World’s leading stem cell scientists to gather in Japan in June 2012
Newswise — The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will hold its 10th annual meeting June 13-16, 2012, in Yokohama, Japan, at the PACIFICO Yokohama. The meeting is co-sponsored by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University. It will mark the 10th anniversary of the Society’s annual meeting, and its first in Asia.
“We have noted the importance of stem cell research since its early phase. Among the excellent outcomes brought out of the JST-funded projects in the field, Dr. Yamanaka’s achievement, the generation of iPS cells, is an outstanding example,” said Takayoshi Mamine, Ph.D., executive director of JST. “We are honored to become a co-sponsor of the ISSCR 10th Annual Meeting for 2012 in Japan, and expect that the meeting will be a significant event not only for research exchange between Japan and the rest of the world, but also for further promotion of stem cell research across the world.”
Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., director of CiRA and current ISSCR board member, said, “We are delighted to host the ISSCR 10th Annual Meeting in Yokohama in 2012. This will become an important opportunity to increase communication between researchers from Japan and foreign countries, which will contribute to the development of stem cell research. As one of the co-sponsors, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, will give our full cooperation to make it a fruitful conference.”
The ISSCR annual meeting is the world’s premier stem cell research event, bringing together more than 3,000 stem cell professionals from public and private academic and research institutions and government settings. The meeting provides a forum to advance the exchange of research and information and serves as a catalyst for collaborative stem cell research around the world. ISSCR Vice President Fred Gage, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif., USA, said, "It is an honor to have the City of Yokohama as the host city of the first meeting of the ISSCR in Asia. Yokohama is a beautiful city and the conference facility is an excellent venue for our annual meeting." Dr. Gage will begin his term as ISSCR’s president beginning in 2011. He will preside over the 2012 annual meeting with Dr. Yamanaka as president – elect.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (www.isscr.org) is an independent, nonprofit membership organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application.
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) is one of the core institutions responsible for the implementation of science and technology policy in Japan, including the government’s Science and Technology Basic Plan. From knowledge creation —the wellspring of innovation— to ensuring that the fruits of research are shared with society and Japan’s citizens, JST undertakes its mission in a comprehensive manner. JST also works to provide a sound infrastructure of science and technology information and raise awareness and understanding of science and technology-related issues in Japan.
Kyoto University, founded in 1897 in Kyoto, a city with a cultural heritage of over 1,200 years, is one of Japan’s most prestigious national universities. It has 17 graduate schools, 10 faculties, 14 research institutes and 29 education and research centers and facilities. The university founded the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) in January 2008 to advance induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research and applications. CiRA is a pioneering organization that specializes in iPS cell research, the world's first research institute of its kind.
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