Shaping the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine: Integrating Basic Science Breakthroughs to Clinical Impact

About This Grant

ABSTRACT This proposal requests NHLBI support for the 2026 Scientific Sessions meeting presented by the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) of the American Heart Association (AHA). This meeting has become the “go to” meeting for basic and translational cardiovascular sciences by providing opportunities for established and emerging investigators to present their work and receive constructive feedback. The meeting in 2026 represents the 21st consecutive annual conference. Funding for BCVS Scientific Sessions from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has been secured for 17 of the last 19 years. The BCVS summer conference is entitled “Shaping the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine: Integrating Basic Science Breakthroughs to Clinical Impact”. In 2025, our in-person conference was a rousing success with about 1,000 investigators from around the world. We plan to again hold an in-person meeting in 2026 to help facilitate the careers and networking opportunities for young investigators and support collaborations. The meeting is scheduled for July 13-July 16, 2026 and will begin on a Monday and run through Thursday. The conference will highlight the newest basic and translational cardiovascular research with implications for cardiovascular health and disease. There will be approximately 14 scheduled state-of-the-art sessions that include a mix of established and emerging investigators. The 2026 BCVS keynote address will be given by Dr. Johnathan Epstein, a Robert G. Dunlop Professor, who serves as Dean of Perelman School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. There are specific sessions for early career scientists, including two early career sessions, an Early Career Keynote Lecture, and the Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award Competition. We will host special sessions for networking including interactions with journal editors and staff. We will also include a Networking Breakfast to support scientists. This R13 proposal is designed to provide support to young investigators to enable their participation in the meeting as presenters either in oral or poster format. The primary organizers are Drs. Farah Sheikh and Jennifer Davis. The Program Committee (11 members) includes the past program co-chair and leadership from across the US drawn from the many disciplines encompassed by BCVS. The AHA will continue to provide its outstanding administrative support with dedicated staff for the logistics of the conference. We fully anticipate that this team will coordinate an exceptional 2026 BCVS conference.