Hideyuki Okano Starts New Position as President of the ISSCR
The ISSCR is delighted to announce Hideyuki Okano, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, as well as former Dean of the Keio University School of Medicine in Japan, as its President. His term of office begins today.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the next President of the ISSCR, a Society that has shaped my scientific journey and fostered countless connections across disciplines and borders,” said Prof. Okano. “As stem cell research accelerates from fundamental biology to translational and clinical research, our responsibility is to anchor this progress in the core principles of our field. Just as stem cells are defined by their multipotency and self-renewal, so too must the ISSCR champion inclusive excellence and cultivate the next generation of scientific leaders. Together, we will continue to advance discovery, strengthen ethical leadership, and ensure that the transformative promise of stem cell science benefits the world.”
Hideyuki Okano is recognized for groundbreaking work in regenerative medicine, particularly in the field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their application to spinal cord injury and nervous system diseases. He is Distinguished Professor and Director of the Keio University Regenerative Medicine Research Center, as well as former Dean of the Keio University School of Medicine. Prof. Okano also served on the ISSCR Board of Directors from 2011 to 2017 and as an Associate Editor/Editorial Board Member of Stem Cell Reports, ISSCR’s open access journal. Currently, he is the President of The Japanese Society for Inflammation and Regeneration (JSIR) and the former President of The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine (JSRM) and The Japanese Society for Neurochemistry (JSN).
Also beginning his term of office today, Lorenz Studer, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, USA is now President-Elect. Fiona Doetsch, PhD, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland, starts her term as Vice President. Lee Rubin, PhD, Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, USA, begins as Treasurer, and Megan Munsie, PhD, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne, Australia, starts her position as Clerk.
The following three members begin their three-year term on the ISSCR Board of Directors: Lijian Hui, PhD, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wei Xie, PhD, Tsinghua University, China, and Peter Zandstra, CM, PhD, UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, Canada.
In addition to the new officers and directors, the following current members of the ISSCR Board of Directors start their second, three-year term having been reappointed: Kathy Niakan, PhD, University of Cambridge and Kenneth S. Zaret, PhD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, USA.
Learn more about the ISSCR Board of Directors.
About ISSCR
With nearly 5,000 members from more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to clinical applications. The ISSCR’s mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and its applications to human health.
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