Converging Disciplines and Uniting Communities at ISSCR 2026

This past November, I had the opportunity to present our latest research at three international symposia focused on stem cells and aging: in Los Angeles, USA, Singapore, and Hangzhou, China. Each venue showcased a vibrant scientific environment, rich with innovation and passion. I received thoughtful feedback on our recent work, and I engaged in deep conversations with investigators across a spectrum of scientific disciplines. These exchanges, beyond simply sharing data, reminded me how rapidly our field is advancing—and how essential global collaboration is to that progress.

Across these visits, I sensed something very encouraging: while each region has its own distinctive strengths, the ambition to bring stem cell science into the clinic is clearly a shared international priority. Whether through manufacturing innovation, organoid disease modeling, genome and epigenome engineering, or translational neuroscience, researchers everywhere are seeking paths toward real therapeutic impact. This global drive is precisely why the ISSCR exists—and why our annual meeting remains the world’s most important platform for uniting the stem cell community.

With this in mind, I am delighted to share an update on ISSCR 2026, which we will convene next year. I believe this meeting represents a transformative moment for our field—one that will invite us to reflect on how far we have come, and to envision together what lies ahead. The meeting will bring researchers from around the world to a single place where new partnerships can be forged, young scientists can find their future collaborators and mentors, and new directions in translational research can take shape.

A highlight of the first day will be the Presidential Symposium, which I have the honor of organizing. This special session brings together four pioneers whose contributions have fundamentally reshaped the interface between stem cell biology and neuroscience. Over the past five decades, breakthroughs in cell replacement therapy, developmental neurobiology, organoid technology, and genome engineering have not only revealed the astonishing complexity of the human brain but have also opened new possibilities for treating disease by repairing or rebuilding neural circuits.

The Presidential Symposium is designed to trace the intellectual lineage of these advances while also casting a forward-looking vision. Our goal is to ask: What will regenerative neuroscience become in the next decade—and what technologies will define that future? We expect rich discussion on how stem cell biology can converge with gene editing, circuit science, and translational medicine to push the frontier toward true brain repair and functional restoration.

Presidential Symposium Speakers

• Anders Björklund, Lund University, Sweden
  A founding architect of neural transplantation whose early studies established the scientific basis for dopamine neuron grafting and paved the way for today’s clinical development of cell-based therapies for Parkinson’s disease.

• Yukiko Goto, The University of Tokyo, Japan
  A leading authority in developmental neurobiology whose work on neuronal subtype specification and circuit wiring has bridged fundamental mechanisms of brain development with insights into neurodevelopmental disorders.

• Madeline Lancaster, University of Cambridge, UK
  The pioneer of human brain organoid technology, transforming how we model early brain development, human-specific biology, and disease mechanisms in vitro.

• Feng Zhang, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, USA
  A trailblazer of genome and epigenome engineering and a co-inventor of CRISPR-based editing, driving next-generation therapeutic platforms that integrate precise gene modulation with stem-cell–based neural repair.

Bringing these four scientific leaders together—each representing a milestone in the evolution of stem cell–driven neuroscience—will create a rare opportunity for reflection and inspiration. I hope this session will resonate not only with those already specializing in neuroscience but also with researchers working in cell engineering, aging, immunology, organoids, disease modeling, and clinical translation. The future of our field will not be defined by isolated silos, but by the convergence of disciplines.

As we move toward ISSCR 2026, I warmly encourage all members to participate—to present your cutting-edge work, to share your perspectives, and to connect with peers across continents and career stages. In an era when breakthrough discoveries can come from anywhere, the strength of our Society lies in our ability to learn from one another.

I look forward to welcoming you next year, and to the scientific dialogue, collaboration, and progress that ISSCR 2026 will undoubtedly spark.

Hideyuki Okano