Join us for a cutting-edge joint symposium between WashU and the University of Warwick (UK) explores the science of self-organization, a hallmark of life itself. The program begins with self-organization in cell and developmental biology, examining how complex biological patterns and structures emerge during growth and differentiation. Building on these foundational principles, the symposium then explores how disruptions in self-organizing processes contribute to disease, highlighting translational perspectives that connect fundamental biology to pathophysiology. The program then broadens to consider self-organization across scales, focusing on molecular self-assembly and the physical principles that drive biological order. Finally, the symposium will address diagnostic and therapeutic strategies related to self-organizing systems, bringing together scientific and clinical perspectives to explore how understanding these organizing principles may inform new approaches to disease detection and treatment.

The WashU – University of Warwick Joint Symposium was made possible with support from WashU Global, Office of the Provost, the ‘Here & Next’ strategic plan, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS), and Center for Biomolecular Condensate.

March 30 – March 31, 2026
Great Room B, Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC), WashU Medicine
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Register Here

Day 1 – Monday, March 30

Coffee & Light Refreshments | 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM (CDT)

Welcome & Introduction | 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM (CDT)

  • Sarah England, Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Professor of Medicine; Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine
Session I: Self-organization in cell and developmental biology | 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM (CDT)

This session addresses how self-organization emerges at the cellular and developmental levels, illuminating the formation of complex patterns and structures during growth and differentiation.

Moderator: Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, Alan A and Edith L Wolff Distinguished Professor, Developmental Biology, WashU Medicine

Speaker:
Coffee Break | 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM (CDT)

Session II: Defective self-organization and disease | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (CDT)

This session highlights how disruptions in self-organization contribute to disease, bringing a translational and pathophysiological perspective to the symposium.

Moderator: Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology & Department of Pathology & Immunology; Associate Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

Speaker:
  • Erin Greaves, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (joining virtually)
  • Aleksandra Byrska,Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School (Title: “Errors at the Start of Human Life: Harm, Adaptation, or Both?”)
  • Polina Lishko, Cell Biology & Physiology, WashU Medicine
  • Farners Amargant i Riera, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashUMedicine
Lunch Buffet | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (CDT)

Day 2 – Tuesday, March 31

Coffee & Light Refreshments | 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM (CDT)

Introduction | 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM (CDT)

Session III: Self-organization across scales near- and far-from equilibrium systems | 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM (CDT)

This session will focus on the latest advances in how molecules self-assemble and drive biological order. It will explore how principles from soft matter physics help decode near and far- from -equilibrium self-organization of biological systems.

Moderator: Mohan Balasubramanian, Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School

Speaker:
  • Ann Dixon, Chemistry, University of Warwick (Title: “Self-organisation in Membrane Bilayers”)
  • Satyajit Mayor, Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School
  • Rohit Pappu, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU
  • Xuehua Zhong, Biology, Arts & Sciences, WashU
Coffee Break | 10:15 AM – 10:30 AM (CDT)

Session IV: Diagnostics and therapeutics in self-organization | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (CDT)

This session will discuss diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to identify physiological and pathophysiological self-organization bringing scientific and clinical insights for the symposium participants.

Moderator: Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology & Department of Pathology & Immunology; Associate Director, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

Speaker:
  • Jan Brosens, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Warwick Medical School (joining virtually)
  • Yong Wang, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Radiology, and Biomedical Engineering, WashU Medicine (Title:“Self-Organization of the Uterus: From Molecular Rules to Clinical Order”)
  • Nathaniel Huebsch, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU
Lunch Buffet | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (CDT)
Lightning talks | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (CDT)
Speaker:
  • Shweta Bhagwat, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine
  • Yifan Dai, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU
  • Juan Ferreira, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine
  • Nicole Gilbert, Molecular Microbiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, WashU Medicine (Title: “Host-microbe antagonism and synergy in the female urogenital tract”)
  • Alex Holehouse, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
  • Shankar Mukherji, Physics, Arts & Sciences, WashU
  • Kiersten Ruff, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering, WashU
  • Kristine Wylie, Pediatrics, WashU Medicine