20 Years of iPSC Discovery: A Celebration and Vision for the Future
Join the ISSCR in Kyoto, Japan.
Save the Date: 20-22 October 2026
Program Description: The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has revolutionized biomedical research and regenerative medicine. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this transformative breakthrough, the ISSCR is bringing together the global stem cell community in Kyoto, the birthplace of iPSCs, for a three-day symposium. This program will reflect on two decades of remarkable progress and explore the future of the field.
Sessions will cover a range of topics including fundamental iPSC biology, technological innovations, disease modeling, and translational and clinical applications. Attendees will hear from leading scientists, clinicians, and industry experts, with discussions spanning molecular mechanisms, genetic variability, bioengineering advances, as well as ethics and policy.
Who should attend?
Researchers, clinicians, students, and industry professionals from the global stem cell community who work with or are interested in iPSC technology.
This program is in partnership with:
This program is co-sponsored by:
Program
Session Topics
Opening Keynote
Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, CiRA, Kyoto University and CiRA Foundation, Japan & Gladstone Institute, USA
Janet Rossant, FRS, PhD, Senior Scientist Emeritus, The Hospital for Sick Children and Editor-in Chief, Stem Cell Reports, Canada
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School, USA
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms in iPSC Biology
Yasuhiro Takashima, MD, PhD, CiRA, Kyoto University, Japan
Maike Sander, MD, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Germany
iPSC Differentiation and Maturation
Karl R. Koehler, PhD, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
Elizabeth Ng, PhD, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia
Olivier Pourquié, PhD, Harvard Medical School, USA
Disease Modeling with iPSCs
Bruce R. Conklin, MD, Gladstone Institutes, USA
Silvia Velasco, PhD, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia
Mingxia Gu, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Clinical Applications of iPSCs
Masayo Takahashi, MD, PhD, Vision Care Inc., and Kobe City Eye Hospital, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
Bob Valamehr, PhD, Fate Therapeutics, USA
Xiaokui Zhang, PhD, Aspen Neuroscience, Inc., USA
Bioengineering Approaches in iPSC Modeling
Orly Reiner, PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Philipp Wörsdörfer, PhD, University of Würzburg, Germany
Harsha D. Devalla, PhD, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Netherlands
Enabling Technologies for the Next Breakthrough
Azadeh Golipour, PhD, GC Therapeutics, USA
Yoshiyuki Sankai, PhD, Professor, University of Tsukuba; President and CEO, CYBERDYNE Inc.; Program Director, SIP (Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program), Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Japan
Ruwanthi Gunawardane, PhD, Allen Institute for Cell Science, USA
Muzlifah Haniffa, FMedSci, Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK
Organizers
Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD (Chair)
CiRA, Kyoto University and CiRA Foundation, Japan and Gladstone Institute, USA
Jun Takahashi, MD, PhD
CiRA, Kyoto University, Japan
Emily Titus, PhD
Notch Therapeutics, Canada
Christine Mummery, PhD
Leiden University Medical Centre, Netherlands
Takanori Takebe, MD, PhD
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA and The University of Osaka and Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan
Sponsor & Exhibit
This ISSCR event provides a fantastic opportunity to raise your company’s visibility and develop connections with the global scientific community advancing the stem cell field! Share your products, tools, and services that can help support and accelerate their research.
Contact exhibits@isscr.org to partner with us at this event!
This program is made possible by:
Official Meeting Journal
Stem Cell Reports is an open access forum communicating basic discoveries in stem cell research, in addition to translational and clinical studies. Stem Cell Reports focuses on manuscripts that report original research with conceptual or practical advances that are of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians.
Logo Toolkit for Sponsors & Exhibitors
Sponsors and exhibitors and welcome to use the below meeting logos to promote their participation in the event. However, attendees, speakers, presenters, sponsors, exhibitors, and partners may not use or edit the corporate, main ISSCR logo in any promotions. If you would like a custom graphic, please contact ISSCR’s Marketing Team at marketing@isscr.org.
