concurrent sessions

concurrent track: clinical applications

Highlighting integrated gene and cell therapies, tissue niche modulation, advances in modeling cellular complexity for disease treatment, and translating regenerative insights into clinical applications.

Organized by:

*Additional invited and abstract-selected speakers to be determined. Session descriptions and titles may change slightly.

modeling cellular complexity for tissue therapies

Faranak Fattahi, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, USA 

  • This session explores how diseases impact multiple cell types at the organ level and highlight therapies that utilize 3D tissue models to maximize therapeutic potential.

integrating gene and cell approaches for transformative therapies

Brian Bigger, PhD, The University of Edinburgh, UK
Michael G. Fehlings, MD, PhD, University of Toronto & Toronto Western Hospital, Canada

  • This session highlights cutting-edge strategies that combine gene and cell therapies to treat diseases once considered untreatable. Topics include gene-modified cell therapies and novel delivery of therapeutic agents to repair or replace damaged tissues. 

modulating the tissue niche for therapeutic success

Guy Sauvageau, PhD, Institute for Research in Immunology & Cancer, Université de Montréal, Canada 
Nobukatsu Sawamoto, MD, PhD, Kyoto University, Japan

  • This session examines how engineering the host environment, including overcoming fibrosis, targeting ectopic sites, remodeling native niches, and using encapsulation, can improve cell survival, integration, and cell therapy outcomes. 

tissue repair and regeneration in common diseases 

Michael A. Laflamme, MD, PhD, McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, Canada 

  • This session explores recent advances in cell and gene therapies for common diseases, where success could benefit millions. Topics include overcoming regenerative barriers and developing scalable, accessible therapeutic solutions. 

concurrent track: capturing development

Highlighting advances in stem cell and tissue biology relevant to early development and organ formation, exploring stem cell models of human development and species-specific differences in an evolutionary context.

Organized by:

*Additional invited and abstract-selected speakers to be determined. Session descriptions and titles may change slightly.

germline development and maintenance

Petra Hajkova, PhD, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS), UK 
Erez Raz, PhD, Muenster University, Germany

  • This session explores mechanisms regulating germ cell specification and development, including epigenetic reprogramming and somatic tissue signaling, and examines implications for fertility and health across species

systematic and metabolic regulation of development

Cantas Alev, MD, PhD, Kyoto University, Japan
Ina Sonnen, PhD, Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands

  • This session explores systemic regulation of development, with an emphasis on the metabolic control of early processes and how metabolic crosstalk between cells influences stem cell function and tissue formation. 

extra-embryonic development

Myriam Hemberger, PhD, University of Calgary, Canada
Kara McKinley, PhD, Harvard University/HHMI, USA

  • This session examines extra-embryonic structures, such as the placenta, through both in vivo studies and stem cell models to deepen our understanding of how these tissues form and function in early development. 

spatial-temporal control of organ formation

Ramkumar Sambasivan, PhD, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, India

  • This session highlights the role of morphogen gradients in the spatial and temporal regulation of organogenesis and examines how these gradients are reset during regeneration. 

concurrent track: disease modeling

Examining advances in in vivo, in vitro, and in silico disease models to enable drug screening, toxicity assessment, and therapeutic development.

Organized by:

*Additional invited and abstract-selected speakers to be determined. Session descriptions and titles may change slightly.

aging models and age-related diseases

Li Gan, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA

  • This session explores the biological mechanisms of aging and highlights opportunities for intervention in age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and metabolic disorders. 

precision medicine and drug evaluation

Daniela Cornacchia, PhD, AstraZeneca, Sweden
Hongjun Song, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, USA

  • This session focuses on the application of stem cell-based models in drug development and precision medicine, including toxicity testing. 

advanced organoid models

Sasha Mendjan, PhD, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, IMBA, Austria
Samira Musah, PhD, Duke University, USA

  • This session features organoid models that incorporate vascular, immune, and microtissue components to improve physiological relevance in disease modeling. 

new approach methodologies

  • This session showcases New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) including in vitro and in silico techniques that advance research and accelerate translation. It also features a regulatory perspective on the role of NAMs’ in drug development and safety assessment. 

concurrent track: engineering biology

Showcasing engineering and computational strategies, such as synthetic biology, lab-on-chip systems, and AI, to advance stem cell science, tissue and organ models, and therapeutic innovation.

Organized by:

*Additional invited and abstract-selected speakers to be determined. Session descriptions and titles may change slightly.

tracking cell fate in biological systems

Anna Kicheva, PhD, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Austria
Pulin Li, PhD, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT, USA

  • This session explores how AI, computational modeling, synthetic biology, and live imaging can be used to track and understand the fundamental principles that govern cell fate.  

tissue and organoid engineering

Susan N. Thomas, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Josef Penninger, MD, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany and The University of British Columbia, Canada

  • This session explores advances in tissue and organoid engineering, including organ-on-chip, organoid and immuno-engineering approaches. 

engineering cell fate in biological systems

Wendell A. Lim, PhD, University of California San Francisco, USA
Peter Zandstra, PhD, FRSC, PEng, The University of British Columbia, Canada

  • This session explores genome engineering and synthetic biology approaches to program cell fate, with a focus on engineering novel stem cell systems. 

biomanufacturing stem cell therapies

Mark Skylar-Scott, PhD, Stanford University, USA
​Morgan Craig, PhD, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Azrieli Research Centre and Université de Montréal, Canada

  • This session highlights technological innovations in 3D bioprinting, nanotechnology, automation, and large-scale culture systems for clinical applications. 

concurrent track: global stakeholder initiatives

Highlighting ISSCR initiatives and proceedings that advance ethical standards and governance frameworks to guide responsible progress in the stem cell field globally.

Speakers to be announced.

ethics in stem cell research 

  • The ISSCR Ethics Committee convenes interdisciplinary leaders to address timely ethical challenges, ensuring that scientific advances uphold integrity and maintain public trust. 

shaping science policy

  • Explore the intersection of stem cell research and policy, highlighting strategies to accelerate innovation while safeguarding societal values. 

manufacturing, clinical translation, and regulatory framework

  • This session focuses on translating discoveries into safe, effective therapies, addressing manufacturing standards, quality control, and global regulatory frameworks. 

ISSCR consortium: stem cell models for drug development

  • Learn about ISSCR’s international, cross-sector consortium to accelerate the responsible adoption of human stem cell-derived models in drug discovery and development. 

concurrent track: somatic stem cells

Exploring somatic stem cell homeostasis, aging, regeneration, stem cell–niche interactions, and the role of stem cells in cancer across tissue types.

Organized by:

*Additional invited and abstract-selected speakers to be determined. Session descriptions and titles may change slightly.

transcriptional regulation of somatic stem cells

Musa M. Mhlanga, PhD, Radboud Institute for Molecular Lifesciences (RiMLS), Netherlands
Yan Song, PhD, Peking University, China

  • This session focuses on cell-intrinsic genome regulation in somatic stem cells, including transcriptional control, epigenetic mechanisms, and gene regulatory networks. 

aging and rejuvenation

Longhua Guo, PhD, University of Michigan, USA
Pura Muñoz-Cánoves, PhD, Altos Labs San Diego Institute of Science, USA

  • This session explores the aging process, particularly the decline in regenerative capacity of stem cells with aging and strategies to restore cellular and tissue function. 

integrated imaging

Sandra Scharaw, PhD, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany

  • This session highlights multi-scale imaging approaches that integrate spatial, temporal, and transcriptomic data to capture dynamic biological processes.  

organ function and cross-organ communication

Julia Cordero, PhD, University of Glasgow & the CRUK Institute, UK
Isabel Farinas, PhD, University of Valencia, Spain

  • This session explores the emerging roles of whole-body context and inter-organ communication in maintaining tissue homeostasis and organismal health.