Leading experts in stem cell research from Sweden and California will gather at City of Hope on Sept. 29 to discuss recent advances in the field.
“Innovation and Translational Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes and Neurological Diseases: Paving the Way for Real Life Solutions” is organized by Beckman Research Institute in partnership with the consulate general of Sweden in Los Angeles.
 A three-dimensional rendering of a stem cell |
The symposium, sponsored by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, aims to spur dialogue and future collaborations among attendees from academia and industry.
Researchers from Swedish universities and biotechnology companies will join investigators from California-based organizations to discuss state-of-the-art stem cell approaches for treatment of diabetes and neurological disorders that could lead to clinical trials.
“We’ve gathered some of the best in the field for this symposium,” said Richard Jove, Ph.D., director of Beckman Research Institute. “It’s unprecedented, and we’re hoping the event will generate some long-term and productive collaborations in this emerging and promising field.”
Arlene Chiu, Ph.D., director of City of Hope’s Office of New Research Initiatives, helped organize the event. “Each of the invited participants brings a unique perspective and has made a significant investment in translational research with respect to stem cell therapies,” she said.
Chiu was instrumental in developing the partnership with the consulate general of Sweden.
“We are delighted to have this opportunity, not only to partner in this important initiative with the internationally respected City of Hope, but also to bring some of Sweden’s most prominent scientists together with their counterparts in California,” said Ambassador Carl-Magnus Hyltenius, consul general of Sweden. “Our hope is that this will be just one of many such opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration.”
Swedish organizations participating in the symposium include the Karolinska Institute, Lund University, Sahlgrenska Academy of Gothenburg University, Cellartis AB, Uppsala University and NeuroNova AB. Organizations from California represented at the symposium include the Buck Institute for Aging, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (event sponsor), Cedars Sinai Medical Center, the Scripps Research Institute, several University of California campuses including UC Irvine and UC San Diego, the Geron Corporation, Life Technologies and Novocell Inc. Participants also will include representatives from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Stem Cell Bank and the WiCell Research Institute.
The symposium is open to the public, and boxed lunches are available for those who register by Sept. 22 via e-mail at eventsdept@coh.org or by calling 800-333-6002.
