17th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium

Date: Friday, October 31, 2025

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Location: Durham Convention Center, 301 W. Morgan Street, Durham, NC 27701 (map)

The course will be offered as a live, in-person event. Attendees may choose to register for the enduring content, which will be available online after the conference for 2 years following the live event

Joint Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented by the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education & Professional Development for the advancement of patient care. In support of improving patient care, the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education & Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team.

Category 1: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse CE: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for up to 5.5 credit hours for nurses. Nurses should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Pharmacists: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this activity for a maximum of 5.5 ACPE credit hours. Universal Activity Number: JA0000655-0000-25-212-L04-P

Course Overview

The overall goal of the 17th Annual North Carolina Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium is to provide education for physicians and other allied health professionals involved in diagnosing and treating Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), keeping them abreast of the ever-changing diagnostic and treatment standards. The symposium will address issues as it relates to appropriate diagnostic procedures, proper treatment choices, and timing of referral for more advanced care to pulmonary hypertension centers for healthcare providers at the front lines of screening for and diagnosing PAH. It will also address specifically challenging presentations of PH including CTD-PAH, CPPC PH, CTEPH, PH ILD, PH COPD, portopulmonary hypertension and PH in the setting of end stage renal disease. The format will be a mix of lectures followed by questions and discussion as well as an increased number of case-based studies focusing on different situations that providers encounter and promoting dialogue and debate about management approach.

Download Agenda

Course Directors

H. James Ford, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Co-Medical Director, UNC Pulmonary Clinics
Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Terry Fortin, MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center
Division of Cardiology
Duke University

Invited Speakers

Willard Applefeld, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Rahul Argula, MBBS, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Vascular Disease program
Medical University of South Carolina

William Auger, MD
Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine
Duke University

Kelly Chin, MD
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Research
Medical Director for the Heart Lung Clinic
University of Texas Southwestern

Heather Clark, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunology, Internal Medicine
Wake Forest University

Karla Cruz Morel, MD, PCCM
Pulmonary Hypertension Program Director at Prisma Health / University of South Carolina

Theodore Frank, MD
Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute-Heart Failure/Transplant/LVAD
Advocate Health
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

David Ishizawar, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Richard Krasuski, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Center
Director of Hemodynamic Research
Medical Director, CTEPH Program
Duke University

Melvin Larker, MD
Fellow, Pulmonary and Critical Care
Duke University

Barbara LeVarge, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Stephen Mathai, MD, MHS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Inpatient Pulmonary Service
Johns Hopkins Medicine

W. Cameron McGuire, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Vallerie McLaughlin, MD, FACC, FAHA
Kim A Eagle MD Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine
University of Michigan

Brandon Menachem, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Kishan Parikh, MD
Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension Program
WakeMed Heart Center

Sudarshan Rajagopal, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Duke Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center
Duke University

Terra Swanson, MD
Fellow, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Maura Thornton, MD
Clinical Instructor, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jordan Whitson, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Duke University

Target Audience

This program is designed to meet the continuing education (CE) needs of pulmonologists, cardiologists, nurses, pharmacists, and other allied healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.

Learning Objectives

Describe the diagnosis and clinical classification of Pulmonary Hypertension, according to the 7^th World Symposium and recent 2022 ERS/ESC guideline updates, as well as the treatment algorithms with respect to PAH-specific therapies, including new therapeutics approved since the 16^th NCRTPH Symposium.

Understand the current treatment algorithms for PAH presented at the 7^th World Symposium, with particular emphasis on the challenges of determining therapeutic approach in nuanced patient situations and with the availability of sotatercept as a treatment option.

Recognize the current data with regard to incidence of PAH in CTD populations and understand the available clinical trial data for CTD patients treated with PAH therapies in phase 3 studies. Furthermore, understand the importance of differential clinical presentations and outcomes for CTD PAH patients relative to other PAH subtypes.

Describe the varying presentations of combined pre and post capillary pulmonary hypertension as well as the diagnostic and treatment challenges each may present to the clinician. Discuss what data is available with regard to treating this patient population and what trials are underway for the application of PAH therapies in these patients.

Through a series of cased based presentations, gain a deeper understanding and recognition of nuanced clinical situations in which the role and management of PAH therapy can be challenging to determine and navigate. Learn approaches to manage these patient scenarios from PH center expert clinicians.

Describe the development and evolution of PAH risk calculators, including their integration into the treatment algorithms engineered by the ERS/ESC 2022 guidelines and the 7^th World Symposium. Specifically, understand where further development of these tools is needed, particularly the inclusion of hemodynamics and advanced cardiac imaging to improve their prognostic capabilities.

Identify the unique situations of pulmonary hypertension complicating end stage renal disease and hepatic disease, and how PH can impact the operative strategies and risks around renal and hepatic transplant surgery.

Describe the diagnosis, classification and management of PH in the setting of lung disease, particularly COPD and ILD, and the evidence base (or lack thereof) for treating PH directly in these populations.

Registration Information

Industry representatives: $375
Physicians: $225
Non-physicians (NPs, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, etc.): $75
Enduring credit: Complimentary, but registration is required.

Industry Exhibits at the Symposium

For more information on exhibiting at the symposium, please email Christy Darnell.

Accomodations and Room Rates

A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the Durham Marriott City Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701 for 10/30/25. Rooms are $209.00 per night plus applicable taxes. The room block will be held until Friday, October 3, 2025, but may sell out prior to this date. To reserve your room at the conference rate, please call 866-792-9206 and identify yourself as part of the NC Research Triangle Pulmonary Hypertension Symposium Oct2025 group; to make an online reservation, click here.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to Christy Darnell via email (christy.darnell@duke.edu). There will be no refunds if cancellations are made after September 30, 2025.

Claiming CE Credit after the Symposium

To complete all course requirements and claim continuing education credits, please do the following:

Receive email from Duke CME office next week with link to the course evaluation.
Complete the course evaluation.
Attest to your hours of completion.
Download your certificate.