Speakers

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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Professor Stephen H. Friend is a physician–scientist and innovator working at the intersection of medicine, data science, and society. He is widely recognised for his foundational contributions to cancer genetics, systems biology, and open biomedical research. Prof. Friend has held senior leadership roles across academia, industry, and the nonprofit sector, including pioneering data-driven approaches to drug discovery and patient-centred research. His current work focuses on connected medicine, digital health, and new models of collaborative science that empower individuals and accelerate discovery.

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Geneviève Almouzni is a globally recognised biologist and epigenetics expert. She is Director of Research Exceptional Class at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and leads the Chromatin Dynamics team at Institut Curie. Her work elucidates how chromatin organisation and genome function drive development and disease, especially cancer. She is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the French Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has served in leadership roles including on the EMBO Council and as co-chair of the European LifeTime initiative.