Prochain événements

several internationally recognized experts

La recherche sur la manière dont les animaux et les humains excellent dans les mouvements adaptatifs, y compris la locomotion, peut aider les ingénieurs à améliorer les capacités d'adaptation des robots. En contrepartie, les robots peuvent être utilisés en tant qu'outils scientifiques pour explorer les principes de base des systèmes biologiques, en particulier les mécanismes neuromécaniques sous-tendant à leurs fascinantes capacités de locomotion. AMAM 2019 est la 9ème conférence internationale visant à créer des interactions fructueuses entre biologistes et ingénieurs intéressés par le mouvement adaptatif. Elle vise à réunir des chercheurs en robotique, biomécanique, neurosciences, sciences du sport et autres domaines liés au comportement dans les systèmes biologiques et artificiels.
Les collaborateurs de l'EPFL peuvent s'inscrire à la conférence (y compris les repas de midi et pauses café, mais pas le banquet) au prix réduit de 350 CHF (veuillez utiliser votre adresse courriel EPFL pour l'enregistrement). Détails sous https://amam2019.epfl.ch/register.php.

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Prof. Lucia MELLONI (Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics & New York University School of Medicine)

Abstract: Thirty years ago, a seminal paper by Crick and Koch (re)introduced the scientific study of consciousness to the fields of psychology and neuroscience. This triggered a surge of research on the neural basis of consciousness, and concurrently the development of multiple empirically-based theories of consciousness. Since then, the science of consciousness has progressed from a nascent to a more established field. With growing maturity, new challenges emerge: how do we test the validity and predictive power of current theories? How do we know which theory best ‘explains’ consciousness? Consciousness research today is confronted with the question of how to move forward. How do we go from the accumulation of empirical findings supporting one theory or another, to solid theoretical foundations that can explain consciousness, predict its presence and absence, and improve the diagnosis and treatment of disorders in which consciousness is compromised? Here, we will discuss efforts underway to accelerate and transform research on consciousness based on best practices established in other fields, such as physics: large, collaborative team efforts oriented towards a common goal, adversarial collaboration, preregistration, open data and open science protocols. The use of such practices has the potential to bring the science of consciousness forward and help arbitrate among competing theories. This approach entails a new sociology of science, and we will discuss how this by itself can help make progress, while also creating unique challenges. Given adequate resources and buy-in from our research community, these efforts may not only enable progress in research on consciousness but may also position our field at the frontier of science by providing a new model of how science can be done. 


Bio: Lucia Melloni is a research group leader at the Max Planck for Empirical Aesthetics and an assistant professor at NYU school of medicine. In her research she uses a combination of neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and behavior to dissect the neural circuits that give rise to perception and cognition in humans. Her research primarily focuses on two questions: 1) consciousness – what make us to have an experience – and 2) language – how do we communicate infinite number of ideas with a limited set of string. Her approach aims at revealing the elementary computations and neural mechanisms of those processes, and to develop a novel framework to study the physiology of uniquely human cognitive processes.
 
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Prof. Dr. Sylvain Gigan

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture (Bonus Lecture)

Abstract: Complex heterogeneous materials, that scatter light in a highly complex way, present a huge challenge for imaging (think of seeing inside or through milk or in biological tissues). They are also a very interesting playground to study fundamental questions in wave physics. Very recently, we have shown that random light propagation in complex media can be leveraged for computational tasks. I will illustrate this concept through various examples, ranging from brain imaging to  optical computing (both classical and quantum). 

Bio: Sylvain Gigan is Professor of Physics at Sorbonne Université in Paris, and group leader in Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel, at Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS, Paris). His research interests range from fundamental investigations of light propagation in complex media, biomedical imaging, sensing, signal processing,  to quantum optics and quantum information in complex media. He is also the cofounder of a spin-off:  LightOn (www.lighton.io) aiming at performing optical computing for machine learning and Big Data. 

This lecture is part of the IMT Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture is considered as a bonus lecture for the class MICRO-626 (usual attendance requirement does not apply, but participation is highly encouraged).

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Maria-Luiza Vladarean

EDIC candidacy exam
Exam president: Prof. Ali H. Sayed
Thesis advisor: Prof. Volkan Cevher
Co-examiner: Prof. Martin Jaggi

Abstract
The recent surge of data availability poses a significant burden on optimization algorithms. Methods are required to be robust in the presence of noise and scalable, i.e. provably fast and space-efficient. In the particular case of constrained optimization, the latter property comes in the form of projection-free methods, stochastic constraints, or distributable schemes.

This proposal discusses three conceptually different approaches to constrained minimization problems. We first present a unified convergence analysis for classical Augmented Lagrangian schemes. We then study a method that leverages a probabilistic framework to satisfy linear inclusion constraints - possibly infinitely many - almost surely. Finally, we discuss the zeroth-order optimization perspective on constrained problems and the scalability challenges faced in the absence of gradient information. We conclude this proposal by outlining some preliminary results obtained during our study of almost-sure constraints under the conditional gradient framework.

Background papers
Almost surely constrained convex optimization, by Olivier Fercoq, Ahmet Alacaoglu, Ion Necoara, Volkan Cevher.
Lagrangian methods for composite optimization, by Shoham Sabach, Marc Teboulle.
Zeroth-order Nonconvex Stochastic Optimization: Handling Constraints, High-Dimensionality and Saddle-Points, by Krishnakumar Balasubramanian and Saeed Ghadimi.
 
 
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[Keynotes] Viola VOGEL (ETH Zürich) & Diego GHEZZI (EPFL)

We are looking forward to welcoming you at Campus Biotech on Tuesday August 27, 2019, for the Annual Meeting of the Swiss Society for Biomedical Engineering (SSBE)
 
Registration is now open and will close on August 12, 2019.

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Prof. Jianping Fu, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA)

BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR
 
Abstract:
Early human embryonic development remains mysterious due to drastic species divergences between humans and other mammalian models and limited accessibility to human embryo samples.  Recent studies from my laboratory and others have shown that under suitable culture conditions human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can undergo intricate morphogenetic events and self-organize to form patterned human embryo-like structures in vitro.  These synthetic human embryonic-like tissues hold great promises for advancing human embryology and reproductive medicine.  In this talk, I will describe a hPSC-based, synthetic 3D model of human post-implantation development that recapitulates key developmental landmarks successively, including pro-amniotic cavity formation, amniotic ectoderm-epiblast patterning, primordial germ cell specification, and development of the primitive streak with controlled anteroposterior polarity.  We further show that the amniotic ectoderm, as the first lineage that segregates from the epiblast upon implantation of the human embryo, functions as a signaling center to trigger primitive streak development in the epiblast.  Together, our research has developed a powerful synthetic embryological model and provided new understandings of previously inaccessible but critical embryogenic events in human development.

Bio:
Jianping Fu is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a primary appointment in the Mechanical Engineering Department and courtesy appointments in the Biomedical Engineering Department and the Cell and Developmental Biology Department.  He is a Core Faculty Member for the UM Center for Organogenesis, the UM Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the UM Center for Systems Biology. Dr. Fu received a B.E. degree (2000) from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and a M.S. degree (2002) from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), both in Mechanical Engineering.  He earned his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2007 for thesis completed with Dr. Jongyoon Han.  Dr. Fu was an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Christopher S. Chen's group at the University of Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2009.
 
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Dr. Suman DAS, Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, NIBR, Novartis, Basel (CH)

SEMINAR of the LAUSANNE INTEGRATIVE METABOLISM and NUTRITION ALLIANCE (LIMNA)

Abstract:
An intricate balance between metabolic regulators, signalling pathways and gene expression is essential for healthy skeletal muscle. Disruptions of this balance by extrinsic and/or extrinsic factors lead to skeletal muscle pathology which results in loss of muscle function and/or mass. During our investigations, we found that ATP citrate lyase (ACL), a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes mitochondria-derived citrate into oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA, plays key role regulating mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism as well as myogenesis in skeletal muscle. IGF1 through PI3K-AKT phosphorylates ACL thus inducing its activity. ACL activation and/or overexpression of ACL lead to increased cardiolipin levels, thus increasing mitochondrial complexes as well as supercomplexes. Concomitant increase in oxygen consumption and ATP levels were observed. Moreover, ACL silencing impaired myoblast and satellite cell differentiation specially a significant decrease fast myosin heavy chain as well as MYOD. We identified that ACL regulates availability of acetyl groups leading to alterations in acetylation of (K9/14) and H3(K27) at the MYOD locus, thus increasing MYOD expression. ACL overexpresion led to improved muscle regeneration following cardiotoxin mediated damage. Altogether, our results suggest that ACL plays an important role in skeletal muscle metabolism as well as in myofiber differentiation.
 
 
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Various

Eurotech Summer School, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland - 2-6 September 2019

"Open" is the new black. Everybody talks about open science. But what does it mean exactly?

Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, reproducible science. Jargon or concrete action?

This summer school is for anyone interested in learning how to improve the quality and impact of research. The course will take place over five days, with a large part of the program dedicated to workshops and tutorials to learn useful tips and tricks that will make your life easier. Instructors will present their experience and expertise on how you can adopt open science tools and best practice to your research more efficient, reproducible, visible and impactful.

We bring together established scientists and early career researchers to provide a stimulating, yet friendly, learning environment. No preliminary knowledge of open science is required!

Registration deadline is Friday 19 July 2019, 17:00 CET

2 ECTS for doctoral students

More information on the course website.

Confirmed speakers include:

Rachael Ainsworth - Radio Astronomer, University of Manchester, UK
Adrien Ball - Senior Machine Learning Engineer, SNIPS, Paris, France
Anita Bröllochs - Head of Outreach, Protocols.io, USA
Fatma Deniz - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California Berkeley, and Visiting Scientist, Technical University Berlin, Germany
Tim Head - Software Developer, Wild Tree Tech and Skribble
Stephan Heunis - PhD candidate at the Electrical Engineering department of the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Michel Jaccard - Lawyer, Associate at id est avocats, Lausanne, Switzerland
Wenzel Jakob - Professor at the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, EPFL, Switzerland
Galina Limorenko - PhD candidate in the School of Life Sciences, EPFL, Switzerland
Charlotte Mazel-Cabasse - Executive Director of the Digital Humanities Center, UNIL-EPFL, Switzerland
Marc Robinson-Rechavi - Professor of Bioinformatics, UNIL, and Group Leader, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
Melanie Röthlisberger - Senior Research and Teaching Associate, English Department, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Sina Rüeger - Postdoctoral Researcher, EPFL, Switzerland
Frédéric Schütz - Statistician, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
Malvika Sharan - Computational Biologist, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
Bruno Strasser - Professor of History of Science, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Maximilian Strauss - Postdoctoral Researcher, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München and Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany
Jon Tennant - Rogue Palaeontologist, Interdisciplinary Research Center (CRI), Paris, France
Charlotte Teresa Weber - Researcher at The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Norway
Martin Vetterli - Professor of Engineering and President at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland


 

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Reuven Agami, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, NL Marina Chekulaeva, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB), Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, DE Zoya Ignatova, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, DE Dónal O'Carroll, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK Takashi Hiiragi, EMBL Heidelberg, DE Marc Timmers, University of Freiburg and DKFZ Heidelberg, DE

The workshop on gene regulation is a one-day long, yearly event with two main goals: we wish to give the opportunity to researchers in Switerland to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field of gene regulation, and we wish to give the occasion to young researchers, specifically master and doctoral students, as well as post-doctoral fellows, to hear and meet world re-knowns scientists, and to experience the excitement of scientific discussion. The meeting is organized accordingly. Thus: -the short length of the meeting (just one day) tailors it to researchers in Switerzland, who can travel in the morning, attend the entire meeting, and be back home in the evening. This format has the huge advantage of tremendously reducing the cost of attending the meeting, since there is no need for hotel stays. Moreover, registration is free. -We ask that the talks be 30 to 35 minutes long, leaving 10 to 15 minutes for questions. This allows the speakers to give a comprehensive introduction to the specific problem they are studying, and to the n describe their latest results at a comfortable pace, much different from the situation at many international meetings on gene expression where talks can be as short as 8 minutes! This format makes it easier not only for students, but also for experienced researchers who are not in the exact field of the speaker, to follow the talks. There is then ample time for discussion. Indeed, a characteristic of this meeting is the long question and answer period, which has on several occasions in the past years been quite memorable. To allow students to have time with the speakers, they will be able to register to have lunch with the speakers. This will allow them to interact with world-renowned scientists in the absence of any other professors, which is often intimidating for them.
 

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Prof. Dr. Debbie Senesky
Stanford University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne SV 1717 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/165147980

Abstract: There has been a tremendous amount of research and industrial investment in gallium nitride (GaN) as it is positioned to replace silicon in the billion-dollar (USD) power electronics industry, as well as the post-Moore microelectronics universe. In addition, the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for pioneering research in GaN that led to the realization of the energy-efficient blue light-emitting diode (LED). Furthermore, GaN electronics have operated at temperatures as high as 1000°C making it a viable platform for robust space-grade electronics and nano-satellites.  Even with these major technological breakthroughs, we have just begun the “GaN revolution.” New communities are adopting this platform for a multitude of emerging device applications including the following: sensing, energy harvesting, actuation, communication, and photonics.  In this talk, we will review and discuss the benefits of GaN’s two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) over silicon’s p-n junction for these new and emerging applications.  In addition, we will discuss opportunities for transformational development of this semiconductor device platform (e.g., interface engineering, thermal metrology, selective-area doping) to realize future GaN-based electronic systems.
 
Bio: Debbie G. Senesky is an Assistant Professor at Stanford University in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and by courtesy, the Electrical Engineering Department. In addition, she is the Principal Investigator of the EXtreme Environment Microsystems Laboratory (XLab).  Her research interests include the development of micro- and nano-scale sensors, high-temperature wide bandgap (GaN, SiC) electronics, and robust interface materials for operation within extreme harsh environments.   She received the B.S. degree (2001) in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. She received the M.S. degree (2004) and Ph.D. degree (2007) in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, she has held positions at GE Sensing (formerly known as NovaSensor), GE Global Research Center, and Hewlett Packard.  She has served on the program committee of the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers), and International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S).  She is currently co-editor for IEEE Electron Device Letters, Sensors (journal), and Micromachines (journal).   In recognition of her work, she is a recipient of the Emerging Leader Abie Award from AnitaB.org, NASA Early Faculty Career Award, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship Award. More information about Prof. Senesky can be found at xlab.stanford.edu or on Instagram/Twitter: @debbiesenesky.

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

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Prof. Hatice Altug, EPFL, Lausanne (CH)

BIOENGINEERING SEMINAR
 
Abstract:
New healthcare initiatives including point-of-care diagnostics, global health care and precision medicine are demanding breakthrough developments in biosensing and bioanalytical tools. Current biosensors are lacking precision, bulky, and costly, as well as require long detection times, sophisticated infrastructure and trained personnel which limit their application areas. To address these challenges in my laboratory we exploit novel physical phenomena and engineering toolkits such as nanophotonics, nanofabrication and microfluidics. In particular optical nanostructures based on plasmonics and dielectric metasurfaces which can confine light below the fundamental diffraction limit and create extremely intense electromagnetic fields in nanometric volumes are offering tremendous opportunities. In this talk I will present how we exploit nanophotonics and combine it with imaging, biology and chemistry to achieve high performance biosensors with new functionalities. First, I will show ultra-sensitive Mid-IR biosensors based on surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy for chemical specific detection of molecular compounds and real-time monitoring of protein conformations in aqueous environment. Significantly, our recent invention which converts molecular absorption signatures into barcode-like images is opening the doors to empowering nanophotonics with artificial intelligence for detecting materials in new ways. Second, I will describe our effort to develop ultra-compact, portable and low-cost microarrays and use them for disease diagnostics in real-world settings. Finally, I will present powerful label-free optofluidic biosensors that can perform one-of-a-kind measurements on live cells down to the single cell level and provide their prospects in biomedical and clinical applications.

Bio:
Hatice Altug is associate professor at Ecole Ploytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), in the Institute of Bioenginnering. She is also director of EPFL's Doctoral School in Photonics. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University (U.S.A.) in 2007 and a B.S. in Physics from Bilkent University (Turkey) in 2000. Prof. Altug is the recipient of the 2012 Optical Society of America Adolph Lomb Medal and of the 2010 U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in their early career. She received an European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant, an ERC Proof of Concept Grant, a U.S. Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, a U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Massachusetts Life Science Center New Investigator Award, and an IEEE Photonics Society Young Investigator Award. Altug was the winner of the Inventors’ Challenge competition of Silicon Valley in 2005, and has been named to Popular Science Magazine’s "Brilliant 10" list in 2011.

‘Zoom’ link for attending remotely: click here
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Learn directly from the ERC on these most Prestigious Grants

ERC Synergy Grants enable 2-4 top researchers with complementary skills and knowledge to jointly address a research problem in an unprecedented way. The last Synergy Grant call under the current European framework programme for research and innovation will open in July and close in November 2019.
Join this event to find out more about these prestigious, highly attractive grants and what it takes to be competitive.

Agenda:
14:15–14:30    Registration and coffee

14:30–14:45    Welcome by Dr Judith Zbinden - NCP ERC and Climate - Euresearch Network Office

14:45–15:45    Presentation of the Synergy Grant and what it takes to be competitive by Dr Martin Penny - ERC Executive Agency

15:45–16:15    Perspective of a successful applicant by Prof Albert Hafner - University of Bern

16:15–16:30    Euresearch support by Dr Judith Zbinden - NCP ERC and Climate - Euresearch Network Office

16:45–17:30    Apero and bilateral discussions

Registration is required through the Euresearch web site.

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Dr Julian Leonard, Harvard University

The high-energy dynamics of quantum many-body systems are usually governed by their approach towards thermal equilibrium, which rapidly simplifies their local behavior to the framework of classical statistical mechanics. A breakdown of this paradigm can occur in the presence of disorder, where many-body localization completely inhibits those thermalization dynamics. Strikingly, despite their localized nature, many-body-localized systems are expected to show ongoing coherent dynamics that manifest as a slow buildup of entanglement.
 
In my talk, I will present our recent studies on many-body localization. We prepare a pure quantum state out of equilibrium, evolve it unitarily under the interacting Aubry-André Hamiltonian, and perform projective measurements in the Fock basis. We observe a number of key properties, such as the mentioned slow buildup of entanglement, extensive entanglement of the many-body state, and a diverging state complexity at the many-body localization transition.
 

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When : 3. September 2019
Where : Empa, Dübendorf, AKADEMIE
Who : SMEs, large companies, public research organizations, universities working in micro- and nanotechnology and smart systems
 
What: ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership) initiative supports market-oriented joint R&D in the nanoelectronics and embedded computer systems segment between partners in European industry (including SMEs) and universities of applied sciences.
The aim of this event is to increase the awareness of the ECSEL program among SMEs, industry and university representatives in Switzerland, with special reference to the next Smart Systems Call from ECSEL in 2020.

More information on the event
More information on ECSEL programme
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The aim of this event is to inform all interested stakeholders in Switzerland about funding opportunities for the remaining year of Horizon 2020. Come and find out how to make the best use of the opportunities available in the final year of the H2020 framework.

Date:
September 5, 2019, 09h30 - 16h30

Location:
EVENTFabrik
Fabrikhalle 12
Fabrikstrasse 12
3012 Bern
Switzerland

This workshop is free of charge but registration is compulsory.

To find a complete agenda and to register for the event, please vist the Euresearch site here: https://www.euresearch.ch/en/events/event-detail/showUid/895/

For more information on the event, please contact the Euresearch Network Office: info@euresearch.ch

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Siara Isaac

What strategies can I use to increase student participation? What potential advantages for student learning? At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. explain the importance of using interactive teaching strategies;
2. select appropriate teaching strategies to achieve learning objectives;
3. construct effective interactive teaching scenarios.

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Prof. Gerard Karsenty, Chair, Genetics & Development Department, University of Columbia, New York (USA)

SEMINAR of the LAUSANNE INTEGRATIVE METABOLISM and NUTRITION ALLIANCE (LIMNA)

Abstract:
We are using mouse genetics to ask whether we know, as we assume we do,  all the physiological functions fulfilled by each organ in mammals. This exploration is based on the belief that physiology, i.e., the science of how organs talk to each other to maintain a whole-organism homeostasis, has been stalled in the last 70 years or so. As a case in study we focus our efforts on the skeleton and are asking does bone have any other function besides making bone? Based on cell biological and clinical observations we have hypothesized that there must be a coordinated control, endocrine in nature, of bone growth, energy metabolism and reproduction. Exploring every tenet of this working hypothesis revealed, as it will be illustrated during the talk, that bone is a multipurpose endocrine organ that influences many more physiological processes than simply bone modeling and remodeling. Analysis of all the bone-regulated functions reveals a common feature shared by all of them. This in turn suggests that bone may have been invented as a survival tool for animals leaving the sea to live on land.
 
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Do Hoang Nam LE

Thesis Director: Dr. J.-M. Odobez,
Electrical Engineering doctoral program
Thesis Nr. 9442

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The program of the event can the found here: http://cdtsopc2.epfl.ch/competition

Recent research on Cell Competition has put forward that cells are engaged in a ‘survival of the fittest’ battle throughout life so that this general evolutionary principle applies not only between species or individuals but extends to cells within most tissues of an organism. It is an important, non-immune mechanism that detects and eliminates cells that are different from their neighbours or are not well adapted to their microenvironment. The basis of cell competition is the ability of cells to directly monitor their neighbors, and only recently have signaling and effector mechanisms been identified. Cell competition shapes developing tissues, stem cell populations, and tumorigenesis. It has implications for human disease and may present new opportunities for prevention and therapy.

This conference aims to bring together researchers from diverse fields, who study competitive interactions between cells in various model systems including vertebrates. Registration is free but obligatory.

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EPFL Research Day
09:30 - 12:30

Cet événement sera consacré à la recherche scientifique, l’innovation et le transfert de technologie avec un accent particulier sur les travaux menés à l’EPFL Valais Wallis dans les domaines de l’énergie, de la chimie verte, de l’environnement et de la santé.

Festivités 5 ans EPFL Valais Wallis
12:30 - 14:00

Nous célébrerons les 5 ans de l’EPFL Valais Wallis; une raclette festive qui aura lieu dans le même bâtiment. Celle-ci sera l’occasion de se retrouver de manière conviviale afin de fêter ensemble cet événement, en présence de ceux qui ont participé, de près ou de loin, au succès de ces cinq dernières années.

Programme complet sur https://www.epfl.ch/campus/events/fr/celebration/journees-de-la-recherche/research-day-sion/
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EPFL Research Day
09.30 - 14.00

Cet événement sera consacrée à la recherche scientifique, avec un accent particulier sur les travaux menés à Neuchâtel dans les domaines de la santé, des microsystèmes, du photovoltaïque et de l'horlogerie.

Des partenaires industriels et des fondateurs de startups issues des laboratoires illustreront les liens que l’EPFL entretient avec le tissu économique local.

10 ans de l'EPFL à Neuchâtel
14.00 - 18.00

Les temps forts du campus de Neuchâtel et ses perspectives sur l’avenir seront présentés et la parole sera donnée à plusieurs acteurs clés de la région qui participent à la force et à la richesse de l’institution, en mettant l’emphase sur des exemples concrets de projets de recherche ou de start up.

La journée se clôturera par une visite des laboratoires et un apéritif convivial.

Programme complet sous https://www.epfl.ch/campus/events/fr/celebration/journees-de-la-recherche/research-day-neuchatel/
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EPFL Research Day
09.30 - 13.30

Consacré à la recherche scientifique, cet événement réunira les chercheurs de notre École, les acteurs clés de la région, les partenaires et les amis de l’EPFL.

Des présentations courtes et un panel mettront l’accent sur les travaux menés à Genève dans les domaines de la biotechnologie, des neurosciences et de la neuroprosthétique et sur le rôle clé joué par des collaborations. Cette rencontre offrira l’occasion d’esquisser les défis et promesses que l’avenir réserve au campus.

NeuroDay
13.30-19.30

NeuroDay est une initiative de l’EPFL pour fédérer la recherche et la collaboration autour de la neurotechnologie, de la neuroscience générale et in-silico, mettant en valeur la richesse de ces domaines à l’EPFL.

Organisé conjointement par le Brain Mind Institute, le Blue Brain Project et le Centre de Neuroprothèses, le NeuroDay 2019 abordera une large palette de thématiques, allant de la recherche fondamentale à la recherche translationnelle. La journée se terminera par un cocktail convivial.

Programme complet: https://www.epfl.ch/campus/events/fr/celebration/journees-de-la-recherche/research-day-geneve/
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Êtes-vous prêts pour la nouvelle ère de l’aviation ?

Intitulée « Delivering the Future Digital Aviation Technologies to Enable Sustainable & Scalable Solution », la conférence réunit les acteurs internationaux majeurs de l’industrie, du monde scientifique et des agences intergouvernementales. Les interventions d'experts leaders dans leur domaine permettront de découvrir les derniers développements à travers une variété de points de vue. L’événement est une opportunité unique d’apprendre, d’échanger et de façonner la dimension aérienne de notre société digitale.

Au programme :

• Les dernières innovations technologiques de l’EPFL, l’ETHZ, et de l’UZH
• Défi souterrain de la DARPA : voler (sans pilote) sous terre
• La vision de DJI pour un ciel plus sûr
• Comment EHang veut « laisser l’humanité voler librement comme un oiseau »
• Faire accepter la mobilité aérienne urbaine par le public
• U-Space, le progrès de l’Europe pour rendre l’aviation sans pilote sûre, sécurisée, silencieuse, propre et efficace
• Comment rcéer une nouvelle industrie digitale, par le CEO de Parrot
• Qu’offrira Google Wing ?

Dans le contexte d’une avancée rapide de l’innovation technologique, la conférence représente un rendez-vous incontournable pour une interaction à l’échelle mondiale autour des drones et de l’aviation numérique. Suite au succès des deux précédentes éditions, cette 3^ème édition continue de participer à la définition de l’avenir de l’industrie des drones, en établissant une relation durable entre l’aviation digitale et la société dans son ensemble.

La conférence a lieu dans le cadre des EPFL Drone Days 2019 et conjointement avec les Portes Ouvertes de l’EPFL. 30'000 visiteurs sont attendus. Une course de drones faisant partie du championnat mondial, l’EPFL Drone Racing Cup 2019, aura également lieu.
 
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Consacré à la recherche scientifique, cet événement mettra l’accent sur le futur de l'environnement bâti, avec une présentation des travaux menés au sein de l'antenne de l'EPFL à Fribourg conjointement avec les partenaires académiques du Smart Living Lab.

Cette rencontre entre les chercheurs de notre École et les acteurs clés de la société qu’elle sert sera l’occasion de découvrir le futur bâtiment du Smart Living Lab, dont la construction devrait débuter en 2020.

L’événement sera conclu par des visites et un apéritif.

Programme complet: https://www.epfl.ch/campus/events/fr/celebration/journees-de-la-recherche/research-day-fribourg/

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Cet événement sera consacré à la recherche scientifique et mettra l’accent sur des projets phares de l’EPFL.

Il se déroulera sous la forme d’une rencontre entre les chercheurs de notre École et de plusieurs acteurs clés de la société qu’elle sert, et sera agrémenté de présentations et de discussions autour des thèmes de la recherche et de l’innovation, notamment en lien avec l’éducation.

L’événement sera suivi d’un apéritif puis d’une visite aux portes ouvertes (visites VIP organisées sur demande).

Programme complet: https://www.epfl.ch/campus/events/celebration-en/research-days/research-day-in-lausanne/

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Dr Paul Ashby from Molecular Foundry - Berkeley Lab

My group uses functional imaging to enhance materials design and synthesis. In this seminar I will present three recent projects.   In the first project, we assemble nanoparticles at the interface of immiscible liquids by strongly binding them to surfactant molecules. These assemblies form stiff films that stabilize the interface and allow us to create persistent liquid in liquid structures that can be used as reconfigurable microfluidics, reaction vessels, and even liquid ferromagnets. We also discovered that this system shows anomalous emulsion phase inversion behavior and we use nanoscale in-situ imaging to provide a detailed physical explanation. In the second project, we characterize the factors that limit energy conversion efficiency in CIGS photovoltaic devices. Using high resolution Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy, we identified regions of electron accumulation near the P-N junction where a 100mV barrier reduces the open circuit voltage of the device.  We also characterized deep negatively charged hole traps throughout the active layer as a source of recombination. In the third project, we are creating bacterial tissue. We modify the genome of a fresh water bacterium C. Crescentus to express S-layer protein displaying a spy-tag motif. We use spycatcher functionalized nanoparticles to assemble the cells into a stiff tissue with very different mechanical properties than typical biofilms due to their tight specific crosslinkers.
 
 

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Prof Zoran Nenadic, University of California Irvine, USA.

Neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury (SCI) or stroke can cause significant gait impairments. These in turn have a profound effect on independence and quality of life of those affected. Sedentary lifestyle associated with these conditions can also lead to a number of medical comorbidities, which significantly augment their healthcare costs and presents a public health concern. In the U.S. alone, the primary and secondary healthcare costs associated with SCI and stroke are estimated to exceed $80 B/year. Currently, there are no biomedical solutions capable of reversing the loss of motor/sensory function after these conditions and best physiotherapies provide only a limited degree of recovery. Therefore, novel approaches to these conditions are in dire need. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which aim to bypass neurological lesions by means of neurotechnology, may be a promising new approach to these conditions. In this presentation I will discuss how BCIs can be used for either neuroprosthetic or neurorehabilitation purposes to address gait impairments after SCI or stroke. Most of our work has been in the domain of noninvasive electroencephalogram-based BCIs, but some of our recent studies have explored the utility of invasive electrocorticogram-based BCIs.

Bio
Zoran Nenadic received a Diploma degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Belgrade (Serbia) and his M.S. and D.Sc. degrees in Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University (St. Louis, MO). He was subsequently a postdoctoral scholar in Mechanical Engineering at California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA). Since 2005, he has been with the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at University of California Irvine, where he is currently a full professor.
His research interests lie in neuroengineering with a focus on the development of technologies to restore or rehabilitate functions lost due to neurological conditions, such as spinal cord injury or stroke. His primary source of research support has been the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health. He has received several research awards, including the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the NSF and the Hiruma-Wagner Award from the Japanese Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology. His research accomplishments have been featured in numerous media outlets, including Time Magazine, Reuters, Fox Business, and The Doctors. For his teaching efforts, he received multiple BME Professor of the Year distinctions from the Engineering Student Council.

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Professor Yeshaiahu (Shaya) Fainman is a Cymer Professor of Advanced Optical Technologies and Distinguished Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He received the Ph. D. from Technion in 1983. Currently he is directing research of the Ultrafast and Nanoscale Optics group at UCSD and made numerous contributions to near field optical phenomena, inhomogeneous and meta-materials, nanophotonics and plasmonics, and non-conventional imaging.  The research applications target information technologies and biomedical sensing.  His current research interests are in near field optical science and technology.  He contributed over 300 manuscripts in peer review journals and over 450 conference presentations and conference proceedings. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, and a recipient of the Miriam and Aharon Gutvirt Prize, Lady Davis Fellowship, Brown Award, Gabor Award, Emmett N. Leith Medal and Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize.    


Abstract:
Various future system applications that involve photonic technology rely on our ability to integrate it on a chip to augment and/or interact with other signals (e.g., electrical, chemical, biomedical, etc.).  To advance the nanophotonics technology we established design, fabrication and testing tools at UCSD.  Our research work emphasizes the construction of passive (e.g., engineered composite metamaterials, filters, etc.) and active (e.g., modulators, nanolasers) components on-chip, with the same lithographic tools as electronics. In this talk, we discuss progress in passive and active integrated photonic devices, circuits and systems that recently have been demonstrated in our labs.
 
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Prof. Richard E. Lenski, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (USA)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Education:
1973-76    B.A., Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (USA)
1977-82    Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Positions:
1982-85    Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (USA)
1984        Visiting Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (USA)
1985-88    Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine, CA (USA)
1988-91    Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine, CA (USA)
1991-        Hannah Professor of Microbial Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (USA)


Zoom link for attending remotely:  https://epfl.zoom.us/j/715846975
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Olivier Kung – Pix4D
Dr. Elina Koletou – Roche

The IEEE EPFL Student Branch and the IEEE PES Switzerland chapters kindly invite you to participate to the IEEE careers workshop: digitalization and energy

The event will give students and young professionals an insight into professions in digitalization and energy through an interactive, informal evening event. Invited speakers will give presentations and participate in Q&A, providing an insight into career options in different types of organizations for early-stage professionals. In the end, a standing dinner will be served to continue the discussion with the speakers around. An IEEE membership is not required to participate in this event.

Click here for more details

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Ingrid Le Duc

This workshop puts participants to practice lecturing by presenting 5 minutes of their teaching. Advice and feedback is given based to develop scientific communication skills appropriate for teaching.

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Prof. Carole Bourquin, University of Geneva, CH

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Carole Bourquin effectue ses études de médecine et son doctorat à Genève. En 2000, elle obtient un PhD de biologie à l’institut Max-Planck de neuroimmunologie à Munich, avant de terminer sa formation en pharmacologie clinique à la Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. En parallèle, elle met sur pied son propre groupe de recherche à Munich pour étudier l’immunothérapie du cancer. En 2011, elle revient en Suisse en tant que professeure ordinaire de pharmacologie à l’Université de Fribourg, où elle devient rapidement vice-présidente du Département de médecine. Elle œuvre également à l’Hôpital fribourgeois où elle fonde et dirige l’unité de pharmacologie clinique. Depuis août 2016, Carole Bourquin est professeure ordinaire de pharmacologie à l’Université de Genève, nommée conjointement par les facultés des sciences (Section des sciences pharmaceutiques) et de médecine (Département d’anesthésiologie, pharmacologie et soins intensifs). Ses travaux de recherche pionniers en immuno-oncologie sont soutenus par le Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Oncosuisse et le programme de recherche européen Horizon 2020. Elle est membre de plusieurs réseaux scientifiques dont le pôle de recherche national Bioinspired Nanomaterials et le réseau européen IMMUTRAIN.

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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Detailed program to be announced


The School of Engineering of EPFL is pleased to announce the 2nd annual PhD Summit, a workshop for final year PhD students interested in a career in academia. We invite to campus, on a competitive basis, a group of exceptional graduating PhD students from institutions worldwide.
Selected candidates will be invited to the EPFL campus in Switzerland to present their research and get informal feedback from top faculty of the School of Engineering. Each accepted student will be given the opportunity to visit EPFL laboratories related to the summit theme and have intensive exchange with the lab heads and the students.
The PhD Summit prize for the best presentation and research content will be awarded during the workshop.
Funds for travel and accommodation will be provided for the selected candidates.
The Engineering PhD Summit is organised by the School of Engineering, with the support of the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, the School of Life Sciences and the School of Basic Sciences.


ntelligent systems — software and/or hardware systems that can interact with their dynamic environments, process data, perform proper actions, and improve over time — are becoming ubiquitous. Advancements in information technology, artificial intelligence and control, computing capabilities, instrumentation, sensors and actuators have dramatically increased the pace at which intelligent systems enter our daily lives, e.g. in our software, smartphones, cars, robots, and infrastructure.
Intelligent systems involve exciting scientific and engineering questions: How can we push the technological limits to make intelligent systems more robust, more useful, more intuitive, better at improving and possibly repairing themselves? How can we approach the adaptive behavior exhibited in nature?
The Annual PhD Summit of the School of Engineering at EPFL will cover the theory, design, and applications of intelligent systems with an interdisciplinary perspective. Last year Ph.D. students working in fields such as robotics, embedded systems, internet of things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer games, human-computer interfaces, computational neuroscience, and cognitive science, with novel research contributions that fit into the general theme of Intelligent Systems are eligible to apply to the summit.

 
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Mark Silberstein, Associate Professor at the EE department at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Abstract:. Future systems will be omni-programmable: alongside CPUs, GPUs, Security accelerators and FPGAs, they will execute user code near-storage, near-network, and near-memory. Ironically, while breaking power and memory walls via hardware specialization and near data processing, emerging programmability wall will become a key impediment for materializing the promised performance and power efficiency benefits of omni-programmable systems. I argue that the root cause of the programming complexity lies in todays CPU-centric operating system (OS) design which is no longer appropriate for omni-programmable systems.
 
In this talk I will describe the ongoing efforts in my lab to design an accelerator-centric OS called OmniX [HotOS'17], which extends standard OS abstractions into accelerators, while maintaining a coherent view of the system among all the processors. In OmniX, near-data and compute accelerators may directly invoke tasks and access I/O services among themselves, excluding the CPU from the performance-critical data and control plane operations, and turning it into a "yet another" accelerator for sequential computations. I will show how OmniX design principles have been successfully applied to GPUs, Programmable NICs and Intel SGX.
 
Bio: Mark Silberstein is an Associate Professor at the EE department at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology where he is heading the Accelerated Computing Systems Lab. His research is centered around OSes for compute and I/O accelerator architectures, which led to several publications in ISCA, ASPLOS, OSDI, PACT, Eurosys and USENIX ATC, all of which strive to systematically minimize or eliminate the dependence of accelerated systems on the host CPU. He is working on practical ways to protect against side channels, in particular Intel SGX, though he was more successful at attacks at first and discovered the Foreshadow speculative execution bug. He is a regular contributor to the SIGARCH blog.
 
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Sir John Meurig Thomas The lecturer, a personal friend of Perutz, Kendrew, Klug, Hodgkin and Phillips, was formerly the Director of the Royal Institution of GB, former Head of the Department of Physical Chemistry and former Master of Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. He is a solid-state, surface and materials chemist and recipient of several awards, including the Willard-Gibbs, Pauling, Kapitza, Natta, Stokes, Davy and Faraday medals. A New mineral, meurigite, is named after him. He was awarded the Royal Medal for Physical Sciences by the Royal Society in 2016.

By John Meurig Thomas
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge

When Max Perutz and John Kendrew, principal founders of structural molecular biology, set about, in the late 1940s, to solve the structures of haemoglobin and myoglobin, many scientists, notably developmental biologists and physiologists, ridiculed the name molecular biology and others accused them and their team, which later included Crick and Watson, of practicing biochemistry without license. Yet the revolution that they, Dorothy Hodgkin and their mentor Lawrence Bragg, initiated in the early 1950s led to a new era in modern medicine, and had a transformative influence on all aspects of biology.
In addition, the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (under the aegis of the U.K. Medical Research Council) that they established in 1962 in Cambridge, is arguably one of the most successful advanced research centres ever. Twenty three Nobel Laureates (11 of them from the USA) have worked there; and numerous medicines used world-wide for the treatment and cure of breast cancer, arthritis and life-threatening respiratory conditions have emerged from discoveries made there.
How was such a successful laboratory founded and managed? And how did the four protagonists – three chemists and a physicist – and other great contemporaries of theirs interact? This talk will address these questions and describe individual personalities, achievements, idiosyncrasies, and the roles of J. D. Bernal (friend of Picasso, Paul Robeson and Earl Mountbatten), Francis Crick, Aaron Klug and David Phillips, who solved the first structure of an enzyme at the Royal Institution (RI). It was at the RI, and later in Departments of Mineralogy and Textile Physics, that Bernal and Astbury first investigated the structures of “living molecules”. The rivalry between the Cambridge trio and the brilliant, charismatic, U.S. scientist Linus Pauling will also be discussed.
 

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Prof. Hari Shroff, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Bethesda, MD (USA)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Dr. Hari Shroff received a B.S.E. in bioengineering from the University of Washington in 2001, and under the supervision of Dr. Jan Liphardt, completed his Ph.D. in biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley in 2006 . He spent the next three years performing postdoctoral research under the mentorship of Eric Betzig at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus where his research focused on development of photactivated localization microscopy (PALM), an optical superresolution technique. Dr. Shroff is now chief of NIBIB's Section on High Resolution Optical Imaging laboratory, where he and his staff are developing new imaging tools for application in biological and clinical research.

Zoom link for attending remotely:  https://epfl.zoom.us/j/118303710
 
 
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The EPFL Photonics Chapter and Swissphotonics NTN organize the workshop “Photonics Industry in Switzerland” on October 10th during the next Forum EPFL 2019. 

Students need to register through their Forum EPFL account

Company representatives register via SwissPhotonics website: link

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Prof. Dr. Alyssa B. Apsel,
Cornell University

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne SV 1717 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/637254875

Abstract: Over the past decades the world has become increasingly connected, with communications driving both markets and social movements.  Low power electronics, efficient communications, and better battery technology have all contributed to this revolution, but the cost and power required for these systems must be pushed further to make cheap, ubiquitous, seamless communication accessible to a wider community.   In this talk I will discuss two engineering approaches to this problem.  I will look at various approaches to drive the power down in radio networks that span across circuits and systems.  I will also look at creative biologically inspired approaches to enabling very low power networks and IoT.  Finally, I will discuss how by adding flexibility and building reconfigurable hardware, we can likewise build lower power and less costly consumer systems that can adapt across protocols and networks and work under changing device technologies.

Bio: Alyssa Apsel received the B.S. from Swarthmore College in 1995 and the Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, in 2002.  She joined Cornell University in 2002, where she is currently Director of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  She was a Visiting Professor at Imperial College, London from 2016-2018.  The focus of her research is on power-aware mixed signal circuits and design for highly scaled CMOS and modern electronic systems.  Her current research is on the leading edge of ultra-low power and flexible RF interfaces for IoT.  She has authored or coauthored over 100 refereed publications including one book in related fields of RF mixed signal circuit design, ultra-low power radio, interconnect design and planning, photonic integration, and process invariant circuit design techniques resulting in ten patents.  She received best paper awards at ASYNC 2006 and IEEE SiRF 2012, had a MICRO “Top Picks” paper in 2006, received a college teaching award in 2007, received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2004, and was selected by Technology Review Magazine as one of the Top Young Innovators in 2004.  She is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE CAS for 2018-2019, and has also served on the Board of Governors of IEEE CAS (2014-2016) and as an Associate Editor of various journals including IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I and II, and Transactions on VLSI.  She has also served as the chair of the Analog and Signal Processing Technical committee of ISCAS 2011, is on the Senior Editorial Board of JETCAS, as Deputy Editor in Chief of Circuits and Systems Magazine, and as the co-founder and Chair of ISCAS Late Breaking News.  In 2016, Dr. Apsel co-founded AlphaWave IP Corporation, a multi-national Silicon IP provider focused on multi-standard analog Silicon IP solutions for the world of IOT.  As Chief Technology Officer of AlphaWave, Dr. Apsel led the company’s global research capability with offices in Silicon Valley, Toronto, and London. 

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

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Prof. Kostas Kostarelos, The University of Machester, UK

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Kostas read Chemistry at the University of Leeds and obtained his Diploma in Chemical Engineering and PhD from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London, studying the steric stabilization of liposomes using block copolymer molecules. He carried out his postdoctoral training in various medical institutions in the United States and has worked closely with Professors Th.F. Tadros (ICI plc, UK), P.F. Luckham (Imperial College London), D. Papahadjopoulos (UCSF, USA), G. Sgouros (Memorial Sloan-Kettering, NY, USA) and R.G. Crystal (Weill Medical College of Cornell University, NY, USA). Following his promotion to Assistant Professor of Genetic Medicine and Chemical Engineering in Medicine at Cornell University Weill Medical College, he relocated to the UK as the Deputy Director of Imperial College Genetic Therapies Centre in 2002. In 2003 Kostas joined the Centre for Drug Delivery Research and the Department of Pharmaceutics at the UCL School of Pharmacy as the Deputy Head of the Centre. He was promoted to the Personal Chair of Nanomedicine and Head of the Centre in 2007.
Kostas joined the University of Manchester in 2013 and is an Honorary Professor of University College London.

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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swissuniversities invites you to the Swiss Open Science Action Plan Kick-Off Forum

The open science working group initiated by swissuniversities in 2019 aims to broaden the open access strategy and its action plan in order to put Open Access, Open Data, Open Innovation, Citizen Science and Open Education under the umbrella of Open Science, from 2021 onward. This requires direct and close cooperation with all stakeholders, and in particular with the scientific community.

To promote the exchange and to gather fresh, inspiring and visionary ideas, swissuniversities invites you to the Kick-Off Forum of the Swiss Open Science Action Plan 2021-2024. This event will take place at the Forum Rolex of EPFL on Thursday October 17th, one day ahead of the Open Science Day, an event that is part of the EPFL 50th anniversary celebrations.

Participants
Every member of the Swiss scientific community interested in suggesting project ideas in the context of Open Science services and / or infrastructures that would ideally implement the Open Science National Strategy. Please note that the Swiss Open Science strategy will cover Open Access, Open Data, Open Innovation, Citizen Science and Open Education initiatives. 

Call for Ideas
We welcome the submission of posters (format A0) and videos (2 minutes maximum) in English, highlighting your ideas and inspiring visions regarding open and reproducible science in Switzerland. 

• How do you envision the concrete implementation of open science in the next 5, 10 or 15 years in your field? 
• What will be your added value and contribution to this field? 
• Why do you think your idea is relevant not only for your community, but also for the scientific community in Switzerland?

Feeling inspired? 
Submit the final version of your posters and videos by September 9, 2019 via isci@swissuniversities.ch
The most inspiring and visionary ideas will be presented at the forum and a prize will be awarded to the best selected recipients.

Program
14:00-14:15 - Welcome Address: Martin Vetterli, President of EPFL
14:15-14:45 - Keynote Speaker: Mercè Crosas, Chief Data Science and Technology Officer, Harvard University
14:45-15:15 - Keynote Speaker: Fernando Pérez, University of California Berkeley
15:15-15:30 - From Open Science Strategy to Action Plan in Switzerland: Patrick Furrer
15:30-16:15 - Presentations of the best Open Science Posters & Videos: Aude Dieudé
16:15-16:30 - Prize for the Poster & Videos Presentations 
16:30-17:30 - Networking Aperitif

Important Dates
September 9, 2019 - Deadline for sending the finalized version of your posters & videos
October 17, 2019 - Open Science Action Plan Kick-Off Forum @ EPFL
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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of EPFL, its President Martin Vetterli invites you to explore what is Open Science with world-class researchers and influential policy makers. How can we successfully transition to digital scholarship? What will knowledge production and dissemination resemble in the future? This day will be dedicated to discussing the promises and challenges of open and reproducible science in various disciplines present at EPFL, from the life sciences to particle physics.
 
The event will take place in the main auditorium of the landmark Rolex Learning Center on EPFL Campus. It is free of charge and is open to everyone. However, registration is required.
 
MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION HERE
 
Open science is a complex and transversal topic that can only be understood when a variety of point of views collide. We are honored to confirm that the following people have accepted our invitation to share their expertise with the participants:
 
Sir Philip Campbell, Editor-in-Chief Springer Nature
Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University
Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director-General
Maria Leptin, EMBO Director
José Moura, IEEE President Elect
Fernando Perez, University of California Berkeley
Robert-Ian Smits, TU/e Executive Board President
Marcel Salathé, EPFL
Bruno Strasser, University of Geneva
Jeannette Wing, Columbia University

 

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Prof. Zusanna Siwy, University of California, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Dr. Zuzanna S. Siwy received her PhD in 1997 from the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poalnd, and habilitation in 2004. From 2000–2003 she was a Fellow of the Foundation for Polish Science, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the Institute for Heavy Ions Research (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany. After conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in July 2005, Dr. Siwy joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. In 2007, she became the Fellow of the Alfred von Sloan Foundation. In 2009, Dr. Siwy was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers as well as the Bessel Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Her current research interests focus on using synthetic nanopores as templates for biomimetic channels as well as ionic diodes and ionic transistors.

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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Prof. Michael B. Elowitz, Caltech, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Michael B. Elowitz is a biologist and professor of Biology, Bioengineering, and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology, and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 2007 he was the recipient of the Genius grant, better known as the MacArthur Fellows Program for the design of a synthetic gene regulatory network, the Repressilator, which helped initiate the field of synthetic biology. In addition, he showed, for the first time, how inherently random effects, or 'noise', in gene expression could be detected and quantified in living cells,leading to a growing recognition of the many roles that noise plays in living cells. His work in Synthetic Biology and Noise represent two foundations of the field of Systems Biology.

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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Confirmed speakers: Karine Clément, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France Jorge Ferrer, Cente for Genomic regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain Arvand Haschemi, Medical University of Vienna, Austria Zoltan Kutalik, University of Lausanne, Switzerland Susanne Mandrup, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Samuel Nobs, Weizmann Institute of Science, Reẖovot, Israel Ganna Panasyuk, Necker Enfants Malades Institute (INEM), Paris, France   Short talks will be selected from submitted abstracts.

 The registration to the LIMNA Symposium on October 29, 2019 at the Olympic Museum, Lausanne is now open! The LIMNA symposium on Emerging Topics and Technologies in Metabolism will gather speakers using “next-generation” approaches (systems genetics, omic, computation) to study metabolism-related processes and tissues.

Registration is now open!
Deadline for abstract submission: 01.09.2019
Deadline for registration only (registration is free but mandatory) : 01.10.2019 Participation will be likely recognized by the Federation of Swiss Cantonal Veterinary Officiers as a half day of ongoing training.
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Prof. Dr. Xuanhe Zhao,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne SV 1717 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/385971995

Abstract: While human tissues and organs are mostly soft, wet and bioactive; machines are commonly hard, dry and biologically inert. Bridging human-machine interfaces is of imminent importance in addressing grand societal challenges in healthcare, security, sustainability, education and joy of living. However, interfacing human and machines is extremely challenging due to their fundamentally contradictory properties. At MIT SAMs Lab, we propose to harness “hydrogel technology” to form long-term, high-efficacy, compatible and seamless interfaces between humans and machines. On one side, hydrogels with similar mechanical and physiological properties as tissues and organs can naturally integrate with human body over the long term, greatly alleviating the foreign body response and mechanical mismatches. On the other side, the hydrogels with intrinsic or integrated electrodes, optical fibers, sensors, actuators and circuits can effectively bridge external machines and human bodies via electrical, optical, chemical and mechanical interactions. In this talk, I will first discuss the mechanisms to design extreme properties for hydrogels, including tough, resilient, adhesive, strong and antifatigue, for long-term robust human-machine interfaces.  Then I will discuss a set of novel hydrogel devices that interface with the human body, including i). hydrogel neural probes capable of electro-opto-fluidic interrogation of single neurons in mice over life time; ii). ingestible hydrogel pills capable of continuously monitoring core-body physiological conditions over a month;  and iii). untethered fast and forceful hydrogel robots controlled by magnetic fields for minimal invasive operations. I will conclude the talk by proposing a systematic approach to design next-generation human-machine interfaces based on hydrogel technology.

Bio: Xuanhe Zhao is an associate professor in mechanical engineering at MIT. His research group designs soft materials that possess unprecedented properties to address grant societal challenges. Dr. Zhao is the recipient of the early career award and young investigator award from National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Society of Engineering Science, American Vacuum Society, Adhesion Society, Materials Today, Journal of Applied Mechanics, and Extreme Mechanics Letters. He held the Hunt Faculty Scholar at Duke, and the d'Arbeloff Career Development Chair and Noyce Career Development Professor at MIT. He was selected as a highly cited researcher by Web of Science in 2018.

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

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Prof. Camilla Foged, University of Copenhagen, DK

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:

• Professor of Vaccine Design and Delivery at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2018-present
• Group Leader at the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2014-present
• Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2008-2018
• Post.Doc/Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004-2008 (maternity leave in 2005)
• Research Assistant at the Division of Hematology, Karolinska Hospital and Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, 2004
• Research Assistant at the Department of Pharmaceutics, the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2003
• Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Pharmaceutics, The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1999-2003 (maternity leave in 2002)
• Research Fellow at Novo Nordisk A/S, Gentofte/Bagsværd, Denmark, 1996-1998
• ERASMUS Student at Dipartimento di Biotechnologie (DIBIT), Ospedale San Raffaele, and Universitá delgi Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy, 19

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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David J. Pagliarini 1, 2         (1, Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI 53715, USA - 2, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA)

Despite their position as the iconic powerhouses of cellular biology, many aspects of mitochondria remain remarkably obscure—a fact that contributes to our poor ability to address mitochondrial dysfunction therapeutically. Such dysfunction contributes to a vast array of human diseases through distinct means. For instance, aberrant mitochondrial biogenesis can fail to properly set cellular mitochondrial content; dysregulated signaling processes can fail to calibrate mitochondrial activity to changing cellular needs; and malfunctioning proteins can render core bioenergetic processes ineffectual. A major bottleneck to understanding—and ultimately addressing—these processes is that the proteins driving them are often undefined. Concurrently, the functions of hundreds of mitochondrial proteins that may fulfill these roles are not known, or at best are poorly understood. The high-level goal of my research program is to help achieve a more complete, systems-level understanding of mitochondrial biology by systematically establishing the functions of orphan mitochondrial proteins and their roles within disease-related processes. We do so by first devising multi-dimensional analyses designed to make new connections between these proteins and established pathways and processes. We then employ mechanistic and structural approaches to define the functions of select proteins at biochemical depth. This ‘systems biochemistry’ strategy is helping us address three outstanding biological questions: Which orphan mitochondrial proteins fulfill the missing steps in classic mitochondrial processes, including the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q and other aspects of respiratory chain function? What proteins assist in the orchestrated assembly of lipids, metabolites, and proteins (from two genomes) to ensure proper mitochondrial biogenesis? And, which resident signaling proteins direct the post-translational regulation of mitochondrial activities? In answering these questions, we aim to help transform the mitochondrial proteome from a component list into a metabolic circuitry of connected functions, and to elucidate the biochemical underpinnings of mitochondrial dysfunction in human disease.
 

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Prof. David Suter, Institute of Bioengineering, EPFL (CH)

Abstract:
The genome contains the building plan of living organisms and largely determines their phenotype. Within complex multicellular animals, the differential activity of a common set of genes allows generating a large diversity of cell types. However, the activity of individual genes displays large temporal fluctuations, and mechanisms of gene regulation are disrupted when cells enter into mitosis. How these perturbations impact the control of cell identity is not understood.
My laboratory develops new approaches to dissect gene expression and cell fate decisions in a quantitative and time-resolved manner. I will first describe our quantifications of transcription factor-DNA interactions, the memory of gene activity through cell generations, and the coordination of protein synthesis and degradation in single living cells. I will then discuss how temporal fluctuations of transcription factor levels and their activity across the cell cycle impact self-renewal and differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Our work illustrates how quantitative time-resolved analysis of gene expression allows deepening our understanding of cell identity control.

Short bio:
David Suter obtained his MD/PhD at the University of Geneva on stem cell biology, followed by a first postdoctoral training with Ueli Schibler focusing on single cell monitoring of transcription. He then joined the group of Sunney Xie at Harvard University, where he co-developed a new method for single molecule live imaging of transcription factors in mammalian cells. In 2013, he obtained a Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship and was subsequently nominated Tenure Track assistant Professor at the Institute of Bioengineering and EPFL School of Life Sciences. His research focuses on quantitative approaches to study gene expression and developmental cell fate decisions.
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Prof. Barbara Treutlein, ETHZ,CH

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Barbara Treutlein is Associate Professor of Quantitative Developmental Biology at D-BSSE. Her research focuses on human developmental biology, with a focus on how complex organs such as the liver and brain form. Barbara was a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Technical University of Munich and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

Zoom link for attending remotely:
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Roland Tormey

Exercise sessions provide students with an opportunity to apply the things they have learned in lectures, to deepen their understanding, to clarify problems and to monitor their own learning.

    What are the features of exercise sessions that best help student to learn?
    How can exercises be adapted to help students deepen their understanding?
    What approaches can be used to monitor student progress?
    How can feedback be provided in manageable but effective ways?

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Rita Gay

Comment penser son contenu pou pouvoir bien le dire? En quoi la voix est une résultante du corps en action? Quelles technique vocales mettre en œuvre et exercer?

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Prof.  Liana Silva, University of Lisbon (PT)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
LC Silva graduated in Biochemistry in 2001 at the Faculty of Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa (UL), Portugal, and obtained her PhD degree in Chemistry (Molecular Biophysics) in 2006 at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UL). She developed her post-doctoral project at the interface between molecular biophysics and biochemistry as a research fellow at the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), Israel and at the IST (2007-2009). In 2009, she was awarded a Ciência 2008 Research position to set her research team focused on Molecular & Cellular Biophysics at the Faculty of Pharmacy from the UL. She currently holds an Investigator FCT research position at the same institution. LC Silva has an interdisciplinary background in biochemistry and cell biology, quantitative photophysics and molecular biophysics. Her research is multidisciplinary and bridges membrane biophysics and cell biology. She is interested in understanding the role of membrane biophysical properties in cell function and pathology. Her research is focused on membrane lipids and their interplay in biological membranes, aiming at evaluating their role in membrane organization and function, and to provide the molecular tools to develop improved therapeutics.

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L’EPFL, c’est 50 ans d’innovation et de transfert de connaissances. Rejoignez-nous dans le monde de l'innovation grâce aux témoignages de dirigeants de l'industrie visionnaires et d'entrepreneurs exceptionnels. 

L'événement est ouvert à tous, sur inscription. Les portes ouvrent à 14h30 et la conférence débute à 15h. 
Un apéritif dinatoîre aura lieu après la conférence aux alentours de 19h.
Le programme détaillé se trouve sur la page web de la journée de l'innovation.

Les orateurs confirmés sont:

• Martine Clozel, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals
• Aude Pugin, Apco Technologies
• Edouard Bugnion, EPFL
• Jurgi Camblong, Sophia Genetics
• Marc Gruber, EPFL
• Patrick Hertzog, Nexthink
• Amin Shokrollahi, Kandou Bus
• Martin Vetterli, EPFL

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Prof. Dagmar Wachten, University of Bonn, DE

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
Academic qualifications

• 2014 Habilitation: Molecular Biomedicine, University of Bonn, Germany
• 2006 Doctorate: Dr. rer. nat., Biology (Biochemistry), University of Cologne, Germany
• 1998 - 2003 Diploma, Biology, University of Cologne, Germany

Postgraduate professional career

• 2017 - pres. Professor (W2) for Biophysical Imaging at the Institute of Innate Immunity
• 2014 - 2017 Max Planck Research Group Leader (W2), Minerva Max Planck Research Group “Molecular Physiology”, Research Center caesar, Bonn
• 2009 - 2013 Project Group Leader, Research Group „Molecular Physiology“, caesar, an Institute of the Max Planck Society, Bonn
• 2007 - 2009 Postdoctoral research fellow, Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK
• 2006 Postdoc, Research Center Jülich, Germany
• 2003 - 2006 PhD thesis, Institute for Biological Information Processing,Prof. U.B. Kaupp, Research Center Jülich, Germany

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Dr. Silvano De Franceschi
CEA-INAC

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne SV 1717 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/982557518

Abstract and Bio to follow.

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

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Prof. Jussi Taipale, Cambridge University (UK)

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:
To be provided.

Zoom link for attending remotely:  https://epfl.zoom.us/j/855402627
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Prof. Julie Champion, Georgia Tech, USA

WEEKLY BIOENGINEERING COLLOQUIA SERIES
(sandwiches served)

Abstract:
To be provided.

Bio:

• Developing therapeutic protein materials, where the protein is both the drug and the delivery system
• Engineering proteins to control and understand protein particle self-assembly
• Repurposing and engineering pathogenic proteins for human therapeutics
• Creating materials that mimic cell-cell interactions to modulate immunological functions for various applications, including inflammation, cancer, autoimmune disease, and vaccination

B.S.E 2001, University of Michigan Ph.D. 2007, University of California, Santa Barbara  

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Ilya Eigenbrot

Au-delà de la discussion de cette question, l’atelier fournira des conseils relatifs au design et à l’utilisation de ces démonstrations dans différents cas de figure. Et vous aurez l’occasion de prototyper une démonstration de votre domaine d’expertise.

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Roland Tormey

Comment évaluer les étudiants de façon valide et objective en mesurant notamment s'ils ont atteint les acquis de formation visées.

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Siara Isaac

Explore ways to design lab experiments that help students develop a scientific approach which is transferable to real world complexity.
 

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