Insights from the Network

I stumbled upon stem cells quite late in my training. I was well into my second postdoctoral fellowship at Western University in London, Ontario, when my supervisor asked me if I was interested in creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model a rare genetic disorder. “Sure”, I said, not really knowing what an iPSC was, or how I was supposed to use it to model our disease of interest.

On October 20th, 2022, Canada’s Stem Cell Network (SCN) welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors,including Mr. Reza Moridi. Today, on International Volunteer Day, the Stem Cell Network would like to recognize the dedication of, and thank, volunteers like Mr. Moridi.

Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines are now commonly used across the globe. In your lab, you might rely on hPSCs to uncover answers about human development, to study the effects of drugs, or maybe as a tool to delve deeper into human disease. As the body of knowledge around these cells grows, it is increasingly challenging to keep track of best practices, including standards for handling and information reporting.

Regenerative medicine (RM) sits at a busy intersection of scientific niches. Throughout the past couple of years, many of us have been a little more siloed than we’re used to, with fewer opportunities to absorb knowledge through chance interactions, and through the alchemy that takes place when we happen to be in the same room as colleagues working on different frontiers of our field.

The pandemic shone a bright light on the importance of the Canadian bio-economy. This critical industry is relied upon for vaccines, lifesaving medical research and diagnostic devices,personal protective equipment, and food security.

Traditionally powered by stem cells, the field of regenerative medicine focuses on replacing, repairing, or regenerating human cells, tissues, and organs. It is considered by many to be the next frontier of medicine. Known widely as the “building blocks” of the body, stem cells have tremendous potential to treat a plethora of diseases, injuries, and life-altering illnesses, and Canada has been a global leader in this field for over 60 years.

Dear stem cell community, It is an absolute pleasure to communicate with you for the first time as the Associate Scientific Director of the Stem Cell Network. It is a great honour and responsibility to be able to actively contribute to advancing stem cell and regenerative medicine research in Canada.

As Canada takes steps to re-establish the health and economic well-being of Canadians coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever is the time to tap into our research strengths. In the world of health research, that means expanding on 60 years of scientific advances made by the stem cell and regenerative medicine (RM) research community.