Project Summary Millions of Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease and societal expenditures are staggering with respect to physician services, hospital expenses, lost wages and decreased productivity. While progress in fighting cardiovascular disease has largely focused on ?macro-vessels?, it also impacts the vast network of capillaries, and small arteries and veins, the microvasculature, which are responsible for supporting tissue activity and for providing access for immune cells to fight infection and tissue repair. The microvasculature is not a scaled down version of larger vessels, it's a sophisticated regulatory system that integrates sensory inputs across microvascular beds, ensuring the proper distribution of oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Given the rapid growth in the field, investigators have found recurring targeted meetings to be a valuable forum for idea and technique exchange, paving the way for scientific discovery. This R13 application requests funds for the World Congress for Microcirculation (WCM2018) to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, September 9-13th, 2018. This meeting is the 11th in a unique series of quadrennial interdisciplinary meetings focused on the foundational underpinnings of the microcirculation and contributions to disease progression. Since 1975, each meeting has attracted 400-600 delegates from regional societies around the world (United States, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Britain, and the European Union). The key organizers are Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler (President, Microcirculatory Society; Co-Chair, Local Organizing Committee; University of Virginia) and Dr. Donald Welsh (Co-Chair, Local Organizing Committee; University of Western Ontario). Drs. Peirce-Cottler and Welsh are aided by 13 local organizing committee members (6 women and 7 men across all career stages and relevant disciplines), the International Liaison Committee of Microcirculation (15 members) and the scientific advisory committee (57 members). The conference emphasizes innovative developments and meaningful interactions among a diverse group of participants including early career scientists, women, and minorities. The majority of the requested funds are targeted to support students and early career investigators to both promote their careers and to ensure the health, vigor, and sustainability of the microcirculatory field.