18th Annual NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium

October 30, 2026

The 18th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Vascular Symposium is a one-day educational conference designed to enhance the knowledge base of physicians and allied healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary vascular diseases. Building upon the longstanding success of the North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium, the conference has expanded its focus to encompass the broader spectrum of pulmonary vascular medicine, including both pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary thromboembolic disease. The symposium will provide participants with current evidence regarding pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis, classification, risk assessment, and treatment. Particular emphasis will be placed on recently published clinical trial data, evolving treatment algorithms, therapeutic controversies, management of patients with significant comorbidities, and the future drug development pipeline. Interactive case presentations and panel discussions will highlight practical challenges encountered in real-world clinical practice. The symposium will also address emerging technologies that may reshape pulmonary vascular care, including implantable hemodynamic monitoring systems, wearable technologies, actigraphy, artificial intelligence applications, and other digital health innovations. Participants will gain an understanding of both the opportunities and limitations of these approaches as they are integrated into clinical practice. Recognizing the growing importance of pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic disease within the field of pulmonary vascular medicine, the afternoon session will focus on acute pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Participants will review contemporary approaches to diagnosis, risk stratification, multidisciplinary management, pulmonary embolism response teams (PERT), catheter-based interventions, surgical therapies, and long-term follow-up strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on identification of patients at risk for chronic thromboembolic disease following acute PE and the importance of timely referral to specialized centers for advanced evaluation and treatment. The educational format will consist of expert lectures, interactive question-and-answer sessions, panel discussions, and case-based learning designed to promote active engagement and practical application of knowledge. Enduring content will be available following the live meeting to further extend educational impact and reinforce key learning objectives.

Target Audience

Allied Health Professionals

Fellows

Nurses

Nurse Practitioners

Physicians

Physician Assistants

Pharmacists

Residents

Learning Objectives

  • Describing the current classification, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment algorithms for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), including updates from recent guideline statements, clinical trials, and newly approved therapies. 
  • Recognizing areas of controversy and uncertainty in PAH management, including optimal sequencing and combination of therapies, integration of emerging treatments, and future directions in the therapeutic pipeline.
  • Identifying the challenges associated with managing PAH patients who have significant comorbidities and understand approaches to balancing PAH-directed therapy with management of coexisting cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and systemic diseases.
  • Describing the role of emerging technologies in pulmonary vascular disease, including implantable hemodynamic monitoring, actigraphy and wearable devices, artificial intelligence applications, and other digital health tools that may improve diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.
  • Understanding the epidemiology, diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (PE), including evolving evidence regarding anticoagulation, catheter-based therapies, multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams (PERT), and long-term follow-up.
  • Describing the pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), including referral pathways, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, balloon pulmonary angioplasty, and medical treatment options.
  • Identifying patients at risk for chronic thromboembolic disease and CTEPH following acute pulmonary embolism and apply evidence-based approaches to screening, diagnosis, and referral.
  • Recognizing the importance of multidisciplinary care and referral to specialized pulmonary vascular centers for patients with complex pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and chronic thromboembolic disease.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 5.50 ACPE - Pharmacist
  • 5.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 5.50 ANCC
  • 5.50 Attendance
  • 0.55 IACET CEU
  • 5.50 JA Credit - AH
Registration Opens: 
10/30/2026
Registration Expires: 
12/30/2026
Activity Starts: 
10/30/2026 - 8:00am EDT
Activity Ends: 
10/30/2026 - 3:45pm EDT
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Terry Fortin, MD

Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD

H. James Ford, MD

Robert Frantz, MD

Barbara LeVarge, MD

David Ishizawar, MD

Geoff Barnes, MD

Daniel Loriaux, MD

Joseph Rossi, MD

Charles Kim, MD

W. Cameron McGuire, MD

Aimee Lou Babiera, RN, BSN

Laura Nowicki, RN

Rebecca Richard, PharmD, BCPS

Abhijit Raval, MD

Lisa Rose-Jones, MD

Theodore Frank, MD

Denise Sese, MD

Veeranna Maddipati, MD

 

ACPE - Pharmacist

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)

ANCC

Attendance

IACET CEU

JA Credit - AH

Available Credit

  • 5.50 ACPE - Pharmacist
  • 5.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
  • 5.50 ANCC
  • 5.50 Attendance
  • 0.55 IACET CEU
  • 5.50 JA Credit - AH
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