Dear SCF Supporters,  

Stem Cell Action Awards Dinner with Evelyn Cohen, Dr. Xiao-Ming Xu, Chairman of SCF's Science Advisory Board and "Inspiration" Award Honoree Sabrina Cohen

For the past eight years I have attended the World Stem Cell Summit and have always left with the same feeling of being educated and  

energized by the latest developments in the field. However, this year was particularly special to me because I was named an honorary recipient of the 2012 Stem Cell Action "Inspiration" Award.   

Every year, the Genetics Policy Institute honors the stem cell community's top innovators, leaders, and champions at the Stem Cell Action Awards Dinner. Since 2005, the awards have recognized dedicated individuals and organizations that have made distinguished contributions to the cause of stem cell research, including stem cell advocates, elected officials, philanthropists and scientists. This years exceptional group of Stem Cell Action Award honorees included; the New York Stem Cell Foundation's Susan Solomon (Leadership Award), "60 Minutes" (Media Integrity Award), the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (Advocacy Award), and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures (Public Outreach & Education Award).

The 2012 World Stem Cell Summit featured more than 150 renowned international speakers and 3 days of in-depth programming aimed to educate and harmonize the global stem cell community. The Summit's interdisciplinary agenda explored the field's most pressing topics on four tracks:

* Research
* Translation and Regulation
* Commercialization and Reimbursements
* Advocacy/Consumer Safety

This year there were panels addressing the advancement of treatments for specific diseases and conditions including: cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson's, eye diseases and others. In addition to compelling keynotes given by Dr. Joshua Hare (Univ. of Miami), Dr. Richard Jove (City of Hope) and Dr Karl-Henrik Grinnemo (Karolinska Institue), the diverse program included Expert Lunch round-tables, an Exhibit Hall packed with innovators in industry, academia and government, Poster Forum showcasing science and policy research and many networking and partnering opportunities.

Approximately 1,200 people attended from 25 countries. Prominent industry leaders, scientists, clinicians, students, regulators, policymakers, patient advocates, philanthropists, economic development officers and experts in law and ethics united to advance our field.

To view all or select presentations from WSCS 2012 please click here: 

Monday, Dec. 3, 2012

Patient advocates hope stem cell summit brings medical breakthroughs  

By: Ryan Calhoun

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sabrina Cohen may wheel from booth to booth with a smile on her face but she hates being confined to a chair.

Her injuries are the  result of a car accident when she was a teenager.

"The other car lost control hit the car that I was in and we slammed into a car then hit a tree and I became an instant quadriplegic," Cohen said. She was paralyzed from the neck down.    

READ FULL ARTICLE AND WATCH VIDEO  

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Monday, Dec. 3, 2012

The Palm Beach Post

Stem Cell Action Awards Dinner with Dr. Joshua Hare, Director of the University of Miami's Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute and Board Member of SCF's Scientific Advisory

Commentary: Could Florida produce the stem-cell breakthrough?

We are on the cusp of a new age in medical treatments and cures. Stem cell research, using embryonic, adult and reprogrammed stem cells, represents one of the greatest biomedical advances in our lifetime, offering the prospect of discovering the root causes of disease, serving as an efficient and personalized tool for drug discovery and creating potential therapies to replace damaged tissues with healthy cells and regrow organs.

Dr. Joshua Hare at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is leading a new clinical trial in which stem cells repair damaged hearts. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm used stem cells in the first successful transplant of a synthetic tissue windpipe in a human being. Advanced Cell Technology is using embryonic stem cells in clinical trials for two diseases causing blindness. 

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012

The Sun Sentinel   

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Sabrina Cohen at the World Stem Cell Summit with Chris Makos, who is an advisor to the Sabrina Cohen Foundation

Sabrina Cohen honored for providing inspiration and raising awareness #wscs12  

Last night the World Stem Cell Summit honored Sabrina Cohen with its Inspiration award for her remarkable work in raising awareness about stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Sabrina suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a car accident when she was 14.  

She founded the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research to help educate others and raise money for research.

SCF featured on FUJI TV at World Stem Cell Summit 2012.  

WATCH VIDEO