2nd Annual Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium
Medical Education and Research Building and Goodman Hall, 355 W 15th St., Indianapolis IN
November 10, 2025
Date: November 11, 2024
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Location: Goodman Hall, Indiana University School of Medicine
355 W. 15th Street, Indianapolis IN 46202
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Registration: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7VAwdQqHV1K8JTw
Deadline: October 25
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Abstract Submission: https://forms.office.com/r/ghg2FgGuq3
Deadline: October 18
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Image Contest Submission: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Ce1gwBFQ8vp9Yi
Deadline: October 18
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Sally Temple will be the keynote speaker at the Inaugural Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium. Dr. Temple is the Scientific Director of the Neural Stem Cell Institute, and oversees scientific programs with the goal of understanding the role of neural stem cells in Central Nervous System (CNS) development, maintenance, and repair.
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Dr. Temple received her undergraduate degree from Cambridge University, Cambridge UK, specializing in developmental biology and neuroscience. She performed her Ph.D. work in optic nerve development at University College London, UK. She received a Royal Society fellowship to support her postdoctoral work at Columbia University, NY where she focused on spinal cord development.
In 1989, Dr. Temple discovered that the embryonic mammalian brain contained a rare stem cell that could be activated to proliferate in vitro and produce both neurons and glia. Since then, her lab has continued to make pioneering contributions to the field of stem cell research, by characterizing neural stem cells and the intrinsic and environmental factors that regulate their behavior.
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Dr. Temple leads a team of 30 researchers focused on using neural stem cells to develop therapies for eye, brain, and spinal cord disorders. In 2008, she was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship Award for her contribution and future potential in the neural stem cell field. As the Scientific Director of NSCI, Dr. Temple oversees the research mission from basic to translational projects. Dr. Temple is a member of the board of directors and is a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.
Event Agenda
9:00 Registration and Coffee
10:00 Introductory Comments
10:15 Oral Presentation Session #1
Dr. Tasneem Sharma, IUSM - "Stem Cell-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Glaucoma
Treatment"
Dr. Ranjie Xu, Purdue University - "Develop a Vascularized Neuroimmune Organoid
Model for Studying Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease and Drug Discovery"
Dr. Stephanie Bissel, IUSM - "Cellular mechanisms of human microglia bearing genetic
variants associated with risk and resilience to Alzheimer’s Disease"
Kaiyuan Yang, IU-Bloomington - "Biological neuromorphic computing using
multiple brain organoids"
11:15 Poster Teaser Presentations
11:30 Lunch
12:30 Poster Presentations
2:00 Group Photo
2:15 Oral Presentation Session #2
Dr. Scott Canfield, IUSM-Terre Haute - "Modelling Pathological States of the Blood-
Brain Barrier Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells"
Dr. Feng Guo, IU-Bloomington - "Intersection of AI and Organoids"
Dr. Cátia Gomes, IUSM - "Reactive astrocytes promote retinal ganglion cell
degeneration in human pluripotent stem cell models through complement C3
activation"
Dr. Rebecca Schmitt, IUSM - "Investigation of GNE mutation classes and aberrant
autophagy in GNE myopathy"
3:15 Keynote Presentation
Dr. Sally Temple, Neural Stem Cell Institute - "Using Human Brain Organoids to
Explore the Progression of Neurodegenerative Disease"
4:15 Concluding Remarks and Award Announcements
OUR SPONSORS
Indiana University Research Conference Grant
