Programming – Vascular Discovery 2026

May 13–16, 2026
Hyatt Regency Bellevue | Bellevue, Washington

Vascular Discovery 2026 Schedule-at-a-Glance

All times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC -7)

Wednesday, May 13 activities
Time	Activity
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.	Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) This event is not part of the official Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions planned by the Program Committee. *Separate registration is required to attend.* Location: Cedar Ballroom
3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.	Vascular Discovery 2026 Registration Opens On-Site Location: Regency Foyer
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.	Poster Session 1 & Reception Location: Grand Ballroom

Thursday, May 14 activities
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration Location: Regency Foyer Exhibits Location: Evergreen Foyer
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast Location: Evergreen Foyer
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.	Early Career Training Session 1: Skills for Leadership in Science and Beyond Location: Regency Ballroom Start your day with an engaging panel discussion focused on developing the leadership skills essential for success in today’s scientific landscape. Leadership is vital at every stage of a scientific career, whether leading a research group, managing industry teams, influencing policy, or building a startup. Our distinguished panelists, representing a range of sectors, will share their leadership journeys, key lessons learned, and practical strategies for becoming an effective and impactful leader. This session is open to all attendees but specifically targeted towards early career/student trainee attendees.
8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.	Conference Opening Welcome Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: Peter K. Henke, MD, University of Michigan Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine 8:00 Welcome Remarks from American Heart Association's President-Elect Manesh Patel, MD, Duke Health 8:15 Welcome Remarks from the Program Chair Peter K. Henke, MD, University of Michigan
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Plenary Session 1: Hot Topics in Cardiovascular Disease Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: Peter K. Henke, MD, University of Michigan Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine 8:30 Talk Title: TBA Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, Stanford University 9:00 Talk Title: TBA Zorina S. Galis, PhD, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH 9:30 Keynote Lecture: TBA Peter Libby, MD, Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women’s Hospital
10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.	Break/Exhibits Location: Evergreen Foyer
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 1a: Thrombosis, Hemostasis, and Lymphatic Biology Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 10:30 Talk Title: TBA Keith B. Neeves, PhD, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus 10:55 Talk Title: TBA Sanjana Dayal, PhD, University of Iowa 11:20 VAMP8 Deficiency Attenuates Atherosclerosis Through Impaired Platelet Secretion and Hepatic Lipid Remodeling Shayan Mohammadmoradi, PhD, MS, University of Kentucky 11:30 Targeting mitochondrial calcium uniporter attenuates platelet hyperactivation and procoagulant phenotype associated with obesity in humans and mice Madankumar Ghatge, PhD, University of Iowa 11:40 Platelet 12-LOX Mediates the Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Effects of Omega-3 Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Icosapent Ethyl Krista Goerger, BS, University of Michigan 11:50 The functional roles of TGF-beta signaling on cardiac lymphangiogenesis during myocardial ischemia Esteban Delgado, BS, Temple University
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 1b: Peripheral Artery Disease, Aortic Aneurysm, and Cerebrovascular Disease Location: Regency Ballroom Moderators: TBA 10:30 Talk Title: TBA Bhama Ramkhelawon, PhD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine 10:55 Talk Title: TBA Scott J. Cameron, MD, PhD, Cleveland Clinic 11:20 Ovariectomy and Chemical Ovarian Failure Exacerbate Atherosclerotic Development without Impairing Ischemic Limb Recovery in Female Mice Yu Kawaida, PhD, University of Florida 11:30 CEPT1 Promotes Peripheral Atherosclerosis Via PLIN2 And Macrophage Recruitment Tariq Khan, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine 11:40 Discovery of VS-214, a long-acting apelin agonist, as a first-in-class treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) Artur Plonowski, MD, PhD, Vasa Therapeutics, Inc. 11:50 Nanoparticle-Mediated PIEZO1 Modulation to Halt Macrophage-Driven PAD Progression Through Targeting PIEZO1-Notch1 Signaling Fujie Zhao, MD, PhD, Emory University
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.	PVD Council Annual Business Meeting & Networking Luncheon – OFF SITE Location: Fogo de Chão Bellevue - 440 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA 98004 Ticket is Required to attend. Purchase ticket here.
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch on your own
1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.	*Plenary Session 2: Highlights from the ATVB* Journal Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 1:30 Daniel Steinberg Early Career Investigator Award in Atherosclerosis/Lipoproteins: Multiomic Landscape of Extracellular Vesicles in Human Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Reveals Endothelial Communication Networks Kathryn L. Howe, MD, PhD, University of Health Network 1:45 Karl Link Early Career Investigator Award in Thrombosis Direct Interleukin-6 Inhibition Blunts Arterial Thrombosis by Reducing Collagen-Mediated Platelet Activation Luca Liberale, MD, University of Genoa 2:00 Werner Risau Early Career Investigator Award in Vascular Biology Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomics Identified Fatty Acid–Binding Proteins Controlling Endothelial Glycolytic and Arterial Programming in Pulmonary Hypertension Zhiyu Dai, PhD, Washington University 2:15 David A Dichek Mid-Career Investigator Award Lecture Courtney Griffin, PhD, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) 2:35 ATVB Journal Report Ann Marie Schmidt, MD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine**
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Break/Exhibits Location: Evergreen Foyer
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 2a: Shobha Ghosh Investigator in Training Award Competition & Newly Released 2026 Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: A. Phillip Owens III, PhD, University of Cincinnati Hanrui Zhang, PhD, Columbia University Irving Medical Center Shobha Ghosh Investigator in Training Award Competition 3:30 Single-Nuclei Transcriptomics Reveals Divergent Regenerative Trajectories and Signaling Networks in Response to Exercise Therapy in Peripheral Artery Disease Dong Gun Oh, BS, Emory University 3:45 Primary Cilia Protein IFT88 Is a Key Governor of Smooth Muscle Phenotype Brendan O'Brien, PhD, Yale School of Medicine 4:00 Lipid Nanoparticle-based Delivery of Sting siRNA for In Vivo Silencing of STING in Aorta to Alleviate Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection Sanjib Sarkar, PhD, MSc, Baylor College of Medicine 4:15 Microvascular Impairment Drives Diastolic Dysfunction in a three-hit mouse model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Thulaciga Yoganathan, PhD, Calico Life Science, LLC Newly Released 2026 Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults 4:30-5:00 TBA
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 2b: Immunology and Inflammation in Vascular Disease Location: Regency Ballroom Moderators: TBA 3:30 Talk Title: TBA Coleen A. McNamara, MD, University of Virginia 3:55 Talk Title: TBA Klaus Ley, MD, Augusta University 4:20 Macrophage-Targeted Oxygen-Generating Theranostic Photoactivation Facilitates Inflammation Resolution and Stabilization of Hypoxic Atherosclerotic Plaques Jin Hyuk Kim, BS, Korea University Guro Hospital 4:30 TBD TBD 4:40 V-domain Immunoglobulin Suppressor of T cell Activation (VISTA) is protective against atherosclerosis Sachi Chaudhari, BS, Mayo Clinic 4:50 Macrophage-Targeted Oxygen-Generating Theranostic Photoactivation Facilitates Inflammation Resolution and Stabilization of Hypoxic Atherosclerotic Plaques Ziyang Liu, PhD, University of Pittsburgh and UPMC
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.	Poster Session 2 & Reception – Sponsored by the ATVB Journal Location: Grand Ballroom

Friday, May 15 activities
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration Location: Regency Foyer Exhibits Location: Evergreen Foyer
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.	Continental Breakfast Location: Evergreen Foyer
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.	Early Career Training Session 2: Roundtable Events Location: TBA Kick off your morning with our engaging and interactive roundtable events, a dynamic and interactive session designed to facilitate small-group discussions on key topics essential for career development. Each roundtable will provide a space to ask questions, share experiences, and gain valuable insights from seasoned professionals. This session is open to all attendees but specifically targeted towards early career/student trainee attendees.
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.	Plenary Session 3: Advancing Cardiometabolic Care: From GLP-1 to SGLT2 and Beyond Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 8:00 Title TBA Ambarish Pandey, MD, MSCS, UT Southwestern Medical Center 8:30 Title TBA Jane A. Leopold, MD, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 9:00 Title TBA Jason Fish, PhD, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University of Toronto
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.	Break/Exhibits Location: Evergreen Foyer
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.	Concurrent Session 3a: Metabolic Disorders and Vascular Diseases Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 10:00 Talk Title: TBA Rama Natarajan, PhD, City of Hope 10:00 Talk Title: TBA Rama Natarajan, PhD, City of Hope 10:25 Talk Title: TBA Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, Johns Hopkins University 10:50 Macrophage full-length TREM2 suppresses hepatic apolipoprotein C3 secretion and atherosclerosis in prediabetic hepatic steatosis Jingjing Tang, PhD, University of Washington 11:00 Dual Inhibition of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporters 1 and 2 Attenuates Atherosclerosis via Metabolic Reprogramming Toward Fatty Acid Oxidation Keith Saum, MD, PhD, University of Michigan 11:10 Sex-specific multi-omics analysis of metabolic and molecular crosstalk between MASH and atherosclerosis Sandeep Das, PhD, LSUHSC Shreveport 11:20 Extracellular vesicles produced by human β -cells exposed to T1D related inflammatory stress cytokines communicate impaired immunometabolic signaling to macrophages and CD4+ T lymphocytes Akiko Searles, BS, UCSF
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.	Concurrent Session 3b: Vessel Wall Biology and Smooth Muscle Cell Dysfunction Location: Regency Ballroom Moderators: TBA 10:00 Talk Title: TBA Carlos Fernandez-Hernando, PhD, Yale School of Medicine 10:25 Talk Title: TBA Paul Cheng, MD, PhD, Stanford University 10:50 Dedicated Smooth Muscle Progenitor Populations, Marked by Notch3 and Sox9, Show Distinct Atherosclerotic Plaque Fate Matthew Worssam, PhD, MSc, Stanford University 11:00 Endothelial AGO1 Drives Vascular Inflammation, Hyperlipidemia, and Atherosclerosis via a Non-Canonical Nuclear Mechanism Zhen Chen, PhD, City of Hope 11:10 Integrated single-cell and spatial transcriptomics identify DLX6-AS1 as a driver of smooth muscle cell transition in human atherosclerosis Jessica Pauli, MSc, TUM Klinikum 11:20 Metabolic changes influence vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation state Callie Kwartler, PhD, UT Health Science Center at Houston
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	The Mentor of Women Award Luncheon - The Career Ladder Negotiation: How to Ask for What You Need at Every Step (Presented by the ATVB Women's Leadership Committee) Ticketed Event. Location: TBA Whether you are a PhD candidate, a physician-scientist finalizing your first faculty offer, or a seasoned Professor navigating complex leadership roles, negotiation is one of the most critical “soft skills” in your academic toolkit. This session moves beyond simply “asking for more” and focuses on mastering the art of collaborative problem-solving within the unique culture and constraints of academia.
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.	Lunch on your own
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.	Plenary Session 4: Early Career Investigator Award Competition: Irvine H. Page Junior Faculty Research Award & Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Prize in Thrombosis Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: Wayne Orr, PhD, LSU Health Shreveport Esther Lutgens, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic Milka Koupenova, PhD, UMass Chan Medical School Joseph E. Aslan, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University Irvine H. Page Junior Faculty Research Award Competition 1:00 Leucine-Dependent mTORC1 Signaling in Macrophages Mediates the Divergent Atherogenic Risks of Animal and Plant Proteins Xiangyu Zhang, PhD, University of Pittsburgh 1:15 The Interleukin Signaling in Atherogenic Endothelial Reprogramming Mabruka Alfaidi, MD, PhD, UNMC 1:30 Defective Lymphatic Drainage and Junctional Disorganization Impair Cardiac Injury Resolution After Myocardial Infarction Xiaolei Liu, PhD, Temple University 1:45 Nestin+ macrophages engage IGF-1 signaling required for atherosclerosis regression Jose Gabriel Barcia Duran, PhD, NYU Grossman School of Medicine Kenneth M. Brinkhous Early Career Investigator Prize in Thrombosis Competition 2:00 A Peroxiredoxin-like Oxidation Mechanism on Protein Disulfide Isomerase Promotes Thrombosis in Oxidative Stress Moua Yang, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine 2:15 A molecular hotspot oppositely regulates platelet adhesion and aggregation to differentiate thrombosis and hemostasis Yunfeng Chen, PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch 2:30 The Repurposing of FDA-Approved Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Agonists is an Alternative Therapeutic Option for Deep Vein Thrombosis Colin Evans, PhD, University of South Carolina 2:45 Mechanisms of Thrombosis in Fibromuscular Dysplasia Anu Aggarwal, PhD, MSc, Cleveland Clinic
3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.	Break/Exhibits Location:
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 4a: Lipid Metabolism and Novel Therapeutic Targets in Atherosclerosis Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 3:30 Talk Title: TBA Gissette Reyes-Soffer, MD, Columbia University 3:55 Talk Title: TBA Arif Yurdagul, PhD, LSU Health Shreveport 4:20 Lipoproteins are susceptible to proteolytic modifications that may alter their atherogenicity Clairity Voy, BS, University of Kentucky 4:30 Phosphatidylcholine Acyl Chain Composition Determines the Directionality of Lipid Transfer Between Nanoparticles and HDL Rafael Zubiran, MD, NHLBI 4:40 PIP2 metabolism as a novel therapeutic target for reverse cholesterol transport and atherosclerosis Kailash Gulshan, PhD, MSc, Cleveland State University 4:50 Lipoprotein(a) undergoes Endothelial Transcytosis via Activin receptor-Like Kinase 1: An Unexpected Mechanism for Residual Cardiovascular Risk Warren Lee, MD, PhD, University of Toronto
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.	Concurrent Session 4b: Genomics, Epigenetics, and Precision Medicine in Vascular Disease Location: Regency Ballroom Moderators: TBA 3:30 Talk Title: TBA Ferhaan Ahmad, MD, PhD, University of Iowa 3:55 Talk Title: TBA Julia J. Mack, PhD, UCLA 4:20 Genetically Decreased CPS1 Activity Attenuates Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Humans and Atherosclerosis in Mice Through Sexually Dimorphic Patterns James Hilser, PhD, MPH, UCLA 4:30 Systematic Mapping of Smooth Muscle Cell Gene Programs That Drive Genetic Risk for Coronary Artery Disease Daniel Li, MD, Stanford University 4:40 A Single-Cell and Spatial Transcriptomic Atlas of Human Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Hanqiu Zhao, MD, MS, Washington University in St. Louis 4:50 Stage dependent transcriptomic profiling identifies Syndecan-2 dysregulation during neural crest derived smooth muscle differentiation in smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome Yan Zhang, MPH, UTHealth McGovern Medical School
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.	Poster Session 3 & Reception Location: Grand Ballroom
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.	Vascular Discovery Council Celebration – OFF SITE (Presented by the ATVB & PVD Councils) Location: Forum Social House - 700 Bellevue Way NE STE 300, Bellevue, WA 98004 Ticket is Required to attend. Visit the Registration Desk onsite for more information or purchase ticket here.

Saturday, May 16 activities
Time	Activity
7:30 a.m.	Registration Location: Regency Foyer
7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.	Continental Breakfast Location: Evergreen Foyer
7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.	Inside the American Heart Association's Research Enterprise: Grant Funding and Other Opportunities Location: TBD Jessica M. Biddinger, American Heart Association
8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.	Plenary Session 5: Council Awards and Recognition Location: Evergreen Ballroom
9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.	Break Location: Evergreen Foyer
9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.	Plenary Session 6: Invited Lecture Series Location: Evergreen Ballroom Moderators: TBA 9:30 Vascular Discovery Distinguished Lecture: TBA Kiran Musunuru, MD, PhD, MPH, ML, MRA, University of Pennsylvania 10:00 Jeffrey M. Hoeg Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Award for Basic Science and Clinical Research—Sponsored by the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Epsins Orchestrate Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting Hong Chen, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital 10:30 PVD Mid-Career Award & Lecture –Sponsored by Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease: Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Endothelial Cell Fate and Regeneration Ngan F. Huang, PhD, Stanford University
11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.	Closing Remarks 11:00 Peter K. Henke, MD, University of Michigan

About this Meeting

This 2 ½-day meeting is sponsored by the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, the Peripheral Vascular Disease Council, and the Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine, in cooperation with and the Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Research Initiatives Conference.

Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions will provide unique opportunities to meet with colleagues from around the world with wide-ranging research interests and expertise for the timely exchange of information about new and emerging scientific research in the areas of arteriosclerosis, thrombosis and vascular biology, peripheral vascular disease, vascular surgery research, genomics and precision medicine. We expect a broad representation from many disciplines and encourage young scientists to attend.

See the American Heart Association Policies and Guiding Values (PDF).

Target Audience

The conference will especially appeal to scientists and clinicians interested in:

Allergy and Immunology
Arteriosclerosis
Biochemistry
Biological Sciences
Diabetes and Metabolism
Functional Genomics
Genetics
Hematology
Internal Medicine
Molecular/Cellular Biology
Nutrition
Pathology
Peripheral Artery Disease
Pharmacology
Physiology
Vascular Surgery
Thrombosis
Vascular Biology
Vascular Medicine

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this conference, participants will be able to:

Discuss recent advances and emerging experimental models in ATVB and peripheral vascular diseases that target primary acquired diseases and/or secondary factors contributing to vascular-related disorders.
Summarize findings from recent translational research or clinical trials and the impact for future treatment and/or management of vascular-related disorders.
Describe best practices associated with ATVB scientific research and/or the management of patients with vascular-related diseases.