Scott F. Gilbert is the Howard A. Schneiderman Professor of Biology, emeritus, at Swarthmore College and a Finland Distinguished Professor, emeritus, at the University of Helsinki. Among other books, Scott is the author of "Developmental Biology" and "Evolutionary Developmental Biology", two of the most widely used textbooks in the field. Scott is a recipient of the Kowalevski Award in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. He has been working for almost 30 years in Evo-Devo and has contributed to fascinating work on the development and evolution of turtle shells and of holobionts.
Steph is a physico-biologist interested in the evolution of multicellularity and the mechanics of morphogenesis. They are currently leading biophysical projects at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), University of Cambridge, UK. Steph combines experimental and theoretical approaches to explore the mechano-chemical regulation of morphogenesis. After completing their PhD at the Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology at Bielefeld University, Steph joined the Biological Physics & Mechanics Group lead by Prof. Raymond Goldstein, University of Cambridge. There they included Soft Matter Physics and Theoretical Modelling into studies on cell sheet folding. They constructed a custom-built light sheet microscope and now combine advanced imaging, biophysical measurements and numerical simulations to reveal the forces that shape tissues. Steph has pioneered mechano-biological studies on inversion in the microalga Volvox and gastrulation in the cephalochordate Amphioxus.