Foundation to Advance Vascular Cures

We are pleased to announce Patric Liang, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Vascular Surgeon with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as the 2024 Wylie Scholar Award recipient. Dr. Liang's project focuses on Biodegradable Hydrogels for Perivascular Delivery of Targeted Gene Therapy to Improve Prosthetic Bypass Graft Patency. His innovative gel aims to enhance the longevity of bypass grafts by safely delivering siRNA therapeutics, targeting critical genes like TSP-2 and MARCKS known to impact graft success. This breakthrough could improve vascular surgery outcomes and reduce complications linked to graft failure. Join us in congratulating Dr. Liang on this well-deserved recognition and stay tuned for updates as he continues to push the boundaries of vascular research! 🎉 #WylieScholar #VascularResearch #MedicalInnovation #GeneTherapy #HealthcareAdvancement Learn More: https://lnkd.in/ejPqa7ph

Join us on September 27, 2024, for our annual Vascular Health Innovation Summit, where experts from leading institutions will convene around The Promise and Risk of Digital Health: Personalizing vascular care to improve patient outcomes. In addition to thought leaders from academia, industry, and other key spaces, we will partner directly with patient advocates as we collaborate to identify necessary action to implement life-changing digital health approaches in vascular research and patient care. Chief among our conversations will be the galvanization of innovative, realistic efforts to address health inequities through digital health. Disparities are often worse in vascular care; the Foundation to Advance Vascular Cures will elevate the patient voice throughout the Innovation Summit to ensure that next steps are not only effective, but contribute towards better vascular health for all.  Last year’s summit was a success, with dozens of leaders and advocates sharing key insights and forming catalytic connections. We granted the inaugural Binkley Research Award to Dr. Katharine McGinigle based on her proposal to advance ideas discussed during the 2023 summit. This year we will again be awarding one or more of these research grants, largely based on key ideas and concepts from the upcoming summit. To learn more about our Summit, click here: https://lnkd.in/gPy9raCU.

Please join us in welcoming Leila Namvar! Leila is an undergraduate intern with the Foundation to Advance Vascular Cures. She is a fourth-year human biology major at University of California, Santa Cruz. Within the foundation, Leila is assisting with the creation and validation of pop-up preventative health screening clinics in the East Bay area. Leila looks forward to actively engaging our community in vascular disease education.

We were honored to co-host with UCSF Dr. Vincent Rowe at the annual Dr. Robert W. Binkley Dinner on April 10th. Dr. Rowe, a distinguished figure in the field, serves as a Professor of Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and holds the esteemed Wiley F. Barker Chair within the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the UCLA Health Gonda Venous Center. It was a profound opportunity to gain insight into Dr. Rowe’s narrative and his visionary perspective on the future landscape of vascular disease through his "Peripheral Arterial Disease: Is the Writing on the Wall?" talk. We thank Dr. Rowe for his unwavering commitment to advancing accessible healthcare within the vascular domain, as well as his dedicated advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. We are grateful for his invaluable mentorship provided to our University of California, San Francisco vascular surgeons. Thank you, Dr. Rowe, for your invaluable contributions and dedication to the field of vascular medicine.

Introducing Molly McCabe, our Health Equity Intern! With a degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from University of California, Santa Cruz, Molly aspires to one day attend medical school and become a physician. She's thrilled to be a part of the team in collaboration with University of California, San Francisco, creating pop-up preventative health screening clinics dedicated to both increasing healthcare accessibility and raising vascular disease awareness in our Bay Area community. #EastBay #VascularHealth #HealthEquity

Welcome Rob Currie! Rob is advancing our health equity efforts by leading the charge on automating the collection and storage of patient health data for preventative community health screening clinics in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco. We are grateful for his expertise and dedication.

We are delighted to award Dr. Katharine McGinigle, MD MPH an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina, the inaugural Binkley Research Award for her pioneering project, "Developing a Flexible Statistical Framework to Accelerate Data-Driven Treatment Algorithms for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)." The Frederick M. Binkley Research Award, launched at our 2023 Vascular Health Innovation Summit, is a collaborative patient-centered research award that supports pilot research that drives forward vascular science innovation to realize better health for all. Its collaboration-based structure is designed to encourage new translational patient-centered research partnerships that require seed funding to grow into wide-reaching solutions that improve people's lives. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gf4fz_Aq Read more about Dr. McGinigle’s work and watch her video: https://go.unc.edu/mcgin University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Another valuable article raising awareness about PAD: "Black Americans Have the Highest Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease—But Most Have Never Heard of It"

"Severed: Diabetes Denial and Mistrust" aired last night on ABC News. Grateful to the ABC news team for their hard work and to all the patients, caregivers, and surgeons who raised their voices, including Kimberly Campbell, Janice McDonald, and Johnson & Johnson's Dr. Richard Browne, MD FACC.

The insights shared in this synopsis of "Rebel Health" by Susannah Fox resonate deeply with our experiences. This brief summary does a fantastic job of summarizing what we've discovered in our work with patients, particularly the importance of accessible, supportive communities for those affected by Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). After a comprehensive exploration of various platforms, we've strategically focused on Facebook for its accessibility and widespread adoption. Our journey reflects a commitment to making support as inclusive and reachable as possible, mirroring the patient-led revolution highlighted in the book. Why Facebook? Here's Our Rationale: • Accessibility, Reach, and Recurring Engagement: Facebook's global presence and user-friendly interface make it the ideal platform for our PAD support group, ensuring no one is left behind. Patients are already on Facebook, and there are no extra steps to check in with the group. • Public Visibility: We've consciously kept the group public, hoping to break the mold of the "secret club" mentality. This openness invites a broader audience to engage, learn, and share. • Active Outreach: Our approach extends beyond digital. By distributing flyers with QR codes at physicians' offices and health fairs, we've physically bridged the gap to the Facebook group. Additionally, sponsored posts, backed by our generous sponsors, further amplify our reach. • Navigating Liability with Care: We're acutely aware of the responsibility that comes with hosting health-related discussions. Our focus remains steadfastly on promoting health and wellness, steering clear of dispensing medical advice. This ensures we provide value while respecting our boundaries. • Quality Control: Aware of the pitfalls associated with online medical advice, we diligently foster a culture of verified information and constructive support, particularly in the realm of health and wellness for PAD. Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement We recognize that no platform is without its challenges. However, our proactive measures aim to mitigate risks and maximize the benefits of using Facebook as a hub for PAD support. Through public accessibility, targeted outreach, and a judicious approach to content, we strive to empower individuals affected by PAD with reliable information and a supportive community. Explore our PAD Support Group: Visit our Facebook Group Together, we can redefine patient support and advocacy in the digital age, making a tangible difference in the lives of those living with Peripheral Artery Disease. #RebelHealth #FoundationToAdvanceVascularCures #PADSupport #DigitalHealthcare #PatientAdvocacy