Final Report
A summary of activities of every ISLiST edition, including talks, photos and statistics, are included in the Final Report.
¡New! the final report of the 2025 edition is HERE.
The ISLiST-2024 Final Report can be downloaded HERE
The ISLiST-2023 Final Report can be downloaded HERE
The ISLiST-2022 Final Report can be downloaded HERE
The ISLiST-2019 Final Report can be downloaded HERE.
The ISLiST-2018 Final Report can be downloaded HERE.
The ISLiST-2017 Final Report can be downloaded HERE.
The ISLiST-2016 Final Report can be downloaded HERE.
A big THANK YOU for your key contribution to this event!
Invited Speakers
The following speakers have been confirmed for this 2018 edition of ISLiST:| CONFIRMED INVITED | POSITION/AFFILIATION | TENTATIVE TITTLE | |
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Prof. Eli Yablonovitch Especial Session on Photonic Crystals |
Director of the NSF Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA | The born of the PC theory and their application in advanced integrated Optic/optoelectronic based devices. |
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Prof. Philip Russell Especial Session on Photonic Crystals |
OSA 2015 President, Director of Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany | The birth of PCF and its use in advanced fiber-based devices and applications |
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Prof. Peter Andrekson | Director of FORCE, Photonics, Laboratory at the Microtechnology and Nanoscience Department, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden |
Optical fiber communication: Challenges and opportunities
|
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Dr. Peter Winzer |
Chair Of Optical Transmission Systems and Networks Research Department, Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, Editor in Chief of IEEE/OSA JLT,USA | Advances in Digital Optical Communications”. |
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Prof. Harald Haas | Director of LIFI Research Development Centre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK | LiFi - High Speed Wireless Networking using Nano-Metre Waves |
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Prof. Pavel Cheben | Principal Research Officer, National, Research Council (NRC), 1200 Montreal Rd., Ottawa, Canada | Advanced Silicon Photonics for Communications and Sensing |
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Dr. Joel Carpenter | School of Information Technology; University of Queensland, Australia. | Spatial mode manipulation in communications and imaging |
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Prof. Jose Capmany | Technical University of Valencia, Spain | Reconfigurable integrated photonics for communications and signal processing applications |
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Prof. Hugo Thienpont |
Department Chair, Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics Director of Research, Brussels Photonics Team Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium | Light based sensing techniques for SORTING/SCANNING Food |
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Prof. Manuel López-Amo | Head of the Optical Communications Group of University Public of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain. | Optical fiber sensor Networks |
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Prof. Miguel González Herráez | Head of Photonics Engineering Group of Univ. of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain | Optical fiber Distributed Sensors |
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Prof. José Miguel López-Higuera | Head of Photonic Engineering Group of University of Cantabria, CIBER_BBN and IDIVAL, Spain | Smart Light-based Sensors |
More Information
DIRECTOR: José Miguel López Higuera
Head of the Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SECRETARIAT: Adolfo Cobo
Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
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We regret to inform you that we have decided to postpone one year the fifth ISLIST edition. Health safety and security of all ISLIST participant is our primary aim, and the uncertainty and restrictions yet in place for the next months have pushed us to postpone the meeting one year.
So, the fifth edition of ISLIST with the main core on Light in Energy and Advanced Manufacturing, already programmed, is now scheduled for June 20-24, 2022.
We apologize for this, unwanted decision, and we very must hope that you will be able to participate in V ISLIST at UIMP next year.
ISLIST has been conceived as a great opportunity to review, actualize and improve the knowledge of scientists, professionals and technicians; to contribute to the education and to enhance the motivation of PhD students; to offer an ideal frame for networking and also to contribute to the education of the citizens. It is also a great opportunity to ensure that policymakers, entrepreneurs, and other key “actors” will be aware of the problem-solving potential of Photonics.
Final Report from the 2019 edition
You can see the final report with a summary of all the activities in this link.
Detailed program for the 2019 edition: link
Invited Speakers for the 2021 edition
| INVITED | AFFILIATION | TITTLE | |
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Prof. Gerard Mourou Nobel Prize in Physics 2018
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Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, Paris, France. |
Extreme light in Energy and Advanced Manufacturing |
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Prof. Ursula Keller Director
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NCCR MUST, Head of Research Institute of Quantum Electronics, ETG Zurch, Physics Department, Switzerland.
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Exploring the frontiers of Ultrafast Science and Technology (tentative) |
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Prof. Christian Sattler Director
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Department of Solar Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Center Institute of Solar Research, Germany.
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Solar Fuels and Electricity by using Sunlight concentrating Systems (tentative) |
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Prof. Carlos del Cañizo Director |
Institute of Solar Energy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain |
Photovoltaics for highly efficient energy conversion and storage (tentative) |
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Prof. Naomi Halas Director |
Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. |
New Solar solutions for energy-demanding applications in developing countries (tentative) |
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Prof. Jordi Martorell Group Leader
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Organic nanostructured Photovoltaics, ICFO, Barcelona, Spain. |
Organic Nanostructured Photovoltaics (tentative) |
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Prof. Alberto Pique Head
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Materials and systems branch, U.S.Naval Research Labororatory, USA. |
Laser Materials processing for Energy Storage applications Printing Hybrid Electronic by Laser (tentative) |
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Prof. Carlos Molpeceres Director
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Centro Láser, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. |
Laser materials processing for efficient Energy generation and Advanced Manufacturing (tentative) |
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Prof. Reinhart Poprawe Director
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Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Aachen, Germany. |
Additive Manufacturing: Current and Trends (tentative) |
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Prof. Martin Wegener Director, Chair
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Institute of Nanotechnology at KIT, Karlsruhe, Germany. |
3D and 4D Nanoprinting (tentative) |
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Prof. Michael Campbell Director
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Laboratory for laser Energetics (LLE), University of Rochester, USA. |
Laser driven fusion energy: status, challenges and the future (tentative) |
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Prof. Maite Flores Group leader
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Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. |
Intense light, a potential tool to be applied in medical imaging (tentative) |
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Dr. Fabien Guillemot CEO |
Poietis, France. |
Towards a 4D Bioprinting Industry in the fourth industrial revolution (tentative) |
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Prof. Robert Thomson
|
Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, U.K. |
Photonic devices fabricated by laser-materials patterns inscription (tentative) |
More Information
DIRECTOR: José Miguel López Higuera
Head of the Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SECRETARIAT: Adolfo Cobo
Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NEWS! UPDATED DATES: 22-26 June 2026
The eighth edition of our ISLIST Summer School (VIII-ISLIST), focused on "Light in Energy, the Environment, and Laser Manufacturing," was a resounding success, taking place from June 16 to 20, 2025. You can read the final report here.
This school is conceived as a premier international forum (held every third or fourth week of June) on light science and technology, within the framework of a renowned university of excellence, known as the "university of universities," and in the privileged setting of the Royal Palace of La Magdalena in Santander, Cantabria, Spain. Each edition of this international school focuses on a different core theme or specific application area, addressing cutting-edge topics and, where appropriate, other complementary current hot issues. Light in Health and Medicine will be the core theme of the IX-ISLIST edition, to be held from June 22 to 26, 2026.
ISLiST has been conceived as a great opportunity to review, actualize and improve the knowledge of scientists, professionals and technicians; to contribute to the education and to enhance the motivation of PhD students; to offer an ideal frame for networking and also to contribute to the education of the citizens. It is also a great opportunity to ensure that policymakers, entrepreneurs, and other key “actors” will be aware of the problem-solving potential of Photonics
Invited Speakers for the 2026 edition
| Photo | INVITED | AFFILIATION | TITLE |
|---|---|---|---|
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Prof. David Boas Director |
Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, College of Engineering, Boston, USA. | Mapping human cerebral blood flow using light. |
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Prof. Kirill V. Larin Director |
Biomedical Optics Laboratory, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, USA. | Optical Coherence Tomography/Elastography and Brillouin Spectroscopy for Tissue Biomechanics. |
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Prof. Sumeet Mahajan Head |
Molecular BioPhotonics & Imaging group, Institute of Life Sciences, University of Southampton, UK. | Raman Spectroscopy in Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Diagnosis. |
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Prof. Angelos Karlas Clinical Research Lead |
MTU, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany. | Optoacoustics—Echoes of Light in Vasometabolic Health and Disease: Challenges and Opportunities. |
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Prof. Laura Lechuga Head |
Nanobiosensors and Bioanalytical Applications Group, Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), CSIC, CIBER-BBN and BIST, Barcelona, Spain. | Nanophotonic biosensors: Current and Trends. |
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Prof. Mikael Käll Head |
Bionanophotonics group, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothemburg, Sweden. | Optical Nanoantennas and Metasurfaces for the Life Sciences: principles, opportunities, trends, and challenges. |
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Prof. YongKeun Park Director |
Virtual 3D Biology Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, KAIST, Republic of Korea. | Holotomography for 3D Biology and Regenerative Medicine: From Fundamental Optics to Real-World Clinical Impact. |
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Prof. Aydogan Ozcan Director |
Bio&Nano-Photonics Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. | Virtual Staining of Label-free Tissue Using Deep Learning. |
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Prof. Kishan Dolakia Director |
Centre of Light for Life, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. | Optical Trapping and manipulation for the biomedical sciences: current and future trends. |
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Prof. José Miguel López-Higuera Founder and Director of ISLIST |
Former founder and Head of Photonic Engineering Group of UC, CIBER-BBN and IDIVAL, Santander, Spain. | Light Technologies for early detection, therapies and executive functions monitoring in Alzheimer´s Disease Patients. |
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Prof. Mariana G. Figueiro Director |
Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai NY, New York, USA. | A Case for Dual Entrainment: Rhythmic Light Therapy to Entrain Gamma Oscillations and the Circadian System in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease. |
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Prof. Gang Zheng Associate Research Director |
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. | Photodynamic and photothermal therapies: synergy opportunities for nanomedicine. |
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Prof. Andrea Cusano Head |
Optoelectronic and Photonic Group, Università degli Studi del Sannio, Benevento, Italy. | Lab-on-Fiber advanced devices for Point of Care medical applications. |
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Prof. Susana Marcos Director |
David R. Williams Center for Visual Science, The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, NY, USA. | Latest advances on Light-based technologies to improve vision. |
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Prof. Pablo Artal Director |
Optical Laboratory, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain. | Human vision with infrared radiation mediated by two-photon absorption. |
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Prof. Robert Thomson Head |
Photonic Instrumentation Group, Co-founder of Optoscribe, Heriot-Watt University, UK | Ultrafast laser fabrication of optical components for biomedical applications. |
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Prof. Carlos Molpeceres Director |
Laser Institute, UPM, Madrid, Spain. | Advanced Laser-Based Processes for Personalized Medicine: From Bio-printing to High-Precision Diagnostics. |
More Information
¡New! Final programm available
The detailed program for ISLiST 2018 is available here.Invited Speakers
The following speakers have been confirmed for this 2018 edition of ISLiST:| INVITED | AFFILIATION | TITTLE | |
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Prof. Sir John Pendry Inventor of metamaterials
|
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, UK |
The science of the invisibility cloaks and metamaterials. Controlling Light on the Nanoscale. |
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Prof. Eli Yablonovitch Director |
NSF Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, University of California, Berkeley, USA |
The birth of the Photonic Bandgap concept and its application in Technology, as well as in Nature. |
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Prof. Philip Russell OSA 2015 President Director |
Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany |
The birth of PCF and its use in advanced fiber-based devices and applications. |
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Prof. Peter Andrekson Director |
FORCE, Photonics, Laboratory at the Microtechnology and Nanoscience Department, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden |
Optical fiber communication: Challenges and opportunities.
|
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Dr. Peter Winzer Chair |
Optical Transmission Systems and Networks Research Department, Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, Editor in Chief of IEEE/OSA JLT,USA |
Breaking the optical fiber Shannon limit hrough full control of the optical field. |
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Prof. Harald Haas Director |
LIFI Research Development Centre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
LiFi - High Speed Wireless Networking using Nano-Metre Waves. |
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Prof. Pavel Cheben Principal Research Officer |
National, Research Council (NRC), Ottawa, Canada |
Advanced Silicon Photonics for Communications and Sensing. |
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Prof. Hugo Thienpont Chair |
Dept. of Applied Physics and Photonics Director of Research, Brussels Photonics Team Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium |
Photonics as a key-enabling technology: from disruptive research to successful innovation with societal impact. Invited talk and round table |
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Dr. Joel Carpenter | School of Information Technology; University of Queensland, Australia. |
Spatial mode manipulation in communications and imaging. |
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Prof. David D. Sampson Director |
WA State Centre of Excellence in eMedicine. The University of Western Australia, Australia. |
Biomedical optical sensors. |
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Dr. Nikolaus P. Schmitt Senior Researcher |
Optronic Systems, Airbus Group Innovations, Muenchen, Germany |
Forward-looking LIDAR for aircraft: research results, lessons learned and trends. |
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Prof. José Capmany Head |
Photonics Research Lab at iTEAM Institute, Technical University of Valencia, Spain |
Advances in Analog and RF Photonics. |
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Prof. Manuel López-Amo Head |
Optical Communications Group of Public University of Navarre, , Pamplona, Spain. |
Optical fiber sensor Networks. |
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Prof. Miguel González Herráez Head |
Photonics Engineering Group of Univ. of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain |
Optical fiber Distributed Sensors. |
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Prof. Joseba Zubía Head |
POF based sensors group, University of the Basque Country, Spain, Spain |
POF sensors for Aircraft Structural and Engine Health Monitoring. |
| |
Prof. José Miguel López-Higuera Head |
Photonic Engineering Group of University of Cantabria, CIBER_BBN and IDIVAL, Spain | Smart Light-based Sensors. |
More Information
DIRECTOR: José Miguel López Higuera
Head of the Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
SECRETARIAT: Adolfo Cobo
Photonics Engineering Group
University of Cantabria
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.