Press Releases & Advisories

The ISSCR is updating its Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation to respond to recent scientific advances that include the use of pluripotent stem cell (PSC) to create models of early human embryo development.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is just that, an international organization. We work across the globe to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. The society advances international initiatives including: policy and advocacy, professional standards, building working relationships to stay abreast of emerging areas of interest, and of course educational meetings.

Susan L. Solomon, JD, chief executive officer and founder of The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute is the recipient of the 2020 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Public Service Award.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award the Tobias Lecture Award to Margaret A. (Peggy) Goodell, PhD, Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award the Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator to Allon M. Klein, PhD, Associate Professor, Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) present this year’s ISSCR Momentum Award to Mitinori Saitou, MD, Ph.D., Kyoto University, Japan.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award its inaugural Achievement Award to Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Vi and John Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease in Salk’s Laboratory of Genetics, La Jolla, Calif.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research welcomes Kym Kilbourne as Director of Media and Strategic Communications, leading public affairs, education, member engagement, and media relations programs.

There has been a convergence of technologies around stem cell research that are dramatically increasing our understanding of developmental biology, human disease, and how to regenerate damaged tissue. Cutting edge technological advancements in computational biology, machine learning, single cell sequencing, gene editing, and organoids are being harnessed by stem cell researchers to accelerate their discoveries and move them towards the clinic. These revolutionary advances will be in the spotlight from 24-27 June, 2020, at the largest stem cell meeting in the world— the ISSCR 2020 Annual Meeting in Boston, U.S.

The ISSCR submitted comments to Brazil’s health regulatory agency (ANVISA) regarding the proposed regulations for advanced therapy medicinal products that urge national governments to “maintain rigorous review pathways to ensure that stem cell-based products conform to the highest standards of evidence-based medicine.”

Polices created by legislators and regulators can have a profound impact on stem cell and biomedical research and the development of new treatments. The ISSCR has been working on several fronts to advocate for responsible stem cell research and its application. Read more about the recent ISSCR-led fly in to Washington D.C. for discussions with government officials and our consultations with Google to prevent the marketing of unproven stem cell therapies.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released the following statement regarding Google’s new policy that bans advertisements from unproven stem cell clinics and other speculative medical interventions.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released a professional standard of informed consent for stem cell-based interventions performed outside of formal clinical trials, such as the unapproved and unproven “treatments” offered by clinicians at direct-to-consumer clinics. The standard is meant to help ensure that patients are informed about the potential benefits and risks of stem cell-based medical interventions, and was developed with input from clinicians, ethicists, researchers, and regulators from around the world.

As stem cell researchers, we are in a unique position to make real and meaningful impacts in the world. During my time as ISSCR President my goal, beyond serving ISSCR’s role as the main convener of stem cell science, is to strengthen the society’s voice and influence by expanding on our global policy initiatives and helping foster industry-academic partnerships to accelerate the safe and effective clinical translation of stem cell research.

Nearly 4,000 scientists, physicians, and stem cell professionals from across the globe gathered at the ISSCR 2019 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, a vibrant city with world-class stem cell research, to share their discoveries, enhance their careers, and inspire their science.

We asked Naomi Koh Belic, a PhD candidate from the University of Technology Sydney, for her perspective as a trainee attending the ISSCR Annual Meeting for the third year. Naomi shares some highlights and tips from ISSCR2019 in Los Angeles.

The ISSCR is pleased to announce Deepak Srivastava, MD, Gladstone Institutes, as the incoming president of the ISSCR and its board of directors. Srivastava assumed the post immediately following the 17th ISSCR Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, 26-29 June, 2019.

The ISSCR honored longtime member Lawrence Goldstein for his years of science policy advocacy, and announced a new program in his name that will train ISSCR members to become stem cell policy advocates. The tribute and introduction of the Lawrence Goldstein Science Policy Fellowship program was part of the opening plenary session of the ISSCR annual meeting, 26-29 in Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting, 26-29 June at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will bring together more than 3,500 scientists, bioethicists, clinicians, industry professionals, and others from over 50 countries to share the latest developments in stem cell science and regenerative medicine.