Cell Stress Society International (CSSI) was founded in 1999 by Professor Larry Hightower and is the pre-eminent society for cellular & environmental stress and chaperone biology. Members include molecular and developmental biologists, structural biologists, biochemists, and immunologists.

One of its most famous members were Ferruccio Ritossa, who discovered the Heat Shock Response and Susan Lindquist who made extraordinary contributions to the field of Heat Shock Proteins & Chaperones focusing on Hsp90.

CSSI advances and promotes scientific research in the field of stress biology and chaperones and nurtures a culture of support for all its members and the training of talented junior scientists in the field. It achieves this by:

• Providing a forum through the biannual symposium to present and discuss basic and translational scientific topics related to stress biology and chaperones
• Serving as a resource for information and expertise to advance stress & chaperone biology research.
• Promote collaborations among member scientists and exchange of expertise
• Support and promote the organization of conferences related to stress response research