What is the IRL? 

The International Research Laboratory (IRL) is a joint research unit between the France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and a foreign institution, in this case the Institute for Society & Genetics (ISG). The CNRS/ISG laboratory will be dedicated to interdisciplinary research centered on the intersection between environmental health, social sciences, and policy. The unit will be based at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where will serve as a research hub where scholars from both the United States and France can work together on collaborative projects, leveraging expertise between disciplines, produce international collaborations, and investigate cross-national differences. 

What is the symposium about? 

Our symposium brings together scholars from across UCLA and the CNRS to showcase interdisciplinary and collaborative research on the Anthropocene, a phenomenon defined by profound entanglements between environmental change, human health, and societal systems. The symposium highlights how crossing institutional, disciplinary, and geographic boundaries is essential for addressing complex challenges at a time of environmental urgency and growing constraints on science. Through collaborative talks, discussions, and trainee presentations, the event explores why interdisciplinarity and collaboration matter now more than ever.