Living systems
The ‘Living systems’ research area aims to improve our understanding of the various dynamics of living systems at all scales.
It aims to foster ongoing dialogue with the life sciences: medicine, biology, agronomy, ecology and epidemiology.
The power of mathematics lies, in particular, in its ability to operate at different scales – whether at the cellular level, the individual level or the population level – whilst incorporating spatial and temporal dimensions. Mathematics also enables the analysis of large datasets.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, combining statistical methods with modelling proved useful in supporting decision-making on health policy. Mathematics has much to offer in terms of diagnostic support, patient monitoring and the early detection of diseases. From a more forward-looking perspective, the human population interacts with a wide variety of species; a better understanding of these interactions would help us anticipate future health crises.
The second 2025 call for proposals aims to explore new interactions.