STEM 2018

The 14th Annual Meeting of the Society of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering was hosted by the University on January 31, 2018. The event consisted of 6 speakers from India and one from the United States. The Society presented the lifetime achievement award to Dr S G A Rao, a founder member and the doyen of stem cell biology in India. His legacy spans many decades and his work with hematopoietic stem cells established the fledgeling field of stem cells in India. The award was presented by Professor Pankaj Chandra, Vice Chancellor, Ahmedabad University. The Habibullah oration in memory of the eminent gastroenterologist Dr CM Habibullah was given by Dr Aleem Khan from the Deccan Institute of Medical Sciences. The award was presented by Professor Patrick French, Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University. This was followed by talks by eminent researchers in the field of regenerative medicine from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Ft. Lauderdale, USA. The one day conference was attended by over 110 students and their feedback was that they thoroughly enjoyed the talks. The students also participated in a roundtable discussion on the challenges of regulating stem cell therapies in India and how the Society could influence public discourse on this topic. This was followed by a vote of thanks by Dr Jyothsna Rao, secretary of the society. The speakers and office bearers of the society appreciated the role played by Ahmedabad University in hosting this event and enjoyed their interaction with the students.