Preliminary Program
 

Monday, April 13, 2026

Meeting
Room

7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Registration Table

Student Center West
(second floor)

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast

Student Center West
(second floor)

8:00 am – 8:25 am

CSCTR Membership Meeting

Jennifer Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD
President, CSCTR
Past Chair, AFMR Midwestern Region
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Student Center West
(second floor)

8:30 am – 8:40 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Jennifer Alexander-Brett, MD, PhD
President, CSCTR
Past Chair, AFMR Midwestern Region
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Syed Bukhari, MD, MSc
Chair-Elect, AFMR Midwestern Region
Vascular Medicine Fellow
Cleveland Clinic

8:45 am – 9:45 am

MWAFMR Career Development Workshop

Invited Speaker:

Zanthia Wiley
Department of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases
Emory University School of Medicine
 

9:45 am – 10:45 am

Health Equity Session

Invited Speakers:

Rinad Beidas
Chair, Department of Medical Social Sciences
Ralph Seal Paffenbarger Professor
Professor, Medical Social Sciences (Implementation Science)
Professor, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
 

10:45 am - 11:00 am

Break

Student Center West
(second floor)
 

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Department Chair Session

Invited Speaker:

Igho Ofotokun
Professor of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
 

Student Center West
(second floor)

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Lunch

Student Center West
(second floor)
 

1:00 pm – 1:30 pm

New Investigator Session

Student Center West
(second floor)
 

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Dissemination and Implementation Science Session

Invited Speakers:

Dennis Li
Assistant Professor
Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences 
Medical Social Sciences 
Northwestern Medicine

Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP
Clinical Psychologist
Associate Professor
Hennepin Healthcare
 

Student Center West
(second floor)

3:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Break

Student Center West
(second floor)
 

*Concurrent Sessions:

*3:15 pm – 4:15 pm

Annual Max Miller Lecture in Diabetes Research

Invited Speakers:

Shingo Kajimura, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
 

Inflammation, Immunity, and Transplant

Invited Speakers:

Damiano Rondelli, MD
Michael Reese Professor of Hematology
Division Chief, Hematology/Oncology
Director of Blood & Marrow Transplant 
 

4:15 pm - 4:30 pm

Break

4:30 pm – 6:15 pm

Opening Reception and Moderated Poster Discussions

6:15 pm

Dinner (on your own)

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Meeting
Room

8:00 am – 3:15 pm

Registration Table

7:00 am – Noon

Setup posters for Tuesday, April 15th, 1:45 pm session

8:00 am – 9:00 am

8:30 am Table Switch

Mentor and Attendee Breakfast

Halfway through breakfast, participants are encouraged to change tables for additional mentoring.
 

9:00 am - 9:15 am

Break

Student Center West
(second floor)
 

9:15 am – 9:45 am

Awards Presentation

9:45 am – 10:45 am

Cardiology/Pulmonary Lecture 

Invited Speaker:

Ankit Bharat
Chief of Thoracic Surgery in the Department of Surgery
Harold L. and Margaret N. Method Professor of Surgery
Professor, Surgery (Thoracic Surgery), Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care)
Feinberg School of Medicine
 

10:45 am - 11:00 am

Break

11:00 am - 11:45 am

Catalyzing Collaboration: Transforming Clinical and Translational Research Through Industry and Academic Partnerships

11:45 am – 12:45 pm

Lunch

12:45 pm – 1:45 pm

CSCTR John B. Hickam Endowed Lecture

The John B. Hickam Endowed Lectureship was established in 1981 to honor John Hickam, President of CSCR in 1970. At the time of his death in 1970, Dr. Hickam was Chair of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Hickam was internationally recognized in medical research, particularly in the areas of lung, heart, and circulatory system diseases. Dr. Hickam was also responsible for administering research programs, which established the Indiana University School of Medicine as one of the nation’s primary centers for research in heart disease.

Invited Speaker:

Mark Anderson, MD, PhD
Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and Pritzker School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs
Paul and Allene Russell Professor
Department of Medicine
University of Chicago
 

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm

Break

*Concurrent Sessions:

*2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Translational Science Oral Session I: Pulmonary, Critical Care, Cardiology, and Renal

Translational Science Oral Session II: Endocrine/Metabolism, Gastroenterology

Translational Science Oral Session III: Hematology/Oncology, Rheumatology/Immunology, and Neurology

3:15 pm - 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

AFMR Keynote Presentation

Invited Speakers:

Craig Jarrett, MD, MBA
University Hospitals
Instructor
CWRU School of Medicine

Robert McCullumsmith
Professor, Chair
Research Director of the Neurosciences Institute in the College of Medicine & Life Sciences
The University of Toledo

Hunter Eby
MD, PhD Candidate
University of Toledo College of Medicine
 

4:30 pm - 4:15 pm

Break

4:45 pm – 6:15 pm

Moderated Poster Discussions and Closing Reception