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.