University of Michigan scientist prepares to speak at World Stem Cell Summit

Sean Morrison, director of the University of Michigan's Center for Stem Cell Biology, will be one of dozens of guest speakers presenting at the World Stem Cell Summit in Detroit next week.

Morrison is to deliver the science keynote address at 11 a.m. Monday — the first day of the three-day-long summit at Detroit's Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Morrison agreed to a phone interview with AnnArbor.com to answer a few questions regarding the upcoming summit.

Sean Morrison, director of the University of Michigan's Center for Stem Cell Biology.

Q: What will you be talking about at the summit Monday?

A: Journalists don't like this answer but ... I haven't thought about it. I've been so busy. ...I actually have multiple talks on Monday. ... It's something I need to think about on Sunday.

Q: It sounds like you like deadlines?

A: I have a lot of them so I don't really have the luxury of planning ahead. ...I'll either talk about my lab's work on cancer ... or discovering the mechanisms that regulate the functioning of normal stem cells.

We have particularly studied melanoma and discovered that many melanoma cells likely contribute to the disease. (There are no effective chemotherapy treatments for melanoma because) these cells are constantly changing and they're a moving target.

Q: How were you selected to speak at the summit?

A: There's an organizing committee that invited all the speakers and they invited me.

Q: When did you receive the invitation? What thoughts were going through your mind then?

A: Probably last spring. ...I do this a lot, I travel all over the world giving talks like this. I have another keynote in Atlanta on Monday night.

Q: What is the significance of the summit taking place in Detroit for the University of Michigan or for the state as a whole?

A: I think it's recognizing that this state has turned the corner and it's now being viewed as a supportive environment for doing embryonic stem cell research. ... With the passing of Proposal 2 and the expanded research that's being done at the University of Michigan. ...The world now views this place as a place that's influential in the stem cell world.

Q: You said you will prepare your speech on Sunday — do you have a process you follow or a plan?

A: I'll have to give a little bit broader of a talk than I'm used to. ... I'll have to stick to conceptual issues. Most of the meetings I go to are hardcore science meetings. The Stem Cell Summit is different because it's a mixed group of advocates, regulators, people from industry, as well as scientists. ...(I will talk about) conceptual advances that have come from our work.

Q: Is there anything else you would like people to know about the summit or stem cell research in general?

A: Stem cell research offers unprecedented opportunities to develop new treatments for diseases. ...It's important to continue to pursue all types of stem cell research because we don't yet know where the breakthroughs will come from.

Heather Lockwood is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heatherlockwood@annarbor.com or follow her on Twitter.