Organizer/Keynote speaker

Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz is a Professor of Mammalian Development and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Cambridge, UK and Bren Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at Caltech, California. She pioneered the development of stem cell derived mouse and human embryo models that integrate embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues to reveal fundamental mechanisms behind the remarkable self-organizing and self-correcting properties of mouse and human embryos. She also pioneered the development of protocols to culture mammalian embryos through implantation stages in vitro, which have doubled the length of time that human embryos can be studied to determine the mechanisms of embryo patterning after implantation. She has received numerous awards including the EMBO Young Investigator Award 2001; the Lifetime Contribution to Reproductive Medicine Award, 2017; EMBO membership, 2007, Election to Fellowship of Academy of Medical Sciences, 2013, Pioneer Award from the NIH, 2020; the Conklin Medal of the Society of Developmental Biology, 2022; NOMIS Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award, 2022; the European Society of Human Genetics Award, 2023; and the Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize, 2023 for uncovering mechanisms of mammalian embryo development leading to the creation of human embryo models that self-assemble from pluripotent stem cells. Her scientific biography, The Dance of Life (Penguin Random House and Basic Books) is an account of Magdalena’s scientific journey and her personal contributions to the mentorship of women in science.

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