Francisco Varela

Biography

Francisco Varela García was a Chilean biologist, philosopher, cybernetician, and neuroscientist born on September 7, 1946, in Talcahuano, Chile. He is renowned for introducing the concept of autopoiesis to biology and co-founding the Mind and Life Institute to promote dialogue between science and Buddhism. Varela earned a PhD in biology from Harvard University and later became a professor of biology at the Universidad de Chile.