Welcome address : Dr Evan Harris (Former MP)
Keynote lecture : Dr Clare Blackburn (Edinburgh)

We are delighted that Dr Evan Harris has agreed to open the symposium. Dr Harris originally read Medicine here in Oxford before entering politics in 1997 when he was elected Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, a post he held until last year's election. During that time, he served in the LibDem Shadow Cabinet and on the Select Committee for Science and Technology from 2003 until 2010. He has always been outspoken on issues of science and medicine and has campaigned tirelessly in favour of stem cell biology in parliament. Currently, he writes a blog for the Guardian on science policy.

Likewise, we are delighted to be able to welcome Dr Clare Blackburn from the Institute of Stem Cell Research, at the University of Edinburgh to deliver the keynote lecture on the subject of 'Epithelial progenitor cells and thymus generation in vitro and in vivo'. Dr Blackburn has published a number of seminal papers on the discovery of a population of epithelial stem cells in the thymus capable of generating an entire functioning thymus and will speak about her latest findings in this developing field. In addition, we have a packed programme of short talks from many of the laboratories associated with the OSCI.