Built to “Beat” - Lab-Grown Heart Cells Revolutionizing Cardiac Health!

Admission Tickets are Required, but Free

Admission Tickets are FREE, but all wishing to attend are required to obtain "free-admission" tickets from EventBrite. Click the big "Reserve a Spot" button on this page to get one ticket per guest attending.

Event Parking

Pay parking is available onsite. There is also plenty of free street parking in the neighbourhood, nearby.

Refreshments

Complimentary refreshments offered by the Consulate General of Italy will follow the speaking and Q&A portions of the evening. This is the time to enjoy some wine and a bite as you socialize with other guests and the speaker.

ARPICO and The Consulate General of Italy PRESENT:

ITALIAN RESEARCH IN THE WORLD DAY

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.

EVENT DETAILS

6:30 PM - Check-in for all guests

6:50 PM - Start of evening's proceedings and lecture

Q&A - Follow the lecture

Socializing - Follow the Q&A. Refreshments compliments of the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver will be served.

9:45 PM - Clean up and closure. Help is welcome from anyone willing.

ADMISSION TICKET IS MANDATORY

Please click the large "Reserve a Spot" button on this page to secure your admission ticket. Tickets are necessary to help organizers plan for room capacity, fire regulations, and catering needs.

Please be sure to supply the first name, surname and email of each person in your order.

1. Admission Cost? – We don’t charge for admission into the event.

A special thank you to the ARPICO members who generously cover the venue and equipment rentals, speaker travel, and thank-you costs for "regular" events throughout the year. Their support allows us to offer free admission to all attendees.

2. Contributions to Offset Costs of Refreshments Provided – ARPICO membership fees were never intended to cover the cost of refreshments during the networking segment of our regular events. While we are happy to provide light refreshments for everyone's enjoyment, we kindly encourage all attendees, whether members or not, to contribute what they can to help offset these costs. Your consideration is greatly appreciated!

Of course, when an event's refreshments are offered by a specific sponsor (eg. for April's "Italian Research in the World" event), we do not request such assistance.

3. Donations to ARPICO's Scholarship Fund – Your donation helps ensure the continuation of our educational initiatives. If you enjoy attending ARPICO public lectures and appreciate the opportunity to engage with the speaker and fellow attendees, please consider donating to support our Scholarship Fund.

Not ready to donate at the moment? Take your time and decide after you have experienced the evening's full offering.

ARPICO is able to accept your donation at the venue whether cash, debit card or credit card.

EVENT PARKING

Pay parking is available onsite. There is also plenty of free street parking in the neighbourhood nearby.