Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP)

28/07/2026

Summer mornings are perfect for soaking up the sun… and meerkats seem to agree!🌞

HFSP Research Grant researchers have discovered that the soft "sunning calls" meerkats exchange while warming themselves in the morning help maintain social relationships within their groups. These vocal interactions appear to function as a form of "grooming at a distance," allowing individuals to reinforce important social bonds without physical contact.

The study also revealed that subordinate meerkats respond more strongly to dominant individuals, particularly those with whom they share weaker social ties, highlighting how simple vocal exchanges help maintain the complex social fabric of cooperative societies.

These findings offer fascinating new insights into how animals use communication to navigate complex social lives!

🔬 Learn more: https://zurl.co/6XR8J

24/07/2026

📍 Where scientific heritage meets frontier research

This August, the HFSP Frontier Workshop will take place at the Royal Society of Chemistry in the heart of London, a historic venue dedicated to advancing science and bringing researchers together.

It's a fitting setting for a workshop that connects fossil heritage with modern technologies, from paleogenomics to artificial intelligence, to explore new perspectives on the history of life.

We look forward to welcoming participants for three days of inspiring discussions, collaboration and new ideas! Join us!

📅 3–5 August 2026
🔗 Register: https://zurl.co/SOu8x

23/07/2026

🌍 Communication & Integration: Great discoveries happen when disciplines connect!

The final session of the HFSP Frontier Workshop explores how natural history, evolutionary biology, computational science and the humanities can work together to build new perspectives on the history of life and how these ideas can be communicated beyond academia.

Join the conversation in London.

Register: https://zurl.co/ri0JJ

22/07/2026

🦴 Fossil Heritage and Accessibility

Fossil collections preserve an extraordinary record of life's history, but many remain difficult to access and study.

This session explores how 3D imaging, virtual collections and new approaches to data sharing are helping make fossil heritage more accessible, opening new possibilities for research, education and international collaboration.

Join us at the HFSP Frontier Workshop in London, 3–5 August 2026.

Register now: https://zurl.co/1bPjX

21/07/2026

🤖 AI & Computational Challenges

Artificial intelligence, computational modelling and mathematical approaches are opening new possibilities for studying life's history.
This session explores how digital tools can help reconstruct missing fossil evidence, simulate evolutionary processes and reveal patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.

Join us in London for the HFSP Frontier Workshop.

Register today: https://zurl.co/5KV5H

21/07/2026

✨ The memories are here!
More than 500 pictures capture the science, the smiles, the reunions, the new friendships, and all the unforgettable moments that made the 25th HFSP Awardees Meeting so special!

Whether you were presenting your research, discussing posters, or simply enjoying a conversation over coffee, chances are we've captured a few of your favorite moments.😁

📸 Explore the full gallery on Flickr, find yourself, and tag your friends and colleagues!

👉 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCZyR4

7-10 July 2026 Geneva, Switzerland

20/07/2026

🧬 From Paleo-Genomics to Paleo-Phenomes
Ancient DNA, fossil evidence and modern biological data are transforming how we reconstruct evolutionary history. This session explores how researchers integrate genomic information with fossil discoveries to better understand extinct species, evolutionary relationships and the emergence of new traits.

Join leading scientists from across disciplines at the HFSP Frontier Workshop in London, 3–5 August 2026.
Register now: https://zurl.co/tmwGg

13/07/2026

🏆 Congratulations to V. Narry Kim, winner of the 2027 HFSP Nakasone Award!

The 2027 HFSP Nakasone Award recognizes V. Narry Kim for her pioneering discoveries of noncanonical RNA tailing pathways, revealing new layers of gene regulation and laying the molecular foundation for more durable mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.

Her discoveries transformed our understanding of how RNA is regulated and opened new opportunities for RNA-based medicine and antiviral research.

The HFSP Nakasone Award honours scientists whose groundbreaking discoveries have advanced the frontiers of the life sciences.

Learn more about V. Narry Kim's research and the 2027 HFSP Nakasone Award 👉 https://zurl.co/HFYrH

11/07/2026

Over the past three days, Campus Biotech Geneva welcomed the global HFSP community for an inspiring program of oral presentations, poster teaser talks, poster sessions, keynote lectures, and countless conversations that continued well beyond the lecture hall.

More importantly, the meeting brought together researchers from across disciplines, career stages, and continents to exchange ideas, challenge perspectives, and forge new collaborations, capturing the spirit of HFSP and the value of frontier science.

A heartfelt thank you to all speakers, poster presenters, participants, chairs, organizers, and everyone who helped make this year's meeting such a success.

Until next year!

09/07/2026

What does frontier science look like?
At the HFSP Awardees Meeting, it's different with every presentation!

Today's program brought together research spanning cell migration, microbial communities, photosynthesis, neuroscience, evolution, plant biology, RNA technologies, ocean microbiomes, and much more. Each talk explored a different scientific question, yet together they reflected the spirit of HFSP: bringing together researchers from across disciplines to inspire new ideas and unexpected connections.

Alongside the scientific sessions, today's keynote lecture by Francisco Barrantes, poster teaser talks, and lively poster session created even more opportunities for discussion and collaboration!

Frontier science thrives when different perspectives meet, and that's exactly what the HFSP Awardees Meeting is all about! 😉