Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2024

BCVS Program Chair Sumanth Prabhu, MD, American Heart Association President Joe Wu, MD, PhD, and Jianyi Zhang, MD, PhD, chair of the BCVS Council, pose for a selfie during BCVS 23. Mark your calendar

Key Dates

Key Dates
Date Activity
January 10, 2024 Abstract and Awards submissions OPEN
March 13, 2024 Abstract and Awards submissions CLOSED
July 22, 2024 BCVS 2024 Scientific Sessions Begin
July 25, 2024 BCVS 2024 Scientific Sessions End

Why you should attend

Basic Cardiovascular Sciences
Scientific Sessions

One of the largest meetings globally dedicated to fundamental and translational research in cardiovascular science. The BCVS Scientific Sessions is a unique and career-essential event. Be a part of international ideation and development of new therapeutics for the treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases.

Engage with leading researchers in fields like microRNAs, cardiac gene and cell therapy, cardiac development, tissue engineering, and iPS cells. Network with a multitude of colleagues at the conference known for playing a pivotal role in training young and diverse researchers.


BCVS 2024 Program Committee

Sumanth Prabhu, MD, FAHA
Chair
Sumanth Prabhu, MD, FAHA
Washington University
Farah Sheikh PhD
Vice-Chair
Farah Sheikh, PhD
UC San Diego

Members

  • John Calvert, PhD, Emory University
  • Jiang Chang, MD, PhD, Texas A&M University
  • Aikaterini Kontrogianni Konstan, PhD, University of Maryland Medicine
  • Li Qian, PhD, BS, University of North Carolina
  • Gangjian Qin, MD, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Fadi Salloum, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Yaoliang Tang, MD, PhD, Medical College of Georgia

2023 Keynote Speaker

Dr. Eric Olson | UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas Eric Olson, PhD will deliver the BCVS Keynote address on Tuesday, August 1 at 11:00 a.m. The topic is, "Thinking Big and Thinking Small about the Heart." Dr. Olson is the founding Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He also directs the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine and the Wellstone Center for Muscular Dystrophy Research. He holds the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair, the Pogue Chair in Cardiac Birth Defects and the Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship in Stem Cell Research.

Eric Olson and his trainees discovered many of the key genes and mechanisms responsible for development and disease of the heart and other muscles. Discoveries from the Olson Lab include myogenin and MEF2, the master regulators of myogenesis; Myomaker and Myomixer, the long-sought membrane regulators of myoblast fusion; the Hand transcription factors, which regulate cardiac growth and chamber specification; and myocardin, an essential activator of cardiovascular differentiation. Other discoveries include stress-response and epigenetic pathways that underlie pathological cardiac remodeling and numerous micropeptides that modulate muscle development and disease. His most recent work has provided an innovative strategy for correction of Duchenne muscular dystrophy using CRISPR gene editing. Work from Olson’s lab led to the founding of multiple biotechnology companies to design new therapies for heart and muscle disease.

Eric Olson has trained more than 150 students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have emerged as international leaders the field. Olson’s work has been cited over 177,000 times in the scientific literature with an h index of 227. His honors include:

Elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1998)
Basic Research Prize of the American Heart Association (1999)
Elected Member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2000)
Pasarow Foundation Award in Cardiovascular Medicine (2000)
Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine (2001)
Inaugural Distinguished Scientist Award, American Heart Association (2001)
Louis and Artur Lucian Award, McGill University (2003)
Pollin Prize in Pediatric Research, Columbia University (2005)
Outstanding Investigator Award, International Society for Heart Research (2005)
Research Achievement Award, American Heart Association (2008)
Lefoulon-Delalande Grand Prize, Académie des Sciences, Institut de France (2008)
Passano Award (2012)
March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology (2013)
The Eugene Braunwald Mentorship Award, American Heart Association (2016)
Libin Prize in Cardiovascular Research, Heritage Foundation, Canada (2017)
Conklin Medal, Society for Developmental Biology (2019)

In his spare time, he plays guitar and harmonica with The Transactivators, a rock band inspired by the Texas troubadour, Willie Nelson, who created the Professorship that supports his research.

Childcare

The American Heart Association is committed to supporting women and families in science and medicine, and will offer onsite childcare centers for all scientific conferences during conference and special activity hours.

Childcare is available for children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years.

Watch this section for the link closer to the 2024 conference.

Photo of woman playing with a toddler on the floor. The woman is helping the child build with blocks.

AHA Policies and Guiding Values

The American Heart Association policies on conflict of interest, ethics and inclusiveness and our guiding values reflect the high standard of business conduct that has always been, and remains, a hallmark of our organization.

An AHA Scientific Sessions attendee walks past the American Heart Association logo on an electronic wall.

Questions?

Registration

Contact: [email protected]
Phone: 1-508-743-8517
Monday through Friday,
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET

Conference & Media

Conference Contact: [email protected]
Phone: 1-888-242-2453 or 214-570-5935

Media Inquiries
American Heart Newsroom
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 214-706-1173

Membership

Contact: American Heart Association
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-888-242-2453

American Heart Association - We Heart our Members! Exclusive member discounts, education, resources, & events. Join or Renew

man holding tablet

Science News Delivered

  • Choose weekly synopses or news as it publishes
  • Choose topics outside your Council specialty