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Vascular Specialist | April 2023
VASCULAR SCIENCE May VRIC program takes shape By Beth Bales WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CELLS—STRUCTURAL and immune—the program for the May 10 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) in Boston next month is taking shape. VRIC will be held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place in Boston, in conjunction with the American Heart Association’s “Vascular Discovery 2023: From Genes to Medicine.” The AHA sessions will be held May 10–13 at the venue. The conference emphasizes discussions of research of basic and translational vascular science, in a thoughtful atmosphere intended to motivate participants to discover solutions to important problems affecting vascular patients. VRIC brings together vascular surgeon-scientists, vascular biologists and other cardiovascular physicians researching vascular disease, and trainees working in the cardiovascular disease space. The 2023 theme is “Structural and Immune Cells in Vascular Disease.” Four abstract sessions will focus on venous disease and novel devices; vascular regeneration, stem cells and wound-healing; atherosclerosis and the role of the immune system; and aortopathies. Esther Lutgens, MD, will deliver the Alexander W. Clowes Distinguished Lecture, established in 2017 to honor the late SVS member and surgeon-scientist who had a big hand in shaping the conference over the years. Her topic is “Co stimulatory immune checkpoints in atherosclerosis: Novel immunotherapeutic targets to combat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.” Lutgens is a renowned molecular biologist and professor
of cardiovascular medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The day’s agenda also includes the Translational Panel. Chiara Giannarelli, MD, will focus on deep phenotyping of human atherosclerosis, and Bhama Ramkhelawon, PhD, will discuss structural triggers of macrophages in aortic aneurysms. “This is going to be an outstanding conference with a focus on vascular discovery. We had a near record number of abstracts submitted this year, many of which were by trainees performing exceptional research that will one day advance our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease,” said Katherine Gallagher, MD, chair of the SVS Basic and Translational Research Committee, which plans VRIC. “I don’t think anyone will leave VRIC 2023 anything but inspired, and hopefully the knowledge gained here will lead investigators to other pathways of inquiry.” Areck Ucuzian, MD, will present his research into “The benefits of moderate aerobic exercise on maintaining vessel structure in mouse models of aortopathy,” as part of his SVS Foundation Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award.
“We had a near record number of abstracts submitted this year, many of which were by trainees performing exceptional research that will one day advance our understanding and treatment of cardiovascular disease”
Four vascular trainees were selected as recipients of the SVS Foundation VRIC Trainee Award; their abstracts were scored among the highest of those submitted. They will present their work at the conference: ● Sharika Bamezai, BA, a Sarnoff Research Fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine and a medical student at University of Michigan Medical School, “Safety and efficacy of pro-efferocytic nanoparticles to treat atherosclerosis in a porcine model.” Her mentor is Nick Leeper, MD ● Tyler Bauer, MD, a general surgery resident at University of Michigan Medical School, “Inflammatory macrophages dictate fibroblast function via epigenetic reprogramming in diabetic wounds.” Mentor: Katherine Gallagher, MD ● Rodrigo Meade, BS, a research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, “Fatty acid synthase targeting reduces aortic atherosclerosis and inflammation.” Mentor: Mohamed Zayed, MD ● Humraaz Samra, MBBCh, an integrated vascular surgery resident at Indiana University School of Medicine, “Allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells significantly increase type 1 regulatory T cells, decrease effector Th17 cells and decrease aneurysm volume in a dose-dependent fashion in patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms—Results of the phase I Aortic aneurysm repression with mesenchymal stem cells (ARREST) trial.” Mentor: Michael P. Murphy, MD A poster competition and cocktail reception also are included. For more information on the conference and to register, visit vascular.org/VRIC23.
KATHERINE GALLAGHER
Depiction of fibroblast cells
SVS Foundation Vascular Innovation Partners (VIP) SVS Foundation VIP Program Member: Texas Vascular Associates
Why is Texas Vascular Associates supporting the SVS Foundation? Texas Vascular Associates is proud to support the SVS Foundation by becoming a VIP program member. We believe the Foundation’s work is essential to advancing the field of vascular surgery and improving the care we are able to provide to our patients. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the care of patients with vascular disease through the promotion of research, education and public awareness.
Are there specific Foundation programs that interest Texas Vascular Associates? Supporting groundbreaking research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of vascular disease is one of the primary ways for the SVS Foundation to advance the field of vascular surgery. As a VIP program member, Texas Vascular Associates is able to directly contribute to this important work and help support the Foundation’s ongoing efforts. The Foundation is also dedicated to promoting education and public awareness of all aspects of vascular disease, including early detection and treatment, with multiple initiatives and programs. We support the Foundation’s commitment to providing access to the resources health care professionals need to deliver the best possible care to their patients. Our participation in the VIP program helps raise awareness around vascular disease and ensure that patients have the information they need to make informed decisions about their care. The Vascular Innovation Partners (VIP) program, a new initiative of the SVS Foundation, consists of institutional partners whose values align with the mission of the Foundation.
Learn more at vascular.org/VIP
We believe that the work of the SVS Foundation is essential to improving the care that we are able to provide to our patients. As a VIP program member, Texas Vascular Associates is proud to support the important work of the Foundation and help advance the field of vascular surgery for the benefit of patients everywhere.