![\"\"](\"https://www.epfl.ch/labs/deplanckelab/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Fondation-Latsis-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
The Foundation offers funding for projects, congresses and events that aim to increase the public understanding of science and scientific thinking in Switzerland.
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\r\nRestriction : The Foundation does not grant additional costs for projects already funded by SNSF, ERC or similar agencies, and does not cover institutional overheads; infrastructure must be provided by the applicant.
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The conversion of low-carbon resources such as biomass and CO2 into synthetic liquid fuels, value-added chemicals, and biomaterials is a crucial approach for global carbon emission reduction. In this context, this talk will focus on recent research advances on biomass and CO2 conversion to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), chemicals and bio-based materials. Considering the challenges associated with low-carbon resources, including dispersed distribution, significant fluctuations in raw material composition, and high conversion costs, a distributed-centralized system utilizing alcohols as key platform molecules has been proposed. Alcohol synthesis from biomass and CO2 will be presented with the focus on catalysis for methanol (thermocatalysis) and ethanol synthesis (electrocatalysis) from CO2. Conversion of alcohol to SAF will be introduced with discussions on the design of multifunctional catalysts for alcohol conversion, the dynamic evolution of catalytic sites, and the strategies for tuning product distributions. Additionally, a few examples of biobased materials, such as cellulose nanofiber-based biomaterials and bio-based nylon precursor and polyester precursor, will be presented.
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\r\nBio: Dr. Zhenglong Li is the “Qiushi” Chair Professor of Zhejiang University. He is the lead of the sustainable aviation fuels research of the State Key Laboratory of Bio-based Transportation Fuel Technology, director of the Biomass Value-Added Utilization Research Center, and the director of the Bio-based Chemicals Division in the Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou. His research is dedicated to the high-value utilization of biomass and carbon dioxide to synthesize sustainable aviation fuel, chemicals, and bio-based materials. He was the team lead in the biomass conversion area at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (United States) prior to joining Zhejiang University. He was the committee member for the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium under the United States Department of Energy (DOE). His group focus on in-depth understanding of the catalytic processes of biomass and carbon dioxide at the molecular level to guide catalyst design, process development, and industrial application, especially R&D of SAF, bio-based chemicals, key bio-based polymer building blocks. His research group has published many high-impact scientific papers in top journals such as J. Am. Chem. Soc., Nat. Commun., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., ACS Catal., Appl. Catal. B., and others. In terms of technology commercialization, he has developed new core technologies such as bio-based alcohols conversion for sustainable aviation fuel and bio-based biodegradable materials.
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The classification of gait patterns is an important challenge in movement analysis, as it supports clinical assessment and decision-making by enabling diagnosis and severity stratification. In this talk, I will discuss the potential of Topological Data Analysis (TDA) for gait pattern classification. Unlike conventional approaches that rely on explicit detection of Gait Events (GEs) to compute Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters (SGPs), TDA characterises the global structure of gait signals directly, capturing relationships and patterns in the data without requiring GEs. This is particularly relevant in real-world settings, where GE detection can be diQicult due to heterogeneity in walking conditions and gait patterns, potentially biasing clinically relevant metrics and, consequently, decision-making.
\r\nWithin our department, preliminary results have shown that TDA-based features can achieve classification performance comparable to that of SGPs in fall-risk assessment. These findings suggest that topology oQers a competitive alternative for representing gait data, with the potential to better handle variability across subjects and pathological
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\r\nBuilding on these results, we plan to further extend the TDA framework in two directions. First, we aim to investigate time-aware topological methods to better capture the
\r\ntemporal structure of gait signals. Second, we will explore Topological Deep Learning (TDL) approaches to reduce reliance on handcrafted design choices and potentially
\r\nimprove classification performance. By combining the robustness of topology with datadriven representation learning, this work seeks to provide robust tools for the classification of typical and pathological gait patterns.
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The call SNSF Starting Grant 2026 will open on 1 February 2026, with a deadline for submission on 5 May 2026.
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\r\nThis call will enable researchers to lead an independent project and a team in Switzerland.
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\r\nFunding: Max. CHF 1M + applicant's salary, for max. 5 years.\r\n
The EPFL Latsis Symposium 2026: “Decoding the Cell: Modeling, Predicting, and Engineering Cellular States” will be held on October 29-30, 2026, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
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\r\nThis international gathering will bring together leading scientists in single-cell analysis, computational modeling, and cellular engineering to explore how recent breakthroughs in multi-omics technologies, predictive algorithms, and synthetic biology are reshaping our understanding of cellular function.
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\r\nThrough interdisciplinary talks and discussions, the symposium will spotlight advances in single-cell multi-modal data integration, predictive modeling of cell identity and behavior, and the engineering of synthetic cell states. By connecting researchers across experimental and computational domains, the event aims to establish new conceptual and technological frameworks for modeling and controlling cellular systems.
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\r\nHosted by EPFL, the symposium will foster scientific exchange, spark new collaborations, and accelerate progress toward next-generation cell-based therapies, disease models, and synthetic biological innovations.
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\r\nJoin us in Lausanne to connect with the global community shaping the future of cell understanding and engineering.
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\r\nSPEAKERS:
\r\n• Gray Camp – Research Group Leader at the Roche Institute for Translational Bioengineering (ITB) in Basel
\r\n• Barbara Engelhardt – Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institutes & Professor, Department of Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University
\r\n• Jeremy Gunawardena – Professor, Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS), Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona
\r\n• Muzlifah Haniffa – Head of the Cellular Genomics Programme and Deputy Director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Professor of Clinical Dermatology at the University of Cambridge
\r\n• Anshul Kundaje – Associate Professor of Genetics and Computer Science at Stanford University
\r\n• Prisca Liberali – Professor at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETHZ & Senior Group Leader at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
\r\n• Ewa Paluch – Professor of Anatomy in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge
\r\n• Steve Quake – Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University
\r\n• Sussane Rafelski – Sr. Director, Quantitative Biology at the Allen Institute for Cell Science
\r\n• Kevin Tsia – Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the Program Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Hong Kong
\r\n• Bo Wang – Chief AI Scientist, Vector Institute & Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
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\r\nGenerously supported by\r\n
The Sustainable Buildings and Construction Summit 2026 (20-22 April, Lausanne, Switzerland) convenes government officials alongside academics, private sector leaders, financiers, and civil society—converging policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to translate global sustainability commitments into practical solutions. Co-organised by EPFL and the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, the Summit aims to accelerate the transition to a resilient built environment worldwide, with particular focus on emerging markets and developing economies where built environment growth is most significant.The Summit will include thought-evoking keynotes, cross-disciplinary workshops, academic showcases, and solution-focused roundtables on themes such as upfront embodied emissions, climate resilient construction, circularity, affordable housing, and sustainable urban planning.
","image_description":"Sustainable Buildings & Construction Summit announcement","creation_date":"2026-03-16T14:04:45","last_modification_date":"2026-03-16T14:04:45","link_label":"Sustainable Buildings & Construction Summit","link_url":"https://sustainable-construction.org/","canceled":"False","cancel_reason":"","place_and_room":"SwissTech Convention Centre","url_place_and_room":"","url_online_room":"","spoken_languages":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/spoken_languages/2/?format=json"],"speaker":"","organizer":"EPFL Centre for Worldwide Sustainable Construction, UNEP, Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.","contact":"Anne Dekeukelaere: anne.dekeukelaere@epfl.ch;\r\n\r\nCarolien van der Voorden: carolien.vandervoorden@epfl.ch;","is_internal":"False","theme":"","vulgarization":{"id":1,"fr_label":"Tout public","en_label":"General public"},"registration":{"id":1,"fr_label":"Sur inscription","en_label":"Registration required"},"keywords":"sustainable construction; built environment; build for climate","file":null,"icalendar_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/export/120090/","category":{"id":1,"code":"CONF","fr_label":"Conférences - Séminaires","en_label":"Conferences - Seminars","activated":true},"academic_calendar_category":null,"domains":[],"mementos":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/1/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/4/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/8/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/79/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/6/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/32/?format=json"]},{"id":71389,"title":"Call for projects CROSS 2027","slug":"call-for-projects-cross-2027","event_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/call-for-projects-cross-2027","visual_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32738/200x112.jpg","visual_large_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32738/720x405.jpg","visual_maxsize_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32738/max-size.jpg","lang":"en","start_date":"2026-03-18","end_date":"2026-06-15","start_time":"00:00:00","end_time":"23:59:00","description":"The 2027 edition of the CROSS program calls upon researchers at EPFL and the University of Lausanne to submit proposals for joint projects that bring the natural sciences and engineering together with the social sciences and humanities.
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\r\nThrough this annual call for projects, CROSS provides competitive grants to support new seed research endeavors that have the potential to grow into full–scale interdisciplinary research projects.
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\r\nThe 2024 CROSS call is open to all topics.
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\r\nPROPOSALS:
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\r\nProposals must come from joint UNIL-EPFL teams, which bring together specialists in the human and social sciences on the one hand, with specialists from life sciences, natural sciences or engineering on the other. Up to six projects will be selected, with a maximum of CHF 60,000 awarded per project.\r\n
TBD
","image_description":"","creation_date":"2026-02-05T16:08:19","last_modification_date":"2026-02-16T13:33:14","link_label":"Web Page","link_url":"https://ki.se/en/people/pierre-le-merre","canceled":"False","cancel_reason":"","place_and_room":"SV 2510","url_place_and_room":"","url_online_room":"","spoken_languages":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/spoken_languages/2/?format=json"],"speaker":"Pierre Le Merre, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, University of Lyon | Karolinska Institute, Stockholm","organizer":"BMI - LSENS Host: Carl Petersen","contact":"brain_mind@epfl.ch","is_internal":"False","theme":"","vulgarization":{"id":2,"fr_label":"Public averti","en_label":"Informed public"},"registration":{"id":3,"fr_label":"Entrée libre","en_label":"Free"},"keywords":"","file":null,"icalendar_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/export/119598/","category":{"id":1,"code":"CONF","fr_label":"Conférences - Séminaires","en_label":"Conferences - Seminars","activated":true},"academic_calendar_category":null,"domains":[],"mementos":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/1/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/221/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/9/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/19/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/6/?format=json"]},{"id":71300,"title":"BMI Seminar // Seung-Hee Lee: Balance between stability and flexibility","slug":"bmi-seminar-seung-hee-lee-balance-between-stabilit","event_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/bmi-seminar-seung-hee-lee-balance-between-stabilit","visual_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32657/200x112.jpg","visual_large_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32657/720x405.jpg","visual_maxsize_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/32657/max-size.jpg","lang":"en","start_date":"2026-05-22","end_date":"2026-05-22","start_time":"09:15:00","end_time":"10:15:00","description":"TBD
","image_description":"","creation_date":"2026-03-04T18:39:30","last_modification_date":"2026-03-04T18:44:47","link_label":"Web Page","link_url":"https://pure.kaist.ac.kr/en/persons/seung-hee-lee/publications/","canceled":"False","cancel_reason":"","place_and_room":"SV 2510","url_place_and_room":"https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SV%202510","url_online_room":"","spoken_languages":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/spoken_languages/2/?format=json"],"speaker":"Seung-Hee Lee, Dept. of Biological Sciences, KAIST, South Korea","organizer":"SV BMI LSENS\r\n\r\nHost: Carl Petersen","contact":"brain_mind@epfl.ch","is_internal":"False","theme":"","vulgarization":{"id":2,"fr_label":"Public averti","en_label":"Informed public"},"registration":{"id":3,"fr_label":"Entrée libre","en_label":"Free"},"keywords":"","file":null,"icalendar_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/export/119975/","category":{"id":1,"code":"CONF","fr_label":"Conférences - Séminaires","en_label":"Conferences - Seminars","activated":true},"academic_calendar_category":null,"domains":[],"mementos":["https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/1/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/19/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/9/?format=json","https://memento.epfl.ch/api/v1/mementos/6/?format=json"]},{"id":69764,"title":"ISIC Faculty Lunch","slug":"isic-faculty-lunch-6","event_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/event/isic-faculty-lunch-6","visual_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/31250/200x112.jpg","visual_large_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/31250/720x405.jpg","visual_maxsize_url":"https://memento.epfl.ch/image/31250/max-size.jpg","lang":"en","start_date":"2026-09-11","end_date":"2026-09-11","start_time":"12:00:00","end_time":"14:00:00","description":"tbc
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\r\nAgenda
\r\n12:10 – 12:30 Session
\r\n12:30 – 14:00 Standing Lunch