Editorial - December 2020

Dear members of the ESC Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology,

The year 2020 is marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, an unexpected enemy that is severely affecting our professional and private lives. We would like to acknowledge the work of clinicians and researchers who are putting an enormous effort to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. With the support of the ESC, which brilliantly organized the 2020 online congress, our working group with its former and newly elected members have adapted and worked diligently to maintain a high level of activities in order to disseminate our messages through publishing position papers and providing educational online content as well as networking opportunities.

This year, we contributed to three position papers related to imaging of adverse coronary plaque features to identify the vulnerable patient, endothelial function and precision medicine, endothelial dysfunction in COVID-19. Moreover, we organized the 22nd of September 2020 a webinar on Single Cell Analysis in Atherosclerosis with world-leading experts, originally scheduled as a symposium prior to the FCVB 2020. This seminar gave basis for a new position paper which is in process of writing and which will certainly give the opportunity to our members to learn about the cutting-edge technology of this hot and challenging topic.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome outstanding scientists as ex-officio members of our Working group who will strengthen our partnership with other working groups/councils and collaborative network:
-Paul Evans (past-chair 2018-2020) who represents us in the ESC Council on CV Genomics Board;
-Lucia Mazzolai (Lausanne, Switzerland) who represents the ESC Working Group Aorta-PVD (chair 2020-2022);
-Delphine Gomez (Pittsburg, USA) who represents the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology of the American Heart Association;
-Eric Stroes (Amsterdam, The Netherland), world-leading expert in lipid disorders and inflammation in atherogenesis.

On behalf of the Nucleus Members of the Working Group on Atherosclerosis and Vascular Biology, I wish to our members and their loved ones a Merry Christmas. Take care!

Marie-Luce Piallat, Chairperson 2020-2022