Travis Byrd, PhD
Junior Associate Editor, ISCT Telegraft
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
United States
The ISCT North America Regional Executive Committee kicked off its first town hall of 2026 with new leadership: Sowmya Viswanathan, PhD, stepping in as Regional VP of North America, Ashley Krull, PhD as the Regional VP-Elect, Elena Maryamchick, MD, MBA as Regional Treasurer, Kevin Bosse, PhD chairing the North America LRA Committee, and Elani Wiest, PhD as the ESP Leadership Development Program Representative.
The team shared highlights from the ISCT 2026 Dublin Scientific Annual Meeting, including Dr. Joseph Wu’s keynote on how AI, CRISPR, and iPSC technologies are compressing the drug-discovery-to-clinic pipeline, strong showings in MSC and engineered EV research. Committee updates covered progress on standardizing release criteria and AI-enabled lab analytics, ECGT roundtables on cross-border access and unproven therapies, and a joint ISCT/ARM/ASGCT statement.
ISCT also introduced a new Clinical Pillar, previewed a November signature series on AI in cell and gene therapy, and honored Dr. Shirley Bartido as the inaugural recipient of the Legacy of Leadership and Service Recognition. Open discussion turned to declining NA membership numbers and the political climate’s impact on science funding, with a call to action for members to submit comments opposing proposed changes to the National Institutes of Health grant review.
Click here to watch the June 17 ISCT North America Regional Virtual Town Hall on-demand.
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