Conference Schedule
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Opening Session
| 9:30 | Attendee Arrival at Aula Nuova del Sinodo |
| 10:00 | Greetings Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture |
| 10:20 | Welcome and Overview of the Conference Dr. Robin L. Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem, Inc., President and Trustee of the Stem for Life Foundation |
| 10:45 | Prolusion H.E. Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life |
General Overview
| 11:15 | The Promise of Stem Cells: Where are We Today and Where will We be in the Future? Dr. Max Gomez, Trustee of the Stem for Life Foundation Clinical Patient: Heather Abrams |
| 11:45 | Stem Cell Medicine: Social and Political Challenges Hon. Tommy G. Thompson, Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
Medical Perspective and the Clinic – Part 1
| 1:45 | Adult Stem Cell Sources and Types:
|
| 2:45 | Panel Discussion: Past Practices: Cord Blood and Bone Marrow Transplantation for Hematological Disorders Moderator: Dr. Andrew L. Pecora, Chief Medical Officer of NeoStem, Inc. Panelists: Dr. Claudio Bordignon, Chief Executive Officer of MolMed Dr. Mitchell S. Cairo, New York Medical College Dr. Stephen D. Nimer, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Dr. John Wagner, University of Minnesota Center for Translational Medicine Clinical Patient: Stephen R. Sprague |
| 4:30 | The Pharmacy of the Future: Cells, Not Pills Dr. Robert A. Preti, President of Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC |
| 5:00 | Closing Remarks |
| 5:30 | Visit to the Sistine Chapel |
| 8:00 | Cocktail Reception at the Vatican Museums |
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Medical Perspective and the Clinic – Part II
| 9:00 | Opening Remarks Dr. Max Gomez, Trustee of the Stem for Life Foundation |
| 9:05 | Clinical Focus: Cardiovascular Disease Moderator: Dr. Douglas W. Losordo, VP, Medical Director of New Therapies, Baxter Healthcare Panelists:Dr. Atul R. Chugh, University of Louisville Dr. Keith L. March, Indiana University Dr. Hung-Fat Tse, University of Hong Kong Clinical Patient: Charles Melber |
| 10:25 | Clinical Focus: Organ and Tissue Regeneration Dr. Anthony Atala, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Dr. Christopher J. Centeno, Centeno-Schultz Clinic |
| 11:15 | Break |
| 11:30 | Adult Stem Cell Sources and Types:
|
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 1:45 | Clinical Focus: Autoimmune Disease Dr. Richard K. Burt, Northwestern University Clinical Patient: Sharon Porter |
| 2:30 | Personalized Medicine and Stem Cells Health Dr. Wayne A. Marasco, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Dr. Nadia Rosenthal, Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University |
| 3:15 | Break |
Moving From the Medical to the Bioethical Dimension
| 3:30 | Building Relationships between the Church and the Adult Stem Cell Community and its Stakeholders Rev. Tomasz Trafny, Head of Science and Faith Department – Pontifical Council for Culture H.E. Msgr Vincenzo Paglia, Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy |
| 4:15 | Discussion on Bioethics Moderator: Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics Panelists: Dr. David A. Prentice, John Paul II Institute of the Catholic University of America Dr. Peter Hollands, University of Westminster |
| 5:30 | Closing Remarks |
| 5:45 | Speaker Dinner at Casina Pio IV in the Vatican Gardens |
Friday, November 11, 2011
Cultural Dimension: Educational and Philosophical Efforts
| 9:00 | Opening Remarks Dr. Max Gomez, Trustee of the Stem for Life Foundation |
| 9:05 | Education as a Challenge: Necessary Tool for a Better Future Prof. Anthony J. Cernera, President of the International Federation of Catholic Universities |
| 9:30 | Should the Hippocratic Oath be Extended to Life Sciences? Prof. Phillip R. Sloan, University of Notre Dame |
| 10:00 | Break |
| 10:15 | Will the Advancement of Life Sciences Change Our Vision of Man? Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, Providence College |
| 10:45 | Humanism: Necessary Conditions for Optimization Rev. Kevin FitzGerald, Georgetown University |
| 11:15 | Closing Session: Next Steps in Our Mission Dr. Robin L. Smith, Chairman and CEO of NeoStem, Inc., President and Trustee of the Stem for Life Foundation Rev. Tomasz Trafny, Head of Science and Faith Department – Pontifical Council for Culture |
| 12:00 | Official Close of Conference |
Optional Activities
| 2:00 – 5:00 | Cultural Tours of the Highlights of Rome |
| 8:30 | The “Sistin” Pontifical Musical Chapel – Concert at the Basilica of St. John Lateran Harmonies of the Spirit: Musical Meditations for Italian Basilica |
Through keynote speakers, panel discussions, patient case studies, video, and breakout sessions, the conference created greater awareness of adult stem cells and their applications, explored the latest research and developments in the field, and spurred discussion and debate over the implications for the future of culture, medicine, religion, and public policy. The event reached an even wider audience than its 350 invited guests through radio and television coverage. It is our hope that this Conference accelerated support and showed the acceptance of man’s unique and truly remarkable adult stem cells for healing.
The conference covered three primary areas:
- Clinical applications of adult stem cell science
- Ethical considerations of regenerative medicine
- Cultural implications of regenerative medicine including its social and cultural impact and education
The Conference program featured:
- Expert presentations on the state of adult stem cell science
- Keynote speakers
- Interactive discussions on the scientific, cultural and ethical implications
- Special receptions for all participants
- Exhibits by commercial and institutional participants
- Special visits inside the Vatican