First Interdisciplinary Conference on Extreme Worlds at ISAE-SUPAERO: from hostile environments to collaborative research
In October 2025, ISAE-SUPAERO hosted the first edition of the Interdisciplinary Congress on Extreme Worlds (CIME), an event aimed at bringing together explorers, researchers and professionals around a common objective: to understand humans and technology in the face of the most hostile environments on the planet – and beyond.
Spearheaded by Vsevolod Peysakhovich (lecturer and researcher in human factors), Maëlis Lefebvre (postdoctoral researcher in human factors) and Safouane Hamdi (endocrinologist specialising in reproduction, Toulouse University Hospital), this conference is an initiative promoting an interdisciplinary approach to the study of extreme environments.
Experts share their challenges and knowledge
The CIME programme gave the floor to personalities whose unique experiences shed light on the scientific and technological challenges of extreme environments.
- Gaëlle Giesen, a champion relative parachutist and scuba diver, calls for greater collaboration between science and extreme sport: “I’d like science to be involved in my disciplines to shed light on my physiology”.
- Géraldine Parodi, a scuba diver – one of the most dangerous professions in the world – highlights the similarities between underwater and space exploration: “We can bring our experience to bear on joint innovations.
- Alban Michon, polar explorer and founder of the School of Explorers, stresses the importance of passing on knowledge to train future generations.
- Jessica Studer (Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology) presents the results of her research at the Concordia station in Antarctica, a unique laboratory for studying human behaviour in prolonged isolation.
Stephen Alamo, a specialist in space medicine (ESA), discusses the medical challenges of long-duration manned flights and the development of future missions to Mars. For Christian Clot (Human Adaptation Institute), who explores human adaptation to destabilising environments, from caves to deserts, to population migrations, “providing solutions to enable society to evolve can only be done if we have the capacity to understand humans and their social behaviour”.
Towards more collaborative and applied research
Extreme environments – space, the depths of the sea, polar zones, deserts, etc. – share common challenges: isolation, confinement, physiological risks, technological autonomy.
CIME has shown that bringing together researchers and operators in the field is essential for :
- Directing research towards practical applications (medicine, engineering, training).
- Nourish scientific reflection with unique feedback.
“Bringing everyone together in the same place, at the same time, is a great opportunity”. – Marion Jost, physiotherapist (Fédération Française d’Aéronautique)
“We’re interested in adapting image-guided medical techniques to extreme environments, like those presented here. – Romain Capocci, IRIS Group
What about tomorrow? A stronger ecosystem to meet extreme challenges
This first edition of CIME laid the foundations of a collaborative model for tackling the complexity of extreme environments. By transcending disciplinary boundaries, the conference aims to open up new avenues of research (physiology, psychology, technologies).
- New avenues of research (physiology, psychology, technology).
- Enhanced dialogue between science, medicine and the field.
- innovations for health, safety and exploration.
CIME is a meeting place for all those who, whether scientists or adventurers, are pushing back the limits of humanity and technology. Stay tuned!
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