UK Stem Cell Network Conference 2025
16th-17th September 2025
Introduction
The original national UK Stem Cell Network provided a focal point for the community and supported early career researchers (ECRs) in stem cell science by providing opportunities to network and engage with stakeholders and leaders in the field at events close to home.
Conference Aims
The original UK National Stem Cell Network provided a focal point for the community and particularly supported early career stem cell researchers (ECRs) by providing opportunities to network and engage with stakeholders and leaders in the field at events close to home.
UK Stem Cell Network 25, aims to canvass the community and seek a mandate to reform this vital network, reconnecting a community to help retain the UK competitiveness in our field for the benefit of the UK society and economy.
Who should attend?
Whether you are a researcher, clinician, industry professional, policy maker, editor or funder, the UK Stem Cell inaugural meeting has something for you.
Come and hear new and exciting science from across the breadth of the UK, whether your interest is in disease models, gene expression, epigenetics, drug discovery, stem cell fate decisions or cell therapy development.
With a focus on excellent science and time for networking and collaboration building in our thriving exhibition hall, there will be something for everyone.
Programme Speakers
Paola Bonfanti - Keynote Speaker,
The Francis Crick Institute, London
Creating a functional human thymus from scratch: a stem cell story in the times of multi-omics.
Tilo Kunath,
University of Edinburgh
Harnessing human pluripotent stem cells to model and treat Parkinson’s disease
Madeline Lancaster,
LMB Cambridge
Understanding and overcoming stem cell differentiation bias
Adam Wilkinson,
Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
Ex vivo blood stem cell expansion: technology to biology
Ge Guo,
University of Exeter
Reconstruct human embryonic cell fate transition using stem cell models
Robert Hynds,
University College London
Epithelial stem cells and airway regenerative medicine.
Yaser Atlasi,
Queen's University Belfast
The epigenetic-metabolic crosstalk in pluripotent stem cells.
Chris Denning,
University of Nottingham
Stem cell models to unpick cardiovascular disease and evaluate drug safety
Nancy Papalopulu,
University of Manchester
Multiscale synthesis of dynamic gene expression in cell state transitions
Invitations to all oral and poster presenters were sent by 21st July from the ukstemcellnetwork@gmail.com email address - please check your junk/spam folders if you submitted an abstract and have not heard.
We are excited to be able to now release the agenda!
The Pete Coffey Award
Pete Coffey was a pioneer of pluripotent stem cell derived cell therapy development. A true trail blazer and innovator of our field, he aimed to use stem cell technology to restore sight, prevent disease progression and ultimately improve the quality of life for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other retinal and macular disorders. This work began with the serendipitous discovery of “black bits” in a culture of human embryonic stem cells, and led to the UKs first-in-human trial of these novel therapies. Pete lived it all: the highs and the lows and he did so while remaining incredibly honest and exceedingly generous with his time and knowledge.
Pete Coffey was a Professor at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Executive Co-Director of Translation Center for Stem Cell Biology & Engineering UC Santa Barbara.
Hear Professor Coffey speak about his research as a “back of the eye guy” as part of Sheffield BioFest Nov 2023. This research started at the University of Sheffield and continued when Pete moved to UCL in 2005. Pete established The London Project to Cure Blindness in 2007 with Moorfields Eye Hospital, to support the first human embryonic stem cell clinical trial initiated in the UK. His ground-breaking 2018 clinical study, published in Nature Biotechnology, provided the first convincing evidence of restored vision using a transplanted pluripotent stem cell product.
His achievements, honours and awards have been plentiful and included the prestigious Estelle Doheny Living Tribute Award in 2009, Retinitis Pigmentosa International’s Vision Award in 2009, the CIRM Leadership Award in 2010, and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Roberston Prize in 2011.
Sadly, Pete passed away suddenly in June 2025 following a battle with a long-term illness. As a strong supporter of stem cell research, early career researchers (ECRs) and the re-establishment of the UK Stem Cell Network, the committee have launched the Pete Coffey Award in his honour. The Award will be presented to the Best Submitted ECR Abstract author, who will be invited to give their talk at this year’s inaugural UK Stem Cell Network meeting this September.
Professor Pete Coffey
Networking Opportunities
At its heart, this meeting aims to bring the community together to provide opportunities to meet new and existing colleagues and forge new collaborations and opportunities with academics and industry for community members at any stage of their career.
We have a thriving exhibitors hall which has been oversubscribed where poster presentations from ECRs will also be situated. There are plenty of opportunities on the programme to explore these and a dedicated Poster Session with drinks and canapes on Tuesday 16th. In addition, there are also extra opportunities to engage, some of which require a ticketed opt-in.
Translating Research: What does it take?
Kicking off on Tuesday 16th at 11:45, we will host a facilitated introduction to translational research. Matthew Smart from the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will discuss what should be considered when taking a translational journey with a stem cell-based product. Then both Terri Gaskell, (CTO at Rinri Therapeutics) and Kate Cameron (CEO at Cytochroma) will present the research idea on which their respective companies are based, and the five-year journey that they had planned.
We hope you will consider their presented plans and use the meeting to discuss with experts in the field how you would approach your own journey (or a journey if you were in their shoes) then come back on Wednesday 17th at 1:30pm to hear where they are in that journey and what wisdom they have gained!
Terri Gaskell,
CTO Rinri Therapeutics
Kate Cameron,
CEO Cytochroma
Davide Danovi,
Goaldust Life Sciences
Zoe Hewitt,
Regen CTC
Matthew Smart,
CGT Catapult
Register your interest in attending at registration, please note space will be limited and be allocated on first come first served.
Evening Networking at Manchester Museum
After the poster session on Tuesday evening (16th), join us from 18:30 at the fabulous Manchester Museum, Fossils and Living Worlds exhibition for an evening networking event, grazing and drinks, with colleagues amongst the exhibitions. There may also be a few surprises.
The tickets for the evening are limited due to the capacity of the museum but are included in your early bird registration at no extra cost until the capacity is reached. After early bird, all networking tickets will be an add-on priced at £20 each.
Please indicate on your registration whether you intend to join the event or not (even if included free of charge) since with limited places, there will be a waiting list.
Fossils Gallery, Manchester Museum
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:
Meet the Experts Breakfast
For our Early Career and Technical Researchers, the organisers have planned a “Meet the Experts” breakfast that will be run from 8-8:50am on Wednesday 17th September.
This free of charge, opt-in event, is limited to just 81 places.
The UKSCN organisers have invited 9 experts with long standing expertise in different aspects of stem cell research and professional development to take part in this session. The breakfast meeting is designed to help initiate contacts and help UKSCN delegates to gain valuable insights into areas they want to become more familiar with. There will be the opportunity to join two expert tables each for a twenty-minute session.
Those who indicated an interest in attending the Meet the Experts Session during conference registration will be contacted first between 8th and 30th August, to select levels of interest in our experts. Preferences will be allocated on a first come first served basis, and any free places will then be offered for delegates to sign up to at the Registration desk during the conference.
Find out more about our experts here:
Registration Fees - Early Bird Deadline 30th June 2025
| Student/ Research Assistant/ Technician | £10 | included | £50 | £20 Opt-in |
| Postdoc/ Research Fellow/ | £25 | included | £65 | £20 Opt-in |
| PI/ Independent Fellow | £50 | included | £90 | £20 Opt-in |
| Industry | £100 | included | £150 | £20 Opt-in |
*Limited to first 220 places.
To register please visit The University of Manchester’s E-Store here:
Sponsors
Thank you to all our sponsors for supporting the mission to seek a community mandate to re-establish the UK Stem Cell Network, your enthusiasm for this has been amazing!
Platinum Exhibitors and Principal Sponsors:
Gold Exhibitor Sponsors:
Silver Exhibitor Sponsors:
Bronze Supporting Sponsors:
