An Overview of the AAP/ASCI/APSA 2018 Joint Meeting

 

2018 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting
Image: the-asci.org

The chief of cardiology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center from 2001-08, Dr. Michael Simons went on to accept the same position at Yale University School of Medicine in 2008. Supplementing his work at Yale, Dr. Michael Simons is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Rather than host their own annual meetings, the ASCI and AAP, in addition to the American Physician Scientists Association (APSA), partner each year to host the preeminent annual gathering of physician-scientists. The 2018 AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting is scheduled from April 20 to 22 at the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, and includes a diverse range of medical presentations, directors meetings, and award presentations.

The event kicks off with an APSA business meeting on the morning of April 20 and is followed by a presentation on selective autophagy and age-related diseases with guest speakers Ana Maria Cuervo, MD, PhD, and Levi Garraway, MD, PhD. The first day also includes discussions on aging and healthy living, AAP and ASCI new member presentations, and the announcement of the ASCI Harrington Prize, which is given annually to physician-scientists whose research and discoveries have great potential for clinical application. Last year’s honor was jointly awarded to Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Joel F. Habener, MD, and Jens J. Holst, MD, DMSc, for their work in translating their discovery of incretin hormones into crucial therapies for metabolic diseases. Additionally, the three-day annual meeting includes panels on topics such as team-based science and work and life balance.

Causes of Restenosis

 

Restenosis
Image: webmd.com

Accomplished medical researcher Michael Simons serves as a tenured professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Throughout his career, Yale professor Michael Simons has largely focused his work on cardiovascular biology.

When patients have a narrowed or blocked blood vessel, they often undergo an angioplasty and have a stent inserted to improve blood flow. However, the vessel can sometimes become narrowed or blocked again, a problem called restenosis.

Roughly 40 to 50 percent of patients who receive a stent experience restenosis, often within three to 12 months of the initial procedure. Restenosis is usually caused by abnormal tissue growth where the stent was placed.

When stents are added to a blood vessel, the body produces cells along the endothelium, the lining of the arterial wall. These cells grow around the stent struts and help hold it in place. In some cases, scar tissue forms below this healthy tissue, resulting in a thick artery lining that obstructs blood flow.

Restenosis may also result from recurrent atherosclerosis. Typically, this doesn’t happen until at least a year after the initial surgery. Restenosis caused by atherosclerosis is much rarer than restenosis resulting from tissue growth.