Plenary sessions

Plenary I: PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM

This Presidential Symposium highlights the integration of perspectives across the fields of biology, engineering, medicine, and the humanities, through research in developmental and reproductive biology, host-microbe interactions in global health, disease modeling, and clinical applications. It is through the richness of our varied scientific interests, backgrounds, and approaches that we can convey one message: interdisciplinarity and equity ethics will significantly advance our field and deliver impact on human health.

Cassandra G. Extavour, PhD
Harvard University, USA

Vidita Vaidya, PhD
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India

Erika Moore, PhD
The University of Maryland, USA

Masayo Takahashi, MD, PhD
Vision Care Inc., and Kobe City Eye Hospital, Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Plenary II: Development Across Scales: From Fertilization to Tissues to Animals

The principles of development form the cornerstone of our expanding knowledge of health and disease. This session will cover studies across model systems, offering insights from the gene, cell, tissue, and animal levels.

Misao Fujita, MS, MPH, PhD
Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Japan

Tao Tan, PhD
Kunming University of Science and Technology, China

Bo Wang, PhD
Stanford University, USA

Hongmei Wang, PhD
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Anne McLaren Memorial Lecture

Plenary III: Adult Homeostasis: Stem Cells in Physiology and Disease

Sponsored by: Roche

Stem cells are the engines of daily regeneration essential for adult homeostasis. This session will explore advances in organ and disease models, the use of stem cells to study aging and neurodegeneration and address technical challenges in disease modeling to enhance therapies.

Paola Arlotta, PhD
Harvard University, USA

James Hudson, PhD, FISHR
QIMR Berghofer, Australia

Toshio Suda, MD, PhD
Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, China
Ernest McCulloch Memorial Lecture

Hongyan Wang, PhD
Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

plenary IV: Stem Cells for Human Therapy

Sponsored by: BlueRock Therapeutics

Stem cells are both harbingers of disease and beacons of therapeutic innovation. This session will explore cutting-edge research in cancer, transplantation, AI in clinical trials, and advancements in stem cell therapies.

Stuart Forbes, PhD
The University of Edinburgh, UK

Masaya Nakamura, PhD
Keio University, Japan

Wenning Qin, PhD
eGenesis, USA
John McNeish Memorial Lecture

Jean Yang, PhD
University of Sydney, Australia

Plenary V: Inclusivity and Equity in Science and Health

This plenary session will focus on inclusivity and equity, beginning with a panel discussion offering actionable recommendations for advancing racial and ethnic equity in biomedical research. The session will then feature interviews that highlight the lived experiences of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patients in Hong Kong, focusing on advocacy efforts to secure access to life-changing treatments and the profound impact these therapies have had on patients and families.

Rethinking Innovation and Excellence in Science

Raeka Aiyar, PhD
Community Science, LLC, USA

Ya-Wen Chen, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA

Evan L. Graham
BioLamina, USA

Rica Tanaka, MD, PhD
Juntendo University and ReEir Co., Ltd., Japan

Christine Anne Wells, PhD
University of Melbourne, Australia

Accessibility to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products: a Hong Kong Perspective

Sophelia Chan, MD
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Josy Pui Shan Chow
The Hong Kong Society of Neuromuscular Diseases, Hong Kong
Read her story.

The Ku Family
Hong Kong
Read their story.

plenary vI: Awards and Keynote session

This is the capstone of the Annual Meeting and will include lectures from winners of the ISSCR Outstanding Young Investigator, Momentum and Achievement Awards in addition to the Keynote Address.