Presentations

International refereed conference presentations

2022

  • From exposome to pathogenic niche: Conceptualizing the environment in health sciences, avec Gaëlle Pontarotti – PhilInBioMed Workshop, November 13-14, 2022 (Pittsburgh, US).

2021

  • Dissenting stochasticity in gene expression: New epistemological insights by a multidimensional analysis, with Marco Casali & Alberto Vianelli - ISHPSSB 2021, July 13-20 (Cold Spring Harbor, online).

2019

  • Inheritance as a set of evolved and evolving physiological processes, with Livio Riboli-Sasco - Symposium "New considerations on inheritance, heredity, and transmission" organized by Antonine Nicoglou, funded by the LabEx "Who Am I?" - ISHPSSB 2019, July 7-12 (Oslo, Norway).

2018

  • Pour une approche interdisciplinaire de l'environnement en épigénétique - Symposium "L'environnement dans la biologie du XXIe siècle : ambiguïtés conceptuelles et défis épistémologiques”, organized by Francesca Merlin and Gaëlle Pontarotti, - VIIe Meeting of SPS 2018, July 4-6 (Nantes, France).

2017

  • Natural Kinds: a New Synthesis (with A. Barberousse, F. Longy, S. Ruphy) - 2017 Meeting of the Society of Metaphysics of Science, Fordham University, October 5-7, 2017 (New York, US).

2016

  • Epigenetics: an epistemic bridge between biological disciplines (with Antonine Nicoglou) - 2016 HSS Annual Meeting, November 3-6, 2016 (Atlanta, US).

  • Epigenetics and the explanation of development: the mirage of opening the developmental blackbox – Symposium “From genetics to epigenetics: what has changed?”, organizd by Francesca Merlin and Gaëlle Pontarotti, - VIe Meeting of SPS 2016, June 29-July 1 (Lausanne, Switzerland).

  • Epigenetics and the explanation of development: the mirage of moving beyond reductionism - SPS Symposium "From genetics to culture - lines, gaps and bridges", organized by Francesca Merlin, Cédric Paternotte et Christian Sachse - GWP 2016, March 8-11, 2016 (Düsselforf, Germany).

2015

  • Epigenetics and inheritance. From Nanney's epigenetic control systems to today - Organised session "Epigenetics: Its History & Current Issues" organised by Erik Peterson - 2015 HSS Annual Meeting, November 19-22, 2015 (San Francisco, US).

  • Organization, Roundtable "Representations of Biological Inheritance" & Co-organization, Symposium "Transmission and Inheritance" - Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), UQAM, July 5-10, 2015 (Montréal, Canada).

2013

  • Looking for a definition of random genetic mutation at the molecular level - International Conference "Philosophy of Science in the 21st century - Challenges and Tasks", University of Lisbon, December 4-6, 2013 (Lisbon, Portugal).

  • Organized & Chair, Session "New Light on Species Essentialism in Biology" - Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), University of Montpellier I & III, July 7-12, 2013 (Montpellier, France).

2012

  • The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness (with Isabelle Drouet) - Workshop Causation, dispositions and probabilities in physics and biology, ESF Program "The philosophy of science in a European perspective", University of Lausanne, November 22-24, 212 (Lausanne, Switzerland).

  • Mutations et aléas. Pour une définition de l’aléatoire au niveau moléculaire - IV Congress of the Société de Philosophie des Sciences (SPS), UQAM, June 1-3, 2012 (Montréal, Canada).

2011

  • Developmental stochasticity and heterogenity, Symposium "From evolution to development, and back : towards a developmental theory", organized in collaboration with Lucie Laplane, Antonine Nicoglou, and Thomas Pradeu - Meeting of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA), University of Athens, October 5-8, 2011 (Athens, Greece).

  • Heterogeneity, Evolution, and Complexity, Symposium "Evolution of Biological Complexity", organized in collaboration with Matteo Mossio - XIV Congress of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (CLMPS), July 19-26, 2011 (Nancy, France).

  • Developmental noise: the specific heterogeneity of individual organisms, Symposium "Heterogeneity and Evolution : Looking for the Organism Level", organized in collaboration with Eva Boon - Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), University of Utah, July 10-15, 2011 (Salt Lake City, US).

2010

  • The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness and the Propensity Interpretation of Probability, with Isabelle Drouet - Philosophy of Science Association (PSA) Biennal Meeting, November 4-6, 2010 (Montréal, QC, Canada).

  • Comment of John Dupré's talk "Emerging Sciences and New Conceptions of Disease. Or, Beyond the Monogenomic Differentiated Cell Lineage" - First European Advanced Seminar in the Philosophy of the Life Sciences (EASPLS), Fondation Brocher, September 6-11, 2010 (Genève, Suisse).

  • La Théorie des Systèmes en Développement : vertus et limites - Workshop to the memory of Marie-Claude Lorne "Fonctions, information et systèmes en développement", École Normale Supérieure, June 17, 2010 (Paris, France).

  • La notion d’évolvabilité en biologie : limites et perspectives - Congress of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science (CSHPS), Congress of the Human Sciences, University of Concordia, May 28-30, 2010 (Montréal, Canada).

2009

  • Le bruit dans l’expression génétique : une adaptation pour l’évolvabilité ou simplement un fait physique ?, Symposium "Enjeux philosophiques de la pluralité des explications en biologie" (organized by F. Merlin) - III Congress of the Société de Philosophie des Sciences (SPS), Ecole normale supérieure, November 12-14, 2009 (Paris, France).

  • The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness and the Propensity Interpretation of Probability, with Isabelle Drouet, Symposium "Causality and Probability in Biological Sciences" - II Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA), University of Amsterdam, October 21-24, 2009 (Amsterdam, Netherlands).

  • Does the propensity interpretation of fitness need propensities? - Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), July 12-16, 2009 (Brisbane, Australia).

2007

  • DST’s Concept of Expanded Inheritance: Is It Too Expanded? - Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB), Exeter University, July 25­ 29, 2007 (Exeter, UK).

  • The ‘biased chance’ of genetic mutations - VI Annual Conference in Philosophy & Biology, "Chance in Evolution", Center for Philosophy of Biology, Duke University, April 6-8, 2007 (Durham, US).

  • Aspects problématiques du concept d’hérédité de la théorie des systèmes en développement - II Congress of the Société de Philosophie des Sciences (SPS), University of Geneva, March 29-31, 2007 (Geneva, Switzerland).

2006

  • Analyse du concept de ‘hasard’ dans l’explication des mutations en biologie moléculaire - Congress of the Société de Philosophie Analytique (SOPHA), September 1-3, 2006 (Aix-en-Provence, France).

Invited talks

2022

  • Nature, nurture et troubles psychiques : réflexions sur le concept de transmission en psychiatrie – Plenary talk, Congrès Français de Psychiatrie, November 30 – December 03, 2022 (Lille, France).

  • Do we still need « epigenetics » ? – 17th Course on Epigenetics “From nuclear organization to metabolism and cell fate”, Institut Curie, March 21, 2021 (Paris, France).

2021

  • From variation to variability and back: the many-faces of heterogeneity in biology, "Making sense of heterogeneity and variability" Symposium, Centre de Biologie Evolutive, Toulouse, France, October 11-13, 2021.

  • Narratives in Exposomics: a Reversed Epistemic Determinism? - with Elodie Giroux (University of Lyon 3), Roto Workshop "Postgenomic Determinisms: Environmental Narratives after the Century of the Gene, Online workshop organized by Rühr Universität Bochum, March 25-26, 2021.

  • Where biology meets philosophy - Panel discussion, "Thirsting for Theoretical Biology", organized by the International Centre for Theoretical Studies, Bangalore, January 22, 2021.

2019

  • Epigénétique, hérédité, évolution - Séminaire avancé d'histoire et philosophie des sciences, Rencontres Franco-Mexicaines, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, June 19-21, 2019 (Paris, France).

  • Some reflections on History and Philosophy of Biology (HPB) & Philosophy of Biology (PB) - Workshop "Philosophy of biology before and after Biologie", organized by C. Bognon-Küss and C. Wolfe, IHPST, May 13, 2019 (Paris, France).

  • Two epistemic traditions in epigenetics: a comparison - Systems Biology Network, Sciences Sorbonne Université, March 26, 2019 (Paris, France).

  • Epigenetica, trasmissione non genetica e teoria dell’evoluzione: è necessario ripensare il concetto di eredità? – Cavalli-Sforza Lectures, Università dell’Insubria, 1 février (Varese, Italie).

2018

  • Mapping biological transmission: an evolutionary conceptuel framework - Meeting "Evolution Paris-Centre", Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Paris, June 13-15, 2018 (Paris, France).

  • Stochastic cell-to-cell variability: looking for a new place for chance in Waddington's epigenetic landscape - Séminaire Epigénétique, Université Paris Diderot Paris 7, March 28, 2018 (Paris, France).

2017

    • Epigenetics: conceptual challenges from a philosophical perspective - "Curieous Christmas", Institut Curie, December 21, 2017 (Orsay, France).

  • Epigenetics and the reductionist promise: just an epistemological mirage? - INC Day 2017: Brain and Epigenetics, Université Paris Descartes, October 16, 2017 (Paris, France).

2016

  • L'hérédité épigénétique oblige-t-elle à repenser la théorie de l'évolution ? - CNRS Interdisciplinary Meeting "Qu'est-ce que la vie ?", November 2-3, 2016 (Paris, France).

  • L'épigénétique : un pont épistémique entre disciplines biologiques - "Les Jeudis de l'ENS", October 6, 2016 (Paris, France).

  • No need of the propensity interpretation of probability to make fitness explanatory - International Workshop on the Metaphysics of Causal Probability in the Life Sciences, Complutense University, September 26, 2016 (Madrid, Spain).

  • Epigénétique et explication du développement : réduction ou prise en compte de la complexité développementale ? - Séminaire inter-universitaire d'Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences, Cycle 2016 "Simplicité, Complexité, Globalité", May 24, 2016 (Montpellier, France).

  • Epigenetics: a bridge between development and evolution from Waddington to today - Institut de génétique humaine (IGH), May 23, 2016 (Montpellier, France).

  • Limited Extended Inheritance - Research Workshop on Philosophy of Biology and Cognitive Science (PBCS6), April 28-29, 2016 (Barcelona, Spain).

  • The changing concept of Epigenetics: its origins and traditions - CeMEB Epigenetics Workshop, April 4, 2016 (Montpellier, France).

2015

  • Limited Extended Inheritance - "Conference: Inheritance and Cooperation", Balliol College, June 25-26, 2015 (Oxford, UK).

  • Philosophy of Biology: The Analytic Tradition - Summer school "French and analytic approaches to science", University of Lorraine & MSH, June 15-19, 2015 (Nancy, France).

  • Aspects historiques et épistémologiques de l'épigénétique, with Antonine Nicoglou - Thematic school of the RTP-3E Eco-Evo-Epigen, May 18-22, 2015 (Saint Pierre d'Oléron, France).

2014

  • The limited extended nature of biological inheritance - Third European Advanced Seminar in the Philosophy of the Life Sciences (EASPLS) "Ontological Issues in the Life Sciences", Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition (KLI), September 1-5, 2014 (Klosterneuburg, Austria).

  • Au hasard des mutations! - "Marathon des sciences", Festival of Astronomy of Fleurance, August 2, 2014 (Fleurance, France).

  • Epistemological reflexions on the extension of inheritance - "Who Am I?" Workshop "Epigenetics and evolution: four different perspective", Institut Jacques Monod, January 22, 2014 (Paris, France).

2013

  • Deux traditions rivales : Histoire et philosophie des sciences Vs Philosophie de la biologie - International Workshop "Histoire et philosophie des sciences de la vie : actualités et méthodes (HP-BIO : where are we?)", organized by Thierry Hoquet, University Jean Moulin - Lyon 3, May 15 mai, 2013 (Lyon, France).

  • Comment on chapter 5 "Laws of variation" of the Origin of species - Workshop "Lire l’Origine des espèces", organized by Mathilde Lequin and Karin Prévot, Ecole normale supérieure, April 8, 2013 (Paris, France).

  • Biologie et aléas : le hasard dans la théorie de l’évolution - Seminar of Logique de l’agir team, University of Franche-Comté, January 30, 2013 (Besançon, France).

2011

  • Le hasard des mutations génétiques. Enjeux philosophiques - Seminar of the Institut supérieur de philosophie, Catholic University of Louvain, December 5, 2011 (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium).

2010

  • The notion of chance in Monod’s writings - Meeting in honor of Jacques Monod : "Jacques Monod: a theorist in the era of molecular biology", Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, October 22-23, 2010 (Paris, France).

  • Comment on Frédérique Théry's talk "What Place for Encoded Information in Heredity?" - V Meeting of the Consortium Paris-Toronto-Montréal-Duke in philosophy of biology, "The Role(s) of Heredity in Biological Explanation", May 31-June 1, (University of Montréal, Canada).

  • Le hasard des mutations génétiques. Enjeux philosophiques - Conferences of the Department of Philosophy, University of Montréal, March 24, 2010 (Montréal, Canada).

  • Les mécanismes mutateurs et le retour des idées de Lamarck - Seminar of the Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur la Science et la Technologie, January 15, 2010 (Montréal, Canada).

2009

  • Les idées de Lamarck sont-elles de retour ? Le cas des mécanismes mutateurs - Meeting for the bicentenary of the publication of Lamarck's Philosophie Zoologique, Centre Cavaillès d’Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences, Ecole normale supérieure, June 29, 2009 (Paris, France).

2008

  • Modern Synthesis Rules! Ok? Mutator Mechanisms and Jablonka and Lamb’s Lamarckian Temptation - European Graduate Meeting in the Philosophy of Life Sciences, September 2-6, 2008 (Gorino Sullam, Italy).

  • A possible way to argue for the objectivity of probabilities in stochastic models of gene expression - III Meeting of the Consortium Paris-Toronto-Montréal-Duke in philosophy of biology, "Biological Development", University of Toronto, May 16-17, 2008 (Toronto, Canada).

  • Sur la ‘nature’ du caractère probabiliste du bruit moléculaire – Conference "Le hasard au cœur de la cellule", Centre Cavaillès d’Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences, Ecole normale supérieure, January 22, 2008 (Paris, France).

2007

  • Comment on Robert Brandon's talk "Drift Driven Diversification" - II Meeting of the Consortium Paris-Toronto-Montréal-Duke in philosophy of biology, "Causation in Biology", Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, May 10-12, 2007 (Paris, France).

Other presentations

2019

  • Comment on Julie Jebeile's talk Values and objectivity in the IPCC - IV POND Conference - September 26-27, 2019 (Barcelona, Spain).

2018

  • Deux traditions épistémiques en épigénétique: une comparaison - Assises de l'Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, December 14, 2019.

  • Pour une approche interdisciplinaire de l'environnement en épigénétique - Workshop "Conceptualizing the Environment: Contemporary Philosophical Issues", organized by Antoine Dussaut, Francesca Merlin and Gaëlle Pontarotti, Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, June 25-26, 2018.

2016

  • Epigenetics: its origins, conceptions, and traditions - CNRS Thematic School BioPerspectives, "New Perspectives in Philosophy of Biology", March 28 - April 2, 2016 (Cargèse, Corsica, France).

2014

  • Limited Extended Inheritance - Workshop "How can we redefine inheritance befond the gene-centered approach?", organized by Francesca Merlin & Gaëlle Pontarotti, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, October 3, 2014, (Paris, France).

2013

  • L’ évolution au-delà du tout génétique. Une enquête épistémologique - Seminar of Evolution & Diversité Biologique lab (CNRS – UMR 5174) directed by Etienne Danchin, University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse 3, October 3, 2013 (Toulouse, France).

  • Developmental noise: explaining the specific hetereogenity of individual organisms - Seminar of "Cycle et Détermination Cellulaires" lab (CNRS – UMR 7622) directed by Michel Gho, University Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6, May 22, 2013 (Paris, France).

  • Une biologie du hasard - HAREDOL Seminar, Centre Cavaillès, February 20, 2013 (Paris, France).

2012

  • L’aléatoire des mutations génétiques au niveau moléculaire - PhilBio Seminar of the Institut d’histoire et philosophie des sciences et des techniques, September 25, 2012 (Paris, France).

  • Bruit développemental et explication - Workshop "Les théories en biologie du développement", organized by Thomas Pradeu, Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, October 8, 2012 (Paris, France).

  • L’objectivité des probabilités robustes. Le cas du bruit en biologie - Seminar "Probabilismes", Centre Cournot, January (Paris, France).

2011

  • L’(in)déterminisme génétique en médecine - Epistemology of medicine Seminar, University Lyon 3, November 25, 2011 (Lyon, France).

  • Explanation in Biology. A case study - Discussion group "Biolosophy" organized by Maria Kronfeldner, Bielefeld University, January 26, 2011 (Bielefeld, Germany).

2010

  • Comment on Thomas Pradeu's talk "Le rôle des symbioses dans le développement" - Workshop "Les frontières du développement", organized by the "Les frontières du développement" working group, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, December 4, 2010 (Paris, France).

  • Causalité multi-niveaux et bruit intra-cellulaire, with Anouk Barberousse - "Probabilités, Décision, Incertitude" Seminar, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, Febraury 8, 2010 (Paris, France).

2009

  • Types, populations, espèces selon Ernst Mayr - Workshop "Autour du concept de population en biologie" – Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur la Science et la Technologie, December 10, 2009 (Montréal, Canada).

  • Interprétation propensionniste de la fitness et interprétation propensionniste des probabilités, with Isabelle Drouet - "Probabilités, Décision, Incertitude" Seminar, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, June 5, 2009 (Paris, France).

  • Objective Probability as Robust - Philosophy of probability in Physics and in Biology, Workshop organized by Joseph Berkovitz & Philippe Huneman, CausaProba, ANR France-Allemagne, dir. J. Dubucs et W. Spohn (Constance), Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, Fevraury 12-14, 2009 (Paris, France).

2008

  • Comment doit-on interpréter les probabilités en biologie ? - "Probabilités, Décision, Incertitude" Seminar, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, April 4, 2008 (Paris, France).

2007

  • The ‘biased’ chance of genetic mutations - Research seminar organized by Elihu M. Gerson and Michael Ghiselin, Academy of Science, November 9, 2007 (San Francisco, US).

  • Pour une définition du concept de hasard en biologie moléculaire : le cas des mutations génétiques - École thématique interdisciplinaire d’échanges et de formation en biologie, CNRS-INRA – March 25-31 , 2007 (Ile de Berder, France).

  • Sur l’origine du caractère stochastique de la théorie de l’évolution, with Christophe Malaterre - PhilBio Seminar, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, February 8, 2007 (Paris, France).

2006

  • Est-il encore possible de parler de ‘hasard’ en biologie moléculaire ? - PhilBio Seminar, Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, May 11, 2006 (Paris, France).