Major topics:
-Embryo-derived Stem Cells: Maintenance of Pluripotency & Interconversion of Stem Cell Types
-Induced Pluripotency: Molecular Biology of Reprogramming
-Tissue-specific Stem/Progenitor Cells
-Molecular and Functional Characterization of Stem Cell Niche
-Extrinsic Factors and Genetic Activity Controlling Stem Cell Differentiation
-System Biological Analysis of Pluripotency and Stemness
-Transdifferentiation of Somatic Cell Types

Keynote Speaker:
Andras Nagy, Samuel Lunenfeld Research Inst., Mt. Sinai Hospital, Canada

Invited Speakers
Nick Barker, Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands
Robert Blelloch, UCSF, Institute for Regeneration Medicine, USA
Hongkui Deng, Peking University, College of Life Sciences, China
Miguel Esteban, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, China
Jacob Hanna, Whitehead Institute, USA
Richard Harvey, The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Australia
Ihor Lemischka, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, USA
Melissa Little, University of Queensland, Australia
Pentao Liu, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK
Emi Nishimura, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan
Hitoshi Niwa, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Japan
Guangjin Pan, University of Wisconsin, USA
Mitinori Saitou, Kyoto University, Japan
Timm Schroeder, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany
Michael Shen, Columbia University Medical Center, USA
Yun-Bo Shi, NICHD, NIH, USA
Toshio Suda, Keio University, Japan
Emma Whitelaw, University of Queensland, Australia
Rongwen Xi, National Institute of Biological Sciences, China
Ting Xie, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, USA
Guo-Liang Xu, Shanghai Institutes for Biology Sciences, China
George Yeoh, University of Western Australia, Australia
Rui Zhao, Children's Hospital Boston, USA
Thomas Zwaka, Baylor College of Medicine, USA

Abstracts should contain only new and unpublished material and must be submitted electronically by the abstract deadline. Selection of material for oral and poster presentation will be made by the organizers. Status (fellow's talk/poster) of abstracts will be posted on our web site as soon as decisions have been made by the organizers.

We are eager to have as many young people as possible attend since they are likely to benefit most from this meeting. We have applied for funds from government and industry to partially support graduate students and postdocs. Apply in writing to stipends@csh-asia.org stating need for financial support - preference is given to those submitting abstracts.

Regular packages are all inclusive and cover registration, food, housing.Graduate students will be housed double occupancy. No Housing packages include all costs except housing. Student Registration Only Package includes registration and coffee breaks only. Full payment is due 4 weeks prior to the meeting.