ABOUT SNAP

On June 6, 2007, discussion by a panel of leading scientists at an Nature Asia-Pacific Forum on scientific networking in the Asia-Pacific region indicated a consensus that the stem cells research community in the region would benefit from increased communication and interaction, which led to the resolution to form an organisation to promote a broad set of initiatives, including eliminating redundancies in regional stem cell meetings, providing local opportunities for students and young scientists, and developing infrastructure and programs to support intraregional collaboration and exchange of information.

Additional information on the Nature Asia-Pacific Forum is available at:

http://www.natureasia.com/japan/conferences/networking/

http://www.nature.com/stemcells/2007/0706/070628/full/stemcells.2007.50.html

Following on these recommendations, delegations from around the region convened in Bangkok on September 29 to discuss the establishment of an Asia-Pacific stem cell network. The outcome of that discussion between delegates from Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand resulted in the agreement to establish the Stem Cell Network – Asia-Pacific (SNAP), with subsequent development to be led by a steering committee with one representative from each delegation, chaired by Shin-Ichi Nishikawa (Japan).

The SNAP mission statement provides for the “promotion of the ethical, regulated conduct of stem cell research through the holding of educational and training activities for students and young scientists, the development of scientific and ethical guidelines, the holding of meetings and workshops, and the dissemination of information to governmental officials and the general public.” Future activities by the network will focus on fulfilling these goals and building a strong and dynamic stem cell research community in the Asia-pacific region.