The International Cancer Prevention Institute, in collaboration with EMBO Press, organizes a monthly seminar series within the framework of Medicine & Society: The Human Condition.
This series provides a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on human biology and health, encouraging reflection on the broader implications of biomedical research for the individual and for society.
A unique aspect of the series is its personal dimension: invited speakers not only present their work, but also share their own journeys — how they entered their fields and what shaped their research and perspectives.
Each seminar concludes with an interactive discussion, giving participants the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and with one another.
Speakers
DR. CARL ZIMMER
“When Science Writing Become Crisis Reporting”
Adjunct Professor of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University; Science writer for the New York Times
Thursday January 29th 2026, 4PM (CET)
Carl Zimmer is an American science writer, journalist, blogger, and columnist known for his work on evolution, heredity, and parasites. He has authored numerous books and regularly writes science essays for outlets including The New York Times, Discover, and National Geographic. Zimmer is also a fellow at Yale University’s Morse College and serves as an adjunct professor in the department of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale.
PROF. FRIEDRICH FRISCHKNECHT
“Cell biology of malaria parasites – a personal story”
Professor for Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University
February 26th 2026, 4PM (CET)
Friedrich Frischknecht is a German biochemist and parasitologist whose research focuses on the molecular and cellular biology of malaria parasites. He studied biochemistry at Freie Universität Berlin and completed his PhD at European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. Following postdoctoral work at Institut Pasteur in Paris, he led a research group on pathogen motility and since 2014 has served as full Professor in Integrative Parasitology at Heidelberg University Hospital, where his lab investigates how malaria parasites move, infect hosts, and propagate.
PROF. MICHELA MATTEOLI
“Sex, Immunity, and the Brain: Decoding Responses to Challenges”
Professor of Pharmacology, Humanitas University; Director of the Neuro Center, Humanitas Research Hospital
April 16th 2026, 4PM (CEST)
Michela Matteoli is a leading neuroscientist whose work is centered on how the immune system and inflammation influence the development, formation, and function of synapses and neural circuits. She heads the Pharmacology and Brain Pathology lab and coordinates the Neuro Center at Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan. Her research group investigates how immune‑mediated processes impact synaptic health and brain connectivity — with implications for neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
PROF. HANS CLEVERS
“Culturing Human Epithelial Organoids in 3D and 2D”
Professor of Molecular Genetics, Utrecht University
June 4th 2026, 4PM (CEST)
Hans Clevers is a world-leading cell biologist known for seminal contributions to Wnt signaling, stem cell biology, and cancer research. He pioneered the development of organoids, transforming biomedical research and precision medicine. Formerly President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Hubrecht Institute, he is currently Head of Pharma Research & Early Development at Roche and ad interim Director of the Institute of Human Biology in Basel. He is a recipient of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences and a member of multiple national academies.
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