The annual Center for Perinatal Biology Longo Symposium is always an incredible scientific treat. It is a near-perfect one-day symposium hosting talks by scientists from all over the country. We newcomers enjoyed hearing about some of the history of the center from Hobe Schröder, who continues to attend Arlin Blood’s lab meetings long after his LLU tenure. I love to see that evidence of scientific community and continuity! We then heard about the potential for genetics research to find new treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension from Marlene Rabinovitch of Stanford University. Xin Sun of UCSD then gave a convincing portrayal of the lungs as a sensory organ – a new way for me to think about the lungs. Continuing the theme, Mark Olfert of West Virginia University spoke about the consequences of maternal vaping, including the surprising finding that vaporization of even just the carrier fluid is harmful. At lunch, Sarah and Neeka presented posters about studies that they are planning to get feedback from Center and visiting scientists. In the afternoon, my long-time friend Theresa Powell of the University of Colorado Anschutz spoke about the role of adiponectin in communication between placenta and fat tissue in pregnancy. Orian Shirihai of UCLA then enlightened us about how mitochondrial dynamics and networks determine and reflect functional roles. Kaela Varberg, a rising scientific star at Children’s Mercy Research Institute, spoke about placental “signatures” in congenital heart disease. What an incredible line-up!
