? The purpose of this conference is to sustain and advance basic and clinical research gains related to pulmonary arterial hypertension, a progressive and fatal condition that affects approximately 50,000 Americans. The conference is essential because the scientific disciplines concerned with pulmonary arterial hypertension are disparate, and a common venue for pulmologists, cardiologists, rheumatologists, cell biologists, geneticists, and other scientific groups interested in the pulmonary circulation is not available. The conference is also essential because the pace of scientific progress in this field has been rapid, and a unified venue is necessary to consolidate the advances and develop directions for future productive research. Two of the specific aims are to present pivotal recent clinical and basic research results and to identify directions for future research. The conference is linked with a highly successful biannual international meeting of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. The distinguished faculty will address emerging concepts related to the pathogenesis, genetics, and characterization of pulmonary arterial hypertension. In addition, an interactive poster discussion provides an opportunity for young investigators to interact with senior faculty. ? ? ? ?
