Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We welcome you to participate in the 11th Pan Pacific Symposium on Stem Cells and Cancer Research (PPSSC 2018) to be held at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation on March 23-25, 2018. Because of the fantastic landscape and friendly people, the PPSSC 2018 will take place in Hualien again and introduce the different beauty of Hualien to all of you.

The new diagnoses and treatments have been developed along with new research method globally, and our vision to this field continues to be broadened while we discover more. Therefore we are very pleased to provide such a platform for doctors, physicians, researchers and clinical investigators worldwide to gather and share new ideas on topics in stem cell research and new drug development every year. The program for the PPSSC 2018 has copious main themes as follows:

1. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Apply Pluripotent Stem Cells for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery
2. GBM Stem Cell and Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: The Emerging Role in Tumor Metastasis and Resistance
3. Mitochondria Evolution in Stem Cell Differentiation
4. Epigenetic Alteration in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)- Potential Causes and Implications for Application
5. Gene Editing Modification at iPSCs in Disease Therapy
6. Gut-Brain: The Modulation of Brain Plasticity in Parkinson's Disease
7. Translational Stem Cell Therapies

On behalf of the organizing committee, I sincerely welcome you to join this symposium with us. If you couldn’t attend the PPSSC 2017, please do not miss the opportunity this time; if you has attended the PPSSC 2017, you should attend the PPSSC 2018 to experience the diverse culture and hospitably of Hualien!

Sincerely yours,

Shinn-Zong Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Chairman of the 11th Pan Pacific Symposium on Stem Cells and Cancer Research (PPSSC 2018)
Superintendent, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
President of The Buddhist Tzu Chi Bioinnovation Center
Professor of Neurosurgery, Tzu Chi University
Charter Fellow of National Academy of Inventor (USA)
Fellow of American Association of Advancement of Science (USA)