The 2013 NextGen Stem Cell Conference was a huge success, based on the feedback we have received from attendees. Ruchi Bajpai, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Southern California, says, “What a great meeting!! It was an amazing opportunity to interact with all the movers and shakers of the future stem cell research.”
Like many conferences, based on the speaker’s reputations, we expected there to be very informative lectures on topics like stem cell growth factors, tissue culture, stem cell culture, fibroblast growth factor, fgf2, and more; however, what happened was different. What were slated to be lectures turned into discussions, and all of a sudden, there was a think tank of the brightest young investigators in the industry all in one place — sharing ideas, secrets, and strategies with respect to their research.
Drs. Justin Ichida, Paul Tesar, and Gabsang Lee talked about their latest research regarding the direct conversion of fibroblasts into different neural cell types. This technology bypasses the need to go through a pluripotent stem cell intermediate. Dr. Daylon James spoke about his work trying to make endothelial cells from human pluripotent stem cells with implications for cardiovascular disease. Finally, three of the most reputable stem cell cores—represented by their directors, Drs. Mark Tomishima (MSKCC), Sunita D’Souza (Mt. Sinai), and Laurence Daheron (Harvard)—spoke about the services of their cores and their opinions on the latest technologies, including iPSC reprogramming techniques.
In addition to the scientific sessions, there were also plenty of fun activities, especially the cocktail reception Wednesday evening that featured food stations from different countries around the world and plenty of beverages. We all enjoyed a 3 ½-hour open bar and watched the sun set over the 18th hole while everyone got to know each other. Overall, the networking opportunities were limitless.
Based on the feedback of attendees, the NextGen Stem Cell Conference will happen again next year at the same location. Details coming soon. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event a success—we’ll see you there next year.
To Successful Research,
StemCultures
Information for scientists by scientists on all things related to stem cell growth including stem cell culture, culture medium, tissue culture, fibroblast growth factor (fgf2) and more.
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