Dear Fellow Stem Cell Specialty Section (SCSS) Members,
I am both honored and excited to serve as President of the SCSS for the 2025–2026 term. Our members continue to make meaningful contributions to the field of toxicology through the innovative application of stem cell technologies. Thank you for the opportunity to lead and represent such a vibrant and dedicated community of professionals.
As we begin this new term, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the SCSS Executive Committee and all members for a successful 2024–2025 term. A special thanks goes to our outgoing president, Dr. Nicole zur Nieden, for her exceptional leadership over the past year. I would also like to recognize our other departing officers for their invaluable contributions: Dr. Blake Anson (Past President) and Ms. Shabnam Etemadi (Graduate Student Representative).
I am pleased to introduce our incoming executive team: Dr. Sebastian Medina (Vice President), Dr. Xian Wu (Vice President-Elect), Dr. Rong Li (Secretary/Treasurer), Dr. Erik Tokar (Councilor), Dr. Katherine Zychowski (Councilor), Dr. Shu Yang (Councilor), and Dr. Anke Tukker (Postdoctoral Representative). Together, we are committed to advancing SCSS’s mission and supporting the integration of stem cell technologies into toxicology research. This year, we aim to:
- enhance communication through social media and newsletters,
- foster collaborations by cohosting webinars with other SOT Specialty Sections,
- facilitate research through the development of a stem cell resource-sharing database, and
- promote careers in stem cell toxicology by launching best publication awards for postdoctoral and graduate student members.
I encourage each of you to engage with these initiatives, attend our events, share your expertise, and help grow our community by inviting colleagues and friends to join SCSS. Together, we can elevate the impact of stem cell research in toxicology and drive scientific excellence.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any member of our executive committee with questions, suggestions, or ideas. I look forward to working with all of you and hope to see you at the 2026 SOT Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.
With warm regards,
Xiugong Gao, PhD
2025–2026 President, Stem Cell Specialty Section