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.