Nobel Laureate Professor Shinya Yamanaka to give a lecture on latest progress in stem cell research at Biopolis and share insights on stem cell research with A*STAR scientific leaders.
Professor Shinya Yamanaka, Nobel Laureate in Medicine or Physiology 2012, has been invited to speak at Biopolis under the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council Distinguished Visitor Programme (DVP). Professor Yamanaka’s discovery of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in 2006, won him the Nobel Prize and revolutionised the stem cell field. Since then, iPS cells have been used to study cell therapy, disease mechanisms, and new drug developments worldwide. For Professor Yamanaka’s biography, please refer to Annex A.
Professor Yamanaka will be giving a scientific lecture today on the recent progress in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research. Stem cells hold enormous potential in healthcare and medical sector as a renewable source of replacement tissues for regenerative medicine therapies. However, strict evaluation methods of selecting good iPS cell source for transplantation are essential to realise the promise of regenerative medicine. Professor Yamanaka will speak about the latest efforts to standardise iPS cells in clinical grade and to construct the basis of iPS cell stock. Details and an abstract of the lecture can be found in Annex B.
Stem cell research is one of the key focus areas in A*STAR’s biomedical research institutes and A*STAR scientific leaders and key clinical partners will also have the opportunity to meet with Professor Yamanaka to discuss his experience and views on stem cell research. A*STAR researchers have been making remarkable strides in the stem cell field, from basic research to provide insights into the regulatory networks that drive reprogramming of cells, to harnessing the power of stem cell-based research to target tumours and enhance healing. More details on some recent A*STAR discoveries and developments in stem cell research can be found at Annex C.
The DVP provides a platform for scientific leaders in Singapore’s BMS community to interact with renowned scientists worldwide and to foster collaborative links. Previous distinguished scientists hosted under the DVP include Professor Susumu Tonegawa in 2006 (Winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Professor David Naylor (President of University of Toronto), Professor Iain Mattaj (Director-General, European Molecular Biology Laboratory) and Professor Sir John Savill (then Chief Scientist for the Scottish Government Health Directorates, and Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, and current Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council member). Since the inception of the DVP in 2001, over 70 distinguished visitors have visited Singapore.
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