Francisco Varela

Francisco Varela
Varela in 1994
Born	(1946-09-07)September 7, 1946 Talcahuano, Chile
Died	28 May 2001(2001-05-28) (aged 54) Paris, France
Alma mater	Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; University of Chile; Harvard University
Known for	Theory of autopoiesis
Children	Leonor Varela
Scientific career
Institutions	École Polytechnique; CNRS; University of Paris; Mind and Life Institute
Thesis	Insect retinas; visual processing in the compound eye (1970)
Doctoral advisor	Torsten Wiesel

Francisco Javier Varela García (September 7, 1946 – May 28, 2001) was a Chilean biologist, philosopher, cybernetician, and neuroscientist who, together with his mentor Humberto Maturana, is best known for introducing the concept of autopoiesis to biology, and for co-founding the Mind and Life Institute to promote dialog between science and Buddhism.