Simona Mei was nominated as Senior Fellow to the Institut Universitaire de France for a five year period, as of October 1, 2012. Simona is a Professor of Physics at the Université Paris 7 Denis-Diderot. She is an expert in the field of galaxy formation and evolution, and the study of galaxy clusters. The Institut Universitaire de France is a prestigious national French academy dedicated to the promotion of university-based research of the highest quality.