* Geochemical and cosmochemical behavior of the elements 

            * Partitioning of Highly Siderophile Elements (HSE, including
               Platinum Group Elements (PGE), Re and Au) in natural
               (geological and meteoritic samples) and synthetic systems 

            * Li isotopic studies of: surface processes, continental crust 
               formation and evolution, crust-mantle recycling processes, 
               and meteorites 

            * High resolution analyses of HSE abundances in meteorites 
               and terrestrial rocks using high-pressure, carius tube 
               decomposition and isotope dilution 

            * Monitoring deep upwelling events in the oceans: high fidelity 
               records of Cd/Ca, Ba/Ca, and Sr/Ca variations in modern 
               corals, seawater and plankton 

            * In-situ U/Pb geochronology of zircons 

            * Formation and evolution of the deep continental lithosphere 
               (studies in China and Tanzania) 

            * Element partitioning in silicate, oxide, carbonate, sulfide and
               metal systems: pushing the detection limits of laser ablation 
               methods.