Philippe Poulin is Director of Research at the Paul Pascal Research Centre (CNRS/University of Bordeaux). A pioneer in the development of the first oriented fibres based on carbon nanotubes, using an approach inspired by his work on soft matter (with surfactants and polymers), he discovered new structures formed by drops or colloidal particles suspended in a liquid crystal, giving rise to new processes for stabilising emulsions. This work has inspired research worlwide and led to the development of a new area of research into liquid crystals and colloidal suspensions. He has developed a strong, long-term partnership with Arkema.

Author of 155 articles and eighteen patents (eleven of which are jointly owned), Philippe Poulin has been invited to some one hundred national and international conferences and has received a number of awards, including the La Recherche newspaper prize in 2004 and the CNRS Bronze Medal in 2002, followed by the Silver Medal in 2020.

This prize was awarded for his remarkable advances in understanding electronic transport in materials containing graphene or carbon nanotubes.