The Third Macau Symposium on Biomedical Sciences, organised by the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), opened at UM on 23 May. This year’s symposium focuses on cancer biology, stem cell technology, genome editing techniques, and several other topics in biomedical sciences. Nearly 300 biomedical experts, scholars, and researchers from around the world participated in the symposium. During the two-day symposium, the participants had an in-depth discussion on new advances on biomedical treatment for cancer and other critical illnesses and eplored opportunities for research collaboration. Prof Mario Capecchi, a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and a recipient of an honorary doctorate from UM, gave a Doctor honoris causa Lecture, titled ‘Gene Targeting Into the 21st Century: Mouse Models of Human Diseases from Cancer to Neuropsychiatric Disorders’.