Research Symposium on Pulmonary Injury and Repair of the Endothelium

Registration

Registration can be submitted via the ReSPIRE Registration Form (available in November). Registration fees are $500 for full participants and $250 for local participants (no overnight stay). Registration fees cover all conference programming, ground transportation to and from the Mobile Regional Airport, and shared housing (single rooms may be accommodated with an extra $500 donation). The conference also provides lunch and dinner meals (supported by the Center for Lung Biology).

Payment Portal

Registration fees can be paid via the ReSPIRE Payment Portal by credit/debit card. If you prefer to pay via check or ACH, please contact Mona Spencer (mspencer@southalabama.edu) for instructions. 

Support for early-stage investigators

A limited number of registration waivers will be available to support attendance of early-stage investigators (trainees and junior faculty), depending on financial support received for the conference. Some of these awards will also include an invitation for oral presentation. Notification of award will take place around the same time as abstract acceptance notification (mid-November). These awards are made possible by the American Physiological Society and Microcirculatory Society. 

Abstract submission requirement

Due to limited capacity, all registered attendees must be represented on an abstract in some way, either as presenter, collaborator, or mentor. We highly encourage established investigators to submit an abstract and present a poster (members of the conference planning committee will be presenting posters). The poster sessions are designed to be interactive and engaging – we want scientists of all levels to engage in lively discussion.

Abstract guidelines

There are no formal guidelines for abstract formatting. Please limit the abstract to one page. Abstracts will not be published; therefore, it is fine to submit an abstract that has been or will be presented or published elsewhere.

Please submit your abstract via the ReSPIRE Abstract Submission Form (available September 1st, 2026) by October 30th, 2026. Authors of selected abstracts will be notified mid-November.

Poster presentations

Poster boards are 3 ft tall x 4 ft wide.

Conference hotel

Accommodations have been arranged at the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa (1 Grand Blvd, Point Clear, AL 36564) and are shared. All conference activities will be held on-site. Efforts will be made to honor roommate requests when possible (requests can be made on the registration form). Single rooms may be accommodated with a $500 donation via the ReSPIRE Payment Portal.

You need not directly contact the Grand Hotel to secure your room unless you would like to extend your stay or pay for your room entirely. Please make sure to ask for the conference rate if booking directly ($259/night + taxes/fees). 

Flights

Please arrange travel in and out of the Mobile Regional Airport.

Bus transportation

Bus transportation will be provided between the Mobile Regional Airport and conference hotel for attendees arriving Tuesday, February 23rd, 2027, between 12 PM – 5:30 PM CST (2 shuttle times depending on arrivals, likely early afternoon and evening) and flights departing Friday, February 26th, 2027 after 3 PM CST (1 shuttle after last session). Attendees arriving outside these times or to a different airport will need to arrange their own transportation. 

If you plan to use bus transportation, please email your travel itinerary to Jenn Collins
(jfcollins@southalabama.edu) as soon as possible. You may also contact Jenn (251-460-7086) if you need assistance with making travel arrangements or have additional questions. 

Food and beverage

The conference provides lunch and dinner meals. For all other food and beverage needs, the Grand Hotel has several on-site restaurants (Dining at the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa) and a Local Market conveniently located in the hotel lobby (open 6 AM – 9 PM daily). The lovely downtown area of Fairhope, shops & restaurants, and grocery stores are only about 3-5 miles away. 

Family care

The Grand Hotel is a family-friendly resort and has several activities available to enjoy. Local licensed childcare providers can be found through Care.com, Sitter City, or Elegant Event Sitters. Arrangements for childcare services should be coordinated directly by participants, with options available for in-room care consistent with hotel policies. Care givers will have full access to hotel amenities provided the attendee provides the name and information to the front desk. 

Mini-reviews of conference Scientific Sessions, which will be led by early-stage investigators, will be submitted to the American Journal of Physiology - Lung, Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Publications from ReSPIRE 2025 can be found here: Stevens et al., Vila Ellis et al., Caporarello et al., Singh et al.

If you’d like to make a donation to support this new and exciting endeavor, you may do so through the ReSPIRE Payment Portal by credit card or contact Mona Spencer (mspencer@southalabama.edu) for instructions to donate via check or ACH. Thank you!

Arrive in Mobile and transport to conference venue 

The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa | One Grand Boulevard, Point Clear, AL | 877-829-2429 

6:00 – 8:00 PM: Welcome Reception

Scientific Session I: Endothelial Cell Fate, Plasticity, and Regeneration  

8:00-8:15 AM: Chair, Steven Dudek, MD (University of Illinois Chicago)

8:20-9:00 AM: Terren K. Niethamer, PhD (Yale School of Medicine) 

9:05-9:45 AM: Susan M. Majka, PhD (National Jewish Health)

9:45-10:00 AM: Refreshment break 

10:00-10:15 AM: Abstract

10:20-10:35 AM: Abstract 

10:40-11:20 AM:  Akiko Mammoto, MD, PhD (Medical College of Wisconsin)

11:30 AM – 2:30 PM: Lunch and free time 

Suggested activities: Golf, tennis, pool, kayak/canoe, fish, lawn games, cycle, run/walk

Special Keynote: Development of a Pulmonary Endothelial Career

2:30-3:30 PM:  Larissa Shimoda, PhD (Johns Hopkins University) 

Poster Sessions

3:30-5:00 PM: Poster Session I (Odd Poster #s)

5:00-6:30 PM: Poster Session II (Even Poster #s)

6:30 – 8:00 PM: Dinner 

8:00 PM: *Optional* Special Seminar: Extreme Physiology

TBD

Scientific Session II: Pulmonary Endothelial Responses Across Space, Time, and Stress

8:00-8:15 AM: Chair, Serpil Erzurum, MD (Cleveland Clinic)

8:20-9:00 AM: Warren Lee, MD, PhD (University of Toronto)

9:05-9:45 AM: Sean E. Gill, PhD (Western University)

9:45-10:00 AM: Refreshment break 

10:00-10:15 AM: Abstract

10:20-10:35 AM: Abstract

10:40-11:20 AM: Mahendra Damarla, MD (Johns Hopkins University)

11:30 AM – 2:30 PM: Lunch and free time 

Suggested activities: Golf, tennis, pool, kayak/canoe, fish, lawn games, cycle, run/walk

Scientific Session III: Engineering and Modeling of Pulmonary Endothelium

2:30-2:45 PM: Chair, Daniel Weiss, MD, PhD (University of Vermont)

2:50-3:30 PM: Ying Zheng, PhD (University of Washington)

3:35-4:15 PM: Dhananjay T. Tambe, PhD (University of South Alabama)

4:15-4:30 PM: Refreshment break 

4:30-4:45 PM: Abstract

4:50-5:05 PM: Abstract

5:10-5:50 PM: Shayn Peirce-Cottler, PhD (University of Virginia)

6:00 – 8:00 PM: Dinner 

8:00 PM: *Optional* Special Seminar: Career Development Panel

Natalie Bauer, PhD (University of South Alabama); Serpil Erzurum, MD (Cleveland Clinic); Rebecca Hough, MD, PhD (Columbia University); Mahendra Damarla, MD (Johns Hopkins University)

Scientific Session IV: Novel Translational Approaches to Endothelial Injury and Repair

8:00-8:15 AM: Chair, Lorraine B. Ware, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

8:20-9:00 AM: Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari, PhD (University of Minnesota)

9:05-9:45 AM: Ciara M. Shaver, MD, PhD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)

9:45-10:00 AM: Refreshment break 

10:00-10:15 AM: Abstract

10:20-10:35 AM: Abstract

10:40-11:20 AM: Corey E. Ventetuolo, MD (Brown University)

Before 12:00 PM: Hotel checkout

12:00 PM: Box lunch and transport to the airport