An international symposium to explore how physics can help us to understand the brain
A discussion with two researchers who are reinventing the dialogue between scientific disciplines to improve our understanding of the brain, and perhaps even the way we treat related disorders.
What if physics could provide us with as many insights into how the brain works as biology? This question will be the focus of an international symposium on 7 November 2025 at the Paris Brain Institute, organised by Fanny Mochel, professor at Sorbonne University, and Ángeles García-Cazorla, paediatric neurologist and expert in paediatric neurometabolism in Barcelona. Together, they are exploring the relationship between physics, metabolism and brain functions, combining hard sciences, medicine, philosophy and art.
Joint interview
How did the idea for this symposium on physics and neuroscience come to light?
Fanny Mochel: It all started with a chance encounter. At a science festival in the Pyrenees, I met Sylvie Vauclair, the astrophysicist who will give the symposium's opening lecture. Her lecture on the genesis of elements in the universe and how life emerges from matter made a profound impression on me. She demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinarity between chemistry, physics, and biology. I realised that we were probably lacking a certain level of understanding in our approach to biology and cellular metabolism. A few weeks later, I mentioned this to Ángeles at an international conference.
Ángeles García-Cazorla: I often read essays to broaden my general culture beyond clinical research, particularly on the relationship between quantum physics and biology. When Fanny told me about her meeting with Sylvie Vauclair, we realised that we were both on the same page: we needed to create a space where these disciplines could come together. That is how the idea for an international, multidisciplinary event that would explore the link between physics and brain metabolism was born.
What lessons did you learn from the first edition of the symposium held in Barcelona in 2024?
F. M.: The first edition was a great success. We hosted renowned researchers who were drawn to the symposium’s interdisciplinary dimension. The enthusiasm and curiosity were evident. The experience convinced us to continue the adventure, building on it and passing it on to others, so that others can be inspired and contribute to future editions.
How do your teams work together between France and Spain?
F. M.: Our collaboration primarily entails the organisation of international events and programmes. Ángeles has launched an international Master's degree in neurometabolism, in which I participate alongside other experts, and which includes a summer school and an annual symposium. We also encourage exchanges between our team; for the past few months, I have hosted a neurologist from Ángeles' team, who specialises in paediatrics and rare metabolic diseases. She has been observing our work on adult forms, which are not as well known as those affecting children.
A. G. C.: Our goal is to create a joint laboratory between the Paris Brain Institute and the Sant Joan de Déu Institute in Barcelona. This would enable us to set up joint doctoral programmes, host researchers in both institutions and develop a strong collaborative network.
Your partnership embodies a very European approach to research. What do you take away from this approach?
A. G. C.: It is a fantastic opportunity to strive for excellence and collaborate with top-level specialists in their field. It is also a door to new cultural horizons; each country has its own way of thinking and doing science. This diversity forces us to break away from our usual working habits, enhance our approaches and inspire each other.
F. M.: Even though we share a common scientific language, our academic and cultural backgrounds differ. There are ‘schools’ in France, Spain, Germany... These traditions shape the way we ask questions, interpret results and teach. This dialogue between scientific cultures forces us to take a step back and see things from a different perspective. This is precisely what makes our collaboration so stimulating; excellence is not only found elsewhere, it is also found in viewpoint diversity.
How can physics go beyond biology to shed light on our understanding of how the brain works?
A. G. C.: Neurons already represent an exceptional physical challenge. Very long and polarised, they require complex machinery to transport molecules from one end to the other in a few nanoseconds, which is what I call transport physics. Added to this is electrical physics or electrophysiology; the membrane potentials and electrical charges of the brain must be perfectly synchronised to form communication networks between neurons. When these balances are disrupted, diseases appear. This is what we are trying to understand.
What tools from physics can we use to improve how we study the brain?
F. M.: Physical methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging, have evolved considerably in recent years. Thanks to magnetic resonance elastography, for example, we can now visualise the physical properties of the brain. This increases with ageing and seems to play a key role in neurodegeneration. Recent work on Alzheimer's disease shows that brain stiffness is a major predictive factor, more so than amyloid protein load.
These mechanical constraints could not only explain certain biological mechanisms, but also pave the way for new therapeutic approaches.
You also refer to a link with astrophysics. How can the infinitely large help us to understand the infinitely small?
F. M.: For me, this was a real epiphany. I realised that everything we study – DNA, RNA, the fundamental components of life – all comes from the universe. In the words of the thesis supervisor of the astrophysicist Sylvie Vauclair, a guest at the symposium, “we are stardust”. She spent forty years understanding the genesis of elements, and today we are discovering even more complex molecules in the universe, such as certain lipids, and trying to trace how they are formed.
We introduced the symposium by talking about the cosmos in a cell. It is a way of looking at life on a different and much larger scale. By association, we can sometimes solve a microscopic problem by looking at it on a macroscopic scale, and vice versa.
Why did you include philosophy and art in this scientific symposium?
A. G. C.: Philosophy helps us to surpass reductionism, think outside the box and welcome other ideas and perspectives. It also provides an ethical perspective, by questioning the meaning and impact of our research.
F. M.: Since the first symposium, we have wanted to incorporate an artistic dimension, through music or painting. Art calls on associative thinking, which is very different from analytical thinking, which is typically related to science. It helps us to approach complex problems differently and associate ideas more freely, without feeling inhibited. It is a key source of creativity.
Is this interdisciplinarity already reflected in your work?
F. M.: Since the first symposium, we have launched several research projects involving interdisciplinary teams in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. One focuses on mitochondrial diseases, models of premature ageing, to understand how physical constraints can influence the variability of these diseases from childhood to adulthood. With partners from Oxford and Padua, we want to combine brain magnetic resonance imaging and cellular analysis to explore the links between mechanics, gene expression and mitochondrial functions.
A. G. C.: Another project, coordinated with the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, studies lipid transport between organelles, which are altered in certain genetic diseases. We are going to apply for an ERC Synergy Grant to bring our three centres together (Paris, Dresden and Barcelona) and combine our models and expertise. We also want to develop interdisciplinary academic programmes and joint thesis supervision, particularly within the framework of the Human Frontier Science Program and Marie Curie fellowships.
What future do you see for ‘brain physics’?
F. M.: Something that drives us is the search for new treatments. Certain traditional therapies, such as acupuncture and osteopathy, which have proven to be effective, are already based on physical principles by acting on the physical properties of tissue. It would be fascinating to review them in light of modern physics.
Other therapeutic avenues are also possible. For example, magnetic resonance imaging now allows us to measure cerebral stiffness, and ultrasounds offer the possibility of temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier. This could transform the way certain treatments are administered to the brain.
A. G. C.: Nanoparticles also offer promising opportunities. They can transport molecules and drugs to specific areas of the brain and release their contents in a controlled manner. These approaches, which are still experimental, could soon be clinically tested and offer a new therapeutic use for brain physics.