annual event

Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium

Highlighting Indiana's growing stem cell research community through education and collaboration

a group of researchers present their awards at a symposium

Showcasing new discoveries and emerging technologies in stem cell research

The Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium brings together investigators and trainees from across Indiana and the region to showcase advances in stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and human model systems while fostering new collaborations across disciplines and institutions.

Now in its third year in 2026, the symposium has grown into a statewide forum for sharing scientific discoveries, highlighting emerging technologies and strengthening Indiana's stem cell research community. Building on the success of the inaugural meetings, the symposium continues to promote collaboration across the research community while supporting the next generation of stem cell scientists.

This year's symposium theme, “Pioneering New Approach Methodologies,”highlights the growing impact of stem cell technologies, organoids, microphysiological systems and other human-relevant models in transforming biomedical research.

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The 2026 Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2, at Hine Hall on the Indiana University Indianapolis campus.

2026 Indiana Stem Cell Research Symposium Schedule

Time	Event Details
8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
9 a.m.	Introduction
9:15 a.m.	Session 1 \| Hine Hall Auditorium
9:15-9:45 a.m.	Keynote – Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, Stanford University "New Approach Methodologies (NAMs): Genomics, Stem Cells, and AI for Drug Discovery"
9:45-10:05 a.m.	Feng Guo, PhD, Indiana University Bloomington "Information processing-like phenotype of human brain organoids"
10:05-10:15 a.m.	Lara Ece Celebi, University of Notre Dame "3D bioprinted model of adipocyte hypertrophy-induced atrial dysfunction for therapeutic screening"
10:15-10:25 a.m.	Gyuhyung Jin, Purdue University "Targeting Cardiac Fibrosis with Chimeric Antigen Receptor Neutrophils Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells"
10:25 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.	Session 2 \| Hine Hall Auditorium
10:45-11:15 a.m.	Keynote – Nenad Bursac, PhD, Duke University "Human Myobundles for Studies of Muscular Dystrophies"
11:15-11:40	Matthew Tegtmeyer, PhD, Purdue University "A coordinated astrocyte–neuron program is pharmacologically and genetically accessible"
11:40-11:50	Shruti Patil, Indiana University School of Medicine "NF1 alters RGC Axon-Astrocyte Communication in a Human iPSC Optic Pathway Mode"
11:50 to noon	Shelby Hetzer, Indiana University School of Medicine "Development of a human iPSC-based platform to model RGC–oligodendrocyte interactions"
Noon	Lunch and Learn, sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies \| Tower Ballroom
12:45 p.m.	Poster Session \| Hallway outside Hine Hall Auditorium
2:15 p.m.	Session 3 \| Hine Hall Auditorium
2:15-2:45 p.m.	Keynote – Melissa Skala, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2:45-3:10 p.m.	Pinar Zorlutuna, PhD, University of Notre Dame "Engineering iPSC-Derived Cardiac Tissues to Model Aging, Disease and Therapeutic Response"
3:10-3:30 p.m.	Caroline Cvetkovic, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign "From iPSCs to 3D Neural Spheres: Inducible Neuron Differentiation for Neural Engineering"
3:30 p.m.	Break
3:45 p.m.	Session 4
3:45-4:15 p.m.	Jeffrey Millman, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis "Enhancing Stem Cell-Derived Islets for Diabetes Cell Therapy"
4:15-4:40 p.m.	Tatsuyoshi Moses Kono, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine "Functional Characterization of Cytosolic Calcium Dynamics in Human iPSC-Derived PseudoIslets from Healthy and Type 1 Diabetes Donors"
4:40-4:50 p.m.	Jong-Keun Sim, Purdue University "Spatial control of soluble microenvironments in assembloid models"
4:50-5 p.m.	Junhong Zeng, Purdue University "Modeling HGF–MET signaling in a human hepatic organoid-stellate cell microphysiological system"
5 p.m.	Awards and Closing Remarks

researchers present posters in a room at a symposium