2025 Vascular and Heart Research Symposium Schedule

8:45 a.m. Welcome to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Michael Friedlander, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and Vice President, Health Sciences and Technology, Virginia Tech

8:50 a.m. Welcome to the Center for Vascular and Heart Research: History and Moving Forward, Robert Gourdie, Ph.D., FAHA, AIMBE, Professor and Director, Center for Vascular and Heart Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Session 1: Pulmonary Hypertension

9 a.m. Laszlo Farkas, M.D., The Ohio State University College of Medicine: "Endosome-Lysosome as Therapeutic Target in Pulmonary Hypertension"

9:40 a.m.  Yassine Sassi, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "The Nighttime Prescription: How Sleep Heals in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension"

10 a.m.  Moises Cossio, M.D., Carilion Clinic: "Diagnosing and Treating Pulmonary Hypertension: Case-based Presentation"

10:20 a.m. Coffee Break

10:40 a.m. Tour of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

Session 2: MechanoEnergetics in Heart and Muscle

11:10 a.m.: Jonathan Kirk, Ph.D., Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University of Chicago: "Work Hard/Relax Hard: Targeting Mechanotransduction to Help the Heart Help Itself"

11:50 p.m. Junco Warren, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "AAV-PERM1: A Novel Gene Therapy Approach for Systolic Heart Failure"

12:10 p.m. Zhen Yan, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "AMPK in Exercise Capacity and Adaptation"

12:30 p.m. Lunch Break & Posters (judged by invited speakers)

Session 3: Vascular Inflammation & Translation

3 p.m. A. Wayne Orr, Ph.D., Louisianna State University: "EphA2 in Cardiometabolic Disease"

3:40 p.m. Scott Johnstone, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Cell Signaling Control of Vascular Damage Response"

4 p.m. Joshua Adams. M.D., Carilion Clinic

4:20 p.m. Liwu Li, Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech: "Rejuvenation of Innate Leukocytes in Treating Atherosclerosis"

Session 4: Cardiac Conduction and Contractility

9 a.m. Chip Norris, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina: "Genetic Discoveries in Ehlers Danlos Syndromes Reveal New Players in Structural and Electrophysiological Cardiac and Autonomic Defects"

9:40 a.m. James Smyth, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Direct and Indirect Regulation of Connexin43 Alternative Translation Initiation in Stress"

10 a.m. Oleg Kim, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, "Beyond Platelets: Contractile Contributions of Megakaryocytic Cells"

10:20 a.m. Coffee Break

Session 5: Vascular Matrix and Injury

10:50 a.m. Sophie Astrof, Ph.D., New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University: "Formation and Remodeling of the Aortic Arch Arteries"

11:30 a.m. John Chappell, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Placental Vascular Development: Pericytes and Soluble PDGF Receptor-Beta"

11:50 a.m. Shuai Yuan, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: "Deciphering the Pro-Angiogenic Mechanism of Cytochrome b5 Reductase 4 Using Unbiased Causal Inference"

12:10 p.m. Luke Dunaway, Ph.D., University of Virginia School of Medicine: "Iron Regulation of Endothelial Function"

12:30 p.m. Lunch Break

Session 6: Cardiac Arrhythmia and Toxicity

2 p.m. Steve Poelzing, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Extracellular Mediated Automaticity: Computational Predictions and Experimental Data"

2:20 p.m. Xiaobo Wu, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Dissecting Electrical Coupling Mechanisms in the Heart: Insights into Gap Junction and Ephaptic Contributions at the Intercalated Disc"

2:40 p.m. Chelsea Phillips, Ph.D., Fralin Biomedical Research Institute: "Arrhythmogenic Subversion of Intercellular Coupling During Acute Viral Infection"

3 p.m. Robert Gourdie, Ph.D.: Concluding Remarks and Poster Prizes