Editorial - February 2020

Dear members,

The Meeting report on the 4th European-South African Cardiovascular Research Workshop, is now available in the European Heart Journal, volume 41, Issue 2, 7 January 2020, Pages 203–204, cardiopulse section. This meeting was joint workshop organised by the South African Society for Cardiovascular Research (SASCAR) and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart, held in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in April 2019, during the 6th Annual Frontiers in Cardiovascular Research meeting. The aim of the Workshop was to encourage fruitful cardiovascular research collaborations between Europe and South Africa, not only promoting the establishment of north–south collaborations but also providing a platform for interaction between promising young cardiovascular scientists and senior researchers. This year, the meeting and the Workshop were attended by 95 delegates, including 49 postgraduate students/young researchers, who welcomed the opportunity to network and interact with senior experts in their field. Seven European PhD students, funded by the European Cardioprotection COST Action (CA 16225) and the Hatter Institute had the opportunity to spend a week of full-immersion in the basic science in CapeTown. Among Faculty, several members of the WG Cellular Biology of the Heart actively participated to report on cell therapy, cardioprotection, microRNA and exosomes. For our WG the Workshop was a unique opportunity to highlight the results of our scientific activities, as well as an opportunity to exchange ideas and transfer knowledge. We received very positive feedback from the students which provided valuable insight into the high quality of work being conducted in South Africa.

For basic and translational science, the next big meeting is the Frontiers in CardioVascular Biomedicine (FCVB) 2020 which will be in Budapest, Hungary, from Thursday, 23 - Sunday, 26 April 2020.

Rosalinda Madonna, Chairperson