Prochain événements

En marge de la plateforme en ligne, des ateliers portant sur les différents thèmes vous sont proposés afin d’interagir directement avec les acteurs des groupes de travail du Plan Climat et d’échanger directement au sujet des mesures proposées. Les ateliers de 2h sont proposés en ligne les soirées à partir de 17h et en présentiel le midi.

Retrouvez les différents thèmes proposés et les dates disponibles sur le site dédié.

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Dès le 26 octobre, une plateforme interactive vous permettra de découvrir l’intégralité des mesures et des objectifs proposés, y réagir et proposer des pistes d’amélioration.
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Pendant la durée de la démarche participative OUR CLIMATE Your climate, des ateliers « Fresque du climat » seront proposés toutes les semaines, les lundis et jeudis soir.
La fresque du climat est un atelier collaboratif pour sensibiliser à la compréhension des phénomènes liés au changement climatique. Pour les novices comme pour les expert-es, la fresque du climat permet de mieux comprendre le caractère systémique du changement climatique. Le contenu de l’atelier est basé sur les rapports du GIEC, ce qui lui garantit une rigueur scientifique. Pendant cet atelier, vous serez réparti-e-s en équipe de 8 personnes et encadrés par des animat-eur-rices pour retracer les causes et effets des éléments structurants et composant le changement climatique. Chaque fresque comprend un moment de réflexion sur les contributions que peut amener l’EPFL et sa communauté face à la crise climatique.

Les inscriptions se font dès à présent sur la plateforme dédiée.

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Cybersecurity (Monday 26 October, 17.00 – 18.30)
Thibault Leroux: Head of Galileo G1 System Security Unit at ESA
Giulia Traverso: Principal Cryptographer at Cysec
Johann Richard: Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Space Office (SERI)
Florence Loustalot: Talent Acquisition Specialist at ESA

Space Law (Tuesday 27 October, 17.00 – 18.30) :
Alexander Soucek: Head of Public International Law Division at ESA
Florian Hess: Contract Manager at RUAG Space
Kamlesh Brocard: Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Space Office (SERI)
Florence Loustalot: Talent Acquisition Specialist at ESA

Life Support Systems (Wednesday 28 October, 17 – 18.30):
Christophe Lasseur: Head of the MELiSSA Project and Life Support Coordinator at ESA
Théodore Besson: Co-Founder and Managing Director at ESTEE (Earth Space Technical Ecosystem Enterprises SA)
Oliver Botta: Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Space Office (SERI)
Florence Loustalot: Talent Acquisition Specialist at ESA

Robotics & Photonics (Monday 2 November, 17.00 – 18.45):
Gianfranco Visentin: Head of Automation & Robotics Section at ESA
Kyriaki Minoglou: Head of the Opto-Electronics Section at ESA
Reto Muff: Chief Technology Officer at Thales Alenia Space Switzerland
Lino De Faveri: Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Space Office (SERI)
Florence Loustalot: Talent Acquisition Specialist at ESA

Science missions: Exoplanets (Tuesday, 3 November, 17.00 – 18.30):
Kate Isaak: CHEOPS Project Scientist at ESA
Louise Dyregaard Nielsen: PhD student at the Geneva Observatory
Valerie Koller: Scientific Advisor at the Swiss Space Office (SERI)
Florence Loustalot: Talent Acquisition Specialist at ESA

As the current space ecosystem is evolving rapidly and facing new stakes and challenges, various and unexpected study fields are now vital to ensure the continuity of innovative and cutting-edge technologies as well as advanced project management. Switzerland and ESA need new talents to join them on the path towards state-of-the-art space research and operations.

“Be a Star in ESA’s Universe” is a unique opportunity for professionals, experts and students to exchange and network. This year, the event will take place online in a new format. Instead of a roadshow and panel discussions in several Swiss universities, five online live events will tackle fields of study playing a key role in the current space ecosystem:

• cybersecurity
• space law
• life support systems
• engineering (focus on robotics & photonics)
• science (focus on exoplanets)

Each event will include a Q&A session to foster interaction between the speakers and participants.

The sessions will be held on the 26-27-28 October and on the 2-3 November 2020 each from 17:00 to 18:30 (GMT+2). The speakers will meet on WebEx and the meeting will be live streamed on the Swiss Space Center YouTube channel where the public will be able to interact and ask questions throughout the event.

The “Be a Star in ESA’s Universe” roadshow has become an annual meeting since 2017. It is usually held in autumn, right before the ESA Young Graduate Trainee job announcements. This years’ online edition will allow thematic oriented discussions to address future needs of young professionals at ESA and in Swiss industries as well as attracting not only the usual suspects but also students from other fields of study.

The event is coordinated by the Swiss Space Center in collaboration with ESA and with the support of the Swiss Space Office.
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Venez à la rencontre des nouvelles start-ups de l'EPFL Innovation Park et participez à notre prochaine conférence Pizzas et start-ups le jeudi 29 octobre 2020 de 12h à 13h30, soit à la salle Uranus (bâtiment D, EPFL Innovation Park) ou en ligne.

La participation est gratuite mais l'inscription est obligatoire. 

Agenda

• 11:45 Ouverture des portes // début de la connexion
• 12:00 ChemAlive développe un logiciel prédictif démocratisé pour piloter la numérisation de la R&D chimique.
• 12:10 Miraex développe des solutions photoniques et quantiques complètes pour la détection, la mise en réseau et l'informatique de nouvelle génération.
• 12:20 MicroR Systems se concentre sur le développement de la technologie des micro-résonateurs optiques pour une gamme d'applications laser.
• 12:30 Annaida développe un dispositif qui aide les médecins à choisir l'embryon le plus viable de manière non invasive. Une analyse chimique non invasive à l'échelle de l'embryon.
• 12:40 "Eat & network" si vous souhaitez réseauter, nous organiserons un lunch assis (mesures covid) à la cafétéria BC. Les places sont limitées.

Notez qu'en fonction de l'évolution des mesures liées à la Covid, il est possible que les participants inscrits en personne à la conférence et au déjeuner soient redirigés vers une participation en ligne. Dans ce cas, nous annulerons le déjeuner et ouvrirons les discussions de groupe en ligne.

Nous nous réjouissons de vous accueillir!
 
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Clic, UNIL GameLab, Pixels, PolyLAN, Musée Bolo

L’objectif de cette journée, née d’un intérêt conjoint d’étudiant·e·s et de chercheur·ses, est de proposer un état des lieux des activités de recherche et d’enseignement sur le campus. Qu’elles utilisent des technologies du jeu vidéo (moteurs de jeu, réalité virtuelle, gamification, etc.), ou se plongent dans l’étude de ces objets, nous souhaitons mettre en valeur les initiatives existantes et rassembler les actrices et acteurs de ce domaine présents sur le campus.

Le jeu vidéo est aujourd’hui un bien culturel pratiqué ou « consommé » par une part majoritaire de la société, tous âges confondus. C’est également un savoir-faire et des technologies permettant de comprendre et maîtriser de nombreuses innovations apportées par le numérique (évolution des interfaces, intelligence artificielle, etc.), mais aussi d’appréhender les nouveaux enjeux soulevés par celui-ci. De nombreux projets en tirent parti, notamment sur le campus UNIL-EPFL (projet Collart-Palmyre, Immersive Interaction Research Group, etc.). Aujourd’hui, on trouve des centres d’étude du jeu vidéo dans des universités (Universités de Paris 8, Paris 13, Metz, CNAM-CEDRIC) comme dans des écoles polytechniques (à l’ETHZ, mais aussi à Polytechnique Paris, où une chaire « Science et jeu vidéo » a ouvert fin 2019). Lausanne étant un pôle de recherche de pointe dans les humanités numériques comme dans l’étude des nouveaux médias, il est selon nous important d’intégrer à cet ensemble le jeu vidéo, ce « média natif du numérique », et de mener une réflexion à ce propos grâce à l'organisation d'un tel événement.

Les intervenants sont :

• CLIC (Association des étudiant·e·s en Informatique et Communications)
• UNIL Gamelab
• Pixels
• PolyLAN
• Musée Bolo

Cet événement a lieu en ligne uniquement.
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Giuseppe Zampogna (LFMI, EPFL) & Pierre Leroy-Calatayud (fleXLab, EPFL)

Talk 1: Macroscopic modelling of micro-structured porous surfaces, by Giuseppe Zampogna (LFMI, EPFL)

Abstract: The dynamics of a fluid flowing across a thin permeable interface (i.e. a membrane) is an intrinsically multiscale phenomenon, owing to very different scales at play, rendering its description complex, from both a physical and computational point of view. A clear explanation of the mechanisms at the basis of membrane processes is then needed. Thanks to a multi-scale homogenization technique we develop a reduced-order, intuitive, robust and computationally cheap model to simulate the hydrodynamic interactions between a rigid membrane and a surrounding incompressible fluid flow. The model is able to provide a description of the micro- and macroscopic fluid behavior and consists of a constraint to be satisfied by the fluid velocity components, imposed within the fluid domain, over a virtual smooth surface passing through the center of each membrane pore. It shows that the membrane produces a jump in fluid stresses whose intensity and direction, evaluated solving problems at the microscale, depend on the external flow and on the pore geometry. To assert the validity of the macroscopic model developed, its solution is compared with the solution of the full-scale problem.

Bio: Giuseppe Zampogna is a EuroTech PostDoc Fellow in the Laboratory of Fluid Mechanics and Instabilities at EPFL, under the scientific supervision of Prof. F. Gallaire. Before coming in Lausanne, he has been postdoc at the Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse and he obtained a PhD in fluid dynamics at the University of Genova in March 2016. He is particularly interested in multi scale phenomena like fluid flows interacting with poroelastic media, rough surfaces and micro structured porous surfaces.

Efficient flapping propulsion with stiffness-distributed structures, by Pierre Leroy-Calatayud (fleXLab, EPFL)

Abstract: Flying insects and many aquatic animals rely on flapping for locomotion. A feature commonly observed is that wings or fins, respectively, usually appear to be stiffer at the root and more compliant at the tip. Recent computational works on idealized propulsors have shown that such distribution of flexibility may lead to better performances compared to the homogeneous case, both in thrust production and efficiency, with peaks related to fluid-structure resonances. In this talk, I will present our experimental results on tapered elastomeric flappers moving in silicon oil. Different sets of tapered flappers are carefully fabricated to fix some chosen parameters, such as the total mass or, more importantly, the mean stiffness. The control over the latter quantity has often been overlooked in recent experimental studies on flexible propulsor. Our method fills this gap and enables us to investigate the role of the distribution of stiffness accurately. Our results qualitatively concur with the above considered computational work, showing band-broadening for power and thrust production at the resonant peak, as well as an overall higher efficiency for samples with increasing tapering. These results simultaneously further our understanding of flapping propulsion and might orient the design of small aquatic or air vehicles in the future. Investigation on the wake structure, and more generally, on the physical mechanisms leading to such an increase are still ongoing.

Bio: Pierre Leroy-Calatayud obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zürich) in 2017 and 2020, respectively. He initially joined the fleXLab at EPFL as an exchange student to perform his Master’s Thesis. Since July 2020, he is working there as a research assistant (within the EPFL’s Master Valorization program). During his studies, he got the chance to get some experience in various fields of experimental physics such as quantum magnetism at ETH, physics of exotic atoms at CERN, or acoustic metamaterials at Hokkaido University.

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Loris Ercole (EPFL) & Gabriela Borin Barin (Empa)

The seminar will be given online via Zoom: 
https://epfl.zoom.us/j/93881551248
Password: 3417

The MARVEL Junior Seminars aim to intensify interactions between the MARVEL Junior scientists belonging to different research groups (i.e. PhD & Postdocs either directly funded by the NCCR, or as a matching contribution). The seminar consists of two 25-minute presentations, followed by time for discussion.
 
Doping solid-state electrolytes: a pinball model study
Loris Ercole
Laboratory of Theory and Simulation of Materials (THEOS), EPFL
 
Bottom-up fabrication of graphene nanoribbons: from molecules to devices
Gabriela Borin Barin
nanotech@surfaces Laboratory, Empa
 
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Prof. Dr. Allard Mosk,
Utrecht University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Due to the covid-19 related restrictions currently in place, the lecture will be held remotely by zoom only.

Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/119888136

Abstract: Random scattering of light, which takes place in paper, paint and biological tissue is an obstacle to imaging and focusing of light and thus hampers applications ranging from laser ablation to precision measurements. At the same time scattering is a phenomenon of basic physical interest as it allows the study of fascinating interference effects such as open transport channels [1,2], which enable lossless transport of waves through strongly scattering materials. The frequency bandwidth of these channels [3] is critical to their usefulness as it determines their ability to carry pulses and their information-carrying capacity. After a broad overview of the field, we present new measurements of the frequency bandwidth and intensity fluctuations in these channels. Moreover, we show that  optimizing the incident light wave is essential to  extract precise information about the position of any scatterer. The information we retrieve turns out to be limited by our knowledge of the position of the other scatterers and the local density of states [5].

Bio: Allard Mosk (1970) started his physics career in ultracold atomic gases with work in Amsterdam (Ph.D. 1994), Heidelberg, and Paris, performing the first observation of a Feshbach resonance in Li, and of photoassociation of H. In 2003 he joined the Complex Photonic Systems group at the University of Twente. where he pioneered wavefront shaping methods to focus and image through strongly scattering media. Since 2015 he holds a chair at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, where he studies statistical properties of light in complex scattering media with a view on imaging and optical precision measurements.

References:

1. A. P. Mosk, A. Lagendijk, G. Lerosey, and M. Fink, Controlling waves in space and time for imaging and focusing in complex media, Nat. Photon., 6, 283 (2012).
2. I.M. Vellekoop and A.P. Mosk, Universal optimal transmission of light through disordered materials, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 120601 (2008).
3. Jeroen Bosch, Sebastianus A. Goorden, and Allard P. Mosk, Frequency width of open channels in multiple scattering media, Opt. Expr. 24, 26472-26478 (2016)
4. X. Xu, X. Xie, A. Thendiyammal, H. Zhuang, J. Xie, Y. Liu, J. Zhou, and A. P. Mosk, Imaging of objects through a thin scattering layer using a spectrally and spatially separated reference, Opt. Express 26 (12), 15073–15083 (2018).
5. D. F. Bouchet, R. Carminati, and A. P. Mosk, Influence of the local density of states on the localization precision of single particles in scattering environments, arXiv. org 1909.02501 (2019).

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Prof. Paulina Plochocka, CNRS Toulouse, France

High environmental stability and surprisingly high efficiency of solar cells based on 2D perovskites have renewed interest in these materials. These natural quantum wells consist of planes of metal-halide octahedra, separated by organic spacers.  Remarkably the organic spacers play crucial role in optoelectronic properties of these compounds.The characteristic for ionic crystal coupling of excitonic species to lattice vibration became particularly important in case of soft perovskite lattice. The nontrivial mutual dependencies between lattice dynamics, organic spacers and electronic excitation manifest in a complex absorption and emission spectrum which detailed origin is subject of ongoing controversy. First, I will discuss electronic properties of 2D perovskites with different thicknesses of the octahedral layers and two types of organic spacer.  I will demonstrate that the energy spacing of excitonic features depends on organic spacer but very weakly depends on octahedral layer thickness. This indicates the vibrionic progression scenario which is confirmed by high magnetic fields studies up to 67T. Finally, I will show that in 2D perovskites, the distortion imposed by the organic spacers governs the effective mass of the carriers.  As a result, and unlike in any other semiconductor, the effective mass in 2D perovskites can be easily tailored.  
 

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Join us for an exciting evening that brings together different actors of the EPFL sustainable tech ecosystem - from leading researchers, professors, students, partners, investors and impact-driven startups - all to show the power of technology for the advancement of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Tentative Programme

The 2030 Showcase will kick-off with a high-level keynote speech that will be followed by insightful discussions of current use cases on how disruptive technological solutions can be used to address the most pressing global challenges of our time.

The event will also include an interactive startup exhibition that showcases EPFL spinoffs addressing different SDGs and will conclude with a networking apéro involving various stakeholders of the Swiss sustainable tech ecosystem.

The event is free of charge and is open to everyone - but registration is mandatory (click here). Be sure to register quickly as spots are limited.

Full programme coming soon.

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Prof. Marilyne Andersen, Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design, EPFL School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Institute of Architecture (IA)

Abstract:
Natural light greatly impacts how a building is experienced by its occupants. It affects their well-being, notably from their health and biological clock perspectives, but also their perceived visual and thermal comfort, or their emotional response. If we want to support the design of places of delightful – and daylightful – living, we must bring these multifaceted considerations to become integral drivers of the creative process.

This lecture will explore current research efforts aiming towards a deeper integration of daylighting performance and indoor comfort in design, by reaching out to various fields of science, from chronobiology and neuroscience to psychophysics and computer graphics.

Bio:
Marilyne Andersen is Full Professor at EPFL where she heads the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID). Her research activities focus on the integration of building performance in design with an emphasis on daylighting around the themes of health, perception, comfort and energy. She is co-founder of the start-up OCULIGHT dynamics and Academic Director of the Smart Living Lab. She was Dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) at EPFL from 2013 to 2018 and sits on the Board of the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.
She holds a MSc in Physics and a PhD in Building Physics, and was tenure-track Professor at MIT before joining EPFL, where she founded the MIT Daylighting Lab in 2004. She has also been a Visiting Scholar at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and a Visiting Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Author of over 150 refereed scientific papers with several distinctions, she was the first laureate of the Daylight Research Award in 2016 and led the winning Swiss team for the US Solar Decathlon 2017 competition.
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Jan Kerschgens, Executive Director CIS
Claudia Binder, Dean ENAC
Jan S. Hesthaven, Dean SB
James Larus, Dean IC
Ali H. Sayed, Dean STI

Invitation à notre Open Campus Event le 4 novembre à partir de 9h15 pour présenter et discuter de nos ambitions, stratégies et activités du CIS à l'EPFL. Au cours de cet événement, les deux premiers programmes de recherche collaborative soutenus par les subventions de collaboration du CIS seront présentés, le CIS Board partagera sa vision du centre et nous aurons des discussions sur deux domaines liés aux systèmes intelligents.
Pour plus de détails, veuillez trouver le programme sur notre site web.
 
Il s'agit d'un événement en ligne de l'EPFL - veuillez trouver le lien Zoom sur la page : https://go.epfl.ch/CIS_open_campus_event_access

 
Mercredi 4 novembre 2020, 09h15 - 11h30
 

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Prof. Daniella Goldfarb Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Zoom

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Prof. Nic Spencer, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Cartilage is an extraordinary material, both in terms of its impressive lubricious properties and the
fact that it continues to function, without a blood supply, for many decades, providing very low friction coefficients. In the simplest terms, cartilage consists of a hydrogel material with a stiffness gradient that interfaces to bone, attached, at the outer edge, to loose polysaccharide chains, which are thought to provide a lubricating function. Polymer brushes, which bear a resemblance to these loose chains, are well known for their lubricious properties, but when coating hard-hard contacts, minor disturbances in tribological conditions or the inclusion of foreign bodies, can rapidly lead to catastrophic failure, as asperities on one hard countersurface encouter the opposing brush. This problem is significantly reduced when the underlying substrate is soft, as in the cartilage case. When imitating cartilage, elastomers can provide this soft base layer, but an even more effective substrate for brushes in tribological applications is a gel. These can be readily tailored to ensure compatibility with the brush, and provide a number of cushioning functions, including elastic, viscoelastic, and porelastic, depending on the loading conditions. In our laboratory, we have explored a variety of systems for imitating cartilage, some of which have actually reached comparable friction coefficients to those observed in cartilage, as well as toughness values and wear resistance that render them of interest for medical and industrial applications.
 

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Prof. Lenka Zdeborova

Le Centre pour les systèmes intelligents de l'EPFL (CIS) est une collaboration entre IC, SB et STI qui réunit des chercheurs travaillant sur différents aspects des systèmes intelligents.
 
Afin de promouvoir les échanges entre chercheurs et d'encourager la création de nouveaux projets collaboratifs, le CIS organise une série de conférences intitulée "Get to know your neighbors". Chaque séminaire consistera en une ou deux courtes présentations générales destinées au grand public à l'EPFL.
 

 
Lundi 9 novembre 2020 de 15h15 à 16h15


NB : Des enregistrements vidéo des séminaires seront disponibles sur notre site internet et publiés sur nos pages de médias sociaux
 

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Prof. Mark Gruber, Chair of Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization, EPFL College of Management of Technology (CDM), Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship Institute (MTEI)

Abstract:
A key challenge in the commercialization of science is the identification of market opportunities for new technologies. The history of technological progress is rife with examples where the most valuable opportunities were only discovered years, or even decades, after the scientific breakthroughs were made. In this talk, Marc Gruber, will review existing research on opportunity identification and introduce a practical framework that supports inventors in this all-important step in the commercialization and start-up process.

Bio:
Marc Gruber is Vice President for Innovation at EPFL and full professor at the College of Management of Technology at EPFL where he holds the Chair of Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization (ENTC). Marc also acted as Associate (2013-2016) and as Deputy Editor (2017-2020) at the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), the highest ranked empirical research journal in the management domain.
Marc Gruber joined EPFL in the fall of 2005 coming from the Munich School of Management, University of Munich (LMU), where he held the position as vice-director of the Institute of Innovation Research, Technology Management and Entrepreneurship (INNOtec) and established the LMU’s Center for Entrepreneurship. He has held several visiting scholar posts at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he conducts research on technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. He is also a visiting professor at the Business School of Imperial College, London.
Marc has published his research on innovation, strategy and entrepreneurship in several leading journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Management Science, Strategic Management Journal, and the Journal of Business Venturing. In an independent research study on the most impactful entrepreneurship scholars (Gupta et al., 2016), Marc was ranked as the worldwide #1 researcher in entrepreneurship for the 2005-2015 period (shared #1 spot), and among the worldwide top 5 for the 2000-2015 period. Beyond his research work, he is currently authoring a textbook on technology commercialization and was the co-editor of a textbook on entrepreneurship as well as a regular contributor to a weekly column on entrepreneurship in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”.
Marc Gruber received a doctorate from the University of St. Gallen (UNISG) in 2000. In spring 2005, he received a venia legendi from the Munich School of Management (LMU) for his habilitation thesis on marketing in new ventures.
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Prof. Jan van Hest, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Compartmentalization is generally regarded as one of the key prerequisites for life. To better understand the role of compartmentalization, there is a clear need for model systems that can be adapted in a highly controlled fashion, and in which life-like properties can be installed. Polymer-based compartments are robust and chemically versatile, and as such are a useful platform for the development of life-like compartments. In this lecture we discuss polymer vesicles, which are modified in shape and function to show life-like features as catalytic activity, motility and transient behavior.  A second platform technology is based on complex coacervates, stabilized by a biodegradable block copolymer. The specific feature of the polymer membrane is its semipermeable character.  Enzymes inside the protocell can therefore still be reached by their substrates, and small molecule products can be excreted. This allows protocell communication with this robust synthetic platform.

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Prof. Jean-François Molinari, Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory, EPFL School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Civil Engineering Institute (IIC)

Abstract:
We discuss recent advances in developing a fundamental, mechanistic, understanding of the evolution of surface roughness of solids during dry sliding. The time evolution of surface roughness is little understood although it crucially impacts friction and wear. Engineering wear models are for the most part empirical, and the development of physics-based predictive models will require intensive experimental, theoretical, and numerical research at various scales. This presentation focuses on atomistic and mesoscale numerical modeling of rough solids under sliding in the presence of adhesive wear mechanisms.

In the first part, we summarize our attempts at capturing debris formation at micro contacts using atomistic potentials [1,2]. We show that, in the simple situation of an isolated micro contact, the final debris size scales with the maximum junction size attained upon shear. This permits to draw analogies with Archard adhesive wear model [3]. In the second part, this single-asperity understanding is incorporated in a mesoscale model [4], which aims at estimating from first principles the wear coefficient, a notoriously little understood parameter in wear models. We estimate the amount of volume of debris formed for a given applied load, using the probability density of micro contact sizes. A crucial element of this mesoscale model is the distribution of surface heights, which should evolve as wear processes take place. This leads us, in the final part, to a discussion of recent simulations aiming at understanding the long-term evolution of surface roughness. These long time scales simulations reveal the emergence of self-affine fractal surfaces irrespective of the initial surfaces characteristics [5].

References
[1]          Aghababaei, R., Warner, D.H., Molinari, J.F., “On the debris-level origins of adhesive wear”, PNAS, 114(30), pp. 7935-7940 , 2017.
[2]          Aghababaei, R., Warner, D.H., Molinari, J.F., “Critical length scale controls adhesive wear mechanisms”, Nature Comm., 11816, 2016.
[2]          Archard, J.F., “Contact and rubbing of flat surfaces”, J. of Applied Physics, 24, 981, 1953.
[4]          Frérot, L., Aghababaei, R., Molinari, J.F., “On understanding the wear coefficient: from single to multiple asperities contact”, J. Mech. Phys. Solids,               114, pp. 172-184, 2018.
[5]          Milanese, E. Brink, T., Aghababaei, R., Molinari, J.F., “Emergence of self-affine surfaces during adhesive wear”, Nature Communications, 10, 1116,               2019.

Bio:
Professor J.F. Molinari is the director of the Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory (http://lsms.epfl.ch) at EPFL, Switzerland. He holds an appointment in the Civil Engineering Institute, which he directed from 2013 to 2017, and a joint appointment in the Materials Science Institute. He started his tenure at EPFL in 2007 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2012. 
 
J.F. Molinari graduated from Caltech, USA, in 2001, with a M.S. and Ph.D. in Aeronautics. He held professorships in several countries besides Switzerland, including the United States with a position in Mechanical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University (2000-2006), and France at École Normale Supérieure Cachan in Mechanics (2005-2007), as well as a Teaching Associate position at the École Polytechnique de Paris (2006-2009). 
 
The work conducted by Prof. Molinari and his collaborators takes place at the frontier between traditional disciplines and covers several length scales from atomistic to macroscopic scales. Over the years, Professor Molinari and his group have been developing novel multiscale approaches for a seamless coupling across scales. The activities of the laboratory span the domains of damage mechanics of materials and structures, nano- and microstructural mechanical properties, and tribology. Prof. Molinari was a recipient of an ERC Starting Grant award in 2009.
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Stuart Russell, UC Berkeley;
Jeffrey Bohn, Swiss Re Institute;
Joanna Bryson, Hertie School;
John Zysman, UC Berkeley;
Elisabeth Bechtold, Zurich Insurance;
Tim Büthe, TUM;
Raja Chatila, Sorbonne Université;
Kelsey Farish, DAC Beachcroft LLP;
Marie-Valentine Florin, IRGC@EPFL;
Bryan Alexander Ford, EPFL;
James Larus, EPFL;
Gianluca Misuraca, DUK;
Andrea Renda, CEPS;
Elettra Ronchi, OECD;
Bernd Stahl, DMU;
Michael Veale, UCL;
Karen Yeung, University of Birmingham;
Peter Zilgalvis, European Commission;

On 18 November, EPFL's International Risk Governance Center (IRGC) and the EU Horizon 2020 TRIGGER Project will co-host the “Governance Of and By Digital Technology” conference, a public event that will bring together leading policymakers, researchers and practitioners to discuss important aspects of technological change and society’s reliance on digital technologies. A list of speakers and full programme can be found on the conference website. This conference will explore issues such as the question of governance of digital ecosystems, lessons learned from the rapid roll-out of digital contact tracing apps, the technical robustness and safety of AI-based systems, and the use of machine learning in governance. This conference will be held online using Zoom.

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Prof. Jan R.R. Verlet Durham University, U.K.

Zoom

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Prof. Dr. Alberto Salleo,
Stanford University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/843927942

Abstract: Organic semiconductors have been traditionally developed for making low-cost and flexible transistors, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. In the last few years, emerging applications in health case and bioelectronics have been proposed. A particularly interesting class of materials in this application area takes advantage of mixed ionic and electronic conduction in certain semiconducting polymers. Indeed, the ability to transduce ionic fluxes into electrical currents is useful when interacting with living matter or bodily fluids. My presentation will first discuss the fundamental aspects of how mixed conduction works in polymeric materials and show some applications in biosensing. The bulk of my talk will focus on polymer-based artificial synapses.
The brain can perform massively parallel information processing while consuming only ~1- 100 fJ per synaptic event. I will describe a novel electrochemical neuromorphic device that switches at record-low energy (<0.1 fJ projected, <10 pJ measured) and voltage (< 1mV, measured), displays >500 distinct, non-volatile conductance states within a ~1 V operating range. Furthermore, it achieves record classification accuracy when implemented in neural network simulations. Our organic neuromorphic device works by combining ionic (protonic) and electronic conduction and is essentially similar to a concentration battery. The main advantage of this device is that the barrier for state retention is decoupled from the barrier for changing states, allowing for the extremely low switching voltages while maintaining non-volatility. Our synapses display outstanding speed (<20 ns) and endurance achieving over 10⁹ switching events with very little degradation all the way to high temperature (up to 120°C). These properties, which are unheard of in the realm of organic semiconcuctors, are very promising in terms of the ability to integrate with Si electronics to demonstrate online learning and inference. When connected to an appropriate access device our device exhibits excellent linearity, which is an important consideration for neural networks that learn with blind updates.

Bio: Alberto Salleo is currently Full Professor of Materials Science and Department Chair at Stanford University. Alberto Salleo holds a Laurea degree in Chemistry from La Sapienza and graduated as a Fulbright Fellow with a PhD in Materials Science from UC Berkeley in 2001. From 2001 to 2005 Salleo was first post-doctoral research fellow and successively member of research staff at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. In 2005 Salleo joined the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford as an Assistant Professor in 2006. Salleo is a Principal Editor of MRS Communications since 2011.While at Stanford, Salleo won the NSF Career Award, the 3M Untenured Faculty Award, the SPIE Early Career Award, the Tau Beta Pi Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, and the Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, Stanford’s highest teaching award. He has been a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher since 2015, recognizing that he ranks in the top 1% cited researchers in his field.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Alexandre Vallet

Almost all satellites are using radio frequencies. Since there is no national sovereignty in outer space, the management of radio spectrum essentially relies on an international treaty called the Radio Regulations, which is elaborated by the International Telecommunication Union, the UN specialized agency for ICTs. Since 1906, this treaty is regularly updated by ITU Member States to cope with the advance of radio technologies through an cooperative process of technical and regulatory studies. The presentation will first introduce the international framework for regulating the use the radio frequencies. It will then focus on the specific case of Cubesats with a presentation of the process to get access to radio frequencies for a Cubesat project.

Alexandre Vallet is the current Chief of the Space Services Department in the Radiocommunication Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), since November 2017. Alexandre Vallet began to work in 2000 in the R&D center of Orange dealing with communications satellites. In 2006, he joined the satellite operator Eutelsat where he was in charge of regulatory matters. From 2007 to 2017, he was the Head of the Regulatory affairs and Spectrum/Orbit Resources Department at the French Agency in charge of radio spectrum management (Agence Nationale des Fréquences – ANFR).

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Prof. Alex Hoffmann, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically distinct spin textures and can be stable with quasi-particle like behavior.¹  This makes them interesting for information technologies,² where data is envisioned to be encoded in topological charges, instead of electronic charges as in conventional semiconducting devices.  Using magnetic multilayers we demonstrated that inhomogeneous charge currents allow the generation of skyrmions at room temperature in a process that is remarkably similar to the droplet formation in surface-tension driven fluid flows.³  Micromagnetic simulations reproduce key aspects of this transformation process and suggest a second mechanism at higher currents that does not rely on preexisting magnetic domain structures.⁴  Indeed, we demonstrated this second mechanism experimentally using non-magnetic point contacts.⁵  Using this approach, we demonstrated that the topological charge gives rise to a transverse motion on the skyrmions, i.e., the skyrmion Hall effect.⁶

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

References:

1. W. Jiang, et al., Phys. Rep. 2017, 704, 1–49.
2. A. Hoffmann and S. D. Bader, Phys. Rev. Appl. 2015, 4, 047001-1–047001-18
3. W. Jiang, et al., Science 2015, 349, 283–286.
4. O. Heinonen, et al., Phys. Rev. B 2016, 93, 094407-1–094407-6.
5. Z. Wang, et al., Phys. Rev. B 2019, 100, 184426-1–184426-9.
6. W. Jiang, et al., Nature Phys. 2017, 13, 162–169.

 
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Prof. Stéphanie Lacour, Laboratory for Soft BioElectronic Interface, EPFL School of Engineering (STI), Institute of Microengineering (IMT)

Abstract:
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Bio:
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Prof. Marc Koper Leiden University, Netherlands

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Prof. Simon Henein, Patek Philippe Chair in Micromechanical and Horological Design, EPFL School of Engineering (STI), Institute of Microengineering (IMT)

Abstract:
In 2017 Prof. Henein initiated a new course bridging the Engineering and Humanities faculties at EPFL: Collective Creation: Improvised Arts and Engineering (Improgineering). This year-long course, is part of EPFL’s Social and Human Sciences (SHS) program. It is open to all first-year Master’s students, with classes held once a week throughout the academic year. The course is hosted and supported by the Centre d’art scénique contemporain (ARSENIC) in Lausanne, a well-known incubator of contemporary performing arts. The course examines the creative processes in science, engineering and the performing
arts (dance, music, theatre) and put them in perspective with the design approaches used in engineering.

In 2018, the Improgineering course has been selected as a subject of study by researchers from the Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Neuchâtel (Prof. Kloetzer’s team) who launched the Performing Arts as Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education (ASCOPET) project, in collaboration with Prof. Henein. The observation and analysis of the pedagogical setting of this course covered the entire 2018-2019 academic year. The results of this study show that the use of performing arts in higher education has the potential to transform not only the relationship of the students to themselves, to the others, and to the topic under study, but also to transform the relationship between teachers and students, the relations between artistic and academic institutions, as well as the understanding of the central role of the body in collaborative activities, collective creation, and in particular in mechanical engineering design.

Bio:
Since obtaining his Ph.D. in Microengineering in 2000 from EPFL, Simon Henein has become a recognised leader in the design of novel mechanisms with sophisticated dynamic properties, dedicated to mechanical watches, surgical instruments, and aerospace applications. His related undergraduate and graduate teaching focuses on micromechanical design, with an emphasis on the creative process. In parallel, he developed a strong interest in improvised arts, particularly in dance instant composition. He participated in numerous workshops led by internationally renowned improvisers, developed his own artistic practice and founded a dance company in 2013. His experience in these two creative disciplines allowed him to identify a powerful synergy: improvisation as an efficient technique for developing collective work approaches, reflexivity, situated knowledge and embodied cognition. Simon Henein is currently Visiting Professor at the Centre for Theatre Studies (CET), Faculty of Arts, University of Lausanne and Associate Professor at EPFL, Head of the
Micromechanical and Horological Design Laboratory INSTANT-LAB, Institute of Microengineering.
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Prof. Bettina Lotsch Max Plank Institute for Solid State Research Stuttgart, Germany

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Prof. Laura De Laporte, Leibniz Institute / RWTH Aachen, Germany

We apply polymeric molecular and nano- to micron-scale building blocks to assemble soft 3D biomaterials with anisotropic and dynamic properties. Microgels and fibers are produced by technologies based on fiber spinning, microfluidics, and in-mold polymerization. To arrange the building blocks in a spatially controlled manner, self-assembly mechanisms and assembly by external magnetic fields are employed. For example, the Anisogel technology offers a solution to regenerate sensitive tissues with an oriented architecture, which requires a low invasive therapy. It can be injected as a liquid and structured in situ in a controlled manner with defined biochemical, mechanical, and structural parameters. Magnetoceptive, anisometric microgels or short fibers are incorporated to create a unidirectional structure. Cells and nerves grow in a linear manner and the fibronectin produced by fibroblasts is aligned. Regenerated nerves are functional with spontaneous activity and electrical signals propagating along the anisotropy axis of the material. Another developed platform is a thermoresponsive hydrogel system, encapsulated with plasmonic gold-nanorods, which actuates by oscillating light. This system elucidates how rapid hydrogel beating leads to a reduction in cell migration, while enhancing focal adhesions, native production of extracellular matrix, and nuclear translocation of mechanosensitive proteins, depending on the amplitude and frequency of actuation.

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Prof. Bin YU

Prof. Bin YU est actuellement professeure du chancelière dans les départements de statistiques et de génie électrique et informatique de l'université de Californie, à Berkeley.

Résumé :


Le Centre pour les systèmes intelligents de l'EPFL (CIS) est une collaboration entre IC, SB et STI qui réunit des chercheurs travaillant sur différents aspects des systèmes intelligents. En juin 2020, le CIS a lancé ses Colloques CIS avec des orateurs invités de renom.
Plus d'info https://www.epfl.ch/research/domains/cis/center-for-intelligent-systems-cis/events/colloquia/

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Prof. Francesco Stellacci, Supramolecular Nanomaterials and Interfaces Laboratory, EPFL School of Engineering (STI), Institute of Materials (IMX)

Abstract:
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Bio:
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Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenbrunner
Johannes Kepler University Linz

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne BM 5202 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream:

Abstract:

Bio:

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program

Note: After the lecture, there will be time for discussion and interaction with the distinguished speaker, sandwich lunch and refreshments sponsored by the Institute of Microengineering will be provided for attendees in front of the lecture hall (BM 5104, ca. 13h15)

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Prof. Fiorenzo Omenetto, Tufts University, USA

Natural materials offer new avenues for innovation across fields, bringing together, like never before, natural sciences and high technology. Significant opportunity exists in reinventing naturally-derived materials, such as structural proteins, and applying advanced material processing, prototyping, and manufacturing techniques to these ubiquitously present substances.  This approach help us imagine and realize sustainable, carbon-neutral strategies that operate seamlessly at the interface between the biological and the technological worlds. Some of these opportunities include biomaterials-based applications in edible and implantable electronics, food preservation, functional packaging, energy harvesting, wearable sensors, compostable technology, distributed environmental sensing, medical devices and therapeutics, biospecimen stabilization, advanced medical diagnostics, and will be outlined in this talk.
Bio: Fiorenzo G. Omenetto is the Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering, and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University. He also holds appointments in the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical Engineering. His research interests are in the convergence of technology, biologically inspired materials and the natural sciences with an emphasis on new transformative approaches for sustainable materials for high-technology applications. Prof. Omenetto was formerly a J. Robert Oppenheimer Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratories, a Guggenheim Fellow.  He is a 2017 Tällberg Foundation Global Leader,  a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, the National Academy of Inventors, and of the American Physical Society. His research has been featured extensively in the press with coverage in the most important media outlets worldwide. 
 

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Prof. Mackenzie Mathis
 

Le Centre pour les systèmes intelligents de l'EPFL (CIS) est une collaboration entre IC, SB et STI qui réunit des chercheurs travaillant sur différents aspects des systèmes intelligents.
 
Afin de promouvoir les échanges entre chercheurs et d'encourager la création de nouveaux projets collaboratifs, le CIS organise une série de conférences intitulée "Get to know your neighbors". Chaque séminaire consistera en une ou deux courtes présentations générales destinées au grand public à l'EPFL.
 
Par Zoom : https://epfl.zoom.us/j/92425058558
 
Lundi 14 décembre 2020 de 15h15 à 16h15


NB : Des enregistrements vidéo des séminaires seront disponibles sur notre site internet et publiés sur nos pages de médias sociaux
 

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Prof. Herbert Shea, Soft Transducers Laboratory, EPFL School of Engineering (STI), Institute of Microengineering (IMT)

Abstract:
Our research at EPFL-LMTS centers on mm- to cm-scale elastomer-based actuators driven by electrostatic forces. Using examples from our work in soft robotics and wearable haptics, I will illustrate how we have addressed several key limitations of directly electrically-driven soft actuators, including obtaining high forces (16 N holding force from a 1 g device), high speeds (5 kHz), complex motion, and reducing drive voltage to 300 V, a level at which we can use SMD components for very compact control electronics. This enabled us to make fast untethered soft robots, robust yet sub-mm thick wearable haptic interfaces, high-force textile clutches for VR gloves, and compliant grippers able to delicately manipulate fruit and vegetables. Our ongoing work is aimed at embedding intelligence into these soft machines.

Bio:
Herb Shea is a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he leads the Soft Transducers Lab (EPFL-LMTS). His research is centered on elastomer-based actuators for wearable haptics and for soft robotics. He is the president of the EuroEAP Society since 2018. Herb holds a PhD in physics from Harvard University (1997), and worked for 7 years at IBM Research and Bell Labs prior to joining EPFL in 2004.
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Dr Andrea Ablasser, SV / GHI / UPABLASSER

Abstract
The life of any organism depends on the ability of its cells to recognize and respond to pathogenic microbes. To accomplish this vital task cells rely on intricate signaling pathways that couple sensing of pathogen-associated danger signals to the execution of antimicrobial immune responses. The cGAS-(cGAMP)-STING signaling pathway is at the core of a highly conserved innate immune strategy that originated in bacteria to protect from phage infection. In mammals, the pathway detects intracellular DNA to promote an antiviral and inflammatory state. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the cGAS-STING pathway plays a critical role in regulating a number of (patho-)physiological processes that fall outside its traditional function in host defense. As such, the cGAS-STING pathway is implicated in a number of inflammatory disease states where homeostasis is compromised and out-of-context self DNA accumulates, including autoimmunity, cancer, and neurodegeneration.
In this talk I will present advances in our understanding of the activation and regulation of the cGAS-STING pathway. I will also discuss how aberrant cGAS-STING signaling contributes to inflammatory phenotypes and highlight opportunities for pharmacologically targeting cGAS-STING pathway activity.

Biosketch
Andrea Ablasser obtained her MD at the University of Munich. After her post-doc at the University of Bonn, she joined EPFL as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on mechanisms of innate immunity. She played a major role in deciphering how cells respond to DNA as a signal of infection via the so-called cGAS-STING pathway - a fundamental discovery, which paved the way for promising new immunotherapies. Amongst several distinctions, Andrea Ablasser is recipient of the Coley Award, the Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Award, the  National Latsis Prize, the ACTERIA Prize, and the Eppendorf Award, and she was elected member of EMBO. She is the founding scientist of IFM Due, a biopharmaceutical company developing cGAS-STING antagonists for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.
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Dr Elisa Oricchio, SV / ISREC / UPORICCHIO

Abstract:
Cancer is a genetic disease that arises from the accumulation and selection of multiple genomic lesions including mutations, chromosomal rearrangements and epigenetic alterations. These lesions affect the expression and activity of multiple genes, lead to modifications of the chromatin tri-dimensional (3D) organization, and influence response to therapies. In my lab, we are interested, on one side, in elucidating the impact of cancer genomic lesions on the 3D structure of the chromatin and, on the other side, in integrating genomic analyses with functional studies to gain insights into tumor biology and develop new therapies. In my talk, I will discuss both topics. I will present recent studies where we demonstrated how epigenetic modifications and chromosomal changes influence the 3D structure of the chromatin to drive and sustain oncogenic programs. Then, I’ll present an example of a functional cancer genomic study that led to the discovery of a new therapeutic target and the design of new therapeutic compounds.

A short bio
Elisa Oricchio, PhD, is a tenure track assistant professor at EPFL in the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Science. Her research focuses on cancer genomics and B-cell malignancies. Over the course of her career she has identified oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes as new therapeutic targets or as biomarkers to better classify cancer patients. As an independent investigator, she moved beyond the liner interpretation of the cancer genome and she has integrated cancer genomic analyses in B-cell malignancies with the study of 3D chromatin conformation. Her work has been recognized with the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientist by the New York Academy of Science and the Lorini Award for Italian Scientist in Cancer Research. Recently, she was appointed as board member of the European Association of Cancer Research (EACR), which represents the major association for cancer research in Europe.
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