11th International Cell and Gene Therapy Conference (CGTCON 2026)
Friday 09 & Saturday 10 October, 2026
New Examination Building,
Christian Medical College Vellore,
Bagayam, Vellore 632002, TN, India
6:30 AM Onwards
REGISTRATION
7:00 to 8:00 AM
🍵 BREAKFAST
WELCOME ADDRESS
Chair: TBA
8:00 to 8:30 AM
To be decided
Parallel Sessions — 8:30 to 9:00 AM
Hall A
HEMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS 1
Chair: TBA
| 8:30 to 9:00 AM |
Trends and outcomes of stem cell transplantation
Biju George Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 9:00 to 9:30 AM |
Navigating the equitability barrier of gene editing therapies in India
Debojyoti Chakraborty CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India |
| 9:30 to 10:00 AM |
Development of curative therapies for inherited anemias
Senthil Bhoopalan St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA |
| 10:00 to 10:30 AM |
Recent Advances in CAR T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies
Vikram Mathews Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
Hall B
OCULAR DISORDERS
Chair: TBA
| 8:30 to 9:00 AM |
Understanding Inherited Eye Diseases (IEDs) and Developing Newer Therapeutics
Indumathi Mariappan BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 9:00 to 9:30 AM |
Future Directions in Corneal Regeneration: Convergence of Stem Cell Biology and Biomaterials
Vivek Singh L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. |
| 9:30 to 10:00 AM |
Gene Therapy in Retinal Dystrophies: Real-World Effectiveness and Challenges
Deepika Parameswarappa Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru, India |
| 10:00 to 10:30 AM |
A synthetic splice-enhancer intron platform for efficient hybrid dual-AAV gene therapy: application in Stargardt disease
Arkasubhra Ghosh Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bengaluru, India |
10:30 to 10:45 AM
☕ TEA BREAK
Parallel Sessions — 10:45 to 11:15 AM
Hall A
CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES
Chair: TBA
| 10:45 to 11:15 AM |
Beyond Insulin: Regenerating Beta Cells via Stem Cell Therapy versus Growth Factors
Rohit Kulkarni Broad Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA |
| 11:15 to 11:45 AM |
Genetic Forms of Lipodystrophy and Emerging Gene Therapy Strategies
Aaron Chapla Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 11:45 to 12:15 PM |
Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation for Chronic Pancreatitis: An International Experience
Gopalakrishnan Loganathan Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA |
| 12:15 to 12:45 PM |
Understanding targets at single-islet-cells for anti-diabetic treatment
Nikhil Gandasi Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, India |
Hall B
VIRAL & NON-VIRAL NUCLEIC ACID DELIVERY TECHNOLOGIES
Chair: TBA
| 10:45 to 11:15 AM |
Metadherin-mRNA-LNPs for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Therapy
Srinivasa Reddy Bonam CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, India |
| 11:15 to 11:45 AM |
Engineering Controlled Destabilization: The “Magic Methyl” Effect in RNAi Enhancement
Kiran R. Gore Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India |
| 11:45 to 12:15 PM |
Acellular cancer immunotherapy
Prakriti Tayalia Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Mumbai, India |
| 12:15 to 12:45 PM |
Exosomes in cancer
Suresh Mathivanan La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Victoria, Australia |
12:45 to 01:30 PM
🍽️ LUNCH
Parallel Sessions — 01:30 to 02:00 PM
Hall A
CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS
Chair: TBA
| 01:30 to 02:00 PM |
Leveraging Human iPSC’s to Advance Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Treatment
John Carter Ralphe University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA |
| 02:00 to 02:30 PM |
Organization principles governing the assembly and function of contractile units across scales
Minhaj Sirajuddin BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 02:30 to 03:00 PM |
To be decided
Dhandapani Perundurai BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 03:00 to 03:30 PM |
From Prenatal Biomarker to Therapeutic Target: Circular RNA-X in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Anupam Mittal Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India |
Hall B
METABOLIC DISORDERS
Chair: TBA
| 01:30 to 02:00 PM |
Molecular timing and scaling of hepatic gluconeogenic output during fed-fast transitions
Ullas Kolthur Seetharaman BRIC-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India |
| 02:00 to 02:30 PM |
Delving for precision care in Gaucher disease
Sumita Danda Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 02:30 to 03:00 PM |
Molecular and Functional characterization of patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis
Ashwin Dalal BRIC-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India |
| 03:00 to 03:30 PM |
Gene therapy for liver inherited metabolic diseases
Julien Baruteau University College London (UCL), Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK |
Parallel Sessions — 03:30 to 04:00 PM
Hall A
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
Chair: TBA
| 03:30 to 04:00 PM |
Beyond Conventional Antiseizure Medications: Small Molecules and Gene Therapies in Childhood Epilepsies
Sangeetha Yoganathan Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 04:00 to 04:30 PM |
Next-generation gene therapy for neuromuscular disorders - Opportunities for global impact with indigenous solution.
Jayandharan G. Rao Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Kanpur, India |
| 04:30 to 05:00 PM |
Gene therapy for Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy - from Bench to Bedside
Srinivasarao Repudi BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 05:00 to 05:30 PM |
Niemann–Pick Disease: From Molecular Diagnosis to Therapeutic Frontiers
Neerja Gupta All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India |
Hall B
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
Chair: TBA
| 03:30 to 04:00 PM |
Stem Cell-Based Embryo Models for Understanding Congenital Disorders, Developmental Mechanisms and Drug Safety
Maneesha Inamdhar BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 04:00 to 04:30 PM |
RBM3 mRNA delivery with functionalized lipid nanoparticles for improving muscle function
Marepally Srujan Kumar Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 04:30 to 05:00 PM |
To be decided
Sanjay Kumar All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, India |
| 05:00 to 05:30 PM |
Small-Molecules-Induced Intestinal Regeneration as a Therapeutic Strategy for Leaky Gut-Associated Diseases
Praveen Vemula BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
05:30 to 06:00 PM
☕ TEA - INDUSTRY EXHIBITIONS & POSTER PRESENTATIONS
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Chair: TBA
06:00 to 06:45 PM
Christine Noel Duncan
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
06:45 to 07:30 PM
INAUGURATION - Chief guest address by Dr Padmanabhan Balaram
07:30 PM Onwards
DINNER & CULTURAL PROGRAMME AT EDEN GARDENS
07:00 AM Onwards
REGISTRATION
7:15 to 8:25 AM
🍵 BREAKFAST & TEA
Parallel Sessions — 8:30 to 9:00 AM
Hall A
HEMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS 2
Chair: TBA
| 8:30 to 9:00 AM |
Gene therapy for Hemophilia A
Aby Abraham Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 9:00 to 9:30 AM |
Targeted base editing enables safe and efficient knockout of ELANE for the treatment of ELANE-associated severe congenital neutropeni
Mohankumar Murugesan Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 9:30 to 10:00 AM |
Precision conditioning for precision medicine: Targeted, Non-Genotoxic hematopoietic stem cell Conditioning to Enable Gene Therapy with Gene-Edited Stem Cells
Saravanabhavan Thangavel Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 10:00 to 10:30 AM |
A pharmacological modulator of Glucocerebrosidase reverses pathogenic phenotypes in Gaucher’s disease and GBA1-Parkinson’s disease Models
Sivaprakash K Ramalingam Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Kanpur, India |
Hall B
ORGANOIDS & DISEASE MODELLING
Chair: TBA
| 8:30 to 9:00 AM |
Human Intestinal Organoids as Models of Enteric Infections and Vaccines
Sashirekha Ramani Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA |
| 9:00 to 9:30 AM |
Chromatinopathies, Ciliopathies, and Brain Malformations: From Genetic Mechanisms to Disease Models
Bhavana Muralidharan BRIC-Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bengaluru, India |
| 9:30 to 10:00 AM |
Disease modelling using iPSC
Shaji RV Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
| 10:00 to 10:30 AM |
Organs in a Dish: Intestinal and Liver Organoids for Human Disease Modelling
Vijayalakshmi B Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
10:30 to 10:45 AM
☕ TEA BREAK
Parallel Sessions — 10:45 to 11:15 AM
Hall A
MANUFACTURING AND REGULATORY ASPECTS IN CELL & GENE THERAPY
Chair: TBA
| 10:45 to 11:15 AM |
In vitro prediction of CAR-T Cell Function, Persistence, and Therapeutic Success
Priyadarshini Chatterjee MicroCRISPR Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, India |
| 11:15 to 11:45 AM |
Towards Accessible, Equitable, and Affordable Cell Therapy: The Promise of Allogeneic γδ CAR-T Cells
Lakshmikanth S Gandikota Immuneel Therapeutics Private Limited, Bengaluru, India |
| 11:45 to 12:15 PM |
Regulatory Aspects of Cell and Gene Therapy: Navigating the Indian Regulatory Pathway
Akhil Kumar Journey to West, Singapore |
| 12:15 to 12:45 PM |
Allogeneic Off-the-Shelf Natural Killer (NK) Cells for Autoimmune Disorders and Cancers
Renjitha Gopurappilly NKure Therapeutics Pvt Ltd, (CCAMP), Bengaluru, India |
Hall B
STEM CELL & GENE THERAPY - INDUSTRY UPDATES
Chair: TBA
| 10:45 to 11:15 AM |
An Integrated AI Architecture for the Design and Targeted Delivery of In Vivo Cell and Gene Therapy
Tanveer Ahmed Cellogen Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd., Noida, India |
| 11:15 to 11:45 AM |
The Evolving Landscape of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy and Regulatory Considerations
Pawan Kumar Gupta Stempeutics, Research Private Ltd., Bengaluru, India |
| 11:45 to 12:15 PM |
Real world evidence (RWE) of efficacy and safety of Talicel
Rahul Purwar Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy Private Limited (ImmunoACT) & IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India |
| 12:15 to 12:45 PM |
A Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of Allogeneic Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE) cells in Geographic Atrophy (GA): Interim Results of Safety & Efficacy
Jogin Desai Eyestem Research Private Ltd., (CCAMP), Bengaluru, India |
12:45 to 01:30 PM
🍽️ LUNCH
Parallel Sessions — 01:30 to 02:00 PM
Hall A
CAR T & CAR NK CELL THERAPY
Chair: TBA
| 01:30 to 02:00 PM |
The Cell-Gene Therapy Road Beyond B-Cell Malignancies Needs Smarter Strategies and not just Better CARs
Gaurav Narula Tata Memorial Centre, HBNI, Mumbai, India |
| 02:00 to 02:30 PM |
Post CART cell therapy - complications
Sharat Damodar Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, Bengaluru, India |
| 02:30 to 03:00 PM |
From Donor to Dose: Translating Allogeneic CAR-NK Cell Therapy Towards Clinical Reality
Dinesh Kundu East Ocyon Bio, Gurugram, India |
| 03:00 to 03:30 PM |
Generation and Preclinical Evaluation of TRAC/B2M Cytosine Base-Edited Allogeneic CD19 CAR-T Cells for B-ALL
Thyagaraj Mayurnathan Centre for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College Vellore, Vellore, India |
Hall B
DERMATOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Chair: TBA
| 01:30 to 02:00 PM |
MicroRNA in Epidermolysis Bullosa—Pathophysiologic and translational Significance
Vinod Kumar Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India |
| 02:00 to 02:30 PM |
Cell-based therapies from genetic to inflammatory skin disease
Su Lwin King's College London (KCL), London, UK |
| 02:30 to 03:00 PM |
Engineering Human Skin: Applications of 3D Skin Models in Dermatology Research
Archana Singh CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, India |
| 03:00 to 03:30 PM |
Accessible Diagnostics & Affordable Therapies for Incurable Genetic Skin Diseases
Vamsi K. Yenamandra Sri Madhusudhan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (SMSIMSR), Chikkaballapur, India |
Parallel Sessions — 03:30 to 03:50 PM
Hall A
INDUSTRY TALKS
Chair: TBA
| 03:30 to 03:50 PM |
Addressing ATMP manufacturing Risks through Closed Vial Technologies
Shrikant Rao Pharmaalab India Pvt. Ltd. (Representing Aseptic Technologies, Belgium) |
| 03:50 to 04:10 PM |
Empowering Cell and Gene Therapy: Overcoming Bottlenecks with Innovative Agilent Cell Analysis Solutions
Saket Siddharth Agilent Technologies, Hyderabad, India |
| 04:10 to 04:30 PM |
Transforming Translational Research with Cell & Gene Therapy and Spatial Biology Solutions
Asim Iqbal Shaikh Miltenyi Biotec, India. |
| 04:30 to 04:50 PM |
From Process Development to GMP Execution - India's First Versatile Plasmid DNA Manufacturing Platform
Bhushan Kantode & Kavya Kannan Kodo Lifescience Pvt. Ltd, Vapi, India |
| 04:50 to 05:10 PM |
A Scalable Framework for CRISPR Off-Target Assessment Using Orthogonal Nomination and Targeted Deep Sequencing
Edward Wong Serng Yuen Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), Singapore |
| 05:10 to 05:30 PM |
To be decided
Cytiva Ltd., India |
Hall B
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
Chair: TBA
| 03:30 to 03:50 PM |
Student Presentation 1
|
| 03:50 to 04:10 PM |
Student Presentation 2
|
| 04:10 to 04:30 PM |
Student Presentation 3
|
| 04:30 to 04:50 PM |
Student Presentation 4
|
| 04:50 to 05:10 PM |
Student Presentation 5
|
| 05:10 to 05:30 PM |
Student Presentation 6
|
05:30 to 06:00 PM
TEA BREAK
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Chair: TBA
06:00 to 06:45 PM
Bruce Levine
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
06:45 to 07:15 PM
POSTER PRIZE DISTRIBUTION & CONCLUDING REMARKS
Hall A
07:15 PM Onwards
DINNER AT CSCR ROOFTOP/LAWN
