ISHPSSB 2012 off-year workshop

On the 16-17 of August, an international group of scientists and historians and philosophers of science gathered at the Institute for Systems Biology, in Seattle, Washington, for the 2012 off-year workshop of the International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology, titled, “What’s New about Systems Biology?” The workshop, organized by a joint committee of graduate students and post-docs from ASU’s Center for Biology and Society, alongside a team from the Institute for Systems Biology, addressed historical and philosophical issues surrounding the field of systems biology.

Over the course of the two-day workshop, thirteen presentations, including seven from graduate students, focused on some of the core issues plaguing systems biology.  These ranged from the problem of integrating data and methodologies across biological-levels and systems to the task of interpreting the output of such ‘data-driven’ research.  Each of the sessions was presided over by a two-person team, comprised of both a scientist and historian and philosopher of science. Spurred on by top-quality presentations, and excellent commentary from ASU’s own Manfred Laubichler, Rick Creath, Stuart Newfeld, and Brian Hall (a frequent guest of the Center from Dalhousie University), the workshop produced discussions about systems biology that transcended traditional disciplinary boundaries, and highlighted areas where further collaborations between HPS-scholars and scientists would benefit all parties.

The workshop was well attended, with a participant list of over 60, including a substantial number from the Seattle-area systems biology and biomedical research groups. Participant feedback and post-workshop discussions have all been positive, and we look forward to seeing where the collaborative ties forged at this workshop will lead.