Thirty years ago nitric oxide (NO) was discovered as a predominant physiological vasodilator. Since then, it has become apparent that NO signaling is significant not only in the cardiovascular system but involved in the maintenance of homeostasis in other organ systems as well as modulating the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. Even though the Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of NO in 1998, the field continues to expand with new discoveries leading to novel targeting of the NO pathway for therapeutic development.

The 2017 NO Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is designed to be a cross-disciplinary meeting to facilitate interaction between cutting-edge NO scientists whose expertise range from biochemical and molecular mechanisms to models of disease processes and ultimately to clinical investigation. Morning sessions will focus on advances in basic mechanisms in the areas of chemical biology, protein modification, signal transduction and interaction with other gasotransmitters. These sessions will be complimented by evening sessions focused on the role of NO in specific disease processes and translation of basic science to the clinic. The conference will encompass 33 talks by junior and senior leaders in the field from academia, government and industry and 9 talks selected from submitted abstracts. Keynote lectures by Drs. Joseph Loscalzo and Rafael Radi will kick off and end the conference respectively. Poster sessions will be held each afternoon, including a "reverse" poster session in which senior leaders in the field will be asked to present posters in order to encourage interaction between junior and senior investigators. This year for the first time the NO GRC will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) organized solely for trainees by trainees (chaired by Drs. Courtney Sparacino-Watkins and Filip Larsen).