The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has honored Stem Cell COREdinates and CorEUstem with the 2026 Public Service Award. These networks connect 79 core facilities, including Penn’s iPSC Core led by Dr. Wenli Yang, to facilitate collaboration and consistency. These programs foster a global connection that allows for shared expertise, new training opportunities, and better aligned workflows leading to improved scientific rigor and progress worldwide. The impact has been transformative.

Dr. Yang, a founding member and past president of Stem Cell COREdinates, shared, “As director of the UPenn iPSC Core, I am deeply honored to be a member of Stem Cell COREdinates, which has been named the recipient of the 2026 ISSCR Public Service Award. Early in the development of our Core, COREdinates was instrumental in helping me establish and expand our services by providing opportunities to learn from and share expertise with other Core directors. Later, I had the privilege of leading COREdinates and supporting fellow members, an experience I found especially rewarding. The organization has also helped the Penn iPSC Core remain at the forefront of iPSC technology. On a personal level, I have formed lifelong collaborations and friendships through this community, for which I am truly grateful.”

You can read more as part of the ISSCR press release here.