ABOUT EICSE

The EPFL Initiative for Cancer Science & Engineering

The mission of the EICSE is to integrate the talent and diverse expertise of researchers from multiple EPFL schools to pioneer frontiers of trans-disciplinary cancer research.  The strategic goal is to advance both knowledge of disease mechanisms and the engineering of therapeutic and diagnostic agents and tools based on new conceptual insights and opportunities.  This EPFL-wide Center will seek to inspire an interactive and collaborative community of scientists and engineers broadly focused on cancer, a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide.

EICSE activities currently include retreats for brainstorming amongst faculty and for introducing the research programs impinging on cancer, with the goal of catalyzing interdisciplinary collaborations. In the future, seed grants are envisaged to stimulate collaborative bridging projects involving research groups with complementary expertise and capabilities with promise for transformative innovation.

The network leading this initiative

• Includes faculty and their research groups from the Schools of Basic Science, Computational Science, Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, and Life Sciences
• Is administered by the ISREC Institute within the School of Life Sciences
• Seeks to inspire and incentivize interdisciplinary collaborations with potential to make transformative advances in cancer research, mechanism-based therapies, and engineering of new tools with which to attach the disease