Stem Cell Models in Embryology (B2)
February 17-20, 2026
| Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CA, United States
Jun Wu, Jianping Fu and Miki Ebisuya
Scholarship Deadline: Oct. 22, 2025 | Abstract Deadline: Jan. 28, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Dec. 19, 2025
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
| 4:00–6:00 PM |
Registration and Welcome Mixer |
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| 7:00–9:00 PM |
Human and Non-Human Primate Development using Embryos |
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Sophie Petropoulos, Karolinska Institutet
Understanding Human Preimplantation Development |
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Margherita Y Turco, Friedrich Miescher Institute
Spatial Multiomics Map of Trophoblast Development in Early Pregnancy |
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Hongmei Wang, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Advancing Trophoblast Organoid Models through a Comprehensive Investigation of Placental Development across Pregnancy |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
| 8:30–11:30 AM |
Advancing Embryo Modeling |
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Jacob H Hanna, Weizmann Institute of Science
Ex Utero Embryogenesis: from Naive Pluripotent Cells to Bona Fide Synthetic Embryo Models |
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Berna Sozen, Yale University
Self-Patterning of Human Stem Cells into Post-Implantation Lineages |
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José Silva, Guangzhou National Laboratory
Creating High-Fidelity Mouse and Human Embryo Models with Reprogrammed ESCs |
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Jun Wu, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Developing Increasingly Complex Human Embryo-Like Structures using Stem Cells |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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| 10:00–10:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
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| 11:30–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
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| 1:00–9:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
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| 1:30–3:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight: Late-breaking research presentations selected from abstract submissions |
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Short Talks Chosen from Abstracts
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| 3:30–4:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
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| 4:00–6:00 PM |
Bioengineering Embryo Modeling |
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Jianping Fu, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Bioengineering Human Embryo and Organ Models |
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Samira Musah, Duke University
Uncovering Patient-Specific Disease Mysteries with Stem Cells and Organ Chips |
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Sharad Ramanathan, Harvard
Building Robust in vitro Systems to Study Early Human Development |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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| 7:00–9:00 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
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Thursday, February 19, 2026
| 8:30–11:30 AM |
Studying Developmental Mechanisms using Embryo Models |
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Magdalena D. Zernicka-Goetz, University of Cambridge
Deciphering Early Mammalian Development Using Stem Cell-Based Models |
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Yasuhiro Takashima, Kyoto University CiRA
Naive Human PSCs Model Pre- to Post-Implantation Development |
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Aydan Bulut-Karslioglu, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics
Adjusting the Timing of Mammalian Development |
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Olivier Pourquie, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Life Without HOX |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
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| 11:30–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
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| 1:00–9:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
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| 2:00–3:30 PM |
Panel Discussions (Ethics) |
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| 3:30–4:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
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| 4:00–6:00 PM |
Synthetic Biology for Embryo Modeling |
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Miki Ebisuya, TU Dresden
Optogenetic Manipulation and Cross-Species Comparison of Stem Cell Models |
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Mustafa Hani Khammash, ETH Zürich
Control Theory and Optogenetic Manipulation of in vitro Models |
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Jared Toettcher, Princeton University
Optogenetic Manipulation and Systems Biology |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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| 7:00–9:00 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
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Friday, February 20, 2026
| 8:30–11:30 AM |
Progressive Embryo Modeling towards Organogenesis and Translation |
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James Briscoe, The Francis Crick Institute
Building a Spinal Cord: The Embryonic Development of the Vertebrate Neural Tube |
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Mingxia Gu, UCLA
Engineering Vascularized Organoids to Decode Human Organogenesis |
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Joshua M. Brickman, University of Copenhagen
The Primitive Endoderm Supports Lineage Plasticity to Enable Regulative Development |
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Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
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| 11:30–11:45 AM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers) |
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