Texas/United Kingdom Collaborative Research Initiative: Cardiology Workshop The Office of International Programs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) co-hosted a 2-day workshop with the TX/UK Collaborative Research Initiative. Supported by the British Government, the TX/UK Collaborative Research Initiative aims to stimulate interactions between researchers from participating institutions in Texas and universities in the UK led by Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford, Imperial College, King’s College, and the University College London. Premier physicians and scientists from ten Texas universities and eleven UK universities participated in this cardiology workshop, from April 29-30, 2004. The workshop enabled researchers from Texas and the UK to showcase relevant research activities and allowed them to network with colleagues while exploring collaborative opportunities. The overall outcomes were the development of collaborative relationships between researchers in the UK and Texas; the exploration of novel opportunities for collaboration across disciplines; the sharing of emerging results; and the provision of access to specialist equipment and facilities. Dr. James T. Willerson chaired this workshop on "Cardiovascular Inflammation – Detection and Treatment and Stem Cell Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease". Dr. Willerson was also the keynote speaker on the tissue engineering workshop hosted by Imperial College in London in March 2004.

Program – Speakers

April 29, 2004 Cardiovascular Inflammation: Detection and Treatment Welcome Address: Professor James T. Willerson, UTHSC-H Moderator: Professor Edward T.H. Yeh, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Professor Peter L. Weissberg, University of Cambridge “Imaging atherosclerotic plaque inflammation in vivo by [18FDG] PET” Professor Bruce Weisman, Rice University “Near-infrared fluorescence microscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes in macrophages” Dr. Shoumo Bhattacharya, University of Oxford “High-throughput identification of mouse models of congenital cardiopulmonary malformations using magnetic resonance imaging” Dr. Paolo Calabro, Institute of Molecular Medicine, UTHSC-H “CRP: the old and the new in vascular inflammation” Professor Andrew C. Newby, University of Bristol “Neointima formation and plaque instability” Dr. Ralph Metcalf, University of Houston “Computational fluid dynamics – a tool for assessing aneurysm risk?” Moderator: Professor Keith A.A. Fox, University of Edinburg Dr. Shu Yeh, University of Southampton “Genetic variations and coronary heart disease” Dr. Ali J. Marian, Baylor College of Medicine “Reversal and attenuation of cardiac phenotypes in cardiomyopathies” Professor Ian Day, University of Southampton “Identification of unknown mutations in the unselected population: receptor diversity and disease risk” Professor A.M. Heagerty, University of Manchester “Gene therapy for post angioplasty restenosis” The Honorable Iain Murray, British Consul General, Houston Introduced two Marshall Commemorative Scholars Moderator: Professor Peter L. Weissberg, University of Cambridge Professor David I. Wilson, University of Southampton “Human cardiac development” Professor Jay Walton, Texas A&M University “Modelling atherogenesis” Dr. Laura Ritter, Texas A&M University “Modelling growth and adaptation of the arterial wall” Dr. John R. Bradley, University of Cambridge “Expression of death receptors in the microvasculature” Professor Martin R. Bennett, University of Cambridge “Regulation of cell death in the vasculature” Dr. Hugh Clements-Jewery, King’s College, London “Ventricular arrhythmias: in vivo and in vitro rat models” Professor Mike Marber, King’s College, London “Myocardial p38-MAPK activation and its consequences” Moderator: Professor Samuel Ward Casscells, UTHSC-H Professor Ludwig Neyses, University of Manchester “Integrative physiology of the sarcolemmal calcium pump in the heart” Professor Yochai Birnbaum, UTMB Galveston “Prostacyclin is involved in atorvastatin-induced myocardial protection against ischemia” Dr. Peter Kohl, University of Oxford “Mechanical effects on heart rhythm: from pipette to patient” Professor Godfrey Smith, University of Glasgow “A model of myocardial infarction in the rabbit: in vivo and in vitro studies that suggest novel drug targets”

April 30, 2004 Heart Failure and Stem Cell Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease Moderator: Professor Denton A. Cooley, Texas Heart Institute, Houston Professor Kieran Clarke, University of Oxford “Heart failure: A failure of energetics” Professor Qingbo Xu, St. George’s Hospital Medical School. “Stem cells in atherosclerosis” Professor Edward T.H. Yeh, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center “Both cell fusion and trans-differentiation account for the transformation of human peripheral blood stem cells into cardiomyocytes” Dr. Yong-Jian Geng, UTHSC-H “The role of stem cells in the pathogenesis and treatment of cardiovascular disease” Professor Mark Entman, Baylor College of Medicine “The cellular mechanisms of cardiac repair – new concepts” Professor James T. Willerson, UTHSC-H “Stem cells in the clinic” Professor Robert Schwartz, Baylor College of Medicine “Specification of cardiovascular lineages” Moderator: Professor Ludwig Neyses, Manchester Dr. Karen E. Porter, University of Leeds “Modulation of cardiac fibroblast function by statins: Inhibition of adverse remodeling” Professor Michael Schneider, Baylor College of Medicine “Learning from telomerase for cardiac repair” Dr. Jie Du, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston “Regulation of vascular progenitor cells in cardiovascular complications” Professor Keith A.A. Fox, University of Edinburgh “Anti-thrombotic approaches in acute coronary syndromes” Dr. Devang Patel, UTHSC – San Antonio “Role of nanotechnology in novel stent designs” Professor Samuel Ward Casscells, UTHSC-H “Cardiac Inflammation”

Below are photographs taken during the 2-day Cardiology Workshop:

President James T. Willerson (UTHSC-H)	Dr. Denis Headon (Texas/UK Collaborative Research Initiave)
Dr. Peter Kohl (University of Oxford)	Professor Mike Marber (King’s College London)
Professor Samuel Ward Casscells (UTHSC-H)	Professor Michael D. Schneider (Baylor College of Medicine)
Professor Robert Schwartz (Baylor College of Medicine)	Professor Jay Walton (Texas A&M University)
President James T. Willerson (UTHSC-H) and President Denton A. Cooley (Texas Heart Institute)	Dr. Shu Yeh (University of Southampton)
Professor Edward T.H. Yeh (UT MD Anderson Cancer Center) and President Denton A. Cooley (Texas Heart Institute)	President Denton A. Cooley (Texas Heart Institute) and Dr. Hui-Ming Chang (UTHSC-H)
Dr. May Akrawi (vice consul, British Consulate General in Houston)	Professor Keith A.A. Fox (University of Edinburgh)
Professor Ian Day (University of Southampton)	Dr. Yong-Jian Geng (UTHSC-H)
Dr. Ali J. Marion (associate professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine)	Dr. Karen E. Porter (University of Leeds)
Dr. Jie Du (The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston)	Amy Heaton (UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center) and Rose Mary Valencia (director, Office of International Affairs, UTHSC-H)
Professor Mike Marber (King’s College London), Dr. Peter Khol (University of Oxford) and Dr. May Akrawi (vice consul, British Consulate General in Houston)	Professor Mike Marber (King’s College London) and President James T. Willerson (UTHSC-H)
The Honorable Iain Murray (British Consul General in Houston), Dr. Margaret Parton (TX/UK Collaboration Research), President James T. Willerson (UTHSC-H) and Dr. Hui-Ming Chang (UTHSC-H)	Exposition at the Wallace D. Wilson Museum (The Denton A. Cooley Building) Professor Yochai Birnbaum (UTMB Galveston) and Mr. Birnbaum