NEWS Umeå University life science and environmental researchers are invited to participate when IceLab launches its excellence center on stress response modeling. The kick-off conference on June 10th and 11th at Rotundan and Galaxen, Umeå University, aims to foster collaboration and propel research on how living systems adapt to stress.
Are you an empirical life scientist, environmental scientist, a computational researcher, or a mathematical modeler intrigued by research questions like:
What universal adaptive mechanisms drive or inhibit transitions in living systems under stress?
Under what conditions can we expect stability, resilience, and resistance, and when will critical transitions and tipping points emerge?
How can living systems be protected, managed, or even engineered to avoid harmful transitions, maintain critical functions, and improve desired attributes?
If so, IceLab invites you to their stress response kick-off conference.
"This kick-off conference is designed to help us identify critical research gaps and tools for explaining how living systems adapt to stress," explains the center's director, Martin Rosvall, "and to develop a common language for researchers studying adaptive mechanisms to stress across biological scales."
The conference agenda promises a stimulating mix of activities. Day one features keynote addresses from international experts, alongside dedicated sessions where researchers can present their ongoing work and challenges related to stress responses in living systems.
“We look forward to inspiring keynotes about universal mechanisms, new approaches at the machine learning and network science interface, and the secrets to successful interdisciplinary science,” says Ludvig Lizana, one of the center’s principal investigators.
Attendees are invited to participate more deeply by contributing short research pitches connected to the theme or engaging in discussions around the presented topics.
"We encourage researchers to present their unique challenges and methods," says Gabrielle Beans, IceLab coordinator. "This knowledge exchange will be invaluable in identifying areas for collaboration and propelling research forward."
Day two delves deeper into collaborative possibilities. Attendees will participate in working group sessions designed to nurture "project seedlings" – collaborative research ideas that will be further developed in partnership with Stress Response Modeling at IceLab.
"Our specific goal is to establish working groups by the end of the second day," emphasizes Maria Fällman, principal investigator within the center, "with iterative sessions where we separate into different groups diving deeper into particular research areas. We plan to identify projects to pursue within the Center over the next several years."
The conference is a unique opportunity for researchers from an unusually diverse range of life science backgrounds. "We encourage all to participate in this kick-off conference – empiricists, modelers, theoreticians, bioinformaticians are all welcome," highlights Sebastian Diehl, principal investigator within the center. “This event is not just about sharing knowledge, but also about fostering collaborations that could transform your scientific approach. We hope that the new center will help researchers discover collaborative partnerships that can redefine their scientific journeys.”
Those interested in attending the IceLab Stress Response Kick-Off Conference can find more information and register online. Space is limited, particularly for the second day, so early registration is encouraged.
The deadline to register interest in contributing a research pitch is May 14th, and the conference registration closes May 31st.
Visit the conference website for more information and to register: http://icelabexckickoff.se
