School of Life Sciences, EPFL

The School of Life Sciences (French: Faculté des sciences de la vie, abbr: SV) is one of the five schools at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Established in 2002 under the initiative of Patrick Aebischer, then president of EPFL, the SV school aims to promote interdisciplinary education, research and technological innovation at the interface between biological sciences and engineering.[3][4]

School of Life Sciences
Faculté des Sciences de la Vie
TypePublic
Established2002
DeanFrançoise Gisou van der Goot[1]
Academic staff
806 (Incl. PhD Students)
Students1191 (2019) [2]
Location
Lausanne
,
Vaud
,
Switzerland
CampusLausanne campus, Campus Biotech, Agora building
Websitewww.epfl.ch/schools/sv/

The school of Life Sciences offers undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate study programmes. It is structured in four research institutes, hosting more than fifty research laboratories. Since its creation, the School of Life Sciences has witnessed continuous growth. From less than 200 undergraduates in 2003, the various Schools' programmes enrolled 1'191 students in 2019 [5].

Education

The School of Life Sciences offers a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in life sciences engineering, as well as four postgraduate (PhD) programmes. Aligned with the multidisciplinary nature of modern biological sciences, these programmes aim to train engineers with strong polytechnic capabilities. [6]

Bachelor's degree

The Bachelor's degree (BSc) in life science engineering is a 3-years (180 ECTS credits) undergraduate study course. It heavily emphasizes basic sciences. Mathematics and physics constitute approximately half of the teaching hours in the first two years[7]. Other topics include computer sciences, chemistry and biology. The third year is divided into two teaching modules: engineering and biosciences.

Master's degree

Since 2018, a new 2-years (120 ECTS credits) Master's degree in life science engineering was created, resulting from the fusion between the previous programmes in bioengineering and in life sciences and technology. This study course comprises a 90 ECTS credit Master cycle, where students can tailor their cursus by chosing amongst over 100 courses encompassing subjects in biological sciences, laboratory techniques and bioengineering. This theoretical cycle is completed by a 30 ECTS credit Master thesis research project, which can be undertaken within research laboratories at EPFL, in other universities, or in the industry.

Postgraduate programmes

The School of Lifes Sciences offers four PhD programmes:

  • Biotechnology and bioengineering (EDBB)
  • Molecular life sciences (EDMS)
  • Neuroscience (EDNE)
  • Computational and quantitative biology (EDCB)


In line with the philosophy of EPFL to promote interdisciplinarity, these programmes are independent of faculties and research institutes. Following acceptation in the programme of their choice, students are expected to complete their postgraduate within four years. A doctoral degree is awarded after completion of the program, which includes the following requirements:

  1. Definitive admission upon successful passing of a candidacy examination at the end of the first year.
  2. Obtention of 12 ECTS credits.
  3. Participation in undergraduate teaching.
  4. Completion of a research project under the guidance of a thesis supervisor.
  5. Thesis writing and defense.

Research

Research laboratories at the School of Life Sciences are divided into four institutes[8]:

Institute of bioengineering (IBI)

The institute of bioengineering is jointly associated to the School of Life Sciences (SV) and the School of Engineering at EPFL. Research at the institute of bioengineering aims to understand basic biological processes and to develop novel applications inspired by the biological world by integrating expertise in physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer sciences and engineering.

Swiss institute for experimental cancer research (ISREC)

Originally founded as an independent center for cancer research, the ISREC and its research groups were affiliated to the EPFL in 2008. Presided by Prof. Douglas Hanahan since 2009, the ISREC aims to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate homeostatic and malignant biological processes, as well as to identify novel druggable targets and strategies to improve cancer therapies.

Global health institute (GHI)

Founded in 2005 by Professors Gisou Van der Goot and Didier Trono with the aim to provide better understanding of infectious diseases, the global health institute currently hosts ten research laboratories. The institute is directed by Prof. Bruno Lemaître.

Brain Mind Institute (BMI)

The Brain Mind Institute (BMI), directed by Prof. Carl Peterson, regroups a network of laboratories which synergistically study and simulate the functions of the brain and the mind, with the aim to unravel brain functions and to tackle neural pathologies.

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References
  1. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/school-of-life-sciences/about-us/school-direction/
  2. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/
  3. https://www.letemps.ch/economie/lepfl-une-nouvelle-filiere-reunit-meme-toit-biologistes-ingenieurs
  4. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/school-of-life-sciences/about-us/our-mission/
  5. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/
  6. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/education/
  7. https://www.epfl.ch/education/bachelor/programs/life-sciences-engineering/
  8. https://www.epfl.ch/schools/sv/school-of-life-sciences/research/
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