International Society for the
Study of Vascular Anomalies
ISSVA Bylaws – Article IV, Section 3
a. The existing Board shall recommend a slate of candidates for the officer and at-large director positions for election by the membership. The Secretary must notify the voting membership of these recommendations at least four weeks prior to the General Assembly at which elections will be held. Only Active members can be nominated or serve as officers or at-large directors.
b. Other nominations may be submitted by any member with voting rights to the Secretary at least one week prior to voting at the General Assembly. All nominees in good membership standing will appear on the ballot. Any member nominated for more than one office must choose which single office for which their name will appear on the ballot.
c. The President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and at-large directors will be chosen by a plurality vote of a quorum of the members at an annual General Assembly, unless such election is instead accomplished by electronic ballot in accordance with Article III, Section 6 of these Bylaws.
d. No individual may hold 2 offices on the Board, but a Board member may also sit on the Scientific Committee.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Personal Statement:
As President‑Elect I hope to strengthen ISSVA’s role as the global hub for high‑quality, evidence‑based guidance on vascular anomalies by promoting collaborative multicenter research and harmonized clinical registries. Advance education and capacity building worldwide through expanded training programs, online resources, and mentorship for early‑career clinicians and scientists. Promote translation by facilitating links between academia, industry, and patient groups to accelerate safe, equitable access to novel diagnostics and targeted treatments. Enhance diversity, inclusion and global representation within ISSVA leadership, committees and meetings to ensure voices from low‑ and middle‑income regions shape priorities and guidelines. Support standardization of nomenclature, outcome measures and best‑practice protocols to improve research comparability and patient care.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Professor Goldenberg has been a member of ISSVA since 2002. Except for 2 meetings, he has participated in all ISSVA scientific activities. He has been a member of the organizing committees of several ISSVA scientific meetings. Since 2020 he has been the Chair of the Scientific Committee, in charge of organization of the Scientific Program of 2020 (online), 2022 (Vancouver, Canada), 2024 (Madrid, Spain), and 2026 (Philadelphia, PA, USA) meetings. He has also contributed to the organization of ISSVA 2023 Debates and Updates in Boston, USA, and ISSVA 2025 Debates and Updates in Paris, France.
Since 2014 in Melbourne, he has actively participated in the Primer Course before ISSVA meetings with lectures on Surgical Treatment of Vascular Anomalies. He also presented numerous talks, and been a co-author of others, selected from submitted abstracts to the ISSVA meetings during the past 23years.
Prof. Goldenberg participates in the Classification Working Group as a Liaison and in 2025 was the first author of the publication about the Updated ISSVA Classification of Vascular Anomalies, published in the Journal of Vascular Anomalies.
Personal Statement:
As Vice President, I hope to further strengthen my commitment to serving the society in evidence-based scientific development and ethical dissemination of this medical field, reinforcing the importance of a multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach. To promote the continuous and homogeneous dissemination of knowledge, permeating the medical community internationally, disseminating qualified information that allows reaching the largest number of professionals worldwide, without political, economic, or social differences. To increase the exchange between professionals and industry to guarantee more treatment opportunities, as well as to collaborate with government entities to provide data that favor the implementation of modern treatments. To create tools for accessing scientific data, including the interactive classification of vascular anomalies with open access.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Personal Statement:
I am honored to be considered for the role of Treasurer of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA), a position that aligns with my longstanding and deeply impactful involvement in the field. As a current Executive Board Member and Treasurer of ISSVA, I have had the privilege of demonstrating my leadership and financial stewardship within the organization. My extensive experience in interdisciplinary clinical care, research, and education—particularly in vascular anomalies—gives me a unique perspective on the society’s strategic priorities and resource needs. I co-founded and continue to lead the internationally recognized Multidisciplinary Vascular Anomalies Group at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in the care of patients with complex disorders. I have made significant contributions to research, including numerous multicenter studies and consensus-building initiatives, reflecting my commitment to advancing the field collaboratively and responsibly. With decades of academic leadership, fiscal oversight of fellowship programs, and service on numerous national and international committees, I bring both vision and operational expertise to the role of Treasurer.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Personal Statement:
I am a pediatric dermatologist dedicated to the clinical care, research, and multidisciplinary management of vascular anomalies. It would be an honor to serve on the ISSVA Board of Directors as an At-Large Board Member. In this role, I aim to support and strengthen ISSVA’s mission to advance clinical practice, research, and education for all professionals involved in the care of patients with vascular anomalies.
My work has allowed me to collaborate closely with experts across multiple specialties, reflecting the inherently multidisciplinary nature of this field. As a pediatric dermatologist, I am deeply committed to improving early diagnosis, refining treatment pathways, and promoting collaborative approaches that bridge dermatology with other clinical and scientific disciplines.
I hope to contribute as an advocate for the dermatology community within ISSVA, helping ensure that our perspective and expertise continue to enrich the society’s initiatives. It would be a privilege to help foster stronger connections among clinicians, researchers, and trainees, and to support ISSVA’s ongoing efforts to elevate the standards of care for patients and families affected by vascular anomalies.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Personal Statement:
I am honoured to be a part of ISSVA’s board members since 2020. ISSVA has a unique diverse transversal and multidisciplinary team approach that I continue to leverage in order to mentor young trainees in the field. Imaging and interventional radiology is one of the keys for a better understanding of vascular anomalies. I hope to contribute within ISSVA to ensure that our expertise allows training young experts and helps taking better care our patients. I am happy to bring my suggestions and opinion to the board meetings and Planning Committee to make ISSVA's community spirit persist and grow even more.
History of Service to ISSVA:
I have been a member of ISSVA for over 8 years. I have taken an active role in ISSVA committee work, including serving on the ISSVA Scientific Committee for the past 4 years, participating as an abstract reviewer for ISSVA as well as giving presentations and serving as a moderator at ISSVA World Congress and Debates & Updates meetings over the years. In addition, I provide pathology expertise to the ISSVA Pathology Working Group and contribute to the 2025 Updated Classification of Vascular Anomalies by ISSVA. I currently serve on the Scientific Committee to help organize an exciting and robust scientific program at ISSVA's upcoming World Congress in May 2026 in Philadelphia, PA. I am dedicated to advancing the mission of ISSVA for the benefits of our members through my continued active participation and leadership role in the organization.
Personal Statement:
I am a practicing pathologist with sub-specialization in genetic/molecular pathology. I’d be honored to serve on ISSVA Board of Directors as an At-Large Board Member. In this role, I want to mobilize ISSVA community to support the key mission of our organization to serve healthcare providers, researchers, educators, trainees and patients with vascular anomalies. ISSVA members represent diverse scientific and clinical disciplines, which reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of vascular anomalies that draw many of these specialties together. Tissue pathology is important in the diagnosis and genetic/molecular studies of vascular anomalies. I am aspired to empower the role of pathologists in ISSVA. I hope to function as a liaison between ISSVA and the pathology community to provide the needed expertise and collaboration to better serve ISSVA members.
History of Service to ISSVA:
Dr. Sheppard has been an active member of ISSVA since 2021. She has contributed extensively to the annual scientific programs, serving as a session moderator for three consecutive years (2021–2023) and as an abstract reviewer for multiple World Congress and Updates & Debates meetings (2022–2025). She also served as an Oral Abstract Award Judge at the 2022 World Congress and as a Poster Judge at the 2024 World Congress.
For the 2025 Updates and Debates meeting, Dr. Sheppard reviewed abstracts and organized the Pathology and Genetics Session. She had been invited to moderate a session and participate as an “Expert” in the Meet the Experts forum for the 2025 World Congress but was unable to attend due to NIH travel restrictions.
In addition to these roles, Dr. Sheppard presented lectures on the Genetics of Vascular Malformations at Primer Day in both 2022 and 2024. She currently serves on the Scientific Committee, chairs the Classification Working Group, and is a member of the ISSVA World Congress 2026 Planning Committee.
Personal Statement:
I am a Pediatric Geneticist (double board certified in Pediatrics and Clinical Genetics & Genomics) and a translational scientist. My research program in the NICHD/NIH Intramural Research Program focuses on defining the natural history of primary lymphatic disorders through a prospective clinical trial and uncovering the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving complex lymphatic anomalies. Using genetic manipulation and live imaging in zebrafish model systems, my team works to repurpose FDA-approved therapies for these rare disorders. Our work has identified several novel genetic causes of vascular malformations and has contributed to the implementation of MEK inhibitors for patients with complex lymphatic anomalies.
I would be honored to serve on the ISSVA Board of Directors. My dual roles as a clinical geneticist and a physician-scientist studying vascular anomalies in animal models uniquely position me to complement the expertise of the current Board and help bridge the gap between basic science and clinical practice. I bring experience integrating clinical insight with scientific rigor to advance understanding and treatment of vascular anomalies.
I lead a research team of 10 and have a strong record of international collaboration. I will leverage these experiences to strengthen ISSVA’s reach, including recruiting new members from clinical disciplines that are underrepresented at ISSVA—such as endocrinology and pediatric gynecology. I believe deeply in ISSVA’s mission: advancing education, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and improving care for patients worldwide. I would be grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this work as a member of the Board.
History of Service to ISSVA:
I was still a fellow in Pediatric Hematology Oncology in 2010 when I attended my first ISSVA meeting in Montreal. The volcanic ash changed the international meeting plans last minute, but the conference still took place on each side of the ocean and the discussions were amazing! I continued to attend and present both at ISSVA and at the Controversies meetings almost every year. Since 2021, I have been serving in the ISSVA Scientific Committee and in 2025 I became the Vice-Chair of the Committee.
Personal Statement:
Deep respect for the past and high hopes for the future! The ISSVA Scientific Committee has an amazing role and high responsibility for the present and the future of the entire field! All the major discoveries in vascular anomalies are first submitted and presented at an ISSVA conference. From recognizing new clinical patterns, to advancing surgical and endovascular techniques and making sure basic science findings reach the patients’ therapy plan, it is the role of the Scientific Committee to structure and create an unbiased, supportive and competitive forum to allow sharing of knowledge. As Scientific Committee Chair, I bring energy and enthusiasm, deep belief in the mission of ISSVA and in the multidisciplinary teamwork that allows progress. And as my personal goals, I would like to foster collaborations and recognition of ISSVA’s contribution to science among the rest of large international scientific organizations and second, bring more neurovascular experts into our programs over the next years. Thank you for this opportunity!
Positions NOT on the ballot in 2026
• President – Juan Carlos Lopez-Gutierrez – Plastic Surgery (2026-2028)
• Secretary – Denise Adams – Heme/Onc (2024-2028)
• Past President – Leo Schultze Kool – IR (2026-2028)
• Editor-in-Chief – Gresham Richter – Otolaryngology (2025-2030)
