IHES
Life, Structure and Cognition (LSC) 2026: Breakpoints across Biological Systems
LSC, for Life, Structure, and Cognition, is an initiative led by Yves Barral (ETH Zurich), Eugene Koonin (NIH), Mikhail Gromov (IHES, Université Paris-Saclay) and Robert Penner (IHES, Université Paris-Saclay). The 2026 edition will take place from June 22 to 25, 2026, at IHES, with the theme “Breakpoints across Biological Systems”.
The scope of this in-person 4 day-long meeting is to bring together scientists from the LSC Committee with invited experts and the IHES scientists to present the latest progress in understanding breakpoints as a multifaceted concept and its many implications on different aspects of life and thus fueling discussions, brainstorm and explore alternative paths towards a better understanding of this concept. The first day will focus particularly on the heart: cardiac death, arrhythmias, and fibrosis patterns.
To find out more about the 2026 LSC event, and to learn more about the program, visit the dedicated web page.
Guest speakers at 2026 LSC are:
- Uri Alon, Design Principles in Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science
- Nathalie Balaban, Antibiotic Resistance, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem
- Olivier Bernus, Mechanisms underlying Cardiac Arrhythmias, University of Bordeaux & IHU Liryc
- Guillaume Fleury, Cardiovascular Pathologies, American Hospital of Paris
- Michel Haïssaguerre, Abnormalities of Heart Rhythm, Hôpital Cardiologique du Haut–Lévèque
- Daniel Kondor, Social Complexity & Collapse, Complexity Science Hub
- Athanasios Litsios, Functional Genomics, University of Toronto
- Alexander Panfilov, Cardiac Modelling, Ghent University
- Daniel Pijnappels, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Leiden University Medical Center
- Jenny Reddish, Social Complexity & Collapse, Complexity Science Hub
- Hubert Saleur, Statistical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics (FR) & University of Southern California
- Manuel Thery, Cytoskeleton and Morphogenesis, CEA / ESPCI, Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
The goal of the LSC meeting is to provide an annual update on the latest advancements in LSC components and to explore the modalities for cooperative progress between Biology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The objective is to investigate how biological systems evolved cognitive functions, using AI both as a concept toolbox and as a tool; and in turn, to investigate how biological systems can serve as models for understanding and stimulating new advances in AI.
The idea is to organize an annual evaluation, expert discussion, and lecture series on these topics, given by world experts covering multiple disciplines.
The first edition of LSC 2022 can be found here.
The second edition of LSC 2023 can be found here.
The third edition of LSC 2024 can be found here.
