This volume stems from the eighth international symposium and workshop entitled "Hematopoietic Stem Cells VIII" held hosted by the University of Tuebingen, Germany in the fall of 2011. The meeting was designed to bring ~30 leading scientists together to discuss the state-of-the-art in the field of hematopoietic stem cells. Topics reviewed in this volume include: differential requirements for Wnt and Notch signaling in hematopoietic versus thymic niches; hematopoietic stem cell expansion; TIM-3 as a therapeutic target for malignant stem cells in acute myelogenous leukemia; regulatory factors for hematopoietic stem cells; reprogramming factors; immune reconstitution and strategies for rebuilding of the immune system after haploidentical stem cell transplantation; zebrafish xenografts as a tool for in vivo studies on human cancer; enhancing engraftment of cord blood cells; current insights into neutrophil homeostasis; and molecular live cell bioimaging in stem cell research, among others. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit http://ordering.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/subs.asp?ref=1749-6632&doi=10.111/(ISSN)1749-6632. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.