Mechanotransduction Workshop
A virtual meeting - February 24-26, 2025
(12:00pmET to 4:30pmET each day)
Organized by Martin Schwartz, Yale University and Ellie Tzima, University of Oxford
Mechanotransduction in Vascular Biology and Disease
Blood vessels are sculpted by mechanical forces from blood pressure and flow from the first heartbeat to the end of life. Observations in the late 1800’s first suggested that shear stress and blood pressure influenced artery physiology and remodeling. Over the past 40 years, recognition has steadily grown of the centrality of mechanotransduction to vascular development, physiology and vascular diseases. This conference aims to offer both a broad historical perspective and up to date findings on the role of mechanotransduction in vascular biology and medicine.
The meeting will be recorded and all registrants will be provided with a link to the recordings.
| Monday, February 24 | |
| 12:00-12:15pm
| Keynote My Involvement in Vascular Mechanotransduction – Past, Present and Future Shu Chien, University of California, San Diego |
12:15 – 2:00pm | Morphogenesis and Malformations |
| 12:15pm | Smad signaling in protecting mechanosensing Roxana Ola, Heidelberg University |
| 12:45pm | Mechanotransduction and coronary development Kristy Red-Horse, Stanford University</td |
| 1:15pm | Cell mechanics and mechanotransduction in the developing cardiovascular system Julien Vermot, Imperial College London</td |
| 1:45pm | Short Talk: Force-driven wild-type cell recruitment in cerebral cavernous malformations Apeksha Shapeti, KU Leuven |
2:00pm | Break |
| 2:30 – 4:30pm | Matrix, Structure and Disease |
| 2:30pm | Endothelial responses to substrate topography: mechanisms and implications Abdul Barakat, Ecole Polytechnique |
| 3:00pm | Mechanisms of matrix remodeling and stiffening during aging Lakshmi Santhanam, Johns Hopkins University |
| 3:30pm | A new set of complexes in the mechanoregulation of vascular adhesions Chris Chen, Boston University |
| 4:00pm | Short Talk: Roles of the mesodermal source of Fibronectin in modulating cell-ECM interactions with Tenascin C and mechanotransduction Sophie Astrof, Rutgers University |
| 4:15pm | Short Talk: Microvascular regeneration in ischemic muscle is driven by low-flow intussusceptive angiogenesis with locally suppressed VEGFR2 signaling Sabrina Staples, Robarts Research Institute |
Tuesday, February 25 | |
| 12:00 – 2:00pm | Atherosclerosis and Shear Stress |
| 12:00pm | Shear stress regulated pathways in atherosclerosis Paul Evans, University of Sheffield |
| 12:30pm | Role of flow-sensitive HEG1 in vascular endothelial protection and vascular disease Hanjoong Jo, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University |
| 1:00pm | Mechanobiology: From fundamental discovery to clinical translation Tzung Hsiai, UCLA |
| 1:30pm | Short Talk: Direct mechanotransduction through PECAM regulates the start of transendothelial migration by leukocytes William Muller, Northwestern University |
| 1:45pm | Short Talk: Cerebral cavernous malformation 2 loss-of-function suppresses endothelial inflammation and reduces murine atherosclerosis Shi Fang, Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
2:00pm | Break |
| 2:30 – 4:30pm | Flow-Mediated Vascular Remodeling |
| 2:30pm | Mechanical forces in endothelial cell migration and differentiation Elizabeth AV Jones, KU Leuven |
| 3:00pm | Harnessing Genetics-Informed Mechanotransduction for Precision Vascular Nanomedicine Yun Fang, University of Chicago |
| 3:30pm | ER stress in the endothelial response to flow Wayne Orr, LSU Health–Shreveport |
| 4:00pm | Short Talk: VEGF counteracts shear stress-determined arterial fate specification during capillary remodeling Dongying Chen, Yale University |
| 4:15pm | Short Talk: Blood flow-induced molecular mechanisms in shaping collateral artery networks in mouse brain Swarnadip Ghosh, National Centre for Biological Sciences |
2:00pm | Break |
| Wednesday, February 26 | |
| 12:00 – 2:00pm | Vascular Smooth Muscle in Health and Disease |
| 12:00pm | Combined Pressure and Rigidity Sensing Determine Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Phenotype in Atherosclerosis Thomas Iskratsch, Queen Mary University of London |
| 12:30pm | The Evolving Mechano-Environment During Postnatal Aortic Development Jay Humphrey, Yale University |
| 1:00pm | Abnormal mechanotransduction in endothelial cells contributes to aortic dissection Hiromi Yanagisawa, University of Tsukuba |
| 1:30pm | Short Talk: Plxnd1-mediated mechanosensing of blood flow controls the caliber of the Dorsal Aorta via the transcription factor Klf2 Jia He, NYU Grossman |
| 1:45pm | Short Talk: Flow-related intimal injury initiates emergence of growth-dysregulated arterial endothelial cells in pulmonary arterial hypertension Jalil Azami, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute |
2:00pm | Break |
| 2:30 – 4:00pm | Shear Stress in Other Processes |
| 12:00pm | Mechanisms of lymphatic vascular specialization and renewal Tatiana Petrova, Lausanne University Hospital |
| 2:30pm | The Evolving Mechano-Environment During Postnatal Aortic Development Jay Humphrey, Yale University |
| 3:00pm | Elevated flow modifies endothelial dysfunction and primes plaque erosion Steve White, Newcastle University |
| 3:30pm | Short Talk: Mechanical regulation of uteroplacental remodelling in pregnancy Vedanta Mehta, University of Oxford |
| 3:45pm | Short Talk: Nup93 prevents endothelial stiffening via Sun1-RhoA signal regulation Julia Michalkiewicz, University of Illinois at Chicago |
4:00 - 4:30pm | Grand Finale |
| 4:00pm | The Top 10 Discoveries in Vascular Biology: Focus on Mechanoregulation Bradford Berk, University of Rochester |
Our invited speakers are:
Abdul Barakat, Ecole Polytechnique
Bradford Berk, University of Rochester
Chris Chen, Boston University
Shu Chien, University of California, San Diego
Paul Evans, University of Sheffield
Yun Fang, University of Chicago
Tzung Hsiai, UCLA
Jay Humphrey, Yale University
Thomas Iskratsch, Queen Mary University of London
Hanjoong Jo, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University
Elizabeth AV Jones, KU Leuven
Roxana Ola, Heidelberg University
Wayne Orr, LSU Health–Shreveport
Tatiana Petrova, Lausanne University Hospital
Kristy Red-Horse, Stanford University
Lakshmi Santhanam, Johns Hopkins University
Julien Vermot, Imperial College London
Steve White, Newcastle University
Hiromi Yanagisawa, University of Tsukuba
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Registration fees:
| Regular Rate | Early Bird Discount (by January 6) | |
| NAVBO Members | 175 | 125 |
| NAVBO Trainee Members | 100 | 75 |
| Non-Members | 300 | 250 |
Registration includes all three days of sessions and access to the recordings for one month.
Because the meeting will be recorded, there are no cancellations.
Abstracts will be considered for inclusion in the oral sessions.
Many of the invited speakers will provide a historic perspective on mechanotransduction - we look to abstracts to provide a view to recent findings and the road ahead.
Your abstract need not be unpublished data. We will be looking for 8 abstracts to compliment our invited talks. Short talks by abstract presenters will be ten minutes in duration with a five-minute questions and answer period.
Abstracts are due December 1, 2024
We will not have poster presentations.
Abstracts are due December 2, 2024
Early Bird Registration Deadline will end on January 6, 2025
Early bird registration deadline is January 6
(extended from January 3)
Please note - this meeting will be recorded. Registrants will receive a link to the recordings of all sessions.