What does a discussion among approximately 140 high school students, volunteers, teachers and world-leading scientists on the subject of stem cells sound like?

Oddly personal, important and revolutionary.

“A student was saying that one of his friends died of leukemia and asked whether cord blood would have made a difference,” relates Biomedical Engineering PhD student David Lee, co-organizer of StemCellTalks, an invite-only conference for high school students held at the MaRS Auditorium last week.

Lee joined fellow Biomedical Engineering PhD student Nika Shakiba in organizing the annual event. A collaborative effort between the national volunteer science organization Let’s Talk Science and the Stem Cell Network, the one-day symposium highlights important areas in the science and ethics of stem cells to an audience of students hand-picked by their high school science teachers.

Continue reading at UofT Engineering News.