Microcirculatory Society

The Microcirculatory Society Pre-Meeting Sessions at the American Physiology Summit 2025

MCS Pre-Meeting Sessions: April 24, 2024 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

American Physiology Summit Sessions: April 24, 4:00 PM - April 27, 12:30 PM

MCS Pre-Meeting Program:

Thursday, April 24 - All MCS Symposia will be held in the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel, Holiday Ballroom 6.

***Indicates MCS Travel Awardee.

8:00 – 9:30: Emerging Topics in Microcirculation

Chairs: Aaron J. Trask, PhD (Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State University, Columbus, OH) and Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI)

The Effects of 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapy on Human Microvascular Endothelial Function. Stephen Hammond, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Hemodynamic Characteristics of New Blood Vessel Sprouts Using High-Fidelity Red Blood Cell Resolved Simulations. Mir Md Nasim Hossain, New Jersey Institute of Technology, East Newark, NJ
Cardiometabolic Disease Enhances Basophil-Endothelium Interactions for Inflammation Resolution. ***Wyatt Schug, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
The Role of Lymphatic Vessel Dysfunction in Glucocorticoid-Induced Visceral Adiposity. Jianyong Zhong, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Multiscale Modeling of Electromechanical Coupling and Hemodynamics in the Cerebral Microcirculation: Role of Capillary Pericytes in Blood Flow Regulation. Nikolaos Tsoukias, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Fibulin-5-β1 Integrin Interaction and RhoA Kinase Signaling Regulate Mesenteric Artery Constriction. Michelle Lin, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

15-minute break

9:45 AM - 11:15 AM: Gabor Kaley Award Featured Topic: Highlights of Microcirculation in Aging, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

Chairs: Bina Joe, PhD, Charles Thodeti, PhD and Osman, Islam, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH

Image-based “Neurosurveillance” Reveals How Seizures Disrupt the Brain’s Microcirculation. Janaka Senarathna, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University
Induction of Senescence by Overexpression of p16 Promotes Human Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction. ***Rachel Limpert, Department of Physiology and Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin
Mechanosensitive ion channel TRPV4 modulates endothelial autophagy and angiogenesis through the YAP/AMPK/mTOR pathway. Venkatesh Katari, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo
Pericytes in cardiac Electro-Metabolic Signaling. Guiling Zhao, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
Neuraminidase-3 Inhibition Mitigates Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Reduces Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetic Mice. ***Francisco Ramirez-Perez, NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri
Lymphatic endothelial alpha globin regulates cardiac structure and function during cardiometabolic heart failure. ***Skylar A. Loeb, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia
The Role of Sirtuin 6 in Regulating the Coronary Microvascular Function. Yang Wang, College of Medicine, University of Arizona

Lunch Break

12:45 PM - 2:15 PM: President’s Symposium: The Microcirculatory Society: The Next Generation

Chairs: Pooneh Bagher (University of Nebraska Medical Center) and Lauren Biwer, Yale University

Oxidation of LDL by hemoglobin disrupts human pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier function. Jamie E. Meegan, PhD, Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, University of South Alabama
Breaking Down Cellular Stress in the Vasculature, One Long-non-coding-RNA at a Time. Cristina Espinosa-Diez, PhD, Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Endothelial Connexin 43: Key Ca²⁺-Permeable Channels in Microvascular Function. Mauricio A. Lillo, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School

15-minute break

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Trainee Flash Talks: Emerging Leaders in Microvascular Research

Chairs: Stephen Hammond, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin), Janaka Senarathna, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), and Galina Mironova, PhD (University of Western Ontario)

Cholesterol Insensitive Kir2.1 is Protective Against Obesity as a Result of Improved Endothelial Function in Resistance Arteries. Katie Beverley, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, University of Illinois-Chicago
A novel role for tryptophan and indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase in human blood vessels. ***Michelle Broekhuizen, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
Longitudinal capillary heterogeneity: Implications for active hyperaemia. Mackenzie Charter, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph
Intermittent hypoxia associated with obstructive sleep apnea disrupts microvasculature networks in the mouse retina. Fazle Elahi, PhD, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri
Impact of chronic neuroendocrine stress on cerebrovascular architecture and astrocyte morphology. Jenan Husain, Department of Pharmacology, University of Vermont
The essential role of transglutaminase 2 in the cytoskeletal responses of vascular smooth muscle cells to mechanical stretching. ***Olubodun Lateef, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri
Adiponectin is a critical regulator of flow-mediated vasodilation in resistance arterioles of skeletal muscle. Steven Medarev, Florida State University
An Image-informed Computational Model for Predicting Spatiotemporal Variations in Cerebral Blood Flow. ***Rebeca Oliveira, Johns Hopkins University
Alzheimer’s Disease Augments Cerebrovascular Apoptosis to Oxidative Stress in Males and Females at Different Stages of Diseases Progression. ***Safa, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri
Regional heterogeneity of vascular reactivity along the aorta: consideration of sex as a biological variable. ***Timothy Sveeggen, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Reduced Cutaneous Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasodilation of the Microvasculature in the Paretic Leg of Individuals Post-Stroke. Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, DPT, PhD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Wisconsin
Development of an experimentally derived microscale blood and lymphatic vasculature model for applications to radiopharmaceutical dosimetry. Julia Withrow, J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida

The Microcirculatory Society Pre-Meeting Sessions at the American Physiology Summit 2025

MCS Pre-Meeting Sessions: April 24, 2024 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

American Physiology Summit Sessions: April 24, 4:00 PM - April 27, 12:30 PM

MCS Pre-Meeting Program:

Thursday, April 24 - All MCS Symposia will be held in the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel, Holiday Ballroom 6.

***Indicates MCS Travel Awardee.

8:00 – 9:30: Emerging Topics in Microcirculation

Chairs: Aaron J. Trask, PhD (Nationwide Children’s Hospital/Ohio State University, Columbus, OH) and Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI)

The Effects of 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapy on Human Microvascular Endothelial Function. Stephen Hammond, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

Hemodynamic Characteristics of New Blood Vessel Sprouts Using High-Fidelity Red Blood Cell Resolved Simulations. Mir Md Nasim Hossain, New Jersey Institute of Technology, East Newark, NJ

Cardiometabolic Disease Enhances Basophil-Endothelium Interactions for Inflammation Resolution. ***Wyatt Schug, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

The Role of Lymphatic Vessel Dysfunction in Glucocorticoid-Induced Visceral Adiposity. Jianyong Zhong, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Multiscale Modeling of Electromechanical Coupling and Hemodynamics in the Cerebral Microcirculation: Role of Capillary Pericytes in Blood Flow Regulation. Nikolaos Tsoukias, Florida International University, Miami, FL

Fibulin-5-β1 Integrin Interaction and RhoA Kinase Signaling Regulate Mesenteric Artery Constriction. Michelle Lin, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

15-minute break

9:45 AM - 11:15 AM: Gabor Kaley Award Featured Topic: Highlights of Microcirculation in Aging, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases

Chairs: Bina Joe, PhD, Charles Thodeti, PhD and Osman, Islam, PhD, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH

Image-based “Neurosurveillance” Reveals How Seizures Disrupt the Brain’s Microcirculation. Janaka Senarathna, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University

Induction of Senescence by Overexpression of p16 Promotes Human Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction. ***Rachel Limpert, Department of Physiology and Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin

Mechanosensitive ion channel TRPV4 modulates endothelial autophagy and angiogenesis through the YAP/AMPK/mTOR pathway. Venkatesh Katari, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo

Pericytes in cardiac Electro-Metabolic Signaling. Guiling Zhao, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore

Neuraminidase-3 Inhibition Mitigates Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction and Reduces Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetic Mice. ***Francisco Ramirez-Perez, NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri

Lymphatic endothelial alpha globin regulates cardiac structure and function during cardiometabolic heart failure. ***Skylar A. Loeb, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia

The Role of Sirtuin 6 in Regulating the Coronary Microvascular Function. Yang Wang, College of Medicine, University of Arizona

Lunch Break

12:45 PM - 2:15 PM: President’s Symposium: The Microcirculatory Society: The Next Generation

Chairs: Pooneh Bagher (University of Nebraska Medical Center) and Lauren Biwer, Yale University

Oxidation of LDL by hemoglobin disrupts human pulmonary microvascular endothelial barrier function. Jamie E. Meegan, PhD, Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, University of South Alabama

Breaking Down Cellular Stress in the Vasculature, One Long-non-coding-RNA at a Time. Cristina Espinosa-Diez, PhD, Center for Molecular Medicine and Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Endothelial Connexin 43: Key Ca²⁺-Permeable Channels in Microvascular Function. Mauricio A. Lillo, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School

15-minute break

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Trainee Flash Talks: Emerging Leaders in Microvascular Research

Chairs: Stephen Hammond, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin), Janaka Senarathna, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), and Galina Mironova, PhD (University of Western Ontario)

Cholesterol Insensitive Kir2.1 is Protective Against Obesity as a Result of Improved Endothelial Function in Resistance Arteries. Katie Beverley, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, University of Illinois-Chicago

A novel role for tryptophan and indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase in human blood vessels. ***Michelle Broekhuizen, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin

Longitudinal capillary heterogeneity: Implications for active hyperaemia. Mackenzie Charter, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph

Intermittent hypoxia associated with obstructive sleep apnea disrupts microvasculature networks in the mouse retina. Fazle Elahi, PhD, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri

Impact of chronic neuroendocrine stress on cerebrovascular architecture and astrocyte morphology. Jenan Husain, Department of Pharmacology, University of Vermont

The essential role of transglutaminase 2 in the cytoskeletal responses of vascular smooth muscle cells to mechanical stretching. ***Olubodun Lateef, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri

Adiponectin is a critical regulator of flow-mediated vasodilation in resistance arterioles of skeletal muscle. Steven Medarev, Florida State University

An Image-informed Computational Model for Predicting Spatiotemporal Variations in Cerebral Blood Flow. ***Rebeca Oliveira, Johns Hopkins University

Alzheimer’s Disease Augments Cerebrovascular Apoptosis to Oxidative Stress in Males and Females at Different Stages of Diseases Progression. ***Safa, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri

Regional heterogeneity of vascular reactivity along the aorta: consideration of sex as a biological variable. ***Timothy Sveeggen, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center

Reduced Cutaneous Nitric Oxide-Mediated Vasodilation of the Microvasculature in the Paretic Leg of Individuals Post-Stroke. Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, DPT, PhD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical College of Wisconsin

Development of an experimentally derived microscale blood and lymphatic vasculature model for applications to radiopharmaceutical dosimetry. Julia Withrow, J Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida