Abstract
Gordon Research Conference: Lymphatics 2016
Gordon Research Conference: Lymphatics held March 20–25, 2016 was an outstanding gathering of the most seasoned investigators in the field of lymphatics as well as young investigators new to the field. Topics ranging from lymphatics in various organ systems including the brain, to lymphatic development and the involvement of lymphatics in immunity, brought together physiologists, engineers, developmental biologists, immunologists, cancer biologists, geneticists and clinicians in sessions running late into the evening.
In a special LE&RN sponsored session held in conjunction with the GRC, LE&RN Spokesperson and Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates presented the keynote speech entitled, Lymphedema: The Human Side. The session was moderated by LE&RN Executive Director, William Repicci and Dr. Stanley Rockson, Director of the Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Founding Chair of LE&RN's Scientific and Medical Advisory Council. Four patients with lymphatic disorders, representing primary and secondary lymphedema and representing men, women, and children, provided a short presentation on their experiences living with lymphatic disease. This program provided researchers, many for the first time, the opportunity to understand lymphatic conditions from the perspective of the patient.
At the conclusion of this session, Ms. Bates presented LE&RN's 2016 Wendy Chaite Leadership Award to Dr. Melody Swartz of the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Dr. Karina Yaniv of the Weizmann Institute. These two women were honored in recognition of their significant contributions in advancing the field of lymphatic research.
Young Investigator Conference Scholarships
LE&RN was able to award ten (US) $1000 Young Investigator Conference Scholarships to attend the Gordon Research Conference. These young investigators were grateful for the opportunity to attend and in many cases present their work either by poster or short talk.
• Antoine Louveau—Mentor: Jonathan Kipnis. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
• Maike Frye—Mentor: Taija Makinen. University of Uppsala, Sweden
• Hung Manh Bui—Mentor: Mark Kahn. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
• Paul (Li- Hao) Huang—Mentor: Gwendalyn Randolph Washington. University of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
• Jeremiah Bernier-Latmani—Mentor: Tatiana Petrova. CHUV/ University of Lausanne, Switzerland
• Reema Biswas-Davis—Mentor: Kathleen Caron. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
• Xiaolei Liu—Mentor: Guillermo Oliver. Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
• Jorge A. Castorena-Gonzalez—Mentor: Michael Davis. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
• Rene Hagerling—Mentor: Friedemann Kiefer. Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine Munster, Germany
• Cathy Pichol-Thievend—Mentor: Mathias Francois. University of Queensland, Australia
In addition, at the closing of the GRC, LE&RN presented four scholarship prize awards ($1,000 to $500) for the top posters sessions. Congratulations to:
• Esther Bovay—top award. University of Lausanne, Switzerland • Aleksanteri Aspelund. University of Helsinki/Wihuri Research Institute, Finland • Mirela Berisa. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY • Ines Martinez-Corral. Uppsala University, Sweden
Fat Disorders Postdoctoral Fellowship
The LE&RN/FDRS Lipedema Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards Program awarded a total of four postdoctoral fellowships through the inaugural 2015 LE&RN/FDRS Fellowship Program. The recipients included three LE&RN/FDRS Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardees, and due to the generosity of the new Lipedema Foundation, one Lipedema Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardee.
• Echoe Bouta, Ph.D. Massachusetts General Hospital, MA (Mechanisms of Impaired Lymphatic Function in Mice with Increased Adiposity)
• Rachelle Crescenzi, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, TN (Functional Imaging of Sodium and Lymphatics in Patients with Lymphedema)
• Javier Jaldin-Fincati, Ph.D. The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada (Communication Between Adipose and Lymphatic Microvascular Endothelial Cells)
• Annalisa Zecchin, Ph.D. University of Leuven, Belgium (Novel Metabolite-Based Treatment Approach of Lymphedema: Possible Relevance for Lipedema?)
Save the Date
The inaugural NAVBO/LE&RN Lymphatics Conference will be held at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, IL on June 8-11, 2017: http://lymphaticnetwork.org/news-events/lymphatic-conference-northwestern-university-chicago