iPSCs: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges (A4)
January 26-29, 2026  |  Kyoto International Conference Center, Kyoto, Japan
Shinya Yamanaka, Yanhong Shi and Yasushi Kajii
Scholarship Deadline: Oct. 16, 2025 | Abstract Deadline: Jan. 7, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Nov. 26, 2025
* Session Chair † Invited but not yet accepted | Program current as of February 25, 2026 2 AM | For the most up-to-date details, visit https://www.keystonesymposia.org
Monday, January 26, 2026
4:00–8:00 PM Registration Hall A Foyer
6:00–8:00 PM Welcome Mixer Banquet Hall Sakura
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
7:30–8:30 AM Breakfast Individual Hotel
8:00–8:30 AM Poster Setup Hall A Foyer
8:15–5:00 PM Poster Viewing Hall A Foyer
8:30–8:40 AM Welcome Remarks Hall A
8:40–9:30 AM Keynote Address Hall A
  * Yanhong Shi, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
Session Chair		  
  Shinya Yamanaka, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto Univ, Gladstone Institutes
20 Years of iPSCs, Past, Present, and Future		  
9:30–11:45 AM iPSC-based Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery Hall A
  * Fred H Gage, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
iPSC-based Disease Modeling for Neurological Disorders		  
  Lorenz Studer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
An Epigenetic Barrier in Human iPSC-based Cortical Neurons		  
  * Deepak Srivastava, Gladstone Institutes and UCSF
Cellular Reprogramming as a Basis for Heart Disease		  
  Keiko Imamura, Kyoto University
Short Talk: Clinical Trial of Bosutinib for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Identified through iPSC-Based Drug Repurposing		  
10:00–10:20 AM Coffee Break Hall A Foyer
11:45–12:45 PM Lunch Banquet Hall Sakura
12:30–2:30 PM Poster Session 1 Hall A Foyer
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 1 Hall A
  Lukas Genbrugge, Ghent University
Modeling the Choroid Plexus - Neural Stem Cell Axis in Neurodevelopmental BAFopathies Using Choroid Plexus Organoids		  
  Eugenia Wong, Babraham Institute
A Novel Method to Restore Full Differentiation Potential In Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines by Epigenetic Chromatin Resetting		  
  * Kelly A Frazer, University of California, San Diego
Uncovering The Regulatory Architecture of GWAS Loci Using Multiomic QTL Maps in Early Development-Like Tissues		  
  * Yann Pretemer, Kyoto University
In Vitro Reconstitution of Human Thymus Development and Function Through iPSC-Derived Multi-Lineage Thymic Epithelia		  
  Hiroyuki Tamiya, Kansai Medical University
Formation Of the Central Master Clock From Pluripotent Stem Cells		  
  Akira Yamagata, Kyoto University
Human iPSC-Based In Vitro and In Vivo Models Recapitulate the Pathophysiology of Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis		  
  Julio Aguado, University of Colorado
iPSC-Based Models of Virus-Induced Senescence: Opportunities for Targeting Brain Aging		  
  Kambez Benam, University of Pittsburgh
Development of iPSC-Derived Next-Generation Human Lung Airway-on-a-Chip for Autologous Disease Modeling of Down Syndrome		  
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Hall A Foyer
5:00–7:00 PM 3D Modeling using Organoids and Organs-on-a-Chip Hall A
  * Guo-li Ming, University of Pennsylvania
Using iPSC-Derived Organoids to Study Neurodevelopment and Disorders		  
  Melissa E Hector-Greene, Washington University in St. Louis
Modeling Dilated Cardiomyopathy using iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Engineered Heart Tissues		  
  Christine L. Mummery, Leiden University Medical Center
Cardiovascular diseases and drugs: where are we with hiPSC models?		  
  * Norikazu Saiki, Institute of Science Tokyo
Short Talk: Vascularized Organoids Recapitulate Physiological Endothelial Injury through the Directed Differentiation of Organ- and Lineage-Specific Endothelial Cells		  
  Shi-Yan Ng, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Lightning Talk: Microglia-Sufficient Spinal Organoids Effectively Model ALS and Elucidate Neuro-Immune Crosstalk		  
  Jun K Yamashita, University of Tokyo
Lightning Talk: The Evolution of hiPSC-Based Arrhythmia Modeling: From Cells to 3D Cardiac Tissues—and Beyond		  
  Souta Motoike †, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University
Lightning Talk: Generation of Jawbone Organoids from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells		  
7:00–8:00 PM On Own for Dinner
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
7:30–8:30 AM Breakfast Individual Hotel
8:00–8:30 AM Poster Setup Hall A Foyer
8:15–5:00 PM Poster Viewing Hall A Foyer
8:30–11:00 AM Human iPSC-based Therapeutic Development I Hall A
  Yanhong Shi, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
Developing Human iPSC-based Cell Therapies for Myelin Disorders		  
  * Mathew M. Blurton-Jones, University of California, Irvine
Therapeutic Potential of Human iPSC-derived Microglia		  
  Marinna Madrid, Cellino Biotech
Creating an Industrial Revolution for Personalized Cell Therapies		  
  * Katja G Weinacht, Stanford School of Medicine
Short Talk: Therapeutic Restoration of Immune Function through iPSC-derived Human Thymic Epithelial Cells		  
  Yoshiki Nakashima, CiRA Foundation
Lightning Talk: Development of a Cell Therapy Set Prototype for Autologous iPS Cells		  
  Fuad Gandhi Torizal, Jichi Medical University
Lightning Talk: Functional and Morphological Therapeutic Screening Using AAV-Based Designer Cardiomyopathy Models in hiPSC-Cardiomyocytes		  
  Alyssa Jane Miller, Conception
Lightning Talk: Achievement of Faithful Prophase I Meiosis in Human iPSC-derived Female Germ Cells		  
9:30–9:50 AM Coffee Break Hall A Foyer
9:50–9:55 AM Award Recipient Acknowledgement Hall A
11:00–12:00 PM Unlocking iPSC Innovations: Towards Life-Transforming Drugs Through the Ten-Year T-CiRA Academia-Industry Collaboration Program Hall A
  * Yasushi Kajii, Takeda Pharmaceutical Inc.
Open Innovation Setting of T-CiRA to Transform Academic Insights into Drug Seeds		  
  Yoshinori Yoshida, CiRA, Kyoto University
Cardiomyopathy Project: Drug Discovery for Cardiac Diseases Using an Innovative iPS Cell-Based Platform		  
  Taro Toyoda, CiRA, Kyoto University
Development of a Manufacturing Platform for iPS Cell-Derived Pancreatic Islet Cells (iPICs) Towards Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes		  
12:00–1:00 PM Lunch Banquet Hall Sakura
1:00–2:15 PM Career Roundtable and Networking Session Banquet Hall Sakura
  Shi-Yan Ng, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Senior Principal Investigator		  
  Alyssa Jane Miller, Conception
Associate Director		  
  Alessandra Griffo, Springer Nature AG & Co KGaA
Associate Editor		  
  Fabian Raudzus, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University
Assistant Professor		  
2:30–4:30 PM Poster Session 2 Hall A Foyer
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Hall A Foyer
5:00–7:00 PM Human iPSC-based Therapeutic Development II Hall A
  Hongjun Song, University of Pennsylvania
Modeling Neuron-Tumor Interaction Using Human Ipsc-Derived 2D Neurons and 3D Brain Organoids with Tumor Organoids		  
  * Mingxia Gu, UCLA
Therapeutic Development Using iPSC-derived Heart, Lung and Vasculature Organoids		  
  * Hideyuki Okano, Keio University
Clinical Trial and Reverse Translational Research of iPSCs-based Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury		  
  Teruyoshi Yamashita, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Short Talk: Restoring Gut Motility with Scalable Human Induced Enteric Neural Progenitors		  
  Takeshi Tokuyama, Jichi medical university
Lightning Talk: Taurine Rescues Mitochondrial Function through tRNALys Stabilization in KARS1-Mutant iPS Cells		  
  Yeri Alice Rim, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital
Lightning Talk: Clinical-grade iPSC-Derived Chondrogenic Micropellets for Treating Advanced Cartilage Defects		  
7:00–8:00 PM On Own for Dinner
Thursday, January 29, 2026
7:30–8:30 AM Breakfast Individual Hotel
8:30–11:30 AM Clinical Trials Testing PSC-derived Products Hall A
  Masayo Takahashi, Kobe Eye Center, VCCT Inc.
Lessons Learnt from Retinal Regeneration using Autologous and Allogeneic Human iPSC-derived Cells		  
  Keiichi Fukuda, Keio University School of Medicine & Heartseed Inc.
Cardiac Regeneration Using iPSCs		  
  * Jun Takahashi, CiRA, Kyoto University
iPSC-based Therapy for Parkinson's Disease		  
  * Hongkui Deng, Peking University
Chemically-induced PSC-derived Islets for Diabetes Therapy		  
  Jiong Shi, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China
Short Talk: Allogeneic iPSC-Derived Dopaminergic Progenitor Cells for Parkinson's Disease		  
  Yanqiu Li, Nuwacell
Lightning Talk: Safety and Efficacy of iPSC-Derived MSCs in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: a Phase I, Dose Escalation, Multi-Center Study		  
  Guangyu Sun, University of Science and Technology of China
Lightning Talk: iPSC-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Products Show Safety and Efficacy in SR-aGVHD		  
9:30–9:50 AM Coffee Break Hall A Foyer
11:30–12:30 PM Meet the Editors Hall A
  Yanhong Shi, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
*Session Chair		  
  Robert Stephenson, Springer Nature Japan K.K.
Senior Editor		  
  Mimmi Mononen, Springer Nature
Senior Editor		  
  Rachel Glenn, Springer Nature
Associate Editor		  
  Alessandra Griffo, Springer Nature AG & Co KGaA
Associate Editor		  
12:30–2:30 PM On Own for Lunch
2:30–4:30 PM Symposia Spotlight 2 Hall A
  Alex Ng, GC Therapeutics
AI-Guided Forward Programming Trained by Systematic TFome™-Wide Screening		  
  * Risa Kawaguchi, Kyoto University
Single-cell Multi-omics Uncovers Distinct Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Dynamics Driving Reprogramming Heterogeneity in Human iPS Cell Induction		  
  * Hayk Davtyan, University of California, Irvine
Microglia Versus Monocytes: Does Ontogeny Matter?		  
  Li Li, Stanford University
Dysregulation of Molecular Clock in Astrocytes Disrupts Synapse Phagocytosis and Induces Neurocognitive Deficits		  
  Sudiksha Rathan Kumar, Vanderbilt University
Fighting the Fire: iPSC Models and Therapeutics for hypomyelinating HIKESHI-associated Leukodystrophy		  
  Irene Santisteban Ortiz, Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Tissue Niche-derived Signals Locally Program Human Microglia Phenotypes in an Organoid Model of the Developing Human Brain		  
  Cristopher Bragg, Massachusetts General Hospital
Therapeutic Targeting of Alternative Splicing Caused by a Lethal Noncoding Structural Variant in X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism		  
  Ying Zhang, Nuwacell
Preliminary Efficacy of NCR101, Genetically Modified HGF-iMSC, in the Treatment of Interstitial lung Disease		  
4:30–5:00 PM Coffee Available Hall A Foyer
5:00–6:30 PM AI and Machine Learning in iPSC Research and Applications Hall A
  * Casey Gifford, Stanford School of Medicine
Deep Learning Models Uncover Complex Motif Syntax Employed during Cardiac Organoid Differentiation		  
  Katriina Aalto-Setala, Tampere University
iPSC Cardiomyocytes, AI and Virtual Twins in Cardiac Drug Development		  
  * Jian Shu, Harvard Medical School
When Cellular Reprogramming Meets AI: Towards De Novo Cell Design		  
6:30–6:45 PM Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) Hall A
6:45–8:45 PM Social Hour with Dinner Banquet Hall Sakura
Friday, January 30, 2026
12:00–11:59 PM Departure