Astrophysicist Hélène Courtois wins the French Award for Scientific Influence

Hélène Courtois, “geographer of the cosmos” and winner of the French Award for Scientific Influence

The prestigious ceremony that took place on October 2 at the Quai d’Orsay was led by Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and former French Prime Ministers Jean Ayrault and Laurent Fabius.

The judging panel, which awarded a total of nine prizes, included a number of people who spread the influence of France abroad.

The renowned astrophysicist Hélène Courtois, who discovered the Laniakea supercluster, our extragalactic continent, received the French Award for Scientific Influence.

In 2017, she ranked among the most influential French people in the world*, and leads a cosmology research team at the Institut de physique nucléaire de Lyon (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1/CNRS).

The Université de Lyon extends its congratulations to Hélène Courtois for her prestigious award, her body of work, and its contributions to promoting the academic excellence of the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.

About the French Award for Influence

The yearly French Award for Influence was founded in 2009, and rewards the men and women who spread French values to the world. Both individual and group initiatives that reflect French modernity, innovation and diversity are eligible to win the award.

Each year, nine recipients are rewarded for their commitments in the fields of humanitarian work, tourism, the environment, economics, culture, gastronomy, sports, science and the French language.