VASCULATA 2015

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cardiovascular (CV) diseases such as hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease are the leading cause of death in our nation and worldwide. Despite this, most students in the biomedical sciences lack substantive training in the field of cardiovascular biology. The scientific discipline of CV biology remains a relatively young field with a small critical mass of scientific experts trained in the discipline. The Vasculata research training conference series, which has been sponsored annually by the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO) since 2004, serves as a critical national resource to the scientific community by providing an invaluable forum for research training of aspiring biomedical scientists in CV biology and related fields. Vasculata 2015 will be held at the University of Virginia (UVA), and as with past Vasculatas, will provide a strong foundation of basic CV biology but with the novel theme of new paradigms for conducting translational and clinical research that lead to development of new and more effective drugs and therapeutic approaches for treating or preventing major CV diseases that are personalized for individual patients based on genetic, epigenetic, genomic, proteomic, bioinformatic, and systems engineering approaches. In addition, we will provide several workshops to build and enhance the technical skill set of trainees, and to provide professional career development advice and guidance, including assistance with their individual development plans (IDPs). Our goal is to inspire and enable graduate and undergraduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and young and more senior investigators from a variety of disciplines to conduct novel high impact CV research. The NIH funds being requested will be used entirely to support scholarships and travel funds for undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows to attend the 4-day course. Additional funds for speakers, venue rental, refreshments, and other meeting costs will be provided by the UVA Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, the Office of the President of UVA, and by private fundraising efforts including seeking support from Pharmaceutical, Medical Supply, and Medical Device Companies. As in the past, scholarships are given to trainees whose institution or departments do not have funding to support the travel of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows or undergraduate students. Particular attention will be given to enabling under-represented minority trainees to attend.