Inspired by classical German sources such as Kant and Hegel, my research interests lie mainly in complex systems theory, with a particular focus on the relation between teleology, agency and cognition in biological systems. I am deeply convinced establishing theoretical connections between classical philosophies of nature and current approaches in biological theory is fruitful to advance our understanding of both. My research endeavor is fundamentally influenced by the framework of biological autonomy, developed in the pioneering work of Francisco Varela and further articulated in current organizational accounts of biological teleology and enactive accounts of cognition. My commitment to this approach led me to promote and fund the creation of Dialectical Systems, a forum in biology, ecology and cognitive science (https://www.dialecticalsystems.eu/), whose mission is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among scientists, scholars and theorists who share a non-reductionist approach to living systems. My increasing involvement with the autonomy tradition led to my current appointment as a Maria Zambrano fellow at the University of the Basque Country, where the framework of autonomy has been developed over the last two decades.