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2009 World Stem Cell Summit to Be Held in Baltimore, Sept. 21-23The Genetics Policy Institute announces the 2009 World Stem Cell Summit will take place in Baltimore, Maryland at the Baltimore Convention Center on September 21-23, 2009. Co-hosted by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, the Summit will unite the international stem cell community by fostering collaborations, promoting economic development and expediting the journey from the laboratory to the clinic. The 2008 Summit in Madison, Wisconsin attracted 900 attendees including more than 100 presenters representing 27 states and 18 countries. The event boasted 120 sponsors, supporting organizations and media partners. “Maryland is the obvious choice for the 2009 Summit. Under Governor Martin O’Malley’s visionary leadership, the State has invested $38 million towards stem cell research projects and pledged ongoing support. It is a nexus of top ranked research institutions, biotechnology companies and venture capital. Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are major stem cell academic centers and we are honored to partner with them in this global event,” said Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute. “With significant changes coming from Washington, there is enormous hope and excitement for this field. The World Stem Cell Summit has become the must-attend, networking event to meet all the stakeholders and to understand the forces propelling regenerative medicine forward,” said Siegel. "We are honored to host the 2009 World Stem Cell Summit, and look forward to working with the organizers and sponsors of this exciting event to ensure that its attendees receive the hospitality that Maryland is famous for," said Governor O'Malley. "As an emerging national leader in the field of life sciences, we are proud to be recognized in this manner, and will continue to lead others in this growing industry so our rapidly changing economy can adapt to the evolution of life saving technologies." The 2009 World Stem Cell Summit will be the fifth annual summit conference organized by GPI, which held previous conferences in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The 2009 Summit will feature GPI’s annual Stem Cell Action Awards presentation, recognizing individual advocates, students and nonprofit organizations contributing to the cause for cures, through leadership, education, advocacy and inspiration. Past honorees include Michael J. Fox, Bob Klein, Parkinson’s Action Network; Hadassah, Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, National Association of Biology Teachers, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Danny Heumann, Don Reed, Brooke Ellison, Ben Kaplan, Student Society for Stem Cell Research, Texans for Advancement of Medical Research, the Luca Coscioni Association and the Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research. The World Stem Cell Summit targets an extensive audience of researchers, leaders from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, non-profit representatives, advocates, investors, philanthropists, healthcare professionals, law and policy experts, bioethicists, regulators, institutional oversight members and policy-makers. Regenerative medicine represents a possible $500 billion expanding industry over the next two decades. Its economic development potential is becoming increasingly recognized by governmental leaders. The World Stem Cell Summit exhibit hall will host numerous state and country pavilions showcasing their research and investment in this burgeoning field, along with displays by leading companies and institutions all contributing to this growth.. The diverse summit agenda will feature multiple panels discussing updates on the influence of stem cells upon a broad range of medical conditions. Educational programs will focus on all cell types including human embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. In addition, the Summit will address funding opportunities (federal, public and private), commercialization, venture capital, market trends, regulatory issues, ethical and societal issues, philanthropic opportunities, medical tourism, cell banking, intellectual property, insurance, international perspectives, clinical use and the 2009-10 advocacy agenda. New to the 2009 World Stem Cell Summit will be an advanced science track featuring some of the world’s most prominent scientists addressing the latest discoveries in basic research, translational and preclinical findings, bioengineering and cellular scaffold initiatives, clinical trials updates, and an in depth look at the pharmaceutical industry’s short term and long term vision for stem cells. For information on registration and partnership opportunities, please visit www.worldstemcellsummit.com. About Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) The nonprofit Genetics Policy Institute is the catalyst of the "Pro-Cures Movement," a global coalition of pro-research stakeholders. Through GPI's meetings, publications, press relations, web site, speaker's bureau and teaching initiatives, GPI educates the public, media and key decision-makers on critical issues. For more information on GPI, please call Robert Margolin, Associate Director, at 908-605-4203. Contacts Genetics Policy Institute Bernard Siegel, 305-801-4928 bernard@genpol.org |
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© GPI, 2008 |
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