As one member said, “Enjoying global data from my couch; given the circumstances, it cannot get any better...” This is just the beginning for the Society’s new digital programs as we discover new ways to share science and connect with our community.

I have long believed that one of the most valuable benefits of your membership is the opportunity to leverage the expertise of the global stem cell and regenerative medicine community to help ensure that legislative and regulatory policies support responsible research and discovery in our field. A substantial amount of scientific research is funded through national or government investment, therefore these policies can have a significant impact on biomedical research and the pursuit of new therapeutics to treat disease.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will host a four-part digital meeting series featuring a global line-up of speakers who will discuss their latest organoid research. Applying Organoids: The 3D Frontier, co-sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies, will be moderated by Melissa Little, PhD, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia and Toshiro Sato, PhD of Keio University School of Medicine.

It is hard to believe that only six weeks ago, we were concluding the first ISSCR virtual annual meeting, reflecting on its success and the positive response we saw from our international community. We learned tremendously throughout this journey and are using all of this experience to create an exciting path forward for the coming year.