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
| 4:00–8:00 PM |
Registration |
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| 6:00–8:00 PM |
Welcome Mixer |
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Tuesday, January 27, 2026
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Individual Hotel |
| 8:00–8:30 AM |
Poster Setup |
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| 8:15–5:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
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| 8:30–8:40 AM |
Welcome Remarks |
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| 8:40–9:30 AM |
Keynote Address |
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Shinya Yamanaka, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto Univ, Gladstone Institutes
20 Years of iPSCs, Past, Present, and Future |
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| 9:30–11:45 AM |
iPSC-based Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery |
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Fred H Gage, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
iPSC-based Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery for Neurological Disorders |
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Lorenz Studer, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
An Epigenetic Barrier in Human iPSC-based Cortical Neurons |
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Deepak Srivastava, Gladstone Institutes
Cellular Reprogramming as a Basis for Heart Disease |
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Keiko Imamura, Kyoto University
Short Talk: Clinical Trial of Bosutinib for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Identified through iPSC-Based Drug Repurposing |
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| 10:00–10:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
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| 12:30–2:30 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
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| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 1 |
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Lukas Genbrugge, Ghent University
Modeling the Choroid Plexus - Neural Stem Cell Axis in Neurodevelopmental BAFopathies Using Choroid Plexus Organoids |
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Eugenia Wong, Babraham Institute
A Novel Method to Restore Full Differentiation Potential In Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines by Epigenetic Chromatin Resetting |
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Kelly A Frazer, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
Uncovering The Regulatory Architecture of GWAS Loci Using Multiomic QTL Maps in Early Development-Like Tissues |
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Risa Kawaguchi, Kyoto University
Single-cell Multi-omics Uncovers Distinct Transcriptomic and Epigenomic Dynamics Driving Reprogramming Heterogeneity in Human iPS Cell Induction |
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Hiroyuki Tamiya, Kansai Medical University
Formation Of the Central Master Clock From Pluripotent Stem Cells |
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Akira Yamagata, Kyoto University
Human iPSC-Based In Vitro and In Vivo Models Recapitulate the Pathophysiology of Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis |
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Julio Aguado, University of Colorado
iPSC-Based Models of Virus-Induced Senescence: Opportunities for Targeting Brain Aging |
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Kambez Benam, University of Pittsburgh
Development of iPSC-Derived Next-Generation Human Lung Airway-on-a-Chip for Autologous Disease Modeling of Down Syndrome |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
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| 5:00–7:00 PM |
3D Modeling using Organoids and Organs-on-a-Chip |
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Guo-li Ming, University of Pennsylvania
Using iPSC-Derived Organoids to Study Neurodevelopment and Disorders |
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Melissa Hector-Greene, Washington University in St. Louis
Modeling Dilated Cardiomyopathy using iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Engineered Heart Tissues |
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Christine L. Mummery, Leiden University Medical Center
Cardiovascular diseases and drugs: where are we with hiPSC models? |
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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 |
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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 |
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Jun K Yamashita, University of Tokyo
Lightning Talk: The Evolution of hiPSC-Based Arrhythmia Modeling: From Cells to 3D Cardiac Tissues—and Beyond |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
On Own for Dinner |
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Wednesday, January 28, 2026
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Individual Hotel |
| 8:00–8:30 AM |
Poster Setup |
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| 8:15–5:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
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| 8:30–11:00 AM |
Human iPSC-based Therapeutic Development I |
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Yanhong Shi, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
Developing Human iPSC-based Cell Therapies for Myelin Disorders |
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Mathew M. Blurton-Jones, University of California, Irvine
Therapeutic Potential of Human iPSC-derived Microglia |
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Marinna Madrid, Cellino Biotech
Creating an Industrial Revolution for Personalized Cell Therapies |
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Katja G Weinacht, Stanford School of Medicine
Short Talk: A Preclinical Platform to Restore Immune Function by iPSC-Derived Human Thymic Epithelial Cells |
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Yoshiki Nakashima, CiRA Foundation
Lightning Talk: Development of a Cell Therapy Set Prototype for Autologous iPS Cells |
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Fuad Gandhi Torizal †, Jichi Medical University
Lightning Talk: Functional and Morphological Therapeutic Screening Using AAV-Based Designer Cardiomyopathy Models in hiPSC-Cardiomyocytes |
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
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| 9:50–9:55 AM |
Award Recipient Acknowledgement |
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| 11:00–12:00 PM |
Unlocking iPSC Innovations: Towards Life-Transforming Drugs Through the Ten-Year T-CiRA Academia-Industry Collaboration Program |
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Yasushi Kajii, Takeda Pharmaceutical Inc.
Open Innovation Setting of T-CiRA to Transform Academic Insights into Drug Seeds |
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Yoshinori Yoshida, CiRA, Kyoto University
Cardiomyopathy Project: Drug Discovery for Cardiac Diseases Using an Innovative iPS Cell-Based Platform |
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| 1:00–2:15 PM |
Career Roundtable and Networking Session |
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| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
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| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Human iPSC-based Therapeutic Development II |
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Hongjun Song, University of Pennsylvania
Studying Epitranscriptomic Regulation of Cortical Neurogenesis Using Human Organoid Models |
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Mingxia Gu, UCLA
Therapeutic Development Using iPSC-derived Heart, Lung and Vasculature Organoids |
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Hideyuki Okano, Keio University
Clinical Trial and Reverse Translational Research of iPSCs-based Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury |
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Teruyoshi Yamashita, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Short Talk: Restoring Gut Motility with Scalable Human Induced Enteric Neural Progenitors |
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Takeshi Tokuyama, Jichi medical university
Lightning Talk: Taurine Rescues Mitochondrial Function through tRNALys Stabilization in KARS1-Mutant iPS Cells |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
On Own for Dinner |
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Thursday, January 29, 2026
| 7:30–8:30 AM |
Breakfast |
Individual Hotel |
| 8:30–11:30 AM |
Clinical Trials Testing PSC-derived Products |
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Masayo Takahashi, Kobe Eye Center, VCCT Inc.
Lessons Learnt from Retinal Regeneration using Autologous and Allogeneic Human iPSC-derived Cells |
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Keiichi Fukuda, Keio University School of Medicine & Heartseed Inc.
Cardiac Regeneration Using iPSCs |
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Jun Takahashi, CiRA, Kyoto University
iPSC-based Therapy for Parkinson's Disease |
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Hongkui Deng †, Peking University
Talk Title to be Announced |
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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 |
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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 |
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Xiaoyu Zhu, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China
Lightning Talk: iPSC-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Products Show Safety and Efficacy in SR-aGVHD |
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
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| 11:30–12:30 PM |
Meet the Editors |
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| 12:30–2:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 2 |
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Alex Ng, GC Therapeutics
Short Talk: AI-Guided Forward Programming Trained by Systematic TFome™-Wide Screening |
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Yann Pretemer, Kyoto University
In Vitro Reconstitution of Human Thymus Development and Function Through iPSC-Derived Multi-Lineage Thymic Epithelia |
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Hayk Davtyan, University of California, Irvine
Microglia Versus Monocytes: Does Ontogeny Matter? |
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Li Li, Stanford University
Dysregulation of Molecular Clock in Astrocytes Disrupts Synapse Phagocytosis and Induces Neurocognitive Deficits |
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Sudiksha Rathan Kumar, Vanderbilt University
Fighting the Fire: iPSC Models and Therapeutics for hypomyelinating HIKESHI-associated Leukodystrophy |
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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 |
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Cristopher Bragg, Massachusetts General Hospital
Therapeutic Targeting of Alternative Splicing Caused by a Lethal Noncoding Structural Variant in X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism |
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Ying Zhang, Nuwacell
Preliminary Efficacy of NCR101, Genetically Modified HGF-iMSC, in the Treatment of Interstitial lung Disease |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
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| 5:00–6:45 PM |
AI and Machine Learning in iPSC Research and Applications |
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Feng Guo, Indiana University
Brain Organoid Reservoir Computing for Artificial Intelligence |
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Casey Gifford, Stanford School of Medicine
Deep Learning Models Uncover Complex Motif Syntax Employed during Cardiac Organoid Differentiation |
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Katriina Aalto-Setala, Tampere University
Artificial Intelligence for Cardiac Drug Study |
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Jian Shu, Harvard Medical School
Short Talk: When Cellular Reprogramming Meets AI: Towards De Novo Cell Design |
|
| 6:45–7:00 PM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
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