Advancing Education in Stem Cell Medicine

As stem cell therapies move closer to clinical practice, the ISSCR has partnered with Harvard Medical School to offer continuing education for physicians, nurses, healthcare providers, medical students, advocates, and patients through a foundational course, Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care, and disease-focused courses, beginning with Stem Cell Medicine: Parkinson’s Disease.

Intro to Stem Cell Medicine | Parkinson’s Disease | Diabetes (coming soon)

Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care

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  • The ISSCR Continuing Education Course, Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care, is an essential resource for clinicians, scientists, and healthcare providers seeking reliable information on stem cell medicine. Accredited by Harvard Medical School, this course will provide you with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of stem cell medicine, including practical tools for effective patient communication.

    • Open-access – for clinicians, medical students, scientists, and the public.

    • Accredited – approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) contact hours.

  • Organized into seven sequential modules:

    1.     Stem Cells: Intrinsic Properties and Function in Tissue

    2.     Approved, Investigational and Unproven Stem Cell Treatments

    3.     Preclinical Research in Stem Cell Medicine

    4.     Developing Clinical-Grade Stem Cell Products and Manufacturing Processes

    5.     Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trial Design and Market Approval

    6.     Ethical Considerations in Unproven Stem Cell Interventions

    7.     Patient Communication in Stem Cell Medicine

  • ISSCR Education Committee:

    • Chair, Eugenia Piddini, PhD, BSc, MSc, University of Bristol, UK

    • Vice Chair, Jaime Imitola, MD, UConn Health, USA

    • Mohamed Abou-el-Enein, MD, PhD, MSPH, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA

    • William J. Anderson, PhD, Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, USA

    • Roger Barker, MBBS, MRCP, PhD, University of Cambridge, UK

    • Kathryn S.E. Cheah, PhD, The University of Hong Kong

    • Anna Couturier, PhD, EuroGCT, UK

    • Elisa Giacomelli, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

    • Insoo Hyun, PhD, Boston Museum of Science, USA

    • Kathryn S. Jones, PhD, University of Auckland, New Zealand

    • Sally Lowell, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK

    • Zubin Master, BSc, PhD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA

    • Hideyuki Okano, MD, PhD, Keio University of School of Medicine, Japan

    • Graziella Pellegrini, PhD, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Italy

    • Carolyn Sangokoya, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA

    • Cecile Terrenoire, PhD, The New York Stem Cell Foundation, USA

    • Kendra Prutton, ISSCR Science Communication and Education Manager

  • View the Disclosure Document

For questions, or if you are interested in supporting this course and future ISSCR education initiatives, please contact Kendra Prutton, kprutton@isscr.org.  

This course is supported by educational grants from Novo Nordisk, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, BlueRock Therapeutics, and Bayer AG.

Read Harvard Medical School’s Blog: Distinguishing Hype from Hope: The Critical Role of Clinicians in Stem Cell Medicine

More than 5,750 learners from 125+ countries around the world have completed Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care.

Stem Cell Medicine: Parkinson’s Disease

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  • This specialized course, developed by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and accredited by Harvard Medical School, provides a comprehensive exploration of emerging dopamine cell therapy approaches for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Designed for clinicians, medical students, and healthcare professionals, the curriculum is structured into six modules examining the scientific foundations, clinical applications, and future directions of stem cell–based interventions for PD. The course concludes with an interview with a patient who has received a dopamine cell therapy.

    Through expert-led lectures, participants gain insight into advanced therapies for PD, the rationale and development of stem cell-based approaches, and the evolving clinical trial landscape. The course promotes responsible clinical practice and aims to prepare clinicians to navigate both the challenges and opportunities of stem cell medicine, with a strong emphasis on patient health and safety.

    • Open access — available to clinicians, medical students, scientists, and the public

    • Accredited — approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) contact hours.

  • Organized into six sequential modules:

    1. What is Parkinson’s Disease?

    2. Competing Advanced Therapies for PD

    3. Stem Cells in PD

    4. Evolving Clinical Trial Landscape

    5. Future Adoption of Stem Cell-Based Therapies for PD

    6. PD Patient Perspective: A Conversation with a Stem-PD Trial Participant

    • Roger Barker, MRCP, PhD, FMedSci — University of Cambridge, UK

    • Andrew Cassy — STEM-PD Trial, UK

    • Claire Henchcliffe, MD, DPhil, FANA, FAAN — University of California, Irvine, USA

    • Jaime Imitola, MD, FAAN — University of Connecticut School of Medicine, USA

    • Kendra Prutton, PhD — International Society for Stem Cell Research, USA

  • View the Disclosure Document

For questions, or if you are interested in supporting this course and future ISSCR education initiatives, please contact Kendra Prutton, kprutton@isscr.org.  

This course is supported by educational grants from Novo Nordisk, BlueRock Therapeutics, and Bayer AG.