Funds are requested to support the Gordon Research Conference on "Vascular Biology" to be held Feb 20-25, 2011 in Ventura, CA. The conference will cover a range of topics including development and patterning of the vascular system, mechanisms of communication between cells in the vascular wall, mechanotransduction in vascular morphogenesis and disease, intracellular signaling, and vascular permeability and maintenance. The meeting will bring together speakers, discussants and participants who represent a wide range of disciplines, approaches and systems. The small size of the conference and the informal atmosphere will facilitate discussion and interactions. Major advances in our understanding of regulatory mechanisms in vascular biology, especially new insights into cell-cell communication and vascular disturbances in various diseases make this a particularly timely meeting. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The main goal of this meeting is to accelerate progress by researchers who are studying the development, patterning and regulation of the vascular system, in both health and disease. Developing treatments for diseases of the vascular system such as heart attack and stroke requires understanding the cellular interactions and regulation that control its function. Vascular malfunction is also a major contributing factor in cancer and immune diseases, thus, advances in understanding the cell biology of the vascular system will impact major areas of human health.