The objectives of the consortium are:

• to establish and update the diagnostic criteria for a growing list of conditions, now more than two dozen, that affect the thoracic aorta and its arterial branches;
• to understand the natural and clinical histories of these conditions;
• to discover additional genetic variations that predispose to aortopathy;
• to explore the reasons for variable expression of these genetic variations, especially modifier genes;
• to discover and test new approaches to treatment; and
• to facilitate collaborations in all of these endeavors.