The ISSCR Partners with Nuffield Council on Bioethics to Compile Global Horizon Scan on Stem Cell Research
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today announced a new partnership with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) to conduct an ambitious international horizon scan focused on the future of stem cell science and its ethical implications. The initiative will help signal and inform updates to the ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation and guide the Society’s broader public policy agenda.
The ISSCR, the world’s largest and most influential independent organization dedicated to excellence in stem cell science, represents nearly 5,000 members across more than 80 countries. As the Society begins a review of its organizational priorities, a forward-looking, global horizon scan will provide critical insights into the opportunities and challenges shaping the next decade of stem cell research.
Through this collaboration, the NCOB, an independent research and policy center, and the UK’s leading voice in bioethics will design and facilitate a bespoke horizon scanning workshop to map the international stem cell landscape. ISSCR will convene members of its global community and leadership to ensure international perspectives are embedded in the analysis. Outcomes will support ISSCR’s commitment to ethics, rigor, public transparency, and evidence-based policy engagement.
“The pace of discovery in stem cell research continues to accelerate, raising profound opportunities and ethical questions,” said ISSCR CEO Keith Alm. “By undertaking this global horizon scan, we aim to anticipate the trends that will shape science and society over the next decade. These insights will strengthen the ISSCR Guidelines and inform our public policy priorities to ensure responsible advancement of the field.”
The process will include a survey of ISSCR members worldwide and a horizon scanning workshop with ISSCR Board members and invited experts, scheduled following the Board of Directors meeting in Boston, USA this December. In parallel, NCOB will engage international foresight experts to adapt its UK-focused timeframe matrix for global application, ensuring emerging ethical considerations are mapped across diverse regions and cultures.
The joint effort will culminate in 2026 with the publication of an internationally informed, 10+ year horizon scan on stem cell research. This analysis, timeframed specifically for ethical implications, will serve as a resource for ISSCR as it refines its Guidelines, develops public policy positions, and supports researchers, clinicians, and regulators worldwide.
“Scientific innovation is global, and so are the ethical and societal questions it raises,” Danielle Hamm, Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said. “By working with ISSCR, we can test and evolve our methodology to reflect international insights, offering a richer, more globally relevant tool for both ethics and policy.”
This marks the first time NCOB’s horizon scanning and foresight methodology will be applied in partnership with a global scientific society, reflecting shared commitment to responsible science, ethics, and policy leadership.
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 clinical applications. The ISSCR’s mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and its applications to human health.
About the Nuffield Council on Bioethics
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) works to put ethics at the centre of decisions regarding biomedicine and health, so we all benefit. We are a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. We were established by the Nuffield Foundation in 1991 and have been co-funded by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and Medical Research Council since 1994. For over 30 years, we have identified and tackled some of the most complex and controversial issues facing societies across the globe.
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