The American Society of Matrix Biology (ASMB) has selected the University of Virginia to host its 2019 ASMB Workshop, co-organized byTom Barker(University of Virginia) andMerry Lindsey(University of Nebraska Medical Center). Join us June 23-25, 2019 in Charlottesville! Fibroblasts are an enigmatic and diverse population of cells with stromal origins. It is believed that their primary function is the maintenance and turnover of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Through the coordinated degradation and assembly of ECM they maintain normal ECM homeostasis, which in turn impacts cell and tissue homeostasis through direct support and signaling of resident cells. It has become increasingly clear that fibroblasts are extremely diverse and heterogeneous even within a single microenvironment and that their functions are far more diverse than simply maintaining ECM tone. In response to a single stimulus, a single population of fibroblasts may diverge into distinct subpopulations, often through unknown mechanisms. This diversity and emergence of subpopulations likely has a tremendous impact on wound healing and ECM-centric pathologies, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and fibrosis. Yet our understanding of fibroblasts, their classifications, their origins, and how those origins impact tissue biology is in its infancy. This program will bring together the fibroblast and the extracellular matrix biology communities to explore current research and theoretical concepts in fibroblast biology. For logistics and event information:Samantha Clarke For information about the conference content:Tom Barker