Leading Researchers to Unite at Texas State Capitol for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12th, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Prominent stem cell scientists, physicians, and advocates from leading medical facilities and research institutions across Texas and California will highlight the 3rd Annual Stem Cell Research Symposium: Spotlight on Texas, on October 19, 2012, at the Texas State Capitol.

This free, public symposium, produced and co-hosted by the Austin-based nonprofit Texas Cures Education Foundation (Texas Cures), is designed to educate the public about the exciting stem cell research and clinical trials currently under way in Texas. The event will also include a discussion of recent Texas laws affecting stem cell research, the potential economic impact of stem cell research and highlight the current progress in one of the most promising areas of medicine.

This year, more than a dozen local and national advocacy groups, institutions and foundations showed their support for the efforts of the hosting organizations Texas Cures and Texans for Stem Cell Research including the Genetics Policy Institute, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and Texans for Advancement of Medical Research.

The symposium begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Capitol Extension Auditorium (E1.004), located at the Texas State Capitol Building. Admission is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended.

This program unites the diverse stem cell research and regenerative medicine community to provide a unified voice for promising science that holds unmatched potential to benefit patients. Leading speakers at the event will include:

• Terry Clower, PhD - Director of the Center for Economic Development and Research, University of North Texas
• William K. Decker, PhD - Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine
• Ali Denktas, MD, FACC, FSCAI  - University of Texas Medical School at Houston
• Randall F. Dryer, MD - Central Texas Spine Institute, LLP, Austin, Texas
• Roger Gammon, MD - Medical Director of Research and Interventional Cardiologist, Austin Heart, PLLC
• Adrian Gee, MI Biol, PhD - Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the Clinical Applications Lab Center for Cell and Gene Therapy
• Jim Henson, PhD - Director, Texas Politics Project and Department of Government, College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin
• Jenny Hsieh, PhD - Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical School
• Paul S. Knoepfler, PhD  - Cell Biology & Human Anatomy Genome Center, Cancer Center Institute for Regenerative Cures, School of Medicine University of California, Davis
• James F. Martin, MD, PhD- Vivian L. Smith Professor of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine; Director of the Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory, Texas Heart Institute
• Mary Pat Moyer, PhD - Founder, President, CEO, and Chief Science Officer, INCELL Corporation, LLC; Founder, CEO, and Technical Advisor, TEKSA Innovations Corp., San Antonio, Texas
• Darwin J. Prockop, MD, PhD FACC  - Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine; Director, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center; College of Medicine, Scott & White, Temple, Texas
• Sean I. Savitz, MD - Department of Neurology, Director of the Stroke Program, and Director of the UT Stroke Regenerative Medicine Program at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston
• Jay W. Schneider, MD, PhD  - Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
• Doris A. Taylor, PhD, FAHA, FACC - Director, Regenerative Medicine, Research Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston
• James T. Willerson, MD, FACC - President and Medical Director, Texas Heart Institute; Edward Randall III Professor in Internal Medicine,] University of Texas Health Science Center
• Paul Wong, PhD - Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division in Smithville, Texas

For additional details about the program and presentation topics, please visit TexasCures.org.

The 3^rd Annual Stem Cell Research Symposium: Spotlight on Texas is an official World Stem Cell Awareness Day Event. Follow @TexasCures and #stemcellday for live Twitter updates and announcements.

Texas Cures Education Foundation (Texas Cures) TexasCures.org is a non-partisan, nonprofit 501(c)3] organization based in Austin, Texas. It was founded for the purpose of advancing knowledge of the life-saving work that doctors and researchers perform every day on behalf of patients and their families. Texas Cures facilitates stem cell public education for the betterment of healthcare and the growth of companies, research hospitals, and institutions, charities, and volunteer patient group organizations that include a broad range of regenerative medicine stakeholders. Texas Cures advocates for responsible public policy and encourages legislative and regulatory proposals that expand access to stem cell clinical applications.

SOURCE Texas Cures Education Foundation