Cardiovascular Epigenetics and Gene Regulation - ABSTRACT Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Cardiovascular Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, organized by Drs. Roger Foo, Federica Accornero and Enzo Porrello. The conference will be held in Hannover, Germany from April 15–18, 2024. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can unexpectedly reduce the life expectancy among young, healthy adults and can also cause debilitating, chronic conditions later in life, presenting a concerning health impact in our aging population. Further, it is a significant cause of death worldwide, claiming the lives of 17.9 million annually. As a result, there is an ongoing need to reduce the impact of CVD through basic and translational research. In parallel, emerging discoveries in epigenetics and epitranscriptomics have defined gene regulatory circuits—enforced by chromatin or nucleic acid modifications and the enzymes that maintain them—that modulate cellular states. These pathways, when perturbed, have demonstrated links to numerous diseases. While several epigenetic targets have shown promise in cancer, emerging research in myocardial cells and cardiovascular systems has hinted that these gene regulatory pathways may offer new therapeutic opportunities for combatting CVD. This Keystone Symposia conference was designed to unite investigators from across the vascular and cardiac fields with researchers focused on understanding epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulatory mechanisms. The program focuses on mechanisms of CVD pathophysiology and potential links to gene expression pathways and explores how known CVD-linked factors (metabolism, inflammation, etc.) might tie into epigenetic regulation in cardiovascular systems. This conference will offer a unique opportunity to bring together two divergent groups of researchers to explore the connections between CVD and epigenetic and epitranscriptomic regulatory mechanisms with an aim to define potentially new therapeutic approaches in this area.