At the same time, that specialisation in scientific practice increases, we witness an increased need for interdisciplinarity in research as well as in teaching. To facilitate cooperation between different disciplines and thereby stimulate creativity and innovation, new forms of institutional and organisational research and learning ecosystems are developed. Based on my experience with the establishment of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), I will describe and discuss some of the challenges in implementing interdisciplinary research and in trying to overcome barriers, e.g. in communication, institutional structures or leadership.

Rudi Balling was the founding director of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) from 2009 to 2021 and is currently a Senior Professor at the University of Bonn. His research primarily focuses on neurodegenerative diseases and metabolic pathways related to energy metabolism.

Conference organised by Institut Grand-Ducal – Section des Sciences.