Genesis of Life and the Universe

Time Travel in Developmental Embryology and Cosmology

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SPEAKERS

Ali H. Brivanlou, Ph.D.

Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor
Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology
The Rockefeller University

Janna Levin, Ph.D.

Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Barnard College, Columbia University

HOST

Richard P. Lifton, M.D., Ph.D.

President and Carson Family Professor
Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics
The Rockefeller University

Although their work inspires contemplation of vastly different time periods and distances, cosmologists and biologists share a deep curiosity about origins, from the birth of the universe to the spark of emerging life. Both fields are currently experiencing revolutions in thought. The latest findings from the James Webb Space Telescope, for example, have challenged theories about how galaxies change over time. In the life sciences, powerful technologies offer glimpses into the earliest stages of embryonic development, revising our understanding of how life unfolds.

On May 1st, The Rockefeller University will bring together cosmologist Janna Levin and embryologist Ali Brivanlou for an exploration of time in astrophysics and biology.
 
Janna Levin, Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College, Columbia University, develops theories of the early universe, chaos, and black holes. She also studies the topology of the universe and the question of whether or not the universe is infinite. Dr. Levin writes for both scientific and general audiences. Her novel, A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, won the PEN/Bingham Fellowship for Writers. She is also the author of a popular science book, How the Universe Got Its Spots: Diary of a Finite Time in a Finite Space. Her most recent book is Black Hole Survival Guide.

Ali Brivanlou, Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor and head of the Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology at Rockefeller, is an international leader in the effort to understand the intricacies of human development, with a focus on embryonic stem cells and their therapeutic potential. His studies employ high-resolution quantitative approaches, spanning both theoretical physics and molecular embryology, to offer insights into human reproductive biology, as well as disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.