Cancer in a Physical Context: from Understanding to Therapeutics

The workshop will bring together biophysicists, pharmacologists, material scientists and mathematicians whose work aims at a fundamental understanding of the physical context of cancer and the application of these insights to potential therapeutics.

The specific aim of the week is to identify open challenges and opportunities in the mechanobiology of cancer in terms of the following themes:

Theme 1: Mechanical markers vs. the hallmarks of cancer

Theme 2: Model systems of mechano-oncology

Theme 3: How to link mechanics and biology

To set the stage internationally renowned leaders of the field will deliver introductory lectures. The remainder of the workshop will comprise thematic lectures, interspersed with discussion sessions in break-out groups and plenary feedback sessions for each theme. Based on these, participants will sketch out the challenges and opportunities in the mechanobiology of cancer that will culminate in a joint white-paper.