From November 11th to 14th, the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (CIS) at Westlake University successfully held its first academic week with the theme "Physical Forces and Information Processing: from cells to tissues and onto learning dynamics in natural and artificial neural networks." The event brought together top global scholars，faculty, and students from the center to engage in lively discussions on key areas of interdisciplinary research related to mathematics, physics, biology, and artificial intelligence.
On November 11th, invited lectures focused on the intersection of mathematical physics and biology. Pierre Sens from the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) presented on how mathematical physics models can reveal the dynamics of single-cell crawling. Professor Kim Sneppen from the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) at the University of Copenhagen discussed the crucial role of cell polarity in morphogenesis during embryonic development and organ formation, as revealed through mathematical models.
Pierre Sens, Directeur de Recherche
Professor Kim Sneppen
The following day, Professor Yuhai Tu from IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center reviewed the evolution of the combination of physics and machine learning and shared his team's latest research on the theoretical foundations of deep learning neural networks and statistical physics methods. On November 13th, Professor Hong Qian from the University of Washington explored the application of entropy as a mathematical concept, demonstrating the universality of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation in the limit of stationary data through two models.
Professor Yuhai Tu
Professor Hong Qian
The academic week also featured a one-day CIS workshop focusing on interdisciplinary research across biology, physics, and engineering. Professor Michael Q. Zhang from the University of Texas at Dallas summarized the current state of 4D genome research and areas that require further enhancement.
Professor Michael Q. Zhang
Assistant Professor Fangzhou Xiao from Westlake University presented a new theoretical foundation for bioregulation based on reaction order polyhedra (ROP), offering a novel approach to modeling metabolic dynamics.
Assistant Professor Fangzhuu Xiao
Associate Research Professor Xiaochan Xu simulated the morphogenetic processes in early pancreatic development through mathematical models, providing new insights into organ formation mechanisms.
Research Associate Professor Xiaochan Xu
Additionally, Assistant Professor Po-Yi Ho, Dr. Hanqing Guo, and Dr. Zitong(Jerry) Wang shared fascinating insights on functional selection in microbial communities, biomechanics in tissue folding and organ rotation, and the role of adaptive receptor rearrangement in cell migration, respectively. Teachers and students engaged in thorough discussions and exchanges on the significant findings and related topics presented, greatly inspiring their thoughts or ideas in research.
Assistant Professor Po-Yi Ho
Hanqing Guo, Westlake Fellow
Jerry Wang, Westlake Fellow
This CIS Week provided an excellent international exchange platform for researchers and students, fostering collaboration between domestic and international entities and across different disciplines. In the future, the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at Westlake University will continue to promote interdisciplinary research and contribute to the development of academic fields and the cultivation of talent.
