Studying excited-state structures in molecules and proteins with short X-ray pulses. PhD from the Cavendish Laboratory in 1984 with thesis titled "Fermi Surface Studies and Magnetic Fluctuations in Praseodymium". Student of Prof. Gilbert Lonzarich, University of Cambridge. Since 1990 staff scientist at the European Synchrotron in Grenoble. Appointed head of the "Complex Systems and Biomedical Sciences Group" in 2015.