plenary sessions

plenary I: presidential symposium

This Presidential Symposium brings together internationally recognized pioneers to present advances in stem cell research and related technologies that are transforming our understanding of human biology and enabling new approaches to disease and therapy.

Portrait of a man in glasses wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and blue tie against a neutral background.

Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD
CiRA, Kyoto University and CiRA Foundation, Japan & Gladstone Institute, USA

A woman with long blonde hair and glasses smiling in a laboratory setting.

Madeline Lancaster, PhD
Medical Research Council (MRC), UK

Portrait of a woman with straight dark hair, wearing a dark blazer and a necklace, smiling softly against a light gray background.

Yukiko S. Gotoh, PhD
University of Tokyo, Japan

A man with glasses smiling in front of a light-colored background.

plenary II: modeling early development

This session features breakthroughs in modeling early development, including both experimental and theoretical approaches, along with ethical perspectives.

Portrait of a woman with long brown hair, wearing a red top and a snowflake-shaped pendant necklace, standing with her arms crossed and smiling indoors.

Elvan Böke, PhD
Centre for Genomic Regulation, Spain

A woman with dark brown hair and a bright smile stands outdoors with green trees and grass in the background. She is wearing a dark brown, semi-sheer blouse and layered necklaces.

Nicoletta Petridou, PhD
EMBL Heidelberg, Germany

A smiling man with glasses in an office, with a computer monitor displaying colorful abstract shapes and a cluttered desk with papers and books.

Sharad Ramanathan, PhD
Harvard University, USA

A woman with light brown, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes, wearing a pink collared shirt and jewelry, standing outdoors with blurred trees in the background.

Lygia da Veiga Pereira, PhD
Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

plenary III: tissue stem cells in physiology and disease

This session explores the mechanisms that drive tissue remodeling, adaptation, and regeneration in both physiological and disease contexts.

A woman with short brown hair and blue eyes smiling at the camera, wearing a red patterned blouse in an indoor setting.

Irene Miguel-Aliaga, PhD
The Francis Crick Institute, UK

Close-up of a middle-aged man with a beard and short, thinning hair, wearing a dark collared shirt, standing against a plain white wall.

Miguel Concha, MD, PhD
Universidad de Chile, Chile

A woman in a lab coat with 'SickKids' logo, standing in a laboratory with lab equipment and bottles in the background.

Amy Wong, PhD
The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada

A woman with dark hair and glasses smiling, wearing a black long-sleeve striped top, standing indoors with blurred windows in the background.

Aviv Regev, PhD
Genentech, USA

Keynote Speaker

plenary IV: clinical advances and the promise for patients

This session brings together scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders to share advances in cell therapy, gene editing, and transplantation, including a real-world patient perspective.

Sponsored by: BlueRock Therapeutics

A man with short black hair, wearing a navy blue shirt, smiling and looking over his shoulder outdoors with blurred green trees in the background.

Debojyoti Chakraborty, PhD
CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, India

Woman with shoulder-length wavy hair wearing a dark blazer and white shirt, standing in front of a blurred portal-like background with colorful lights.

Martine Rothblatt, JD, PhD
United Therapeutics, USA

A middle-aged man with glasses, short brown hair, and a beard, wearing a blue polo shirt, standing against a light background.

Roger A. Barker, PhD, MRCP
University of Cambridge, UK

plenary V: technologies to understand and engineer stem cell systems

This session highlights innovative technologies advancing stem cell biology including AI, imaging, organ-on-chips, and genome editing.

Close-up of a smiling woman with short dark hair and red earrings outdoors.
A smiling man with glasses, a beard, and dark hair, wearing a blue blazer over a navy blue striped shirt, standing outdoors in front of a modern architectural structure with glass and metal elements.

Shalin H. Naik, PhD
WEHI, Australia

A smiling man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a blue and white checkered shirt, standing indoors near a window.

Ali Ertürk, PhD
Helmholtz Munich, Germany

plenary VI: awards and keynote

This capstone session features lectures from the ISSCR Outstanding Young Investigator, Momentum, and Achievement Award winners, followed by the Keynote Address.

*Keynote speaker and ISSCR Award Winners to be announced.

An elderly man with glasses, gray hair, and a beard, smiling with crossed arms in front of a bookshelf filled with colorful books.

Azim Surani, FMedSci, FRS
Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK

Keynote Speaker
Anne McLaren Memorial Lecture