The ISSCR is delighted to introduce Dr Amander T. Clark, PhD, as the President of the organization. Dr Clark, a professor of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA, assumed her one-year term as the head of the global society on July 1, 2023.

“I will work to ensure that the society continues to defend stem cell science and the researchers working to transform lives,” Dr Clark said at the ISSCR 2023 Annual Meeting in Boston this month. “We will expand our engagement with the public in order to demystify how science becomes medicine and commit to improving equity, global access, and affordability of proven stem cell treatments.”

Amander T. Clark, an Australian Born American stem cell biologist, had dedicated her research to the fields of Pluripotency and germline cell differentiation with a primary focus on comprehending and addressing human infertility. Leading her laboratory at UCLA, Dr Clark’s investigations primarily revolve around using pluripotent stem cells to unravel the cellular and molecular intricacies of human reproduction and embryo development, particularly emphasizing the mechanism associated with epigenetic reprogramming. Her outstanding contributions in this domain have garnered her several prestigious accolades and recognition.

As the first member of her family to pursue higher education, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Cell and Developmental Biology as well as a PhD in the same field from the University of Melbourne, Australia. Following her doctoral studies, she conducted her postdoctoral research at prestigious institutions such as Baylor College of Medicine and UCSF in the United States. In 2006, Dr. Clark joined the faculty at UCLA, and her dedication and expertise led to her promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in 2012 and subsequently to Full Professor in 2015. Taking on a leadership role, she assumed the position of Professor and Chair of the Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology Department at UCLA in 2017, while also serving as a prominent member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.

She has also demonstrated her commitment to leadership within the scientific community through her involvement in various prominent roles. Notably, she served as a member of the ISSCR Executive Committee from 2018 to 2021, fulfilling the responsibilities of ISSCR Clerk and Chair of the ISSCR Strategic Oversight Committee from 2021 to 2022, and co-chaired the ISSCR Next Generation of Leaders Retreat in 2022. Furthermore, Dr Clark actively contributed to the advancement of ISSCR initiatives as a member of the Task Force Committee responsible for updating the ISSCR Guidelines.

The ISSCR is delighted to announce the appointment of Valentine Greco, PhD, from Yale Stem Cell Center in the USA, as the President-elect. DR Greco will assume the presidency officially on July 1, 2024. Additionally, Hideyuki Okano, MD, PhD, from Keio University in Japan, has been appointed as the new Vice President.

ISSCR s also pleased to announce the election of Shuibing Chen, PhD, from Weill Cornell Medicine in the USA, Michele DE Luca, MD, from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy, and Megan Munsie, PhD from the University of Melbourne in Australia, as a new member of the ISSCR Board of Directors. They will serve a three-year term starting on July 1, 2023.

They also announce the reappointment of Jürgen Knoblich, PhD, from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in Austria, and Lygia da Veiga Pereira, PhD from Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil, to serve another term. Their valuable contributions and expertise have led to their continued involvement with the organization.