ENVIRONMENTAL

RISKS

LIFE

RISKS

SOCIO-ECONOMIC

RISKS

NEW RESEARCH PROGRAMS

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

AXA Joint Research Initiative 3 years - €229 000

A countrywide Probabilistic Flood Forecasting System

Citizenship: French IRSTEA

Flooding is a chronic natural hazard with a

very large impact worldwide, claiming

many lives and causing multi-billion dollar

losses each year. Dr. Andréassian aims to

develop a countrywide flood forecasting

system, robust enough to be replicated in

other countries. Ultimately, his approach

should allow early warning by providing

simulated flood footprints, heights and

flows.

Dr. VAZKEN

ANDRÉASSIAN

Sand and Dust Storms are a serious threat

for life, health, property, environment and

economy, particularly in emerging

countries. Dr Pérez García-Pando’s

multidisciplinary program aims to better

understand, assess and predict the adverse

effects of Sand and Dust Storms, ultimately

leading to cutting-edge solutions and

adaptation measures to reduce their

impacts and costs.

AXA Chair 15 years - €1 500 000

Sand and Dust Storms

Citizenship: Spanish Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Prof. CARLOS PÉREZ

GARCÍA PANDO

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

As climate change causes Arctic sea ice to

melt, new commercial opportunities are

appearing—but so are more intense storms.

Dr. Jonathan Day aims to improve decision-

making about the Arctic by revealing what

drives such storms and enabling their

prediction for the coming decade. This

short timescale is unique and extremely

relevant for insurers, governments and

indigenous communities needing to assess

the evolving hazard of Arctic storms.

A Storm is Brewing on the Arctic Frontier

Citizenship: UK University of Reading (UK)

Dr. JONATHAN

DAY

The rains of the Asian summer monsoon are

important for people and ecosystems,

making accurate forecasts essential, too.

Climate models struggle with this, possibly

because they neglect the impact of

aerosol pollution. Dr. Riccardo Biondi studies

the effect of this air pollutant on monsoon

dynamics and whether it can be

predicted. If so, this important parameter

could help improve forecasts and the

development of early warning systems for

flood or drought.

For Better Monsoon Forecasts, Look to Air Pollution

Citizenship: Italian Institute for Atmospheric Science and Climate (Italy)

Dr.

RICCARDO

BIONDI

The tundra shelters relatively few species, but their

interactions are complex and climate change

may affect their balance. The activity of

herbivores influences tundra plant communities.

Combined with extreme weather, this can intensify

soil erosion problems. Dr. Isabel Barrio studies the

impact of herbivores—sheep, geese, even

insects!—on the tundra. Her results will be relevant

to similar ecosystems, to regions facing livestock-

related soil degradation, and to land restoration

projects, worldwide.

Dr.

ISABEL

BARRIO

From Sheep to Insects, Herbivores’

Impact on Tundra Soil and Plants

Citizenship: Spanish University of Iceland (Iceland)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Pollutants entering the food chain can

become highly concentrated in top

predators, including fish we eat. Dr. Lars-Eric

Heimbürger studies toxic methylmercury in

the Arctic Ocean: its original sources, how it

forms, and how climate change might

affect this process. The first to investigate

mercury species in the water, he will map

the presence of this dangerous pollutant, at

different depths and times, helping

safeguard our present and future fisheries.

Mercury’s Mysteries in the Arctic Ocean

Citizenship: German University of Aix-Marseille (France)

Dr. LARS-ERIC

HEIMBÜRGER

The rich ecosystems of coral reefs risk

disappearing under climate change, unless

the coral can adapt to the higher ocean

temperatures predicted. Dr. Emily Howells is

researching this potential, to see if an initial

experience of heat stress can leave adult

corals more tolerant in the future. If so,

coral nurseries could raise more adaptable

populations for the restoration of damaged

reefs and the thousands of species they

support.

Turning Up the Heat on Coral for Better Adaptation to Climate Change

Citizenship: Australian New York University (UAE)

Dr.

EMILY

HOWELLS

Despite holding 1,000 times more heat than

the atmosphere, oceans’ feedback into

the climate is a new topic in research. Dr.

Aurélie Duchez identified a slowdown of

circulation in the North Atlantic preceding

recent, extremely cold European winters.

She established anomalously cold ocean

temperatures as a precursor to severe heat

waves in central Europe. Investigating the

mechanisms linking oceanic conditions to

severe weather events, she aims to better

predict and prepare for them.

Dr. AURÉLIE

DUCHEZ

Is the Ocean to Blame for Extreme Heat Waves?

Citizenship: French National Oceanography Centre (UK)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

At ground level, atmospheric ozone is

harmful to plants’ growth and physiological

processes. These negative effects

compromise their capacity to lock up

carbon in plant structures and the soil,

preventing it from entering the atmosphere

as the climate gas carbon dioxide. Dr.

Divya Pandey is creating the first model to

assess the risk posed by ozone to carbon

capture by plants—an important service

mitigating the effects of climate change.

Dr. DIVYA

PANDEY

Plants Capture Carbon, but Will Ozone Get in the Way?

Citizenship: Indian University of York (UK)

Warmer waters circulating have destabilized a

section of the West Antarctic. Could this cause the

entire region’s ice sheet to collapse? The potential

sea-level rise from ice discharged into the oceans

would overwhelm many of the world’s coastal

regions. Using computer modeling of ice

dynamics, Dr. Matthias Mengel aims to provide the

necessary data for climate policies to minimize the

increase and to help the world’s growing coastal

populations to adapt.

Dr.

MATTHIAS

MENGEL

Ice Sheet Instability: Is the Whole West Antarctic at Risk?

Citizenship: German Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Germany)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Human activities like major construction

and intensive farming influence soil erosion,

with consequences for the food supply and

climate change. Soil carbon may be

transferred to lake sediments, or escape

into the atmosphere—a fact neglected by

most carbon cycle models. Dr. Jean-

Philippe Jenny will integrate lake sediment

data for the last century with ecosystem

modeling to predict future soil erosion

dynamics and help better assess the

carbon cycle on multiple scales.

Dr. JEAN-

PHILIPPE

JENNY

From Soil Erosion’s Past Come Clues to Its Future Impact on Climate Change

Citizenship: French Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Germany)

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

During a fire, tiny particles and trace gases

are released in the smoke, interacting and

even producing secondary particles. Dr.

Vakkari will combine ground-based

measurements with satellite data to

improve air quality predictions for these

aerosols and understand their impact on

global climate. The balance among them

may determine if their overall effect is of

heating or cooling—an important question

as the risk of drought-induced fire increases.

Tiny Particles from Fire Have Big Climate Impact

Citizenship: Finnish Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finland)

Dr.

VILLE

VAKKARI

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Could a Climate Change/Earthquake

Link Mean Unexpected Tsunamis?

Citizenship: German Uppsala University (Sweden)

Climate change could lead to powerful

earthquakes in unexpected places. As ice sheets

melt, reducing the load on the surface below, the

changing stresses in Earth’s crust can activate

formerly quiet seismic faults. In Greenland, Dr.

Rebekka Steffen is developing the first computer

model capable of mapping these forces. If any

oceanic faults appear unstable, she will assess the

risk of tsunamis and the consequences for Europe

and North America’s coasts.

Dr.

REBEKKA

STEFFEN

LIFE RISKS

How do identity-related concerns affect our

health behaviours? Prof. Etilé will examine how

social identity affects the impact of

globalization on food habits in emerging

countries such as China and Indonesia, focusing on nutritional issues. He will also

analyze how the dynamics of personal identity

across time affect health-related choices. His

results may help policy makers to build health

education and prevention strategies.

AXA Award 3 years - €250 000

Identity and Health Behaviours

Citizenship: French Paris School of Economics (France)

Prof. FABRICE

ETILÉ

Positive emotions are a key antidote to stress.

However, almost nothing is known about the

precise types of feelings necessary to counter

the ill effects of adversity. Dr Pressman’s

research project examines how different kinds of positive feelings protect the body from the

negative physiological effects of stress. These

findings will add specificity to the field and

inform future health-enhancing wellness

interventions.

AXA Award 3 years - €250 000

Exploring the Complex Interactions between Positive Affect, Stress & Health

Citizenship: American University of California – Irvine (USA)

Dr. SARAH

PRESSMAN

Transforming risk prediction in diabetes is

Professor Colhoun’s objective. She will develop

algorithms based on electronic health records,

stimulating advances in predictive and

personalized medicine. Her findings will provide the basis to develop digital tools for individual

and collective preventive strategies in diabetes

and other chronic diseases.

AXA Chair 15 years - €1 500 000 Medical informatics and Life Course Epidemiology

Citizenship: British University Edinburgh (Scotland)

Prof. HELEN

COLHOUN

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

LIFE RISKS

Understanding how different regions are

interconnected in the brain is crucial to treat

and possibly prevent brain diseases. Studying

drosophila flies through cutting-edge

techniques, Prof. Ito will develop a

comprehensive catalogue of neural networks

and of their functions. His findings will help

address health and societal challenges such as

neurodegenerative diseases and addictions.

AXA Chair 15 years - €1 400 000

From Genome to Structure and Function

Citizenship: Japanese University of Cologne (Germany) (starting in fall)

Prof.

KEI ITO

Chronic inflammatory disorders such as type 1

diabetes, allergies or multiple sclerosis,

represent a dramatically increasing health

burden. Professor Fillatreau's research will focus

on the B cells, recently identified as key player

in the pathogenesis of such diseases. Using

novel cellular and molecular approaches, he

will seek to identify the B cell subgroups driving

these diseases, in order to develop mitigation

strategies, and prevent irreversible disabilities.

AXA Chair 10 years - €1 000 000

Translational Immunology

Citizenship: French University Paris Descartes Institut Necker enfants malades (France)

Prof. SIMON

FILLATREAU

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

LIFE RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Today’s weapons in the battle against deadly

viruses all suffer from the same problem: viruses

continuously mutate and strains resistant to our

vaccines and drugs always emerge. Dr.

Lorenzo Albertazzi’s approach is fundamentally

different. He has turned to nanotechnology,

designing novel fibers that wrap around a virus,

physically blocking it from infecting a cell. His

work could introduce a whole new class of

tools to fight pandemics.

Dr. LORENZO

ALBERTAZZI

Wrapping Up Pandemics in New Nanomaterials

Citizenship: Italian Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (Spain)

When cells copy their DNA before dividing, a

faulty proofreading system can let errors slip

through. Ageing may be linked to the

accumulation of mistakes in a subset of our

genetic material, the mitochondrial DNA. Dr.

Francesca Baggio is testing whether increasing

the proofreading enzyme’s activity can extend

life span. Finding molecules that alter the

ageing process could provide new targets for

tackling age-related diseases and their heavy

burden on society.

Dr. FRANCESCA

BAGGIO

Healthier Ageing through Better DNA “Spellcheck”

Citizenship: Italian Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing (Germany)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

In the fight against childhood obesity,

children’s play has been constructed as a way

to increase physical activity, mainly in high-

income countries. Dr. Stephanie Alexander

studies the emergence of the concept of

active play and its impact on children’s well-

being in different contexts. Focusing on Kenya

and South Africa, she will learn from these

African countries’ conceptions of play and

leisure, and explore how they integrate

children’s leisure within their public health and

physical activity programs.

Dr. STEPHANIE

ALEXANDER

Children’s Play & Public Health: A Kenyan Perspective on Fighting Obesity with “Active Play”

Citizenship: Canadian Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (France)

LIFE RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Mother’s Immune System, HIV and Preterm Birth

Citizenship: Kenyan University of Cape Town (South Africa)

HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART)

increase pregnant women’s risk of delivering

preterm. These infants suffer considerably more

health problems in the first years of life. Dr.

Nadia Chanzu thinks that HIV/ART upsets the

delicate balance of an expectant mother’s

immune system and is studying the

mechanisms controlling this equilibrium in the

placenta. Her research could contribute to

finding new therapies that reduce the risk for

this very vulnerable group.

Dr. NADIA

CHANZU

Bats can harbor diseases, like Ebola, capable

of making the jump to humans. Dr. Romain

Garnier studies their immune responses to help

predict future outbreaks. His work could reveal

periods when more virus is present or when bats

are less able to defend against the pathogens,

thus increasing the risk of spillover into humans.

If so, early response teams could prepare for

seasons of heightened risk.

Dr. ROMAIN

GARNIER

When Outbreaks are in Season: Predicting High-Risk Periods for Transmission of Disease

Citizenship: French University of Cambridge (UK)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Even normal aging puts us all at risk for

diabetes, one of the top ten causes of death

worldwide. Dr. Rafael Drigo thinks inflammation

of blood vessels underlies the failure of cells in

the pancreas that leads to diabetes. By

reducing the amount of one inflammatory

protein circulating in the blood, he may be

able to restore blood vessel health and quickly

provide new treatment options, reducing the

terrible burden of this disease.

Dr. DRIGO

RAFAEL

ARROJO E

Fixing Inflamed “Pipes” Could Reduce or Prevent Diabetes

Citizenship: Brazilian Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)

LIFE RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

For stroke, the single greatest cause of disability

worldwide, there exists just one treatment,

appropriate for only 5-8% of patients. Dr. Benoit

Roussel revealed that this drug acts, in part, by

reducing the cellular stress response that follows

a stroke and will ultimately lead to brain cell

death. He will now identify the different steps in

this cellular event, which could become targets

for important new stroke drugs.

Dr. BENOIT

ROUSSEL

Protecting Brains from Stroke’s Cellular Stress

Citizenship: French Neurosciences, Cognitive Science, Neurology and Psychiatry Institute (France)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

If you find yourself counting sheep every night

to fall asleep, you may suffer from a sleeping

disorder, which affects our physical and mental

health. Tagliazzucchi will study the mechanisms

that prevent the brain to pass from wakefulness

to recuperative sleep, using both psychological

and neuroimaging techniques and collecting

data from a survey. His research’s results could

help design both pharmacological treatments

and recommendations on behaviors that

improve sleep quality.

Dr. TAGLIAZUCCHI

ENZO

New hopes if counting sheep is not working for you

Citizenship: Italian Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (the Netherlands)

Some bacteria can collectively build a protective

structure that defends them from harsh conditions

and their host’s immune system. The recent

discovery of such “biofilms” in Leptospira provides a

possible explanation for this pathogen’s survival,

and potentially even reproduction, in the

environment. By extensively characterizing the

biofilm’s composition, formation and function, Dr.

Roman Thibeaux could identify new ways to fight its

transmission via contaminated water and to treat

leptospirosis.

Dr. ROMAN

THIBEAUX

Bacterial Armor Provides Protection, but Possible Treatments, Too

Citizenship: French Institut Pasteur in New Caledonia (France)

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

What are the risks and consequences of

financial crises in countries outside the world of

liberal democracies?” that is the main question

Professor Chwieroth will investigate. As

advanced and emerging countries are

financially connected through globalization,

investments or even migratory flows, Prof.

Chwieroth’s findings may help policy makers

adjust to future transnational crises.

AXA Award 3 years - €250 000

Systemic Risk in Non-democratic Societies: What Determines the Political Consequences over the Long Run?

Citizenship: American London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)

Prof. JEFFREY

CHWIEROTH

People affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa face

everyday risks related to treatment and care.

Dr Harman’s research aims to inform on those

risks through the film of a Tanzanian woman

treated for HIV in a poor rural environment; a

graphic novel; and a book.

Dr. SOPHIE

HARMAN

AXA Outlook 2 years - €250 000

The everyday Risk of HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care

Citizenship: British Queen Mary University of London (UK)

How do socioeconomics factors influence

people’s vulnerability to severe weather

events? Combining statistical and geographic

analyses with engineering techniques,

Dr Donner studies the case of Lower South

Texas, a region prone to hurricanes and

flooding, to help policy makers mitigate risks for

vulnerable populations.

AXA Award 2 years - €250 000

An Environmental and Socioeconomic Evaluation of Hydrological Risks in Lower South Texas

Citizenship: American University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (USA)

Dr.

WILLIAM

DONNER

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

Recent hacking attacks have demonstrated

weaknesses in our private information

exchanges. Professor Acin’s goal is to design a

new form of cryptography, in which information

safety is guaranteed by the laws of quantum

physics. Using correlated quantum particle, the

protocols will offer a level of security in which

existing hacking attacks would become

impossible.

AXA Chair 25 years - €1 700 000

Quantum Information Science

Citizenship: Spanish ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences (Spain)

Prof. ANTONIO

ACÍN

Financial information can be perceived very

differently, especially among traders. Prof.

Dumas will study the risks created by these

different interpretations in financial markets,

together with the way traders are impacted by

the costs of the very economic exchange and

how they manage them. Understanding these

phenomena could be key to the design of

better financial markets.

AXA Chair 10 years - €800 000

Socio-economic Risks of Financial Markets

Citizenship: French Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy)

Prof. BERNARD

DUMAS

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

AXA Joint Research Initiative 3 years - €195 000

Actuarial Dynamic Approach of Customer in General Insurance

Citizenship: Belgian Université Catholique de Louvain (France)

While actuaries carry their models’ calculations

for insurance products considering each

product in isolation, the consumers tend to

view all the products bought in a global way.

Dr. Denuit’s research project conducted with

AXA Belgium aims at reconciling the two points

of view, allowing insurers to offer the most

appropriate damage insurance covers

together with optimal premiums.

Dr. MICHEL

DENUIT

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

AXA Chair 15 years - €1 500 000 Information Security and Privacy

Citizenship: American Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland)

As the use of Data grows exponentially,

protecting users’ data and privacy is an

important and urgent challenge to achieve.

Through a holistic approach where availability,

integrity and privacy of data are inseparable

security properties, Prof. Ford’s research aims at

developing a framework for privacy-preserving

“big data”. He will also explore cloud

computing emerging risks, aiming for better

data protection in a world where cloud

computing may become the dominant

paradigm.

Prof. BRYAN

FORD

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Combining Risk Assessments for Optimal Group Decisions

Citizenship: French Tilburg University (Netherlands)

When a group of people must make a decision involving risk, how should they pool their

individual views? Different methods can

produce different results, which matters when

determining the safety of a new drug, for

example. Dr. Thomas Boyer-Kassem is

developing models to identify the best method

of combining risk assessments for a range of

aggregation scenarios. His results should interest

expert committees, political bodies—any group

of individuals making collective decisions

about risks.

Dr. THOMAS

BOYER-

KASSEM

Migration and Human Rights in the Wake of Climate Change

Citizenship: Romanian United Nations University (Japan)

Human rights violations can follow extreme climate events, disrupting access to clean

water, housing or other basic rights. Dr. Cosmin

Corendea examines this relationship and its

connection to migration decisions. To develop

legal approaches focused on the vulnerable

people affected by climate change, his field

research in the Pacific Islands will elicit

recommendations from within the society. He

aims to make the resulting migration solutions

sustainable by creating the legal framework to

support them.

Dr. COSMIN

CORENDEA

For More Robust Decisions, Let Ambiguity In

Citizenship: German University of Bonn (Germany)

Embracing ambiguity could lead to more robust decision-making. Dr. Philipp Eisenhauer’s

novel microeconomic models incorporate not

only risks and their known probabilities, but

uncertainty and the unknowable likelihood of

random events. The enriched descriptions of

human decision-making that result, as from his

work on the drivers of education decisions,

could lead to better policy design and

optimized decisions made with the best

information we have.

Dr. PHILIPP

EISENHAUER

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

The growing number of older adults in Sub-

Saharan Africa is a source of risk for countries’

development: policy confronts traditional

African values on the provision of long-term

social care (LTSC). Dr. Emily Freeman studies

the evolving behavioral, social and economic

risks tied to LTSC. Through policy analysis and

stakeholder interviews she will bring a more

nuanced and informed assessment of long-

term care solutions for populations across

Africa.

Dr. EMILY

FREEMAN

Caring for An Ageing Population: Challenges and Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa

Citizenship: British London School of Economics and Political Science (UK)

Modern gold objects differ in composition from

the gold worked by the Ancients, a fact Dr.

Verena Leusch uses for the authentication of

artifacts. Her chemical analyses of the first broad panel of objects from times and places

across the Ancient world will address whether

high purity gold can be used as a marker of

forgery. Her work provides a crucial service for

museums, insurers and society’s understanding

of the past.

Dr. VERENA

LEUSCH

Genuine Artifacts, or Forgeries Good

as Gold?

Citizenship: German Reiss Engelhorn Museum (Germany)

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Marketing’s subtle methods can increase

people’s engagement in risky behaviors like

smoking or overeating. Dr. Anouk Festjens is the

first to explore the mechanisms involved.

Tempting marketing cues may act by

influencing our perception of both the

probability and the attractiveness of given

outcomes. If she finds this is the case, her results

could lead to more effective risk prevention

campaigns that take this into account.

Dr. ANOUK

FESTJENS

How Marketing Affects Risky Decisions and How Risk Prevention Can Respond

Citizenship: Belgian Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

SOCIO ECONOMIC RISKS

Post-Doctoral Fellowships

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Protecting the Power Supply with Better Risk Management

Citizenship: Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research (Poland)

When power grids fail, essential infrastructure is

threatened. Dr. Karol Wawrzyniak aims to

optimize the urgent actions taken to return

power production and supply to a normal

state. He is developing innovative tools

allowing continuous, comprehensive risk

assessment for potential states of the grid,

taking into account regional characteristics,

the correction’s cost and the necessary

timeframe in which to accomplish it. The goal: greater stability for our energy systems.

Dr. KAROL

WAWRZYNIAK

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Thomas Kirkwood is Professor of Medicine and Dean for Ageing at Newcastle

University. Educated in biology and mathematics at Cambridge and Oxford, he

worked at the National Institute for Medical Research, where he formed and led a

new research division, until in 1993 he became Professor of Biological Gerontology at

the University of Manchester. His research is focused on the basic science of ageing

and on understanding how genes as well as non-genetic factors, such as nutrition,

influence longevity and health in old age. Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences

and Senior Investigator of the UK National Institute for Health Research, Prof Kirkwood

has been Chairman of the AXA Research Fund Scientific Board since January 1st 2013.

Prof. THOMAS KIRKWOOD

President of the Scientific Board

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Academics

Professor of Development

Economics and Environment at

the University of Manchester (UK)

Prof. BINA AGARWAL

President of Sabanci University,

Istanbul (Turkey) Emeritus Professor

of Physics, MIT (USA)

Prof. NIHAT BERKER

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Director and Head of the

Telomeres Group, National

Cancer Research Centre,

CNIO (Spain)

Prof. MARIA A BLASCO

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Academics

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Professor or Economics, Columbia

University (USA). Research Associate

at the National Bureau of Economic

Research in Cambridge, MA (USA)

Prof. ALESSANDRA CASELLA

Director of the Edmond J. Safra

Center for Ethics at Harvard

University (USA) Roy L. Furman

Professor of Law at Harvard Law

School (USA)

Prof. LAWRENCE LESSIG

Research Director at the

Laboratoire de météorologie

dynamique (CNRS/

UPMC/Ecole Polytechnique)

(France)

Prof. OLIVIER BOUCHER

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Academics

Professor, History of Science and

Science in Society,

Ecole des Hautes Etudes en

Sciences Sociales, EHESS (France)

Prof. DOMINIQUE PESTRE

Head of Environmental Planning

and Climate Protection

Department of eThekwini

Municipality, Durban, (South Africa)

Dr. DEBRA ROBERTS

Winton Professor for the Public

Understanding of Risk in the

Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge (UK)

Prof. DAVID SPIEGELHALTER

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Chief Economist AXA Group,

Head of Research at AXA

Investment Managers

ERIC CHANEY

Chief Risk Officer, AXA Group

ALBAN DE MAILLY NESLE

AXA Representatives

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Founder and CEO of Kamet

STÉPHANE GUINET

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

Head of Strategy, Sustainability and

Public Affairs, and a Member of the

Executive Committee, AXA Group

CHRISTIAN THIMANN

AXA Representatives

Chief Operating Officer, Member of

the Management Committee,

AXA Group

VERONIQUE WEILL

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Head of Operational Excellence

and procurement, AXA Group

RÉGINALD HENRY

The AXA Research Fund

supports 44 new academic research programs

to advance understanding of risks

AT A GLANCE

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

As a global insurance leader, it is part of AXA’s corporate responsibility to help build and share knowledge on risks, in order to better protect people and the planet.

To do so AXA launched in 2007 the AXA Research Fund, a unique global scientific philanthropy initiative.

THE AXA RESEARCH FUND AT A GLANCE

Researching today to

better protect tomorrow

Attract, select and support leading research projects on major risks facing our societies:

Environmental risks

(Climate change,

natural hazards,

urbanization & resilience,

energy transition ...)

Socio-economic risks

(macro-economics and

financial risks, data

privacy & cybersecurity,

risky behaviors …)

Life risks

(Longevity, pandemics,

medical innovation,

healthcare systems …)

• By promoting the AXA fellows’ public engagement toward a broad

audience and in the media, through a lively community management

• By fostering scientific exchanges and knowledge sharing in society,

to enlighten decision making on risk related issues.

Encourage supported researchers to feed the public debate, to help

better manage or prevent risks

THE TWO-FOLD MISSION OF THE AXA RESEARCH FUND

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

The AXA Research Fund supports academic innovation by top-tier researchers all over the world. It provides researchers with the means and freedom

to complete their work successfully, so that they feel encouraged to explore new avenues.

The awarding of grants is based on strict academic criteria following a transparent and rigorous selection process, which is

overseen by our Scientific Board, mainly composed of well-known senior academics, and presided by Prof. Tom Kirkwood (Newcastle University, UK).

THE AXA RESEARCH FUND AT A GLANCE

Supports academic innovation

Promote discussions between the academic world and society

FIVE FUNDING SCHEMES

Chairs

up to € 3M Awards

up to € 250K

Postdoctoral

Fellowships

up to € 130K

Ad hoc fundings

for public

outreach by our

research fellows

up to € 125K

Joint

Research

Initiatives

up to € 225K

Supporting research dissemination goes beyond funding: AXA also uses its corporate networks and communications resources to help selected scientists go one step further in sharing their knowledge with a broader audience, thereby empowering them to actively nurture public debate on risks facing our societies.

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

Created in

2007

492 applications

received

A dynamic research community

2000+ active referees, working in 38 countries

Granted researchers strongly engaged in workshops and

academic conferences, public outreach events, media & social media

€149 million committed

In 269 academic institution

in 33 countries

by researchers of

51 nationalities

AXA RESEARCH FUND FACTS AND FIGURES*

€200 million to be committed

by 2018

* as of Dec 31, 2015

AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

4185 academic

research supported

35% Socio-

economic Risks

27%

Environmental

Risks

38%

Life Risks

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AXA Research Fund 2015 Activity Report

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