A scientific collaborative established to fulfill the promise of stem cell biology.
"Stem Cell Research on the Asian Horizon"
Date and Time: September 25, 2009 - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: MGH Main Campus, Simches Research Building Medium Conf. Room 3.120 (third floor), 185 Cambridge St., Boston, MA
Guest speaker:
Doug Sipp
Riken Center for Developmental Biology and
Center for iPS Cell Research and Applications, Kyoto University
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Much attention has been paid to developments in stem cell research in Asia over the past decade, from the massive investments in the field by Singapore, China and Korea, to the permissive regulatory environments for human embryonic stem cell research, to the rise and fall of Woo-Suk Hwang. But with the exception of Japan and perhaps Australia, the region has yet to live up to expectations. This relative underperformance has been attributed to numerous factors, including deficits in research infrastructure, the dearth of experienced stem cell biologists in many countries, and cultural differences that impede collaboration. Recent years, however, have seen glimmers of a bright future for stem cell research in Asia, exemplified by the first report of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by Shinya Yamanaka in Kyoto University. In this presentation, I will review the stem cell research landscape in the Asia-Pacific region and discuss its prospects in the next generation of the field, with specific reference to iPS cells.
Refreshments will be served.
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Profile of Doug Sipp
After working in the software and publishing industries in Tokyo, Doug Sipp joined the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in 2002 as manager of the Office for Science Communications and International Affairs. In 2009, he was appointed to head the Science Policy and Ethics Studies Unit at the same institute. He served as Chair of the International Committee of the International Society for Stem Cell Research from 2005 to 2009. He also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Asia-Pacific Developmental Biology Network and the Asia Reproductive Biotechnology Society, and business manager of the International Society of Developmental Biologists and the Stem Cell Network: Asia-Pacific. He is a member of the International Stem Cell Forum Ethics Working Party and coordinator of international programs for the Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.