November 14, 2017
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Meetings
What's inside the VB2017 Conference Bag?   Click it to find out! 
  20th IVBM   Helsinki, Finland   June 3-7, 2018
Registration and Abstract Submission now open! 
 
Vasculata 2018 
St. Louis, MO
July 23 - 26, 2018
Vascular Biology 
Newport, RI 
October 14-18, 2018 
Corporate Partners
Corporate Members
Affiliated Journals
Congratulations to
Angiogenesis!
The new 2016 impact factor for Angiogenesis has increased to 5.253*.
 
* 2016 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics, 2017)
Cardiovascular Medicine
VB 2017 Supporters






VB 2017 Exhibitors
Raise the Caps Campaign: November 13-17, 2017
The austerity level budget caps established under the 2011 Budget Control Act are once again in force after a temporary reprieve. Unless Congress negotiates another agreement to lift these caps, the FY18 budget for non-defense agencies and programs will be constrained to a level even lower than in FY17.  
 
As Congress works on a final federal spending bill for fiscal year 2018, Research!America and partners have launched a week-long print and digital ad and social media campaign to help raise awareness about the importance of increased funding for research across all scientific disciplines. Use the hashtag #RaisetheCaps on social media and other digital platforms.
 
Join us in reminding Congress that scientific breakthroughs depend on federal investments.There are several easy ways to get involved:
  Visit Research!America's #RaisetheCaps web page for resources and to learn more about the joint ad campaign.
Lessons Learned
Ill Communication
by Michael Dellinger,
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Music has always been an important part of my life. I enjoy listening to songs and trying to find the message in lyrics. When I started my lab in 2014, I was the only person in the lab for approximately two months. This was a chance for me to play my favorite albums in the lab, and I listened to "Ill Communication" by the Beastie Boys at least once every other day. As people joined my group, I discovered that I had ill communication. Sometimes I had a hard time getting my ideas across to the people in my lab. Below are a few suggestions that have helped me become a better communicator and a more efficient and effective leader.
If you are interested in sharing your lessons learned, contact the NewsBeat/Newsletter Editor, William Huckle, at editor@navbo.org.
Spotlight on Trainees (from the November 2 issue)
The Post-PhD Hangover?
"No one prepares you for the post-PhD PTSD, " notes Jessica J. Williams, Ph.D, Assistant Director of the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy at Agnes Scott College, in a recent post on LinkedIn, "but remembering the months of pervasive and palpable sadness that followed the completion of my doctoral degree, it really wasn't funny at all."  Dr. Williams recounts with courageous candor her own bouts of anxiety and depression in the year following her graduation, struggling to distinguish job-related dissatisfaction with malaise of a more internal origin.  Was the PhD worth the heroic effort it took to finish?  With so many people obtaining graduate and professional degrees, how can one stand out?  Why is the sense of satisfaction as a new PhD not proportional to the blood, sweat and tears invested?  Her solution includes "setting my own parameters for happiness and sharing my story without shame or fear that somehow it should be anything other than what it is."
Lab of the Month
The Lab of Dr. Michael Dellinger
This month we are highlighting the lab of Dr. Michael Dellinger, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Find out more about Dr. Dellinger and his lab at http://www.navbo.org/membership/members-labs/649-lab112017.
Member News
A 'CRISPR' view of Sturge-Weber syndrome is coming into focus
Research led by Joyce Bischoff, PhD, of the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children's Hospital has provided new insights into the pathogenesis of Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare congenital disorder of capillary formation associated with "port wine" birthmarks and, in some cases, seizures. Dr. Bischoff's team found the genetic mutation responsible for Sturge-Weber syndrome (R183Q in Gq-alpha) in endothelial cells lining affected capillaries in the brain. Their goal now is to use microfluidic chip technology to functionally model microvascular networks, using human cells modified via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to replicate the GNAQ R183Q mutation.
If you have news to share with your colleagues, send it to membership@navbo.org.
 Recent Publications by NAVBO Members

The Metabolic and Proliferative State of Vascular Adventitial Fibroblasts in Pulmonary Hypertension is Regulated through a MiR-124/PTBP1/PKM Axis
Circulation
Background - An emerging "metabolic theory" of pulmonary hypertension (PH) suggests that cellular and mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction underlies the pathology of this disease.  Read more

 

Identification of miR-124 as a Major Regulator of Enhanced Endothelial Cell Glycolysis in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension via PTBP1 and PKM2
Circulation
Background - Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by abnormal growth and enhanced glycolysis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs).  Read more

 

Changes induced by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatocytes: spectroscopic imaging of single live cells at the subcellular level
Analyst
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disorder worldwide, involving pathogenic mechanisms of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), hepatocytes and other liver cells.  Read more

 

Breast cancer pulmonary metastasis is increased in mice undertaking spontaneous physical training in the running wheel; a call for revising beneficial effects of exercise on cancer progression
American Journal of Cancer Research
It has been repeatedly shown that regular aerobic exercise exerts beneficial effects on incidence and progression of cancer. However, the data regarding effects of exercise on metastatic dissemination remain conflicting.  Read more

 

Activation pattern of ACE2/Ang-(1-7) and ACE/Ang II pathway in course of heart failure assessed by multiparametric MRI in vivo in Tgaq*44 mice
Journal of Applied Physiology
Here the authors analyzed systemic (plasma) and local (heart/aorta) changes in ACE/ACE-2 balance in Tgaq*44 mice in course of heart failure (HF).  Read more

 

Thrombospondin1 (TSP1) replacement prevents cerebral cavernous malformations
Journal of Experimental Medicine
KRIT1 mutations are the most common cause of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). Acute Krit1 gene inactivation in mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) changes expression of multiple genes involved in vascular development.  Read more

 

Resveratrol Inhibits Growth of Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Associated With Upregulation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
Objective - Recent evidence suggests an important role for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in limiting abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).  Read more

 

Interleukin-1 Beta as a Target for Atherosclerosis Therapy: Biological Basis of CANTOS and Beyond
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Inflammatory pathways drive atherogenesis and link conventional risk factors to atherosclerosis and its complications. One inflammatory mediator has come to the fore as a therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease.  Read more

 

Epigenetics and precision medicine in cardiovascular patients: from basic concepts to the clinical arena
European Heart Journal
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide and also inflict major burdens on morbidity, quality of life, and societal costs.  Read more

 

The infarcted myocardium solicits GM-CSF for the detrimental oversupply of inflammatory leukocytes
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Myocardial infarction (MI) elicits massive inflammatory leukocyte recruitment to the heart. Here, the authors hypothesized that excessive leukocyte invasion leads to heart failure and death during acute myocardial ischemia.  Read more
Industry News (from the November 2 issue)
Has peer review lost its teeth in academic journals?
As scientists with a desire and need to publish findings from our research, we rely on the integrity of the review process to maintain confidence in the rigor of published work-ours and that of our colleagues.  With the explosion in the number and aggressive tactics of pay-to-publish journals, is that faith justified?  Patrick Kiger writes that academicians "...fear that many of the publications, which provide access to information online without subscriptions and depend upon accepting articles to make income, have an incentive to publish studies regardless of whether they're credible and scientifically sound." Moreover, the peer-review process may have been weakened to the point that it has become difficult to "...prevent a lot of dubious findings from getting into circulation."

Academic Bullying - Past, Present, and Future
Faculty Incivility: The Rise of the Academic Bully Culture and What to Do About It, by Darla Twale and Barbara DeLuca from the University of Dayton, was published in 2008, but, judging by the tone of reader comments available, has not diminished in relevance.  The publisher (Jossey-Bass) notes that "this important book addresses the prevalence of faculty incivility, camouflaged aggression, and the rise of an academic bully culture in higher education. The authors show how to recognize a bully culture that may form as a result of institutional norms, organizational structure, academic culture, and systemic changes. Filled with real-life examples, the book offers research-based suggestions for dealing with this disruptive and negative behavior in the academic workplace."  Rare is the member of the academic community who could not offer up a few case studies from their own experience or observation.
Job Postings
Job Title
Company
Location
Yale University
 New Haven, CT
Postdoctoral Fellow Position
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
UC Berkeley
 Berkeley, CA
Post-doctoral Fellow
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH
OMRF
 Oklahoma City, OK
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM
Calendar of Events
Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2017
 XXXIII LIAC Meeting - VIVA winter school on vascular aging
Feb. 25 - March 1, 2018
 Keystone Symposia: Vascular Biology and Human Diseases: From Molecular Pathways to Novel Therapeutics
May 31 - June 1, 2018
22nd International Workshop on Vascular Anomalies
June 3 - 7, 2018
 20th International Vascular Biology Meeting
June 9 - 12, 2018
 XVIII International Symposium on Atherosclerosis
July 18 - 21, 2018
 ISTH SSC 2018 Meeting
Sept. 9 - 13, 2018
 11th World Congress of Microcirculation (WCM2018)
North American Vascular Biology Organization | bernadette@navbo.org | http://www.navbo.org
18501 Kingshill Road
Germantown, MD 20874-2211

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