Vasculata-2013 will be held in San Diego, California from July 29 to August 1, 2013 with the University of California San Diego (UCSD) serving as the lead host institution in conjunction with the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (LIAI) and the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).
The specific aims of Vasculata-2013 are:
Aim 1 : To inspire young investigators from a variety of disciplines to enter the field of vascular biology by providing trainees with a concentrated learning experience.
Aim 2 : To orient new investigators to the breadth and depth of the frontiers of knowledge of vascular biology through state-of-the-art presentations and scientific interchange with leading investigators.
Aim 3 : To enhance exposure to and understanding of the latest experimental approaches employed in vascular biology by a combination of didactic lectures and hands-on workshops.
Aim 4 : To allow young investigators to interact with established scientists in vascular biology via poster presentations and informal interactions. The Vasculata-2013 conference will be a distinctive addition to the Vasculata series by: 1) providing a wide range of relevant research topics ranging from basic concepts to clinical research, 2) focusing on vascular immunology and vascular inflammation that impact atherosclerosis, hypertension, aneurysms and other vascular diseases, 3) providing workshops that will provide the trainees with first-hand experience with cutting- edge methods relevant to vascular biology. The faculty for Vasculata 2013 consists of core faculty from the three sponsoring institutions. Andrew Lichtman of Harvard University is the keynote speaker. These faculty members include investigators from varied disciplines including developmental biology, vascular physiology, biochemistry, macrophage biology, systems biology, genomics and lipidomics, vascular immunology, clinical science and biomarkers. Vasculata 2013 will also emphasize new information regarding vascular diseases in minorities and women, and emerging vascular diseases. Overall, the Vasculata-2013 conference promises to be a rich research training experience for graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs.
The public health and clinical impact of vascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease are the major causes of death and disability in our nation. The scientific discipline of vascular biology remains a relatively young field with a critical mass of scientific experts trained in the discipline. The Vasculata research training conference series serves as a critical national resource to the scientific community by providing an invaluable forum for research training and career development for the next generation of biomedical scientists in vascular biology and related fields. The faculty of Vasculata 2013 have trained many students and postdocs who are now on the faculty in departments of medicine and in basic science departments in universities and research institutes nationwide and abroad. Many of them have become translational researchers who translate basic science into disease-relevant applications.
