The Measure of All Things? Rethinking Constants and Replicability in the Life Sciences – Prof. Santiago Schnell

The Thomistic Institute

Prof. Santiago Schnell’s lecture examines the challenges of measurement, scientific constants, and replicability in the life sciences, highlighting how philosophical and mathematical models are crucial for advancing biological research.

This lecture was given on July 19th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.

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About the Speakers:

Santiago Schnell, is a Venezuelan-born mathematical biologist and academic leader known for his pioneering work in quantitative biology and enzyme kinetics, including the development of the Schnell-Mendoza equation. After earning his biology degree from Universidad Simón Bolívar and his doctorate at the University of Oxford, he held faculty positions at Indiana University and the University of Michigan, where he chaired the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology. Since 2021, Schnell has served as the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, where he is also a professor of Biological Sciences and Applied & Computational Mathematics & Statistics. His research focuses on mathematical modeling of complex biomedical systems, and he is a fellow of the AAAS, Royal Society of Biology, and Royal Society of Chemistry.

Keywords: Error Analysis, Enzyme Kinetics, Experimental Design, Mathematical Modeling, Measurement Uncertainty, Michaelis Constant, Philosophy Of Science, Replicability, Reproducibility Crisis, Standard Equation