17th Dutch Stem Cell Meeting
October 9th
2026 at 9:45 am
October 9th
2026 at 5:30 pm
UMCU, Utrecht
On the 9th of October 2026, the Dutch Society for Stem Cell Research (DSSCR) organizes the 17th Annual DSSCR symposium.
The aim of this meeting is to unite researchers from the Dutch stem cell community, thereby promoting exchange of ideas, data and future plans. The DSSCR meeting is characterized by a wide diversity of topics such as Pluripotent Stem Cells (such as Embryonic Stem Cells, Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells), Adult Stem Cells (including Haematopoietic Stem Cells, Neuronal Stem Cells, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Spermatogonial Stem Cells, Organoids and Gastrointestinal Stem Cells) and Developmental Biology.
Group leaders with a vacancy for a PhD or Post-doc position are also invited to send in their job advertisement to info@dsscr.nl for posting on the DSSCR website.
Information & registration
- Conference information
The 17th Dutch Stem Cell Meeting will take place at FRIDAY 9th October 2026.
This symposium will be held again in the Pink lecture hall, UMCU, Utrecht. The registration opens at 9AM with the meeting starting at 9:50AM. The meeting finished around 5PM, after which there is drinks till 6PM. The registration fee (which we kept to a minimum) includes refreshments before and during the symposium, a lunch and drinks afterwards.
For this symposium, we are delighted to announce the confirmation of four renowned keynote speakers in the stem cell field, Austin Smith, Ludovic Vallier, Catherine Robin and Ellen Kramer. Austin Smith, director of the Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter (United Kingdom), is a world-leading expert on mouse and human embryonic stem cells and pluripotency. He is famous for identifying molecular mechanisms that allow maintenance and exit of pluripotency. Ludovic Vallier, professor at Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Planck Fellow at MPI-MG Berlin (Germany) is renowned for his studies on hepatic stem cells, developing innovative liver organoid models that revolutionize treatments and drug testing. Catherine Robin, groupleader at Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht (The Netherlands) is a leading scientist in hematopoietic stem cells. She is well-known for het studies aiming to understand the origin of HSCs during embryonic development, and the mechanisms implicated in HSC generation and expansion. Ellen Kramer has long been the head of the Stem Cell laboratory of the Isala hospital (Zwolle, The Netherlands), and is now associated with Upendo (a Dutch clinic for MS; Boxtel, The Netherlands). She has been inspector of the European group of Stem Cell transplantation, and is an expert on Stem Cell clinics.
- Registration Annual DSSCR meeting 2026
- Program 2026
9th October 2026
Program 17th Annual Meeting of the Dutch Society for Stem Cell Research
October 9th 2026, Roze College zaal/ Pink Lecture hall, Heidelberglaan 100, AZU/UMC Utrecht
9:00-09:50 Registration opens, Coffee/tea
09:50-10:00 Welcome: Luc van der Laan
Session 1 Chair: Luc van der Laan
10.00-10.30 Keynote lecture – Catherine Robin
Groupleader at Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Title 1: Hematopoietic stem cells
10.30-10.45 Post doc selected talk 1
Titel 2
10.45-11.00 PhD selected talk 1
Title 3
11.00-11.15 PhD selected talk 2
Title 4
11.15-11.45 Coffee/tea
Session 2 Chair: Emile van den Akker
11.45-12.00 Post doc selected talk 2
Title 5
12.00-12.15 PhD selected talk 3
Title 6
12.15-12.30 Keynote lecture – Ellen Kramer
Upendo, specialized MS center NL
Seeking Stem Cell Therapies Abroad: From aHSCT to Unproven Interventions
12.30-14.00 Lunch
Session 3 Chair: Ina Sonnen
14.00-14.15 Post doc selected talk 3
Title 8
14.15-14.30 PhD selected talk 4
Title 9
14.30-14.45 PhD selected talk 5
Title 10
14.45-15.15 Keynote lecture – Ludovic Vallier
Professor at Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Max Planck Fellow at MPI-MG Berlin, Germany
Title 11: Hepatic stem cells
15.15-15.45 Coffee/tea
Session 4 Chair: Hendrik Marks
15.45-16.00 Post doc selected talk 4
Title 12
16.00-16.15 Post doc selected talk 5
Title 13
16.15-16.30 PhD selected talk 6
Title 14
16.30-17.00 Keynote lecture – Austin Smith
Director of Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Title 15: Pluripotency
17.00-17.05 Award ceremony: Koen Braat
17.05-18.00 Closing and Drinks
- Award winners best presentation DSSCR annual meeting 2026
The winners of a travel award 2026 for the best presentation are:
Will be determined during the meeting.
- Sponsors
