The Memphis Institute of Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) is hosting a major international scientific conference in Memphis this fall with the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine (SEBM) and its journal Experimental Biology and Medicine (EBM).
The International Experimental Biology and Medicine Conference (IEBMC) is slated for October 8-10, 2021 at the Central Station Hotel in downtown Memphis. The annual event, which regularly attracts 250-300 attendees, is focused this year on Regenerative Medicine. Steve Goodman, PhD, vice chancellor for Research at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is chairing the conference planning committee, and UTHSC is supporting the event. This is the first time the global conference will take place in the United States.
Now in its eighth year, the IEBMC has become a premier international scientific meeting. Each conference highlights a different important research area, bringing thought leaders from around the globe to present as keynote and plenary speakers. This year, experts in regenerative medicine will address a wide spectrum of basic, translational and clinical research topics during five plenary sessions: Stem Cell Biology, Organs on a Chip, Organoids, Regenerative Medicine and the Cardiovascular System, and Regenerative Medicine and the Nervous System. Hiromitsu Nakauchi, MD, PhD, professor of Genetics at Stanford University is the keynote lecturer. The plenary speaker lineup includes participants from leading research Institutions across the United States and globally, the FDA Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, and local speakers from UTHSC and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“As a society, we are excited to host our annual international meeting in Memphis, Tennessee, on regenerative medicine, and like our past events, have organized a contemporary program with an outstanding lineup of speakers,” said Tom Thompson, PhD, University of Cincinnati College and president of SEBM.
The conference is being brought stateside for the first time, thanks to the efforts of Vice Chancellor Goodman. Dr. Goodman, who is editor-in-chief of the EBM journal, created the conference in 2013. He also spurred the creation of MIRM in 2017. MIRM performs basic, clinical, and translational research in the areas of stem cell biology, tissue engineering, production of 3D bioprinted tissues, and repair of damaged organs. Its 70 members include representatives from UTHSC, the University of Memphis (UofM), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville. Shannon Brown, Senior VP at FedEx, chairs MIRM’s Industry Advisory Committee, with Ann Burgess, former VP for Global Biologics at Wright Medical Group N.V., serving as co-chair.
SEBM, recognizing MIRM as a potential new hub for regenerative medicine in the United States, tapped Memphis as an ideal location to host an international conference on that subject. “Bringing the 2021 International Experimental Biology and Medicine Conference to Memphis is a huge win for the city, the state of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center,” Dr. Goodman said. “It happened because of the converging interest of SEBM and EBM in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine and the creation of the Memphis Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which during the last three years has attracted 70 members from UTHSC, UoM, and St. Jude, and most recently, faculty from the UT College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville. Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine will be transformative to the practice of medicine and a major driver of economic development and job creation for Memphis, the nation and the globe in the 21st century.”
“We take great pride in co-sponsoring a conference of this magnitude right here in Memphis,” said Kennard Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE, executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer at UTHSC. “Being able to do this both highlights and underscores the clinical, research, and scientific efforts and talent in this community.”
In addition to the plenary sessions, the conference will include poster sessions and a Beale-Street themed party featuring Memphis bands is planned for conference attendees.
The conference provides an opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to present their work to international experts on stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Abstracts are currently being accepted, some of which will be selected for platform sessions and others for poster sessions.
For registration information or to submit an abstract, visit the event website, iebmc.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Please contact Greg Harris, senior director of Development, UT Research Foundation, at gharri28@uthsc.edu.
Speakers are:
Opening Keynote: Hiromitsu Nakauchi, MD, PhD, professor of Genetics, Stanford University
Session 1: Stem Cell Biology: Jian Feng, PhD, State University of New York at Buffalo ; Daniel Garry, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota; Hannele Ruohola-Baker, University of Washington; Shannon McKinney-Freeman, PhD, St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Session 2: Organs on a Chip: John Wikswo, PhD, Vanderbilt University; Megan McCain, PhD, University of Southern California; Hyun Jung Kim, PhD, University of Texas at Austin; Peter Loskill, PhD, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB
Session 3: Organoids: Antonio Santos, PhD, Stanford University; Wellington Cardoso, MD, PhD, Columbia University; Gabor Tigyi, MD, PhD, DSc, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Session 4: Regenerative Medicine and the Cardiovascular System: Robert Schwartz, PhD, University of Houston; W. Keith Jones, Loyola University Chicago; Y. James Kang, PhD, University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Stuart Williams, PhD, University of Louisville
Session 5: Regenerative Medicine and the Nervous System: Agnes Luo, PhD, University of Cincinnati; Tatiana Segura, PhD, Duke University; Guoli Ming, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania; Michael Dyer, PhD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Closing presentation: Sung Kyung, PhD, FDA Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies