Gordon Research Conference 2025 on Biomechanics in Vascular Biology and Disease (GRC 2025 BVBD); Ventura, California; 20-25 July 2025

This grant provides funding for ten graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and early-career investigators based in the United States to attend the 2025 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Biomechanics in Vascular Biology and Disease, which will be held 19-20 July 2025, in Ventura, California. The award covers full conference registration fees. The GRC is a premier international forum for advancing research in cardiovascular biomechanics and mechanobiology, with a focus on translating fundamental insights from molecular mechanisms to clinical applications. The goal of this award is to support the professional growth of early-career researchers, including assistant professors appointed within the last three years. Preference will be given to those in biomedical engineering, quantitative biology, and related disciplines with strong interdisciplinary interests. The conference will foster collaboration and knowledge exchange across academic and clinical communities. The 2025 GRC will feature a keynote session, eight scientific sessions, four poster sessions, and a Power Hour focused on professional development. Topics include shear and wall stress, vascular remodeling, mechanotransduction, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and aneurysms. A newly introduced Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), held immediately before the GRC, will provide a platform for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to present research and receive mentorship from senior scientists. The GRS emphasizes career development, leadership, and community-building. The 2025 meeting builds on the legacy of the International Symposium on Cardiovascular Biology and Disease, traditionally held in Rotterdam. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.