Vasculata 2023

Registration for Vasculata 2023 is open.

Early Bird Registration Rates
(early bird ends on May 31)

Trainee (students and postdocs) members of NAVBO:  $165USD ($215 after May 31)

Non-member trainees: $245USD ($295USD after May 31)

All undergraduate students: $75USD ($100USD after May 31)

NAVBO Regular Members:  $425USD ($475USD after May 31)

Non-members who are faculty, PIs, etc.:   $525USD ($575USD after May 31)

There will be a $25 fee for workshops and wet labs.  Panel discussions on career development are free.

Consider joining NAVBO to save on your registration plus receive other benefits as well - https://members.navbo.org/member-application

Special notice for students - if you identify with an underrepresented group in science (Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Indigenous Peoples of America/Native American, including Native Hawaiian and Alaskan, and LGBTQ+) join NAVBO for free through our Advancing Young Voices through Diversity and Inclusion Program.  Complete the membership application here:  https://members.navbo.org/ap/Membership/Application/gLWqvZpX

REGISTER NOW

Abstracts are due May 19 by 5:00pmEDT

If you are familiar with NAVBO meetings, you'll notice this is a new submission site (yes, even newer than the one we used for the IVBM).  I hope you like it and feel free to give me some feed back. The submission site is open.

When preparing your abstract:

• Abstract Size and Limitations: Titles of abstracts are limited to 250 characters; the abstract text is limited to 2,000 characters (this number includes spaces and punctuation).
• Format: Do not include authors’ names and affiliations within the abstract body. The name of your company or institution will appear as it does in the entry you create for authors.  Remember to add yourself as an author.
• Please enter institution names exactly the same for all authors from a single institution. Please enter complete information for all co-authors including their email addresses.
• Do not include references, credits or grant support in your abstract; however, these should be acknowledged within your presentation.
• Proofread abstracts carefully to avoid errors before submission. No proof pages will be sent to authors, but you can preview your abstract within the site for accuracy.
• The presenter is responsible for expenses associated with the presentation of an abstract and attendance at the meeting (if you need financial assistance, apply for a scholarship).
• Incomplete abstracts will be deleted on June 15, 2023.
• All abstracts will be presented as Posters.

Topics for poster presentations are:

Development
Bioengineering
Cardiovascular Disease
Cell Biology
Inflammation
Lymphatics
Organ Specific
Signaling
Vascular Biology – Other

Submit your abstract

A number of scholarships will be available based on need and will cover at a minimum the registration and housing.

The deadline for applications is May 15.

Applications will be accepted online only through the submission form (link below) through May 15 - thank you.

Applications must include the following:

1) Responses to the four questions below. 

• Please provide a summary of your project in layman's terms. Describe in 300 words, the disease or basic scientific question that you are investigating, the hypothesis, methods used, results and conclusions.
• Where do you, the applicant, see yourself in five years?  Describe in 100 words. your professional goals and plans.
• What is the main reason that we should select you for this scholarship? Describe in 100 words, any circumstances which the committee should be informed of to make their decision. 
• How will you spend the money? Describe in 100 words, how you will use the scholarship money.  Be as specific as possible.

2) A letter from the applicant's supervisor/PI that

• verifies your status within the lab/department (Be specific--3rd year graduate student; post doc in lab for two years, etc.)
• confirms that there are little to no funds available for your trainee to attend Vasculata

3.) Applicant's CV

4.) Optional Abstract. It is NOT necessary to submit an abstract to qualify for the scholarship; however, it is strongly encouraged. 

ALL documents should be in pdf format.

Be sure you have all supporting documents on hand when completing this form.    You will not be able to save and return to the form.

Submit your Scholarship Application Here

Tuesday Workshops and Wet Labs
PANEL: Careers in Academia and Industry*
          Panelists: Patty Lee, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chris Gillard, Xavier University of Louisiana
Panelists from academia and industry will discuss the trials and triumphs they encountered as they pursued careers in science.

WORKSHOP: Funding your Science
          Facilitator: L. Gabby Navar, Tulane University, Wayne Orr, LSU Health - Shreveport and Shigeki Saito, Tulane University
Attendees will discuss how to write a successful fellowship or grant. These will be small working groups - bring your Specific Aims sheet to discuss with coaches.
Attendance is limited to 10 individuals

WET LAB DEMO: Quantifying Barrier Function and Cell Migration In Vitro
          Facilitator: Michelle Matter, Tulane University
Attendees will learn about and observe Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) and how it can be used to measure cell-cell junctions and cell migration.
Attendance is limited to 5 individuals

WET LAB DEMO: Engineering Microphysiological Vessels-on-a-Chip
          Facilitator: Mark Mondrinos, Tulane University
Attendees will learn about organ-on-a-chip technologies and observe current vessel-on-a-chip platforms, with possibility of a demo of loading.
Attendance is limited to 5 individuals

DRY LAB WORKSHOP: Single Cell Sequencing and Spatial Transcriptomics
          Facilitator: Xiaojiang Xu, Tulane University
Attendees will learn about workflows and bioinformatics analysis for RNASeq, single-cell RNASeq, and spatial transcriptomics. Bring your laptop and your data and ask specific questions related to your dataset.
Attendance is limited to 8 individuals

Wednesday Workshops and Wet Labs
PANEL: Diversifying Science*
          Panelists: Annet Kirabo, Vanderbilt University, Chris Gillard, Xavier University of Louisiana and Jose Wiley
Panelists will discuss challenges currently facing underrepresented and underserved scientists and offer thoughts on how they might be overcome, both on an individual and systemic level.

WORKSHOP: Funding your Science
          Facilitator: L. Gabby Navar, Tulane University, Prasad Katakam, Tulane University and Shigeki Saito, Tulane University
Attendees will discuss how to write a successful fellowship or grant. These will be small working groups - bring your Specific Aims sheet to discuss with coaches.
Attendance is limited to 10 individuals

WET LAB DEMO: 3D In Vitro Models of Sprouting Angiogenesis
          Facilitator: Jennifer Fang, Tulane University
Attendees will learn about the sprouting angiogenesis bead assay and observe sprouts developing in culture.
Attendance is limited to 5 individuals

WET LAB DEMO: Ex Vivo Models of Vascular Biology
          Facilitator: Jorge Castorena-Gonzalez, Tulane University
Attendees will discuss benefits and challenges of working with animals to study vessel biology and view a demo of imaging isolated vessels.
Attendance is limited to 5 individuals

WET LAB DEMO: Engineering Microphysiological Vessels-on-a-Chip
          Facilitator: Mark Mondrinos, Tulane University
Attendees will learn about organ-on-a-chip technologies and observe current vessel-on-a-chip platforms, with possibility of a demo of loading.
Attendance is limited to 5 individuals

Workshops have an additional $25 fee and have limited attendance, but panel discussion are at no cost.

The organizers are partnering with Bright Horizons at Tulane, a national company.  The child care facility is located very near the conference site (approximately a block away).

Childcare is dependent on availability and will be provided on a first come first serve basis.  If families are already registered with Bright Horizons, at any location nationwide, they will be eligible for drop-in care. If you are a family receiving Back Up Care benefits (BUCA) through your employer, child care can be provided through that program as well. 

If families are not affiliated with either Bright Horizons or BUCA, contact Bright Horizons for rates, which will depend on the age of the child. 

If you plan to take advantage of this service, please contact:
Bright Horizons at Tulane
127 Elk Place 
New Orleans, LA  70112
Bright Horizons at Tulane Tulane@brighthorizons.com
(504) 207-1773

Vasculata 2023 is taking place at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Sessions will take place in the Diboll Auditorium of the Tidewater Building

1440 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70112

Directions from the hotel (it is walking distance) - click here for a map  
The conference hotels are only .1 mile from the meeting site.

Breakfasts and lunches will be held in the Diboll Gallery. Workshop rooms are listed in the app.

Places to eat dinner - https://www.neworleans.com/plan/neighborhoods/downtown-cbd/restaurants/

Remember to take an uber/lyft or cab to go to restaurants or the French Quarter.

Stay safe in New Orleans:

Common Sense Tips for Visitors to Any Major City

• Travel in groups and avoid walking alone on unlit streets at night.
• Pay attention when walking and using your smart phone as these devices have been the target of thieves nationwide.
• Do not leave your purse, backpack or briefcase unattended, especially not on the back of your chair.
• Be on the lookout for pickpockets. Consolidate your wallet. Don't bring every credit card and move it to your front pocket or/and wear a cross-body bag rather than a shoulder strap to keep your purse in front of you. Do not display large amounts of cash in public places.
• Consider removing your convention badge when leaving your hotel or meeting venue.
• When hailing a ride via a mobile app, confirm the identity of your driver before getting into the car.
• If you are intoxicated, please take a taxi, Uber or Lyft instead of walking or driving.
• Trust your gut instincts. If someone or something seems suspicious, leave the area, alert a police officer or Safety Ranger.
• If approached by strangers for con games, such as, “I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes,” do not participate. Simply smile and walk past them.
• Lock car doors. Stow valuables out of sight in your vehicle.
• Ensure that your hotel room door is fully closed and locked at all times.
• Do not leave your drink unattended or accept drinks from strangers.
• Remember that most laws enforced in your city are enforced here as well.

Rooms have been secured at the following hotels:

SpringHill Suites New Orleans Downtown/Canal Street
1600 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
To reserve your room, follow this link to get the group rate.

TownPlace Suites New Orleans Downtown/Canal Street
1600 Canal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
To reserve a room at this hotel, follow this link to get the group rate.

The room rate at both hotels is $109 a night plus taxes and fees.  The cut off for this rate is June 16, 2023.  Please be sure to make your reservations by June 16 to secure a room at our group rate.

Rooms for our group are available from Sunday, July 16 to Friday, July 21 (check out date).

We will compile a list of local restaurants and diners, and links to tourist sites to help you make the most of your trip to New Orleans!