2025 Rodent PV Loop Masterclass Dates Announced

February 11, 2025

We’re excited to announce the 2025 dates for the Rodent Pressure-Volume (PV) Loop Masterclass. Following the success of our 2024 program, our course is back with new opportunities to advance your expertise in PV loop science. Register Here

Course Highlights

2025 Dates: April 14–17, 2025 & October 21–24, 2025

Seats for the April session are already filling up, so register soon to secure your spot. Spots are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis, and space is limited to ensure personalized, hands-on learning.

2024 Masterclass Success: The 2024 Masterclass was a great success, providing participants with practical skills and insights into PV loop studies. Here’s what one of our attendees, Amanda Sales Conniff, had to say:

“Attending the Rodent Pressure-Volume Loop Masterclass with Dr. Chris West and Dr. Oliver Wearing was an invaluable experience. The hands-on training in a welcoming lab environment, combined with detailed SOPs, lectures, and application of best practices has given me the confidence to apply these techniques in my own research. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn directly from such experienced experts.”

Instructors Shaping the Field

Dr. Chris West and Dr. Oliver Wearing, leaders in the field of rodent PV loop studies, continue to lead and improve the Masterclass. Their recently published Guidelines Paper in AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology, “Guidelines for assessing ventricular pressure-volume relationships in rodents”, provides a foundation for improving the quality and reproducibility of PV studies. The paper highlights the challenges of variability in experimental design, volume calibration, anesthesia protocols, manipulation of cardiac loading conditions, and data analysis.

Key topics from their paper are integrated into the Masterclass, including:

Protocol design for open- and closed-chest left and right ventricular catheterization.
Methods for volume calibration and obtaining load-independent indices of systolic and diastolic function.
Recommendations for improving reproducibility within and across studies by aligning on best practices for surgical methodologies, data analysis, and reporting.

By integrating these guidelines, the Masterclass empowers participants to generate high-quality, reproducible PV data in their own research programs.

What You’ll Learn:

The Masterclass combines lectures, hands-on lab training, and Q&A sessions. Participants will gain skills in:

Conducting rodent PV loop studies with precision and reproducibility.
Managing anesthesia, surgical techniques, and catheter placement.
Analyzing and visualizing high-quality PV data.

The course takes place at the Translational Integrative Physiology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and is supported by technology sponsors Millar, ADInstruments, Kent Scientific, and Fine Science Tools. The program is endorsed by the American Physiological Society.

Sign Up Now! Seats are limited, and the April 2025 course is filling quickly. Don’t miss your chance to improve your PV loop study techniques. Learn more and register here.