The panel discussion on 'Human Frontiers'. Left to right: Claude Nicollier, Susan Hockfield, Torsten Wiesel, Adam Smith.
As 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Program, a commemorative anniversary meeting took place just prior to the Awardees Meeting on the 5th July at the Hotel Splendide Royale in Lugano. Highlights of the meeting included a talk from the world renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta and a discussion on the theme of ‘Human Frontiers’ from a panel of eminent scientists, Susan Hockfield, Claude Nicollier and Torsten Wiesel. We were honoured that Mr. Nakasone, son of the founder of HFSP, was present to address the audience and to confer the 2014 Nakasone Award on Uri Alon of the Weizmann Institute of Science. The meeting was followed by a sumptuous reception generously hosted by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation at the Hotel Splendide Royal.
Uri Alon, 2014 Nakasone Prize winner, entertains meeting participants at the welcome reception.
The Awardees Meeting took place at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. 227 participants including HFSP Long-Term and Cross-Disciplinary Fellows, Young Investigator and Program Grant holders, Career Development Awardees and local HFSP alumni attended. This year we introduced ‘poster teaser’ talks, short talks of five minutes which took place just before the poster session and were much appreciated by the meeting participants. In addition, there were 27 oral presentations and 99 poster presentations. An enjoyable social programme, organised by Amiconi Consulting in Lugano, enabled delegates to catch up with old friends and to make new contacts.
Plenary Lectures
HFSP Nakasone Lecture - Design principles of biological circuits
Uri Alon, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
A trick of the light? Plant nanostructures that influence animal behaviour
Beverly Glover, University of Cambridge, Botanical Gardens, UK
The art of border crossings: reflections on scientific practice and the need for integrative multidisciplinarity
Angela Gronenborn, University of Pittsburgh, USA
The myosin family of molecular motors: nature's exquisite nanomachines
James Spudich, Stanford University, USA
Links
You can download the 2014 Awardees Meeting and Anniversary Meeting programme here.