Programming – BCVS Scientific Sessions

Shaping the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine: Integrating Basic Science Breakthroughs to Clinical Impact
July 13–16, 2026
Sheraton Boston | Boston, Massachusetts

Exciting programming for 2026

We've got a great program for you this year in Boston. Explore the invited speakers and their presentation titles below, and this page will be updated further.

Note: The times below are in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (-4 UTC).

Sunday, July 12 BCVS26 Schedule
Time	Activity
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.	Cardio-Immunology Meets Cardio-Metabolism: Novel Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches Pre-Conference Symposium 9:00 – 10:15 am: Session 1 10:15 – 10:45 am: Break 10:45 – 12:00 pm: Session 2 Ticketed Event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)
1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.	Asian Cardiovascular Pre-Conference Symposium 12:00-1:00 Registration 1:00-4:00 – Breakout Sessions 4:30-6:00 – Poster Session 7:00-10:00 – ACS Dinner Ticketed Event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)

Monday, July 13 BCVS26 Schedule
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration & Exhibits
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.	Coffee Break
8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.	Inside the American Heart Association's Research Enterprise: Grant Funding and Other Opportunities
8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.	Break
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.	Early Career Pre-Conference 9:00 to 9:15 a.m. – Opening Welcome 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. – Session 1: Next Best Thing 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. – Break 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. – Session 2: Next Best Thing 11:45 to 12:45 p.m. – Keynote Lecture
12:30 to 1:00 p.m.	Break & Exhibits
1:00 to 1:30 p.m.	BCVS26 Opening Session
1:30 to 2:45 p.m.	Session 1 - Cardiac Sarcomeres and Myofilaments Moderators: Carl Tong, MD, PhD, University of Arizona, USA Michael Regnier, PhD, University of Washington, USA Speakers: 1:30-1:50 How titin springs orchestrate cardiac structure and function: Lessons from an in vivo cleavage model Wolfgang A Linke, PhD, University of Münster, Germany 1:50-2:10 Stretch and relax: Modulation of strain dependent cross bridge detachment by MyBP-C Samantha Harris, PhD, University of Arizona, USA 2:10-2:30 Molecular Regulation of Sarcomere Function in Cardiomyopathies Farid Moussavi-Harami, MD, University of Washington, USA 2:30-2:45 Abstract Slot
2:45 to 3:15 p.m.	Break & Exhibits
3:15 to 4:30 p.m.	Session 2 - Molecular Targets for Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy Moderators: Susmita Sahoo, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA Loren Wold, PhD, The Ohio State University, USA Speakers: 3:15-3:35 Obesity-metabolic Syndrome and HFpEF David A Kass, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA 3:35-3:55 Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure Kurt Prins, MD, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina, USA 3:55-4:15 Cardiokines, diabetes and ischemic heart failure Yajing Wang, MD, PhD, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA 4:15-4:30 Abstract slot
4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.	Poster Session I and Reception

Tuesday, July 14 BCVS26 Schedule
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration and Exhibits
6:30 to 8:00 a.m.	Coffee Break
7:00 to 8:00 a.m.	Rise & Shine: Pathways in STEM Breakfast Ticketed event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)
8:00 to 9:15 a.m.	Session 3 – Cardiac Growth, Hypertrophy and Remodeling Moderators: Cat Makarewich, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, USA Lilei Zhang, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, USA Speakers: 8:00-8:20 Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Christine Seidman, MD, Harvard University, USA 8:20-8:40 TBD Da-Zhi Wang, PhD, University of South Florida, USA 8:40-9:00 Mechanistic insight into cardiac growth and hypertrophy Junichi Sadoshima, PhD, MD, Rutgers Health New Jersey Medical School, USA 9:00-9:15 Abstract slot
9:15 to 9:45 a.m.	Break/Exhibits
9:45 to 11:00 a.m.	Session 4 - What’s New in Cardiovascular Fibrosis Moderators: Eric Small, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center, USA Alexandra (Bobbie) Garvin, PhD, East Carolina University, USA 9:45-10:05 Endocardial derived fibroblast subpopulation in pressure overload-induced fibrosis Bin Zhou, MD, PhD, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China 10:05-10:25 Chromatin remodeling as a driver of fibroblast activation Michael Alexanian, PhD, University of California San Francisco, USA 10:25-10:45 Sex differences in cardiac fibrosis Katarzyna A Cieslik, PhD, Houston Methodist Research Institute, USA 10:45-11:00 Abstract slot
11:00 to 12:00 p.m.	Session 5: BCVS 2026 Keynote Lecture Moderators: Farah Sheikh, PhD, University of California San Diego, USA Jennifer Davis, PhD, University of Washington, USA Keynote Presentation: Treating Cardiac Fibrosis with mRNA and CAR T cells Jonathan Epstein, MD, University of Pennsylvania, USA
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.	Lunch on your own OR BCVS26 Lunch with Legends Ticketed Event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)
1:30 to 2:45 p.m.	Session 6 – Cardiovascular Development, Gene Regulation and Congenital Heart Disease Moderators: Neil C Chi, MD, PhD, University of California, San Diego, USA Carmen (Kika) Sucharov, PhD, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, USA Speakers: 1:30-1:50 Zebrafish heart development and regeneration Caroline Burns, PhD, Harvard University, USA 1:50-2:10 Long distance cell-cell communication in ventricular wall formation Mingfu Wu, PhD, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, USA 2:10-2:30 An unexpected role of Zip8, a zinc importer, during early myocardial morphogenesis Deqiang Li, MD, PhD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, USA
2:45 to 3:15 p.m.	Break & Exhibits
3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.	Session 7 - Cardiac Repair, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Moderators: Richard T Lee, MD, Harvard University, USA William Pu, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital, USA 3:15-3:35 Organ on Chip Modeling of Heart Disease Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD, Columbia University, USA 3:35-3:55 FRESH 3D cardiac bioprinting Adam W Feinberg, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University, USA 3:55-4:15 Gene Circuits In Cardiac Development Laurie Boyer, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA 4:15-4:30 Abstract slot
4:30 to 7:00 p.m.	Poster Session II & Reception Sponsored by American Heart Association Journals and Circulation Research
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.	Career Connections Networking Social Complimentary Ticketed Event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)

Wednesday, July 15 BCVS26 Schedule
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration & Exhibits
7:00 to 8:00 a.m.	Coffee Break
7:00 to 7:30 a.m.	Unopposed Time
8:00 to 9:15 a.m.	Session 8 - Emerging Cardiovascular Translational Technologies Moderators: Mingxia Gu, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, USA Daniel Garry, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA 8:00-8:20 Engineering Smart Delivery Systems for Cardiovascular Therapeutics Daniele Catalucci, PhD, National Research Council, Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research, Italy 8:20-8:40 Human Cardiac Organoids as Translational Platforms for Cardiovascular Disease Aitor Aguirre, PhD, Michigan State University, USA 8:40-9:00 Transcriptional Rewiring as Therapy: CRISPRa in Cardiac Disease Laura Zelarayán-Behrend, PhD, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany 9:00-9:15 Abstract slot
9:15 to 9:45 a.m.	Break & Exhibits
9:45 to 11:00 a.m.	Session 9 – Unlocking New Mechanisms in Cardiac Arrhythmia Moderators: Nikhil Munshi, MD, PhD, UT Southwestern, USA Lee Eckhardt, MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA Speakers: 9:45-10:00 Immune-Electrical Crosstalk: How Cardiac Inflammation Shapes Arrhythmia Mechanisms Matthias Nahrendorf, MD, PhD, Harvard University, USA 10:00-10:20 Novel Neural Mechanisms Underlying Ventricular Arrhythmias Olujimi A Ajijola, MD, PhD, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, USA 10:20-10:45 Cardiac Radiation Therapy as Mechanism to Circumvent Cardiac Arrhythmias Stacey Rentschler, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis, USA 10:45-11:00 Abstract slot
11:00 to 12:00 p.m.	Session 10: Outstanding Early Career Investigator Award
12:00 to 1:30 p.m.	Bench to Business Networking Panel: A candid, interactive panel featuring academic entrepreneurs, biotech, pharma, and venture capital discussing what it takes for cardiovascular discoveries to become medicines Moderators: Farah Sheikh, PhD, University of California San Diego, USA Emily J Tsai, MD, Columbia University, USA Panelists: Eric Adler, MD, Myoventive, USA Sek Kathiresan, MD, Eli Lilly and Company; Verve Therapeutics, USA Leslie Leinwand, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder, USA Christopher J. O'Donnell, MD, MPH, Novartis, USA Milica Radisic, PhD, University of Toronto, Canada Christine Seidman, MD, Harvard University, USA Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, Stanford University, USA Linda Yu, PhD, American Heart Association, USA
1:30 to 2:45 p.m.	Session 11- Cardio-Immunology: Inflammation, Immunity, and the Heart Moderators: Pilar Alcaide, PhD, University of Miami, USA Jop van Berlo, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA Speakers: 1:30-1:50 pm Clonal Hematopoiesis or Update on Inflammation in Atherosclerosis Peter Libby, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA 1:50-2:10pm Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Myocarditis: From Immune Dysregulation to Precision Cardio-Oncology Han Zhu, MD, Stanford University, USA 2:10-2:30pm Lifestyle and genetic interactions in atherosclerosis Cameron McAlpine, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA 2:30-2:45pm Abstract Slot
2:45 to 3:15 p.m.	Break & Exhibits
3:15 to 4:30 p.m.	Session 12 – The Age of Metabolism Moderators: Jason Karch, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, USA Ann Chiao, PhD, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, USA Speakers: 3:15-3:35 BCAA Metabolism in Healthy Longevity: From Mechanism to Intervention Yibin Wang, PhD, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 3:35-3:55 Identifying Links Between Cardiac Metabolism and Cancer Anja Karlstaedt, MD, PhD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA 3:55-4:15 TBD Orian Shirihai, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, USA 4:15-4:30 Abstract slot
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.	Poster Session III and Reception
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.	BCVS Council Dinner Ticketed Event. Add ticket to your registration(link opens in new window)

Thursday, July 16 BCVS26 Schedule
Time	Activity
7:00 a.m.	Registration & Coffee Break
7:00 to 7:30 a.m.	Unopposed Time
8:00 to 9:15 a.m.	Session 13 – Cardiac Cellular Signaling: Mechanisms and Cross talk Moderators: Federica Accornero, PhD, Brown University, USA Rongxue Wu, MD, PhD, The University of Chicago, USA 8:00-8:20 Class IIa HDAC signaling in cardiometabolic disease Johannes Backs, MD, Institute of Experimental Cardiology Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany 8:20-8:40 Mitochondria orchestrate tissue remodeling in HFpEF hearts Rong Tian, MD, PhD, University of Washington, USA 8:40-9:00 Inhibiting Hippo Signaling in Ischemic Heart Failure James F Martin, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, USA 9:00-9:15 Abstract slot
9:15 to 9:45 a.m.	Break
9:45 to 11:00 a.m.	Session 14 – Pathophysiologic and Systemic Axes Beyond the Heart Moderators: Konstantinos Drosatos, MSc, PhD, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA Lina Shehadeh, PhD, University of Miami, USA 9:45-10:05 A multipotent cell type from term human placenta Hina Chaudhry, MD, Mount Sinai, USA 10:05-10:25 Circular RNA Cdr1as Modulates Macrophage-Mediated Cardiac Reparative Function Raj Kishore, PhD, Temple University, USA 10:25-10:45 Skeletal Muscle as a Mediator of Interorgan Crosstalk During Exercise: Implications for Aging and Obesity Kristin Stanford, PhD, The Ohio State University, USA 10:45-11:00 Abstract slot
11:00 to 11:10 a.m.	BCVS 2026 Closing Remarks

Target Audience

Basic cardiovascular scientists
Molecular/cellular biologists
Physiologists
Translational investigators
Clinical trialists
Practicing cardiologists
Cardiovascular nurses and pharmacists

Learning Objectives

Understand new developments in cardiovascular pathophysiology and their implications for future therapeutics.
Discuss emerging translational research in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease and its precursors.
Recognize scope and implication of cardio-immunology for advancing future therapeutics.
Describe areas for therapeutic development which attenuate the intracellular transmission of cellular disease and dysfunction.

Programming – BCVS Scientific Sessions

Exciting programming for 2026

Cardio-Immunology Meets Cardio-Metabolism: Novel Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches

Target Audience

Learning Objectives