The ISSCR and Stem Cell Network Launch Global Regenerative Medicine Workforce Development Initiative
Call for Working Group Nominations
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and the Stem Cell Network (SCN) are pleased to partner to lead a joint initiative and a global conversation on workforce development in regenerative medicine. Through this collaboration, the organizations will examine current challenges and opportunities in trainee career development, identify skills gaps and future needs, and discuss strategies to help the field build the talent required for continued discovery, innovation, and health impact.
“The future of fundamental science, disease models and drug discovery, and emerging therapies depends on the next generation of leaders,” said Keith Alm, Chief Executive Officer, ISSCR. “We’re proud to partner with the Stem Cell Network to capture a current and comprehensive view of global workforce needs evolving as quickly as our field.”
“For Canada, remaining competitive means creating an environment where we are attracting and retaining top talent who will focus their careers in a thriving regenerative medicine sector,” said Cate Murray, President & CEO, Stem Cell Network. “Our partnership with the ISSCR reflects a shared commitment to fostering scientific leadership, empowering early-career researchers, and developing highly qualified personnel – ensuring future innovations reach patients and improve health worldwide.”
To advance this work, the ISSCR and SCN are establishing a Working Group on Global Workforce Development in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. The Working Group will be composed of 10–12 members drawn from stem cell researchers from around the world engaged in regenerative medicine who are:
Senior trainees/HQP (e.g., graduate students, postdocs, research associates, or technicians), or
Early career scientists (PIs/faculty within five years of starting an independent position), or
Early career industry scientists (within five years of transitioning from academia).
Nominations for the Working Group are now open and will close on 5 December 2025. Working Group members will have the opportunity to meet and present at both the ISSCR 2026 Annual Meeting in Montreal, QC, and the Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM) 2026 in Vancouver, BC, and to contribute to a final published report.
To learn more, nominate a colleague, or self-nominate, please visit: https://www.isscr.org/global-workforce-development.
About ISSCR
With nearly 5,000 members from more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (@ISSCR) is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health.
About the Stem Cell Network
The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is a Canadian not-for-profit that supports stem cell and regenerative medicine research; training the next generation of highly qualified personnel; enabling knowledge mobilization of research; and enhancing the commercialization readiness of stem cell and RM innovations. From the lab to the clinic, SCN’s goal is to power life-saving therapies and technologies through regenerative medicine research for the benefit of all. Created in 2001, with support from the Government of Canada, the Network has funded over 280 research projects and 30 clinical trials, cumulatively driven by experts from 350 research groups across Canada. Since its inception, over 28 biotech companies have been catalyzed or enhanced and more than 7,900 highly qualified personnel have been trained. In 2023, the Government of Canada announced additional funding for SCN through the Strategic Science Fund that will support SCN activities and research through to the end of the decade.