The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is pleased to announce the results of its 2025 election and to welcome new leaders to the ISSCR Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

Fiona Doetsch, Ph.D., Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland, will serve as the new Vice President. Professor Doetsch is recognized for her groundbreaking research on identifying adult neural stem cells, pioneering widely used assays in the field, and elucidating the roles of adult neural stem cells in brain plasticity.

Lee Rubin, Ph.D., Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, USA, will serve as Treasurer, bringing extensive expertise in iPSCs, neurodegenerative diseases, and biotech. His work has led to significant drug discoveries, and he has founded several biotech companies.

Megan Munsie, Ph.D., Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne, Australia, will serve as Clerk. Dr. Munsie combines expertise in developmental biology with a focus on the ethical, legal, and societal implications of stem cell science. Her work has influenced global policy reforms and public education globally.

Researchers explored the long-term effects of preschool expansion in Japan in the 1960s, revealing significant reductions in risky behaviors amongst teenagers. By analyzing regional differences in the rollout of the program, the study identified links between early childhood education and lower rates of juvenile violent arrests and teenage pregnancy. The findings suggest that improved noncognitive skills played a key role in mitigating risky behaviors, highlighting the lasting benefits of early-education policies.

Thinking creatively, solving complex problems, and working in teams… all add up to Design Thinking (DT). A study conducted by the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and Ghent University provides a step-by-step guide for teaching this methodology as a university course.

The main objective of this study is to share the implementation of DT in the first year of all undergraduate programs at ESPOL, considering that previous research has shown that this course fosters essential DT skills in a world of constant change, allowing students to build their own knowledge through experiential learning.

Twelve distinguished science and health journalists have been awarded a highly competitive fellowship in the Logan Science Journalism Program at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL). Now in its 38th year, the Logan Science Journalism Program provides journalists with immersive, hands-on research training, giving them invaluable insight into the practice of science as well as some of the major news stories of today

A web platform developed at Emory University uses a chatbot to enable any chemist — including undergraduate chemistry majors — to configure and execute complex quantum mechanical simulations through chatting.