Progress in stem cell science and regenerative medicine on tap in Los Angeles, June 26-29

World’s largest meeting on stem cell science and its translation to medicine comes to LA Convention Center, showcasing groundbreaking research

25 February, 2019 – Top scientists and researchers from academia, medicine, and industry will gather to share groundbreaking stem cell science and its translation to clinical application at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), 26-29 June in Los Angeles, Calif. Co-sponsored by USC Stem Cell, the meeting will bring together more than 4,000 stem cell researchers and clinicians from around the world to highlight the latest developments in the field–new findings and innovative technologies advancing both basic and clinical research.

Topics include engineering tissues and organs, pluripotency and iPS cell reprogramming, organoids and disease modelling, and breakthrough therapies currently in clinical trial, among others. Nobel Laureates John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka will both present at the meeting. See full program.

What: ISSCR 2019, the largest meeting of stem cell researchers and source of emerging news on stem cell breakthroughs and therapies

When: 26-29 June, 2019

Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, Calif., 90015

Media may register for ISSCR 2019 at: http://www.isscr.org/meetings-events/annual-meetings/isscr-annual-meeting-2019/media/media-registration. Credentialed reporters will have access to top stem cell scientists, press materials, news conferences, and events at the meeting, providing many sources for news articles and features.

• Keynote speaker Shinya Yamanaka, Center for iPS Cell Research & Application, Kyoto University, Japan, and Gladstone Institutes, U.S. will speak 29 June, 16:00. Yamanaka won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012, along with John Gurdon, for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent stem cells.

• The Opening Plenary session 26 June 13:00 – 15:15 features John Gurdon (13:35), University of Cambridge, UK, co-recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize with Shinya Yamanaka. Gurdon is known for his pioneering work in nuclear transplantation and cloning.

• Lorenz Studer of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, U.S. will speak 29 June, 16:25; Studer’s lab is developing new therapies for degenerative disease and cancer. His work on stem-cell-derived neurons to treat Parkinson’s Disease is expected to enter clinical trial phase in 2019.

• Clodagh O’Shea, The Salk Institute, U.S. will present 26 June 16:40; her lab uses cutting edge technologies to design synthetic viruses and other genetic devices to selectively target cancer cells.

• Paola Arlotta, Harvard University, U.S., studies the birth, differentiation, and assembly of neurons in the human brain’s cerebral cortex, with a focus on investigating therapies for brain repair and modeling neuropsychiatric disease. She will speak on 26 June, 13:55.

• Andrew Plump, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., U.S., will deliver the John McNeish Memorial Lecture on 26 June, 17:30. Plump leads Takeda’s global research and development efforts, providing strategic direction and oversight.

• Additional sessions throughout the meeting feature new and innovative developments in science and technology that are revolutionizing the field. Among other areas of focus: tissue engineering, organ regeneration, disease modelling, epigenetics, metabolism, aging, and more.

A separate clinically-focused session on Advancing Clinical Trials with Stem Cells will be held 25 June, 9:00 – 17:45 with a panel discussing the process of moving therapies to clinical trials and beyond. Guests include Jun Takahashi, Kyoto University, Japan, whose iPS-derived therapy for Parkinson’s Disease is currently in clinical trial in Japan, and Peter Marks, Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The session will be held at Cedars-Sinai, 8701 Gracie Allen Drive, Los Angeles, Calif., Harvey Morse Auditorium. Media registration is limited.

News conferences will be held on-site. Learn more by viewing the Meeting Program for details about presentations, speakers, and issues on the agenda for ISSCR 2019. Please address any questions about media coverage to:

Anne Nicholas, Communications Director

International Society for Stem Cell Research

+1-847-929-4818; 202-746-0866-c; [email protected]

For more information about stem cell science, visit A Closer Look at Stem Cells, an initiative of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) to help the public learn about stem cell research and its potential to impact human health.

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