The ISSCR is a leading global society for stem cell research, bringing together scientists, clinicians, industry representatives and policy experts from across the field and the world. The Vice President serves on the Executive Committee for four years, progressing through the roles of President-elect, President, and Past-President.
Long-standing engagement within ISSCR
Professor Malin Parmar has been actively involved in the ISSCR for many years. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors, contributed to the Public Policy and Membership Committees, chaired the International Committee, and served as Program Chair for the ISSCR Annual Meeting.
Through these roles, she has worked to strengthen global participation within the Society, promote dialogue across regions and career stages, and promote responsible, evidence-based science communication.
Bridging discovery and clinical translation
Malin Parmar is internationally recognised for her work in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, particularly in developing stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s Disease. Her team has developed methods to generate functional dopamine cells from stem cells which could be used to replace those lost in Parkinson’s Disease.
She leads the STEM-PD clinical trial, one of the first studies evaluating stem cell-derived dopamine neurons in patients. Her work has helped to establish stem cell-strategies for neurological repair and to advance the development of clinical-grade cell products and translational pathways.
In parallel, she serves as the Director of the Lund Stem Cell Center at Lund University, an interdisciplinary environment that brings together experimental scientists, clinicians, and advanced technology platforms. The Center works to strengthen collaboration between discovery science and clinical development of cell, gene and tissue-based therapies.
According to Malin Parmar, stem cell research is entering a global period of rapid development. Scientific advances are accelerating, and more therapies are moving toward clinical application. With this progress comes responsibility. At the same time, emerging technologies including organoids, cellular reprogramming, genome engineering, and data-driven approaches, are expanding the scope of the field and creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
A global scientific perspective
Professor Malin Parmar’s career has been shaped by international training and collaboration. She completed her undergraduate studies in Canada, her doctoral training in Sweden, and her postdoctoral training in Scotland before returning to Lund to begin her own research programme.
Since then, she has gone on to become a Professor of Cellular Neuroscience at Lund University, New York Stem Cell Foundation – Robertson Investigator Alumna, Distinguished Professor of the Swedish Research Council, and an elected member of The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
