Updates on the National Stem Cell Foundation and the researchers, partners and supporters who help advance our mission. Together, we are advancing stem cell research, investing in STEM education, and connecting children in need to clinical trials for rare diseases.
NSCF-Funded Researcher Explains Why We Sent Patient Cells to Space
Why send cells affected by multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease to the International Space Station?
Hear New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Senior Research Investigator Valentina Fossati, PhD, tell the story of a pioneering experiment funded by the National Stem Cell Foundation – to understand the drivers of neurodegeneration by studying patient cells in microgravity.
Click the video link above to hear Dr. Fossati’s presentation at the 2020 International Space Station R&D Conference.
Application for the 2021 Class of National STEM Scholars is Now Open
Each year, the National STEM Scholar Program selects 10 middle school science teachers from a national pool of applicants based solely on the description of a Challenge Project the applicant would implement if funds were not a barrier.
They convene on Gatton Academy’s campus at Western Kentucky University (WKU) for a week of advanced STEM training with a peer group of highly motivated science teachers from around the country – and leave with a laptop/tablet to facilitate ongoing collaboration, a generous stipend for technology and supplies to implement their Classroom Challenge Project at home, and sponsored attendance at the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) National Conference the following spring. They are mentored throughout the year by WKU master faculty.
The Scholar experience fosters new ideas and approaches to teaching, builds lateral impact through peer-to-peer education at home, provides a national network of colleagues for career-long interaction, and provides uncommon access to thought leaders who participate in the program and choose to stay engaged.
Applications are due February 1, 2021. Click Here to Learn More
How A Stem Cell Transplant Stopped Sickle Cell Disease In Its Tracks
Meet Kelvin – a young man who benefited from NSCF’s Patient Advocacy Fund at the Duke University Pediatric Bone and Marrow Transplant Program.
“I definitely had to learn very early that I was different than everybody else. And it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t play with everybody else or do things like that, just kind of learning how to do it with my sickle cell,” says Kelvin.