THIS MONTH'S FOCUS:

RECAP OF ISHLT 2014 IN SAN DIEGO

(PDF VERSION)

Sincerest thanks to Anders Andreasson and Scott Feitell (Daily Links Roving Reporters)
for their excellent coverage of the 2014 Annual Meeting!



links image

VINCENT'S TWO CENTS:

If you did not make it to the 34th Annual ISHLT meeting in San Diego, fear not here in this issue we have provided you a summary of the sessions and made it as if you were actually in San Diego. NOT!!! Hope to see you in Nice, France next year.

Speaking of Nice and to be nice, I know that you know that Nice is the capital of the French Riviera. Also, the origin of the city's name is Greek derived, Nikαια or Nike from the winged Greek goddess personifying victory. She appears to carry a palm branch or caduceus of Hermes in different works of art. During Ancient Greek times, life was associated with air. Birds in the air were associated with the spirit of life and a winged flight is associated with a victory over death. This symbol of victory was seen in the military sphere and in the Greek games or sports, thus we have "Nike" shoes and "Air" Jordans.

The last thing I didn't know until we knew the 35th Annual ISHLT was in Nice is that the Rolls Royce designers got their inspiration of the hood ornament from the Nike of Samothrace or Winged Victory of Samothrace. This sculpture has been on display in the Louvre since 1884 and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world. Of course, I'm not a Rolls man, I'm a rock, only a Rolls man can drive a Rolls. Let's roll, let ride, let's run this town tonight. With sports and teamwork we will witness ... "how everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all. To be a rock and not to roll...."

Let's ride this wave of success from San Diego to another smashing meeting in Nice 2015 as we reach for the heavens.

Vincent Valentine, MD
Links Editor-in-Chief


ISHLT 2014 RECAP:



IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A Summary of the Plenary Sessions at ISHLT 2014

links image

Jason Christie opened the Plenary Sessions for the 34th Annual ISHLT Meeting by "staying classy" in sunny San Diego with the 2014 Program Chair Report. Move over Ron Burgundy. From his report, record breaking attendance with over 3000 attendees and record breaking abstracts with over 1500 submissions and over 1100 (76%) accepted across all categories. Also, there were expanding numbers from "developing nations" which entered the ISHLT from the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America. Dr Christie finished his report by pointing out a few innovations ranging from e-Posters, expanded content of Mini-Orals, the OASIS meeting app and a return of the Moderated Poster Sessions to an overview of the content for this year's meeting. The content included World-Class Speakers, Major Clinical Trials and a Thematic structure for the Plenaries. The Pre-meeting and Sunrise Symposia were member submitted and had a cased-based approach of integrating science with patient care with an emphasis on teamwork. For those of you with children or grandchildren, you might note a little wisdom from the Wonder Pets, with the healthy refrain drilled in our future generations, "What's it gonna take?" "Team Work!" Read more →



Our Roving Reporters in Sunsational San Diego!

Each bright and cheerful sun-soaked morning, color copies of the Daily Links were distributed to delegates at the ISHLT Annual Meeting in San Diego. And for those who either had too much fun the night before or perhaps were not early risers and missed seeing the bright blue, yellow, and orange printed newsletters, the fantastic 2014 Annual Meeting Mobile App made it possible for everyone to view the newsletter via their smart phone or tablet. This year's Roving Reporters, Scott Feitell and Anders Andreasson, provided fantastic coverage of the sessions, with a bit of humor and tweeting thrown in for good measure. These guys were busy! If you missed their musings, have no fear. Below are links to all of their review articles. In addition, all of the Daily Links Newsletters are posted on the Press Page of the Annual Meeting website.



Infectious Diseases: Vaccines, Immune Monitoring and Potential New Biomarkers at the 34th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions

by Javier Carbone

Heart and lung transplant candidates and recipients are at significant risk for infection and efforts should be optimized to limit these risks. Vaccine-preventable diseases continue to affect solid organ transplant recipients and can be minimized with proper vaccination. E. Stimpson (abstract 733)* evaluated the effect of hepatitis B vaccination on patients who are awaiting a heart transplant. Read more →



DCD Lung Transplantation: Reflecting on the Past, Showcasing the Present, and Forecasting the Future

by Bronwyn Levvey and Greg Snell

A highlight of the recent ISHLT 2014 San Diego meeting was a pre-meeting symposium entitled, Global Perspectives on Donation after Cardio-circulatory Determination of Death (DCD) in Lung Transplantation (LTx). A large audience attended, and were subsequently educated (and at times entertained!) about the past, present and future of DCD LTx and ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP). Read more →



ISHLT Academy: Core Competencies in Basic Science and Translational Research: Bringing Us Together

by Tereza Martinu and Esmé Dijke

It was a challenge: developing a program for an Academy that provided a review of basic and translational research in the field of both heart and lung transplantation. And all of that in only one day ... one l.o.n.g Academy day. The planning involved many conference calls, discussions, brainstorm meetings, a survey to ask for the opinion of the ISHLT membership, and a few bottles of wine ... but there it was: the first Core Competencies Curriculum and Academy in Basic Science and Translational Research! Read more →



ISHLT 2014 Abstract Award Winners

The winners of the 2014 Abstract Awards, as well as additional awards, were announced at the Awards Presentation hosted by Grants & Awards Committee co-chairs Andrew J Fisher and Daniel R Goldstein during the Closing Plenary Session on Sunday, April 13, 2014, at the ISHLT 34th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions in San Diego. Read more →



ISHLT 2014 in Pictures!

Here is a sampling of photos taken at the 2014 Annual Meeting by professional photographer Jesse Karras. All of these photos and many more are available to view and purchase at www.karrasphoto.com or you can email Jesse at jesse@karrasphoto.com. VIEW PHOTOS →



Claim Your CME Credit

To get your certificate, go to www.CmeCertificateOnline.com. Scroll down to the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation listing and click on the "34th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions" event. On the site, you will be asked to enter a password which is 2014ISHLTAM and evaluate various aspects of the program. You may then print your certificate immediately. A copy of the certificate will also be emailed to you in case you need to print additional copies (check your spam filter and junk email folder if you do not see it come through). Your certificate will show the hours you entered. Please address any questions about the process to: Sheryl Morgan at Sheryl@AmedcoEmail.com or 651-789-3730.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR NURSING, ALLIED HEALTH, SOCIAL SCIENCES: This meeting is accredited for CMEs and for CEPTCs. Please consult with your certification/licensing board regarding acceptance of CMEs. For those seeking CEPTC credit, please follow the above instructions to obtain a CME certificate. Once received, please fax, mail, or email this to Phyllis Glenn at ISHLT (972-490-9499, phyllis.glenn@ishlt.org) and she will prepare a CEPTC certificate for you.

Passwords to claim CME credit for the Academy meetings can be found on our home page (www.ishlt.org) under QUICK LINKS.



ISHLT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:


ISHLT CALL FOR 2015 SYMPOSIUM PROPOSALS - DEADLINE JUNE 2, 2014

The 2015 Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions will take place April 15-18, 2015, in Nice, France. All ISHLT members are encouraged to submit ideas for Pre-meeting Symposia and/or Plenary Session talks. Your input into this process will be very valuable to the 2015 Scientific Program Committee: the majority of the invited scientific content for the Annual Meeting will stem from proposals submitted by ISHLT Members and Scientific Councils. Read the Invitation from 2015 Scientific Program Chair Andreas Zuckermann, MD, which was emailed to all members on 4/25/14.



ANNOUNCING TWO NEW GRANT AWARDS!

The ISHLT is pleased to announce two new Grant Awards:

  1. The ISHLT/Bayer Pulmonary Hypertension Research Grant Award was created to further the scientific understanding of Pulmonary Hypertension, with the ultimate aim of improving patient's lives. The Award is designed to support young scientists, doing research in Pulmonary Hypertension at a critical time in their independent research careers. The goal of the study must be to investigate a relevant clinical or translational science question in PH, irrespective of the PH subtype.
  2. The ISHLT/HeartWare Award for Translational Research in Mechanical Circulatory Support was created to support research utilizing MCS that would result in an increased understanding of the biologic effects, use as sole or combined therapy, insights into patient/MCS management, innovative use/application or improved outcomes for the treatment of heart failure. The Award is aimed to support rising stars in the field of mechanical circulatory support at a critical time in their career. The Award recipient will have already established a track record in the field of mechanical circulatory support and will aim to further develop their career in this area. The intent is that the Award will be for a junior faculty position dedicated to a career in the use of MCS as a treatment option for heart failure. It is anticipated that the individual will be clinician or clinician scientist at an active VAD/transplant program with a faculty appointment in either cardiology or cardiac surgery.

General information including the application and deadlines, eligibility requirements, funding stipulations and awards policies can be found on each award's page via the above links. For questions about the application process, please contact Phyllis Glenn at the Society headquarters office



OF SPECIAL INTEREST:

ACC 2014: Highlights of Interest to ISHLT Members

by Rey Vivo, Rita Jermyn and Eugene DePasquale

The 2014 Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology were held in Washington DC from March 29-31, 2014. Given the scope of the Scientific Sessions, it is challenging to attend all sessions relevant to ISHLT members. We present a meeting summary to highlight important studies presented in advanced heart failure, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. Read more →




Contact

Vincent G Valentine, MD
Editor-in-Chief
vgvalent@utmb.edu


Editorial Staff

"And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know, who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold. And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last. When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll."
— Led Zeppelin

Share this newsletter via:

links image    links image    links image    links image



Disclaimer: Any opinion, conclusion or recommendation published by the Links is the sole expression of the writer(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ISHLT.