Overview

Stem cell research has attracted great attention and gained strong momentum in the past 15 years due to new breakthroughs in the stem cell field, availability of new and powerful techniques, and its vast potential in regeneration of tissues damaged by injury or disease. In the Division of Life Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), stem cell is recognized as one of the key areas for further development. Our strength in this area is reflected by two major group grants awarded in recent years: a grant under the Theme-based Research Scheme and another one under the Collaborative Research Fund of the Research Grants Council. The three-day IAS Focused Program aims to further promote and spark interest and discussion in the area of stem cell biology and foster new interdisciplinary collaborations locally and internationally. The program will focus on stem cell biology, and topics will cover neural stem cells, muscle stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. The symposium will be a very high quality scientific meeting. It will provide a platform for HKUST faculty members to have detailed and fruitful discussions with recognized leaders in the field to advance our understanding of this topic. It is also an excellent learning opportunity for our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to interact with leading scientists in the stem cell field.