With the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) serving as the lead hostinstitution in conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine and theGeorgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), the 2011 annual workshop willtake place on the Georgia Tech campus. This meeting aims to inspire younginvestigators from a variety of disciplines to enter the field of vascularbiology by providing trainees with a robust introductory learning experience,facilitate the rapid integration of new research trainees into vascular biologyresearch programs by enhancing their exposure and understanding of the latestexperimental approaches employed in the field and finally to orient newinvestigators to the breadth and depth of the frontiers of knowledge ofvascular biology through state-of-the-art presentations and scientificinterchange with leading investigators.

Vasculata^® is a summer course/workshop that promotesthe study of vascular biology.  It is designed to present an overview ofthe field and future areas of active research.  Individuals with little orno background in vascular biology are encouraged to attend, and current traineesin the field and all interested individuals are invited to participate. This includes students (undergraduates, graduate students, medical students),trainees (postdocs, research fellows, residents) and others (junior and seniorfaculty).

This meeting builds upon the legacy of research training provided byprevious Vasculata conferences by leveraging the superb critical mass ofvascular biology investigators at the three partner institutions in Atlanta.The Vasculata 2011 conference will be a distinctive addition that willincorporate several new programmatic elements to enrich the training experienceand develop a special thematic emphasis on preparing a new generation ofvascular biologists to extend the frontiers of discovery science as well as engagein translational science that bridges from ‘bench-to-bedside.” The proposedmeeting builds upon the complementary strengths of the tri-institutionalpartnership such that the program reflects the inter-disciplinary nature ofvascular biology. The conference will capture the breadth of the field in itsinclusion of investigators from a wide variety of disciplines such as:bioengineering, systems biology, developmental biology, clinical science,regenerative medicine and genetic epidemiology. 

Moreover, Vasculata 2011 will be a novel addition to the series byincorporating new programmatic elements that emphasize the mentorship oftrainees as well as major initiatives to expand the gender and racial/ethnicdiversity of biomedical scientists in the field. Overall, the Vasculata 2011conference promises to be an exciting and uniquely rich research trainingexperience.

Organizing Committee: 

GaryGibbons, MD, Morehouse School of Medicine 

KathyGriendling, PhD, Emory University 

HanjoongJo PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University 

ArshedQuyyumi MD, Emory University