Current Trends in Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine

In May 2012, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, thus highlighting their strategic partnership. Within the framework of this cooperation agreement, high-profile joint symposia on topics of global relevance will be organized on a regular basis.

The first Leopoldina-KAST Joint Conference will be dedicated to the discussion of key issues in regenerative medicine with a special focus on stem cell research and regenerative therapies. Renowned scientists from Germany and South Korea will address current trends in these fields of research and discuss possible options for future scientific cooperation. Moreover, “meet the expert sessions” will be arranged to give young Korean scientists the chance to directly interact with the experienced researchers from Germany and Korea.

The Conference is organized under the joint leadership of Professor Henning Beier ML from the University of Aachen and Professor Il-Hoan Oh from the Medical School of the Catholic University of Korea. The Leopoldina Presidium will be represented by Baerbel Friedrich ML, Vice President of the Leopoldina and Professor of Microbiology at the Humboldt University, Berlin.

Each conference day will be begin with a key note speech by an internationally renowned expert in the field of regenerative medicine: On day one, V. Narry Kim will speak on the topic of “microRNA regulation in stem cells”. The second day will be opened by Hans Schoeler ML with a speech on “Reprogramming to Toti-, Pluri- and Multipotency”.

List of Korean and German researchers participating in the Leopoldina-KAST Joint Conference:

Henning M Beier ML
Professor of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, RWTH University of Aachen

Oliver Bruestle ML
Professor of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Bonn

Tobias Cantz
Regenerative Biology and Reconstructive Therapy (Excellence Cluster), Hannover Medical School

Hyung-Min Chung
Professor of Biomedical Science, CHA University College of Medicine, Gyeongghi-do

Yong-Mahn Han
KAIST

Anthony Ho
Professor of Internal Medicine, University Clinic of Haematology and Oncology, Heidelberg

Noo Li Jeon
Seoul National University

Jeong-Bum Kim
Assistant Professor, School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan

V. Narry Kim
Seoul National University

Ulrich Martin
Professor of Molecular Biotechnology and Stem Cell Research, Leibniz Research Labs for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Department of Cardiac-, Thoracic-, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover

Albrecht Mueller
Professor of Stem Cell Biology, MSZ University of Würzburg

Il-Hoan Oh
Director, Catholic High Performance Cell Therapy Center, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul

Kook In Park
Yonsei University

Hans Schoeler ML
Professor of Molecular Biomedicine, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster

Youngsook Son
Professor of Tissue Engineering, Musculoskeletal Bioorgan Center, Kyung-Hee University, Suwon

Hyeyoung Suh-Kim
Ajou University

Joern Walter
Professor of Genetics, Department of Biosciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken

Carsten Werner
Professor of Biofunctional Polymer Materials, Technische Universität Dresden

Martin Zenke
Professor of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Technologies, RWTH University of Aachen


ML: Member of the Leopoldina