California Stem Cell Scientific Advisory Board Chairman Hans Keirstead To Speak At Acclaimed TEDxOrangeCoast Conference

California Stem Cell, Inc. (CSC) scientific advisory board chairman Hans S. Keirstead, Ph.D. will be among a notable group forward-thinking innovators, designers, educators, technologists, and socially concerned leaders who will speak at the 2012 TEDxOrangeCoast event in Costa Mesa on October 10.One of the world’s foremost stem cell researchers, Dr. Keirstead has pioneered several stem cell-based medical discoveries and policies, and founded the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC Irvine. At TEDxOrangeCoast, he will highlight what it takes to overcome obstacles and succeed when translating stem cell discoveries into therapeutic reality. TEDxOrangeCoast will bring the spirit of the popular TED series to Orange County’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts, with more than 1500 guests expected to attend. Millions more will view video coverage of the event. “Stem cells have a greater potential than any other medical discovery to date,” said Keirstead. “They lie at the crossroads of academia, industry, government and religion. I am excited to have this opportunity to share my perspective on this incredible field.” Additional information regarding Dr. Keirstead and California Stem Cell’s pioneering work focused on creating stem cell-based therapies for patients suffering from cancer and life-threatening brain and spinal cord conditions, is available at http://californiastemcell.com/cgi-bin/pressrel About California Stem Cell California Stem Cell Inc. (CSC) is an Irvine, CA-based company with proprietary methods to generate human stem cell lines, expand them to clinically and commercially useful numbers, and differentiate them at extremely high purity using fully-defined, proprietary media and GMP processes. CSC is able to supply its human cell populations to companies and institutions worldwide for use in the development of therapies, efficacy screening or the creation of toxicity profiles for candidate drugs, and experimental research tools. CSC is currently focused on the development of stem cell-based therapies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and metastatic cancers. Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/castemcell About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.) About TED TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; the annual TEDGlobal conference is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland. TED’s media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, the recently launched TED-Ed platform for students and educators, the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide, and TEDBooks, short e-books by speakers that elaborate on a single idea originally presented on TED’s stage. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.