ASHBi Symposium 2025 – Human Early Development in vivo and in vitro

We are delighted to host the ASHBi Symposium 2025, “Human Early Development: in vivo and in vitro,” taking place on September 18–19, 2025.

The earliest stages of human development hold vital clues for understanding health, disease, and the fundamental biology of our species. Recent advances in imaging, genomics, and especially the development of sophisticated in vitro models of embryonic development and organogenesis have fueled growing interest and transformative renaissance in human embryology research. These models offer unprecedented, ethically guided windows into processes once hidden within the womb, complementing traditional in vivo studies and opening new frontiers in this field.

This symposium will bring together 14 leading experts in developmental biology, stem cell research, and human/primate embryology (9 international and 5 from Japan) to showcase pioneering research in this rapidly evolving field. We warmly invite researchers, students, and all who are interested in this area to join us in Kyoto for two days of inspiring scientific exchange and the opportunity to connect with leading scientists shaping the future of developmental biology.

• Outline
• Speakers
• Registration
• Timetable
• Access

Outline

Speakers

Registration

Registration

Advance online registration is required for all participants.

Networking Dinner (Evening of September 18):
A networking dinner will be held on the evening of Day 1.
If you would like to join, please sign up via the registration form.

• Participation Fees of JPY.2,000 will be collected on the event day by cash in Japanese Yen.
• Request for cancellation to the secretariat by Saturday, September 6, 2025. Cancellations after this date will not be accepted.
• The registration form also includes sign-up for the networking lunches on September 18 and 19.

• Registration Deadline: Saturday, 6 September 2025
• On-site participation will be closed when capacity of 100 is reached.
  

Eligibility

All Academic Researchers and students

Timetable

Day 1

10:30–10:50	Reception
10:50–11:00	Opening Remarks

Session 1 (chair: Cantas Alev)

11:00–11:30	Mitinori Saitou | Kyoto University, JP Mechanism of epigenetic reprogramming in the human germ line
11:30–12:00	Jingtao Guo| Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Towards a better understanding of human gonad specification and development
12:00–14:00	Break

Session 2 (chair: Yasuhiro Takashima)

14:00–14:30	Peter Rugg-Gunn | Babraham Institute, UK Establishing the epigenome in development and pluripotency
14:30–15:00	Masatsugu Ema | Shiga University of Medical Science, JP Inner Cell Mass Eversion Drives Trophectoderm and Placental Formation in Cynomolgus Monkeys
15:00–15:30	Laurent David | Nantes Université, FR Trophectoderm progression and naïve-to-primed pluripotency transitions in human embryos indicate stage correspondence with human blastoids
15:30-16:00	Break

Session 3 (chair: Mitinori Saitou)

16:00–16:30	Leqian Yu | Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Embryo 3D reconstruction and embryo models: get a glimpse of the human gastrulation
16:30-17:00	Zhen Liu | Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Dissecting primate pre- and post-implantation embryonic development with multiple-omics and embryo models
17:00–17:30	Cantas Alev | Kyoto University, JP Towards in vitro reconstitution of human & primate early embryonic development

Networking Dinner (Optional)

18:00–	Networking Dinner (optional)

Day 2

Session 4 (chair: Tomonori Nakamura)

10:30–11:00	Mo Li | KAUST, SA Efficient and High-Throughput Stem Cell Models of Human Embryos for Mechanistic Studies and Drug Screening
11:00–11:30	Mijo Simunovic | Columbia University, US A slingshot through time: modeling placenta development across species
11:30–12:00	Idse Heemskerk | University of Michigan, US Decoding combinatorial cell signaling in 2D human gastruloids
12:00-14:00	Break

Session 5 (chair: Masatsugu Ema)

14:00–14:30	Tomonori Nakamura | Kyoto University, JP Completion of a single-cell transcriptome atlas covering early post-implantation embryogenesis in primates
14:30–15:00	Jinglei Zhai | Chinese Academy of Sciences, CN Primate early embryogenesis and in vitro development modeling
15:00–15:30	Ryuichi Nishinakamura | Kumamoto University, JP Building a urinary tract from pluripotent stem cells
15:30-16:00	Break

Session 6 (chair: Ryuichi Nishinakamura)

16:00–16:30	Mingxia Gu | University of California, Los Anegeles, US Unveiling the Mysteries of Vascular Development and Regeneration with Advanced Human Organoid Models
16:30–17:00	Peng Du | Peking University, CN Functionally mature human hepatocyte organoids generated through Global miRNA Dosage reduction
17:00-17:15	Closing Remarks

Access

Nitori Hall, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology (CCII), Kyoto University​
Yoshida-Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan (Google Map)​

Host

Cantas ALEV | WPI-ASHBi, Kyoto University

Contact

Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (WPI-ASHBi)
ashbi-event[at]mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Please change [at] to @.