Stéphane Tirard

Stéphane Tirard is a Professor of Epistemology and History of Science at the History of Science Department, Faculty of Science and Technology of Nantes, University of Nantes. He directs the Master's degree in Epistemology and History of Science and Technology across Nantes and Brest universities, and leads the François Viète Center for Epistemology and History of Science and Technology. His institutional roles include presidency of the Society for History and Epistemology of Life Sciences (2024-2025) and membership in the France-Stanford Center Executive Committee.

His research centers on three interconnected domains:

• History of Biological Theories - examining evolutionary thought from Lamarck to modern synthesis, with focus on transformism debates and species concepts
• Origins of Life Studies - analyzing historical development of Oparin-Haldane hypothesis, prebiotic chemistry, and heterotrophy/autotrophy debates in 20th century biology
• Medical-Botanical History - investigating pandemic responses (e.g., 1832 cholera), plant cryopreservation, and 19th century botanical collections like rose herbaria

His work uniquely bridges historical analysis with contemporary interdisciplinary challenges through the Elit cluster and GénOMéds program.

Tirard's publication output demonstrates sustained scholarly productivity with 15+ recent works spanning monographs, encyclopedia entries, and editorial leadership. Key trends include: increasing focus on interdisciplinary applications (medicine/data science), methodological emphasis on conceptual history, and growing international collaboration evident in multi-author projects with Stanford, Rennes, and European networks. His editorial work on the Encyclopedia of Astrobiology and Journal of History of Science underscores commitment to scholarly infrastructure.

As advisor and program director, Tirard oversees the Nantes-Brest Master's program while co-leading major initiatives:

• DataSanté program (2017-2022) on personalized medicine and big data
• Elit cluster (2022-) developing SSH interdisciplinarity frameworks
• SHS axis of FHU Genetics Omics Medicine (2023-)

These roles provide substantial resources for graduate training in history/philosophy of science with connections to medical research and data science applications.

Based at the François Viète Center for Epistemology and History of Science and Technology, Tirard's work integrates historical scholarship with contemporary scientific challenges through collaborative networks spanning the France-Stanford Center, Society for History and Epistemology of Life Sciences, and multiple university partnerships. His leadership in editorial projects and interdisciplinary clusters creates a dynamic environment for exploring conceptual foundations of biological and medical sciences.