Recently, Dr. Randy Daughters, who directs the Minnesota Regenerative Medicine internship program, hosted the 3rd annual Regional Regeneration Symposium. Held at Macalester College in St. Paul, the event was comprised of presentations from students and organization representatives to show how their work is advancing regenerative medicine.
Dr. Jakub Tolar, the Director of the Stem Cell institute at the University of Minnesota and a Co-Chair of Regenerative Medicine Minnesota (RMM), kicked off the event by giving a speech on the importance of stem cell research as it pertains to medical progress. He made the case that complicated diseases and ailments that currently lack cures could be treated by analyzing them at their rudimentary levels and designing successful regenerative medicine treatments that correct normal cell function and mitigate, or even eradicate, the most pressing healthcare challenges of the 21st century.
Tolar’s speech was followed by four presentations given by University of Minnesota undergraduate and master’s students who had the opportunity to work directly with faculty in laboratory environments to help further our understanding of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Joseph Voth, an undergraduate student who received an RMM education grant to work in Dr. Walter Low’s neuroscience lab at the University of Minnesota, presented updates on his work with creating human neurons within pig basal ganglia.
Dr. Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, a professor in the departments of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Minnesota, gave the final speech on the potential of 3D bioprinting, or the printing of organ structures and temporary organ support add-ons, and how this technology is helping to revolutionize regenerative medicine.
The end of the symposium gave other students, as well as educational organizations, the opportunity to discuss their work with attendees. Students and organization representatives each had poster boards summarizing their work. Many of their projects and goals were funded by RMM, including the Mayo Clinic IMPACT program, HealthForce Minnesota’s Scrubs camps, and Tami Limberg and Nick Beermann’s collaborative efforts to implement comprehensive regenerative labs for their high school students.
Click here to view information on the 2016 Scrubs Camps across Minnesota.
The Symposium successfully demonstrated how collaborative efforts between professors, students, teachers, and educational institutions contribute to the advancement of regenerative medicine. In the years to come, RMM will continue supporting endeavors that combine and build upon the successes in education, science, and technology to produce long-term societal impacts.