Right Turn: These three videos show why we should be impressed by our young stem cell researchers

by Lisa Willemse | Nov 18, 2016

Stroke, lung damage and mathematical modeling. You may not think these three topics have much in common and for the most part you’d be right. But they have more than one common link. First, each is either a disease focus or methodology within stem cell research....

Insights from CGTW16 – Part 1: Cell Manufacturing Best Practices

by Guest | Nov 17, 2016

Amin Adibi is a biomedical engineer and a research assistant at the University of British Columbia. His areas of interest include cell manufacturing and bioprocess optimization, clinical translation of cellular therapies, health outcomes and cost-effectiveness...

Can we defy aging?

by Jovana Drinjakovic | Nov 14, 2016

Last month, a paper published in Nature grabbed headlines by claiming that human lifespan is capped at 115 years. As disappointing as the news may be to anyone wanting to live forever, I’m okay with this shelf life, so long as I can be an energetic, pain-free...

Right Turn: What do the results of the U.S. election mean for science?

by Stacey Johnson | Nov 9, 2016

This isn’t the blog that I planned to write this week, but I’m so preoccupied with the outcome of the U.S. election, I’m finding it hard to focus on anything else right now. So, let’s look at the implications of a Trump presidency on science. An article in Nature...

Making connections – advancing regenerative medicine through partnerships

by Nicole Kuchinsky | Nov 8, 2016

A key driver for advancements in regenerative medicine is partnerships. In recognition of this, every year CCRM hosts a networking reception that brings together our partners for an evening of discussion and knowledge sharing. This year’s industry networking reception...

Right Turn: The story of scurvy is a poignant cautionary tale for modern medical science

by Guest | Nov 4, 2016

Elizabeth (Liz) Csaszar is a development manager for the BridGE team at CCRM. Her areas of interest are cell manufacturing, clinical translation of cell based therapies, and blood cell technologies. Liz obtained her PhD at the University of Toronto, focusing on the...

Ending on a high note – Day 3 of TMM2016

by Camila Londono | Oct 31, 2016

Though the last day of the Till and McCulloch Meetings was a short one, it was absolutely fantastic. The day began with a thought-provoking talk by Douglas Sipp, from the Riken Center for Developmental Biology, touching upon the many issues surrounding regulation of...

Lobbying for deregulation of stem cell procedures is giving rise to a new “dark economy”

by Hamideh Emrani | Oct 31, 2016

Day 3 of the Till & McCulloch Meetings continued with many interesting talks. The one that I have chosen to write about in more detail Dr. Douglas Sipp’s, titled “The Stem Cell Dark Economy.” I think his talk was really thought provoking, and important to be...

Right Turn: TMM2016 in 140 characters and photos

by Stacey Johnson | Oct 28, 2016

Two days ago (on October 26) the fifth Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM) wrapped up in Whistler, BC. From all accounts, it was an excellent conference. But you don’t need to take my word for it. Medicine by Design – a generous travel award sponsor of TMM – has...

A peek into a septic shock clinical trial and a patient’s message of hope (TMM2016-Day2)

by Hamideh Emrani | Oct 27, 2016

The second day of the Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM) kicked off with a great talk by Dr. Masayo Takahashi of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology, on the generation of retinal progeny and photoreceptors from iPSCs and ESCs. However, for today, I would like...