Five Can’t-Miss Biotherapies Events at AABB2025

By Vasiliki E. Kalodimou, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, CABP (H), IARMES

Biotherapies are advancing at unprecedented speed — and at the 2025 AABB Annual Meeting in San Diego, they’ll be front and center. This year’s meeting offers a wealth of opportunities to dive into the latest advances, exchange ideas with leaders across the field and lead in the evolving landscape of advanced therapies.

Whether you're driving innovation in cell and gene therapies, building infrastructure or expanding your knowledge of regulatory pathways, AABB2025 promises high-impact sessions tailored to your needs.

As a long-time advocate for innovation in cellular therapy and regenerative medicine, I’ve highlighted five must-attend sessions and events that will define the future of biotherapies:

1. Solve It! Scenarios in Cellular Therapy

Saturday, Oct. 25, 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Room 31ABC

An Annual Meeting favorite! This interactive session dives into real-world dilemmas in cellular therapy—from product release bottlenecks to managing adverse events. With audience-driven scenarios and expert input, attendees walk away with practical solutions and a deeper appreciation for the nuances of daily decision-making in biotherapies.

2. Biotherapies Pavilion Open-Mic Conversations

Daily in the AABB Exhibit Hall

This year’s Biotherapies Pavilion will host a lively series of 45-minute open-mic sessions featuring thought leaders from industry and academia. Don’t miss sessions such as:

• “Innovations Across the Cell Therapy Workflow” with Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, WellSky and Accellix.
• “Proactive Sourcing Strategies for IND Success” with Charles River Laboratories and Vitalant.
• “Unlocking the Potential of Organoids” with Pluristyx and BioLife Solutions.

These conversations will spark new ideas and valuable connections across the biotherapies ecosystem.

3. Focus on Cord Blood and Stem Cells

AABB’s collaboration with the Cord Blood Association has led to a comprehensive education agenda dedicated to cord blood transplantation, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) advances and the regulatory future of these therapies. This collaboration reflects a growing alignment of cord blood applications with broader regenerative medicine efforts—and a commitment to interdisciplinary education.

Join me for my presentation, “AI in Cord Blood and Regenerative Medicine,” alongside an outstanding line up of speakers advancing innovation in our field. This presentation will take place during the Cord Blood Connect lightning talks on the future of cord blood, taking place Monday, Oct. 27, 8:15-9:15 a.m. PT, in Room 32.

4. The New Frontiers of MSCs in Regenerative Medicine

Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:15-9:15 a.m. PT, Room 32

Explore the latest scientific and clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine. This session will highlight translational breakthroughs, emerging clinical data and future directions in MSC-based therapies. A must-attend for anyone involved in stem cell science, clinical trials or biomanufacturing innovation.

5. CABP Coffee Morning

Sunday, Oct. 26, 9:30-10:30 a.m. PT, Biotherapies Pavilion

A moment of pride and progress, the CABP Coffee Morning brings together credentialed professionals, prospective candidates and AABB leaders to recognize the growth of the Certified Advanced Biotherapies Professional (CABP) Credentialing Program. Learn how to prepare for the exam, hear from recent CABPs and explore how this credential is shaping career pathways in biotherapies.

Final Thoughts

AABB2025’s biotherapies programming continues mirror the complexity and innovation of our field. Whether you’re involved in manufacturing, regulatory affairs, quality or translational science, these sessions offer timely insights, real-world tools and opportunities to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in cell and gene therapy.

I encourage you to plan your itinerary early, connect through the Biotherapies Pavilion, and take full advantage of the expertise on display in San Diego this October.

Whether you’re building a lab, running clinical trials, shaping policy or mentoring the next generation, these moments matter. Join me in San Diego this October and let’s innovate together!

About the Author

Vasiliki Kalodimou, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, CABP(H), is an assistant professor of cellular and molecular biology in the School of Medicine at the European University-Cyprus Ltd. Frankfurt Branch; the director at the Flow Cytometry-Research and Regenerative Medicine Department of IASO Maternity-Pediatric and Research Hospital in Athens, Greece. She is also the 2025 program chair for the AABB2025 cellular therapy sessions.