Pasadena, CA. to Host 2011 World Stem Cell Summit October 3 – 5

Co-Organizers of Largest Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Meeting Include Genetics Policy Institute, City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, California Institute of Technology and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

PASADENA, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Genetics Policy Institute announced today that the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit is scheduled for Oct. 3 – 5 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Genetics Policy Institute, City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, California Institute of Technology and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) have united to organize the world’s largest interdisciplinary stem cell meeting. The Summit will feature more than 170 prominent scientists, business leaders, regulators, policy-makers, advocates, economic development officers and experts in law and ethics, who will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, legal and regulatory solutions and best practices. The event is expected to attract more than 2,000 attendees from 25 nations, 60 exhibitors and more than 150 endorsing organizations and media partners.

Among the confirmed speakers are Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, PhD, (Whitehead Institute, MIT), Professor Sir Ian Wilmut (MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine), Professor Chris Mason MBBS, PhD, FRCS (University College London) and Alan Trounson, PhD, (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine).

California was selected as the location for this year’s Summit because of the state’s commitment to stem cell science, evidenced by voters’ approval in 2004 of Proposition 71. This action led to the establishment of a state stem cell agency and a funding process for regenerative medicine research leading to $3 billion in stem cell research and therapy development for patients of chronic disease and injury.

Bernard Siegel, founder of the Summit and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute, emphasized that, “Our purpose is to unite, educate and harmonize the global stem cell community. California is in the vanguard of the most innovative leaders in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The state’s investment will pay lasting dividends in the form of jobs, economic development, and, most importantly, the translation of scientific discoveries into cures.”

Bob Klein, Chairman of the Governing Board of CIRM, stated, “The World Stem Cell Summit is an extraordinarily important meeting of scientific researchers striving to convert the leading edge of stem cell research into therapies to reduce human suffering. The Summit’s presence in Pasadena highlights California’s leadership role in financing and building a global infrastructure for the development of innovative stem cell therapies; California has partnered with ten nations to bring the best of the world’s stem cell research together in world-class teams to drive the development of therapies."

Alan Trounson, president of CIRM, stated, “As CIRM places a priority on developing therapies and finding cures, we welcome the 2011 World Stem Cell Summit’s focus on translational regenerative medicine. By working with the regenerative medicine business and investment community, who will be joining us in Pasadena, we can forge collaborations with California researchers and companies to accelerate effective therapies.”

Richard Jove, PhD, director of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, noted: “We are pleased to welcome the Summit to the Los Angeles area, where stem cell research is flourishing at so many world class local institutions. City of Hope has a long history of advancing stem cell research and successfully applying those advances to save lives. More recently we have expanded our efforts and are able to serve as a national resource for other institutions developing and manufacturing stem cell-based therapies through our on-site, state-of-the-art GMP facilities. The summit will be a tremendous opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas as well as form new collaborations from across town to around the world.”

Clive Svendsen, PhD, the director of Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute, noted that, “Here at Cedars Sinai we have made a robust commitment to advance regenerative medicine – from disease modeling to the discovery of effective cellular treatments. The Regenerative Medicine Institute unites both basic scientists and physician scientists across multiple medical specialties to translate findings from the research bench directly to the bedside. Having previously co-organized the World Stem Cell Summit in Wisconsin, I am very pleased to be involved once again in this exciting meeting.”

Dr. Paul Patterson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, stated, “We are extremely pleased that the organizers chose Pasadena to host the World Stem Cell Summit. The diverse program presents a comprehensive view of the stem cell world and the Caltech community looks forward to presenting advances in the development of important new technologies based on stem cell science and developmental biology.”

For more information about sponsoring or attending the World Stem Cell Summit, contact Alan Fernandez at [phone] or email [e-mail]. To learn more about the Summit, visit: www.worldstemcellsummit.com.

About Genetics Policy Institute (GPI): GPI is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation with the mission to promote and defend stem cell research and its application in medicine to develop therapeutics and cures for many otherwise intractable diseases and disorders. GPI pursues this mission through production of its flagship annual World Stem Cell Summit, publication of the World Stem Cell Report, special projects, speaking engagements, teaching initiatives and strategic collaborations.