The Don S. Fredrickson Lipid Research Conference

The Don S. Fredrickson Lipid Research Conference (formerly the Southeast Lipid Research Conference (SELRC)) brings together scientists and trainees investigating the impact of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism on the development and treatment of Cardiometabolic disease. The conference has been an annual event since 1992, was sponsored by Emory University, and held at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA. SELRC participants were generally located within the southeastern US, but with the retirement of its founding organizer and the changing landscape of conference support by industry partners, the board voted to re-envision the conference and developed an institutional-host model. The first of these partnerships occurred in 2016 at the University of Kentucky. The 24th annual SELRC was held in conjunction with the 19th Annual UK Cardiovascular Research Day. This model allows the host institution to showcase its research and have a greater impact in the advancement of our understanding of Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease as well as provide a venue for external investigators to share their science, engage trainees, and remain abreast of new findings in the field. Since 2016, the SELRC has been hosted by Vanderbilt University and the University of Cincinnati. Following a return to UK in 2020, the conference will be hosted by Duke/UNC in 2021 and again at Vanderbilt in 2022. The move to the institutional-host model resulted in a substantial increase in attendance at the SELRC with a larger geographical footprint of participants; it was no longer a Southeastern meeting. With the blessing of the family, the board voted to rename the SELRC after the late Don S. Fredrickson. Dr. Fredrickson served as the director of the National Heart Institute (now the NHLBI) from 1966 – 1974 and later the NIH, developed the clinical classification for dyslipidemias (Type I-V), described Tangier’s Disease, and made seminal discoveries in the area of lipoprotein metabolism. Most importantly, he trained both basic and clinical scientists and practitioners who have had a tremendous impact on the field of lipoprotein metabolism. The 2020 Fredrickson conference will feature Ruth McPherson, Ottawa Heart Institute and Mahmood Hussein, NYU as keynote speakers on Days 1 and 3 of the conference. The scientific sessions include Hepatic and Peripheral Lipid Metabolism, Bioinformatics in Metabolic and CVD Research, Lipids and Inflammation, and Genetics and Cardiometabolic Disease. Day 2 of the conference will be sponsored by the UK CV Research Center and features three keynote speakers, additional scientific sessions, and a poster session. In addition, the agenda contains multiple “Research Blitz” sessions, a collection of 5-7, 90-second presentations by trainees. The combined agenda affords every trainee in attendance the opportunity to present their research on stage, network with leaders in the field, and broaden their scope and understanding of research in Cardiometabolic disease. 1