Professor Brings Global Stem Cell Medicine Course to PhD Scholars in Pakistan
Dr. Asmat Salim, a faculty member at the University of Karachi, recently adapted the ISSCR’s continuing education course, Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care, into a three-week interactive program for 34 Ph.D. students. Combining lectures, discussions, quizzes, and student presentations, the course provides a strong foundation in stem cell medicine while fostering critical thinking and collaboration.
Students described the program as “highly informative, engaging, and inspiring,” highlighting that it opened new research directions and offered “valuable insights into how stem cells hold potential for treating diseases.”
The ISSCR launched the global course in May jointly with Harvard Medical School to address the urgent need for expert-led, evidence-based education amid the rise of unproven and potentially harmful stem cell interventions. Designed to fill critical knowledge gaps for healthcare providers, the curriculum covers fundamental biology, cell therapy manufacturing and clinical trials, the ethics of unproven treatments, and patient communication.
Reflecting on the success of the program, Dr. Salim emphasized how universities can further amplify its impact. “My advice to other universities is that they can convert this course to a classroom setting where students can listen to the lectures, ask questions, and exchange their views. This will be highly beneficial because the course content is very comprehensive and covers the complete roadmap of stem cell translation into the clinic.”
She also highlighted the importance of open access educational opportunities, particularly for students in resource-limited settings. “Mostly, good reliable educational resources are not free. Open access educational resources thus provide a wonderful opportunity, especially for students of developing countries where most of the population struggles to make ends meet. Paying even a small amount in dollars is not feasible for them. So this course gave an equal opportunity to all the students (diverse, from different backgrounds) to learn from experienced teachers of the best institutes of the world.”
Dr. Salim added that making such resources accessible is essential to combat misinformation. “It is high time for such educational resources to become accessible because media propaganda about stem cells being a magical cure for all diseases can be tackled using accurate scientific information.”
This success in Pakistan demonstrates how ISSCR’s trusted educational resources can be adapted worldwide to train the next generation of scientists and clinicians. Institutions across Asia and beyond are encouraged to integrate the course into their programs to share trusted information, promote responsible practices, and advance stem cell research so that patients receive safe, effective treatments.
Register to gain access to either the for-credit or free continuing education course and learn more about the ISSCR’s commitment to education.