October 5, 2011 was celebrated throughout the world as Stem Cell Awareness Day, with the goal of educating patients, students and researchers about stem cell research. UCSB sponsored a microscopy contest among local researchers to reward the most creative and innovative depiction of stem cell research. Congratulations to Dr. David Buchholz, whose images of neural “rosettes” derived from human embryonic stem cells won first place.

On the same day, UCSB Stem Cell Center scientists Dennis Clegg and Peter Coffey presented talks on stem cell therapies for Age-Related Macular Degeneration at the World Stem Cell Summit in Pasadena, California.

The Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering at UCSB is actively engaged in outreach activities to educate the public, including lectures to community groups and schools, town hall meetings and tours of local facilities. An event will be held in Bakersfield on October 22nd.