Committees

ISSVA Committees & Working Groups

Click on the link to review a description for each committee or working group.

Education Committee	Pathology Working Group	Meeting Planning Committee
Patient Support Committee	Scientific Committee	Classification Working Group
Communications Committee

The committee application cycle for Winter 2024 has closed. Any applications submitted after 2 December 2024 will be considered for approval in Spring 2025. 

Definitions

Committees
Committees are established through the ISSVA bylaws as a collection of ISSVA members to such other committees and task forces as the Board shall deem appropriate. Such committees and task forces shall have the power and duties designated by the Board and shall give advice and make non-binding recommendations to the Board. Each committee will have a chair responsible for its direction, productivity, and meetings. 

Working Groups
Working groups are established as a group of ISSVA members who have a common interest that affects both the Society and the specialties not covered by either a committee or task force. Working groups are formed within committees as specific areas of interest and must be approved by the ISSVA president and president-elect, committee board liaison, and committee chair prior to formation. Each working group will have a lead responsible for its direction, productivity, and meetings. This lead will be selected by the committee chair in consultation with the Board Liaison, with approval from the President and President-Elect. The lead will be a member of the committee (ex: Pathology Lead will be a member of the Education Committee) who will meet four times annually for collaboration and idea-sharing.

Task Forces
The ISSVA President proposes, and Board approves, task forces to focus on a specific issue/challenge with a timeline to complete the work necessary. When the work is complete, the task force is dissolved. Each task force will have a chair responsible for its direction, productivity, and meetings. The Chair and the members will be determined by the President and President-Elect in consultation with the Board.

Committees, Working Groups, & Task Forces Reference Manual

The ISSVA Board of Directors has approved a Committees, Working Groups, and Task Forces Reference Manual which includes further information about the governance of these groups. This is a living document which will be updated as needed by the Board of Directors. Questions should be directed to info@issva.org or the individual committee chair or board liaison.

 

Education Committee

Chair:
Dr. Alexandra Borst

Vice Chair:
Dr. Paolo Gasparella

Board Liaison:
Dr. Denise Adams

Purpose: 

• To plan educational related content, including but not limited to, new devices/techniques and communication.
• To provide ISSVA leaders and staff with guidance and direction on educational content and resources for ISSVA members.
• To encourage collaboration on educational efforts across ISSVA membership.
• Liaise with the Scientific Committee and Meeting Planning Committee to guarantee appropriate educational content at all meetings.

Responsibilities: 
The ISSVA Education Committee will explore new avenues to provide ISSVA members with the best possible educational resources including access to online services, new devices/techniques, communications, and meetings. In addition, the group explores collaborative efforts with other local, national and international VA organizations to provide educational resources and meetings to ISSVA members. 

Members:
Denise M. Adams
Alexandra J. Borst
Paolo Gasparella
Ewa Bien
Srinivasa Rama Chandra
Shih-Jen Chang
Michael D. Fox
Ilona Frieden
Nadav L. Kastle
Motoi Kato
Sheilagh M. Maguiness
Kumar K. Shashi
Carrie J. Shawber
Dario J. Teplisky
Helena Vidaurri de La Cruz
Juliana Ramos Vieira
Michel Wassef

Pathology Working Group

Lead:
Prof. Michel Wassef

• This working group will create educational programming and resources centered on pathology.

Members:
Denise M. Adams
Michel Wassef
David F. Carpentieri
Isabel Colmenero
Anita Gupta
Hechen Jia
Mark Koh
Thuy Phung
Ali G. Saad

Additional working groups may be organized under the Education Committee to operationalize projects based on areas of interest related to education with the approval of the ISSVA President, Education Committee Board Liaison, and Education Committee Chair. 

Meeting Planning Committee

Chair & Board Liaison:
Dr. Annouk-Anne Bisdorff-Bresson

Purpose: 

• To plan all ISSVA meeting educational content other than Congress abstracts and posters (work of the Scientific Committee).
• To provide ISSVA leaders and staff with guidance and direction on meeting sites, structure, pricing, and social events.
• To evaluate meeting site interest, and recommend sites for meetings, based on criteria approved by the Board of Directors.

Responsibilities: 
This committee will plan the educational meetings of ISSVA other than the Congress scientific presentations. These include the pre-workshop educational sessions, breakfast sessions, and any additional free-standing ISSVA meeting(s) e.g. those dedicated to content updates, controversies, disease and management strategies. This committee will provide direction/guidance throughout the meeting planning process.

Members:
Annouk-Anne Bisdorff-Bresson
Francine Blei
Denise M. Adams
Sally Cohen-Cutler
Maria C. Garzon
Dov C. Goldenberg
Ann M. Kulungowski
Juan-Carlos Lopez-Gutierrez
Gang Ma
Renata Maricevich
Kristina W. Rosbe
Leo J. Schultze Kool
Paloma E. Triana Junco
Kiley E. Trott

Patient Support Committee

Chair:
TBA

Board Liaison:
Prof. Dr. Leo Schultze Kool

Purpose:
The ISSVA Patient Support Committee serves as a collaborative bridge between the vascular anomaly patient community and medical professionals. Its mission is to enhance patient representation, engagement, and advocacy within ISSVA by identifying unmet needs, supporting educational initiatives, and advising on research and clinical priorities. Members of this committee are not representing specific groups, but the patient community as a whole.

Composition:
The committee is composed of both patient advocates and medical professionals, with a strong emphasis on patient leadership:

• 75% of members are patient advocates representing diverse patient organizations.
• 25% are medical professionals serving in an advisory capacity.
• The Chair and Co-Chair are appointed based on the guidelines set by the ISSVA board of directors, with input by the patient organizations. 

Responsibilities:

• Advocacy & Outreach: Plan and oversee patient-focused events, webinars, and initiatives to raise awareness and improve care.
• Education: Collaborate with the ISSVA Education Committee to develop educational programming for patients and families.
• Strategic Advisement: Ensure the patient voice is central in ISSVA’s strategic priorities.
• Scientific Engagement: Contribute to the planning of ISSVA meetings and workshops to reflect patient-relevant themes.
• Liaison Role: Act as a conduit between the global patient community and ISSVA leadership, reporting on needs and opportunities.

Scientific Committee

Chair & Board Liaison:
Dr. Dov Goldenberg

Purpose:

• Based on the ISSVA bylaws, the Scientific Committee is responsible for determining the scientific program for Scientific Meetings with the guidance of the Board. The Scientific Committee consists of at least 5 members.
• In addition, the President and Secretary shall serve as ex officio members with voting rights.
• The Chair of the Scientific Committee is elected for a period of 4 years by the Board of Directors and ratified by the General Assembly. Re-election is possible.
• Other members of the Committee are appointed by and for terms determined by the Board, which may seek input from the full voting membership of the Society.

Members:
Dov C. Goldenberg
Ionela Iacobas
Ahmad I. Alomari
Eulalia Baselga
Gulraiz Chaudry
Isabel Colmenero
Anne E. Dompmartin
Ilona Frieden
Shoshana Greenberger
Adrienne M. Hammill
Juan-Carlos Lopez-Gutierrez
Michio Ozeki
Thuy Phung
Tara L. Rosenberg
Emmanuel Seront
Sarah Sheppard
Miikka Vikkula
Michel Wassef
June K. Wu

Classification Working Group

Lead:
Dr. Miikka Vikkula

At the request of the Board and Scientific Committee Chair, the Classification Working Group will convene from the Scientific Committee Membership to recommend updates to the ISSVA Classification. The Working Group will be responsible for advising the Board when updates are needed, and maintaining accurate information for the Classification.

Members:
Dov C. Goldenberg
Miikka Vikkula
Ahmad I. Alomari
Eulalia Baselga
Ionela Iacobas
Michel Wassef

Communications Committee

Chair & Board Liaison:
Dr. Gresham Richter

Purpose: 

• To recommend a plan and policy for ISSVA’s social media presence including platforms, content, and resources to the ISSVA Board of Directors.
• To provide ISSVA leaders and staff with guidance and direction on ISSVA social media.
• To work with the ISSVA Committees, Task Forces, and Working Groups to communicate upcoming events, projects, and plans as needed.
• To promote ISSVA’s journal, The Journal of Vascular Anomalies. 

Responsibilities: 
The Communications Committee provides ISSVA leaders and staff with guidance and direction on ISSVA’s social media platforms. The Communications Committee will plan any social media related content including the promotion of ISSVA events, webinars, and other programming either by direction of the ISSVA leadership or with approval of the ISSVA Board of Directors. The Communications Committee will work with all ISSVA Committees, Task Forces, and Working Groups to gather related content on for posting. The Communications Committee will also promote ISSVA’s Journal, The Journal of Vascular Anomalies, in consultation with the journal’s Editor-in-Chief.

Members:
Gresham T. Richter
Josephine A. Czechowicz
Austin DeHart
Deshan Sebaratnam
Carine J. Van der Vleuten
Melinda Wu