Upcoming Events & Talks

Today 13-05-2026 Talk

Causal Discovery from Observations

Mário Figueiredo , University of Lisbon

ELLIS Unit Stuttgart Distinguished Lecture Series

Modern machine learning excels at identifying correlations. However, to make real impact, we must understand causality, the “why” behind the data, and uncover the underlying causal mechanisms behind the observations. This is the core challenge in causal discovery. This pursuit of causal understanding is foundational for the next generation of AI. It is the key to building genuinely explainable AI (XAI) that can justify its decisions with causal claims rather than just complex correlations. Although identifying causal links traditionally requires experiments (interventions), this is often impossible, impractical, or unethical. The central challenge, therefore, is learning cause-and-effect from purely observational data. In this talk, after briefly surveying the field, I discuss recent ad...

---

22-05-2026 Workshop Registration

Mind Matters: A Roadmap to Mental Wellbeing during your Doctorate

Part of our Healthy Minds in Academia initiative, all community members are welcome to join this onsite workshop to explore practical strategies to manage stress, build resilience, and protect your mental wellbeing.

---

11-06-2026 - 10-07-2026 Event

AI Incubator: Batch 8

Register Now to Join Batch 8 of the AI Incubator!

The AI Incubator is a hands-on program designed for scientists who want to turn cutting-edge AI and robotics ideas into real-world products, while learning practical skills and business strategies. Participants connect with mentors, founders, and investors before pitching their ideas to industry experts. Applications for the next batch in Tübingen are now open!

---

03-07-2026 Talk

Rethinking dynamic muscle function

Kiisa Nishikawa, Northern Arizona University

Muscles have been traditionally viewed as motors that execute force commands from the nervous system. However, this view fails to account for the observation is that muscle force is often uncoupled from activation during dynamic movements. An alternative view is that muscles are not only motors, but also tunable viscoelastic actuators with length- and activation-dependent stiffness and damping tuned by the molecular motors. A path forward is to determine how muscle viscoelastic properties vary with muscle length and activation. We have used system identification of ramp stretch experiments in active and passive muscles across the physiological range of lengths to identify the viscoelastic structure of muscles from mice, rats, cats, and frogs. The experimental data suggest that titin fun... Janneke Schwaner

---

09-07-2026 Event Registration

CaCTüS — Meet the Campus

We are proud to welcome the 5th generation of CaCTüS interns this year! You are cordially invited to celebrate with us the kickoff of CaCTüS 2026, meet the interns and celebrate over snacks and drinks on July 9 at 5 PM at the lobby of Max Plank House Tübingen. Lea Nagel

---

18-09-2026 Symposium Registration

CaCTüS Scientific Symposium 2026

The symposium marks the conclusion of this year’s CaCTüS internship

On Friday, September 18, 2026 interns will present the results of their research projects to the campus community, showcasing the research and scientific soft skills they have developed throughout the internship. Following the presentations, we invite you to join us for food and drinks. Lea Nagel

---

19-10-2026 Event Registration

Responsible Conduct in Research: 2026

Principles of good scientific practice can be challenged in many ways, from improper application of scientific methods to serious scientific misconduct. This training introduces core concepts of responsible conduct in research and promotes shared standards of scientific integrity across our research community. Sarah Danes Ana-Andreea Stoica Vincent Berenz

---