The interaction between topology and curvature is a fundamental theme in modern mathematics. The study of scalar curvature plays an increasingly important role not only in geometry and topology, but also in general relativity and theoretical physics more generally through the theory of Dirac operators. This special session will bring together experts and young researchers who study these topics from many different points of view. The aim of this session is to share viewpoints and progress on understanding the scalar curvature and topology of manifolds, and to establish new connections among the culturally diverse groups spread worldwide, but particularly in the USA.