Understanding Endothelial Cell Diversity: Regulation and Regenerative Potential

The Gordon Research Seminar on Endothelial Cell Phenotypes in Health and Disease is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other trainee scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting-edge ideas.

This seminar will focus on the diversity of endothelial cell phenotypes in health and disease. Vascular function is critical to patient health and tissue homeostasis, and recent technological advances have further highlighted the importance of endothelial cell biology in blood vessel development and disease. The formation and maintenance of a functional vascular tree requires the coordination of various types of endothelial cells integrating extracellular signals into phenotypic functions. Disruption or improper activation of specific endothelial cell functions can initiate and progress vascular disease. Understanding the basis of endothelial cell functions may provide important insights on the onset and progression of disease.

The aim of this meeting is to present recent advances in our understanding of these processes, while providing attendees the opportunity to discuss new research directions in the context of their own work and to foster the development of interactions and collaborations between researchers. Four topics will be highlighted: Endothelial Specification in Development, Endothelial Phenotypes in Disease, Bioinformatic Analysis of Phenotypes, and Heterogeneity of Endothelial Cell Phenotypes. The seminar will also include a keynote address, two additional invited speakers, panel discussion with all three invited speakers, poster presentations for all trainees, and selected abstract presentations of 10 minutes with 5 minutes of discussion.