ARPICO and The Consulate General of Italy PRESENT:
BUILT TO "BEAT" - LAB-GROWN HEART CELLS REVOLUTIONIZING CARDIAC HEALTH!
This event is a collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver to celebrate Italian Research in the World Day (normally held on April 15th), established in 2018 to recognize the quality and expertise of Italian researchers abroad. It aims to promote actions and investments that support Italian researchers in pursuing their careers both at home and abroad, while making Italy an attractive destination for international researchers.
BUILT TO "BEAT" - LAB-GROWN HEART CELLS REVOLUTIONIZING CARDIAC HEALTH!
a talk by Dr. Vincenzo Macri
In this talk, Dr. Macri will discuss the exciting potential of using lab-grown heart cells to improve heart disease research and treatment. These heart cells, called human adult pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs), are created by turning stem cells into heart muscle cells that behave similarly to real human heart cells especially in their ability to contract and respond to electrical signals. This makes them a powerful tool for studying how the heart works, understanding heart diseases, and testing new treatments. What's even more exciting is that these lab-grown heart cells could be used in therapies to repair damaged heart tissue, offering hope for better treatments for cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death worldwide.
Dr. Vincenzo Macri, PhD, is a Senior Scientist and Team Lead of the Myogenic R&D group at STEMCELL Technologies, where he oversees the development of advanced cell culture products to support cardiac and skeletal muscle research.
Dr. Macri earned his PhD in Physiology from the University of British Columbia and completed postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School.
His research focuses on stem cell and cardiomyocyte biology, human genetics, cardiovascular disease, ion channels, and cellular electrophysiology. He has received prestigious research awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart Rhythm Society, and the Fund for Medical Discovery at MGH.
REGISTRATION
Please register via EventBrite at https://heartcells.eventbrite.ca
April 09, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Museum of Vancouver - History Room - 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC, V6J 3J9