Jacques Arnould, Professor at the Institut catholique de Paris, engineer, historian, and theologian
Jacques Arnould, born in 1961, is a Dominican. For several years now, he has been prior of the Dominican community at Couvent Saint-Jacques (Paris) and the national chaplain of the Mouvement du Nid. An engineer in agronomy, a doctor of history and theology, he is interested in the relations between sciences, cultures, and religions. Two themes in particular hold his attention: life and its evolution; space and its conquest. To the first theme, he has devoted several historical or theological works and articles. As to the second, his work as mission head at the Centre national d’Études Spatiales centres on the ethical, social, and cultural dimensions of space activities. He teaches at the Institut catholique de Paris.

Jean-Claude Breton, Faculty of Theology, University of Montreal
No biography available.

Régis Debray, Président de l’Institut Européen en Sciences des Religions, Paris XIV (détachement auprès de l’École Pratique des Hautes Études, à Paris).
No biography available.

Michael S. Gazzaniga, Dean of the Faculty, Dartmouth College; Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
Réputé chercheur dans le domaine des neurosciences cognitives, l'essentiel de son travail focalisant sur les syndrome de déconnexion hémisphérique, le Professeur Gazzaniga est également connu pour son sens de l'humour et promet de remettre en question notre conception phénoménale et populaire du Soi. / Extremely well known for his research and writings in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience with much of his work focusing on split-brain research, Dr. Gazzaniga is not only known for his intellect but also for his sense of humour. His conference promises to challenge our phenomenal and popular conceptions of the Self.

Auteur des ouvrages populaires / Author of acclaimed books:

Hubert Doucet, Professeur aux facultés de théologie et de médecine Directeur des programmes de bioéthique, Université de Montréal
Les recherches du professeur Doucet portent sur l'histoire et le sens de la bioéthique ainsi que sur les problèmes éthiques soulevés par la mort en contexte médical contemporain. Il est actuellement particulièrement intéressé à l'éthique de la recherche. / Professor Doucet's research interests centre on the history and meaning of bioethics and on ethical problems raised by death in the contemporary medical context. His current focus is on the ethics of research.

Evan Thompson, Canada Chair in Cognitive Science and the Embodied Mind, York University
Intégration de l'expérience humaine à une approche «incarnée» de la cognition, à la phénoménologie et à la philosophie de l'esprit. / Integration of human experience through an "embodied" approach to cognition, phenomenology and philosophy of mind.

Henri Atlan, Professeur Émérite de Biophysique aux Universités de Paris VI et de Jérusalem
Intelligence artificielle, théorie de la complexité et de l'auto-organisation, éthique de la biologie, le Professeur Atlan est un scientifique et philosophe français ayant accompli une réflexion élaborée sur les rapports entre réalité et spiritualité. / Artificial intelligence, theory of complexity and self-organization, ethics of biology, prof. Atlan is a French scientist and philosopher whose work presents carefully worked out reflections on the relations between reality and spirituality.

Pierre Rainville, Professeur adjoint, Faculté de Médecine dentaire –- Stomatologie, Université de Montreal
Expérience subjective de la douleur et des émotions et investigation des mécanismes neuro-cognitifs de soulagement de la douleur telle que l'hypnose. / Subjective experience of pain and emotions and investigation of neuro-cognitive mechanisms, such as hypnosis, used in relieving pain.

Shaun Gallagher, Director, Cognitive Science Program, Canisius College; Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Central Florida
Incarnation, temporalité et identité personnelle à l'intersection de la tradition phénoménologique et des sciences cognitives. / Embodiment, temporality and personal identity at the crossroads of phenomenology and neuropsychology.

Alain Gignac, Professeur adjoint, faculté de théologie, Université de Montréal
Interprétation des textes de St-Paul dans le cadre de la culture contemporaine. / Contemporary cultural outlook conditioning the interpretation and reception of St. Paul's texts.

Pierre Gisel, Theology, University of Lausanne
The lecturer Pierre Gisel teaches fundamental theology at the University of Lausanne, in line with the Protestant tradition. Among other duties, he serves as: director of the collection” Lieux théologiques” (Labor et Fides); editorial secretary for the Oeuvres de Ernst Troeltsch (Paris); member of the Academic Council of the International Academy of Religious Sciences (Brussels). Among his most recent publications, we would mention: (with G. Emery, 2001) Le christianisme est-il un monothéisme? Actes du 3e cycle de théologie systématique des facultés de théologie de Suisse romande (Lieux théologiques: no. 36), Geneva, Labor et Fides; (with L. Kaennnel, 1999) La création du monde : discours religieux, discours scientifiques, discours de foi, Geneva, Bienne: Labor et Fides.

William Grassie, Founder and executive director of the Metanexus Institute on Religion and Science.
Dr. Grassie has taught at Temple University, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania. A few of his publications: “Hermeneutics in Science and Religion” in Encyclopedia of Religion and Science; “Human Creativity in an Evolutionary Context” in Metanexus (August 2000); “Wired for the Future: Kevin Kelly’s Techno-Utopia” in Terra Nova: Nature & Culture, (2:4, Fall 1997); “Postmodernism: What one Needs to Know” in Zygon Journal of Religion and Science (March 1997).

André Grelon, Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and
Assistant Director for the Laboratoire d’analyses secondaires et des méthodes appliquées à la sociologie (LASMAS CNRS-EPHESS).

André Grelon’s researches focus on the socio-historical analysis of professional groups working with scientific techniques and particularly on: the socialization of executives and intellectual movements; the institutionalization of higher technical teaching in France; and the development of social categories among executives in France. He is currently working on a history of engineers in France (XVIIIth-XXth centuries).

Albert Jacquard, Former director at the Institut National des Etudes Démographiques (INED)
An ex-student of the Ecole Polytechnique de France, a doctor in genetics and mathematics, Albert Jacquard has been at the head of the genetics division of the INED since 1968. He has also been an expert in genetics for the WHO and a member of the national ethics committee. He has also taught in various European universities, including Paris VI, Geneva and Louvain-la-Neuve, whilst at the same time travelling across the world to make the public aware of questions touching the future of mankind.

Victor Sogen Hori, Associate Professor of Japanese Religions, Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University; Director, Asian Religion and Ethics Research Unit
Étudie dès 1970 la philosophie de l'école de Kyoto, mais est rapidement attiré par la pratique monastique bouddhiste. Ordonné moine en 1976, il est depuis activement impliqué dans la pratique du bouddhisme Zen. / Studied the philosophy of the Kyoto School in 1970, but was drawn into Buddhist monastic practice. Ordained a Buddhist monk in 1976, he has been actively involved in Zen Buddhist practice.

Louis Lessard, Department of Physics, University of Montreal
No biography available.

Jean-Noël Missa, Professeur à la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles; Coordonnateur du DÉS en histoire, éthique et philosophie des sciences et des techniques biomédicales
Spécialiste de la métaphysique et de l'étude historique et interdisciplinaire de la connaissance intellectuelle, le professeur Missa est co-éditeur de la Nouvelle Encyclopédie de Bioéthique (De Boeck, 2001) et travaille à l'inventaire critique des principales ressources en bioéthique dans le monde développé. / A specialist in metaphysics and historical and interdisciplinary study of intellectual knowledge, Professor Missa is co-editor of the Nouvelle Encyclopédie de Bioéthique (De Boeck, 2001) and works on a critical inventory of the main resources on bioethics available in the developed world.

Lothar Schäfer, Professeur au Département de chimie et de biochimie, Université de l'Arkansas
Professor Schafer studies physical chemistry at the University of Arkansas. His group pursues research in two major areas:
I. Time-resolved electron diffraction studies of the structural changes occurring in laser-excited molecules (in cooperation with Professor Ewbank).
II. Computer modeling of peptide and protein geometries, and of the properties of soils.