Press Releases & Advisories

Many of us find time in the summer to reflect on work and recharge our batteries. Vacations, visits with friends, and time with family all help get away from everyday concerns in the lab and gain some perspective to inform the scientific path for the year ahead.

The ISSCR 2018 Annual Meeting went “down under” to Melbourne, Australia where 3,000 stem cell scientists, clinicians, and professionals from 52 countries gathered to share their latest research, network with colleagues, and explore the latest technologies driving the field forward.

The ISSCR is pleased to announce Douglas A. Melton, PhD, Harvard University, as the incoming president of the ISSCR and its board of directors. Melton assumed the post on 23 June, 2018, immediately following the 16th ISSCR Annual Meeting in Melbourne, Australia.

The ISSCR has appointed Martin F. Pera, professor at the Jackson Laboratory, U.S., as the next editor-in-chief of Stem Cell Reports, the organization’s open-access journal. Pera will succeed Christine Mummery, who led the journal since its launch in 2013. Pera will assume the post in January, 2019.

The ISSCR opposes the U.S. House of Representatives proposal to ban federal funding for fetal tissue research. ISSCR President Hans Clevers released a statement on the issue.

The ISSCR will hold its 2021 annual meeting in Hamburg, Germany, the first time the organization will be meeting in that city. The meeting is expected to draw 4,000 stem cell researchers and professionals from around the globe to the Congress Center Hamburg, scheduled to open in 2019. The meeting will be held 23-26 June, 2021.

The ISSCR is disappointed with the enactment of the ‘Right to Try’ law. Along with more than 100 patient and research groups opposing the bill, we believe it will put patients at risk and undermine the effective FDA Expanded Access Program already in place to give seriously ill patients access to experimental treatments.

The ISSCR is pleased that federal prosecutors in the U.S. have taken action to halt the marketing and delivery of unproven stem cell treatments at clinics they allege are operating outside of FDA regulation.

Progress in stem cell research and its translation to medicine is the focus of the International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting 20-23 June at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

The ISSCR appreciates the new framework proposed by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the regulation of human cell and tissue products that use a person’s own cells (‘autologous use’).

Credentialed reporters can register and attend the 2018 annual meeting in Melbourne, Australia. They will have access to the many stem cell researchers and clinicians from around the world who will be discussing recent findings and progress that is driving development of stem cell treatments and cures for disease.

Recipients of the 2018 awards will be presented at the society’s annual meeting, 20-23 June in Melbourne, Australia: ISSCR Award for Innovation, Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator, Tobias Award Lecture, and Public Service Award.

Scientific excellence is at the core of the ISSCR and is reflected each year in the annual meeting, where exceptional science is shared, discussed, and deliberated. This exchange is key to advancing the scientific dialogue that moves the field forward. The 2018 program in Melbourne, Australia continues that tradition, featuring groundbreaking research presented in plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions.

There is no better host city for the ISSCR 2018 annual meeting than Melbourne, Australia, a global hub of innovation in science and biotech with a rich stem cell history, flourishing research culture, and inspiring natural beauty and art.

The ISSCR has selected Christopher Barry, PhD, and Julie Perlin, PhD, to be Science Communications & Education Managers, beginning 3 January, 2018.

The ISSCR is saddened by the passing of Hiromitsu “Hiro” Ogawa, a generous and thoughtful man who was a great supporter of stem cell science and the ISSCR.

The ISSCR annual meeting is the world’s largest gathering of stem cell scientists, and in 2018 the meeting will be held in Melbourne, AU, 20-23 June, at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. The meeting brings together some 3500 stem cell researchers and clinicians from around the world to share the latest developments in stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

The ISSCR commends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reaffirming its regulatory authority over stem cell biologics and clarifying the criteria that determine which cell-based products fall under its oversight. These guidance documents will provide greater transparency for patients, medical professionals, and law enforcement authorities, about the legal status of stem cell treatments in the U.S.

A measure signed into law 3 October in the state of California, U.S., requires clinics to inform patients if they are using stem cell interventions that have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ISSCR president Hans Clevers expresses support for the measure.

The ISSCR commends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its policy direction and enforcement efforts, to provide “bright lines and appropriate oversight” for regulating stem cell treatments and regenerative medicine.