys. By modifying their composition and microstructures, we can attempt to increase the hardening effects found in my numerical simulations. In the medium to long term, this research will effectively contribute to the development of superior metal alloys, thereby enabling a reduction in transport structures and thus economizing raw materials and fuel.

What did you gain from the IMPULSION initiative?

The IMPULSION project has been particularly beneficial for my practices as a young researcher. It has allowed me to hire a postdoctoral fellow, who will work with me from October 2019 for one year. What’s more, the project funding also enabled us to purchase high-performance calculation servers to carry out the atomic-scale numerical calculations needed to study dislocations. The funding also allowed me to participate in several conferences, giving me greater exposure within the French and international communities.

What do you think this type of attractiveness program can bring to the Lyon Saint-Étienne site?

I believe that this type of program greatly increases the exposure of young researchers, allowing them not only to start their work as soon as they arrive, but also to travel and meet with other players in their field of study in order to start successful partnerships early on in their careers.

Why did you choose the Lyon Saint-Étienne site over other European cities?

The Lyon-Saint-Étienne site remains one of the major research centers in materials science in France and Europe, providing a rich environment with many opportunities to interact and collaborate within a same university. Furthermore, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region is a very attractive place for innovative industries, whose development often relies on building partnerships with research organizations. As my background is in fundamental research, this type of collaborative work is in itself very valuable to me.