Moderated Poster Discussions - T1 Research/Science

Tuesday, April 14, 2026
4:45 pm - 6:15 pm

T1 Research/Science: Translation to humans, including proof of concept studies, Phase 1 clinical trials, and focus on new methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention in highly controlled settings.

INTEGRATED RNA-DNA ANALYSIS REVEALS UNIFIED TUMOR PROGRAMS AND CONCORDANT CHROMOSOME BREAKS DEFINING MULTIPHASIC STATES IN CLEAR CELL RENAL CELL CARCINOMA (Genetic and Molecular Medicine)
Hojung Kim, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common renal neoplasm that arises from the nephron. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histologic subtype of RCC, accounting for nearly 75-80% of all diagnoses. Despite being the most common form of kidney cancer, ccRCC remains a highly heterogeneous disease, which is reflective of its complex genomic and transcriptomic landscape. At the genomic level, ccRCC is characterized by several recurrent chromosomal alterations the most notable alterations include loss of 3p, and gain of 5q. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of transcriptomics and chromosomal alterations in low-grade ccRCC (LG-ccRCC).
 

UNDERSTANDING THE CLINICAL EXPERIENCES OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS IN ILLINOIS (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Kira Sampson, BS, University of Illinois College of Medicine
Human trafficking and domestic violence (DV) are critical public health crises nationwide, with Illinois ranking 5th highest for sex trafficking and 9th highest for labor trafficking in the country1. According to the Illinois Coalition against Domestic Violence, IL DV deaths increased by 110% from 2022 to 20232. Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to identify victims actively in need of life-saving support. A 2014 study published in the Annals of Health Law found that among a sample of 125 human trafficking survivors, roughly 90% received healthcare while in their trafficking situation. Yet the study found fewer than half of human trafficking victims who sought health care were asked about their personal circumstances3. 
While some research has explored how healthcare workers identify survivors, little is known about survivors’ own perspectives–particularly in Illinois. This study seeks to fill that gap by surveying survivors of human trafficking and DV in various shelters across IL about their interactions with health care professionals in clinical settings. Our findings aim to inform policy recommendations to improve safety and care for survivors throughout IL.
 

A MOBILE HEALTH STRATEGY TO IMPROVE BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL IN AFRICAN AMERICAN ADULTS (Health Disparities / Diversity / Equity / Inclusion / Social Determinants / Ethics)
Roey Kuo, University of Chicago
Hypertension remains disproportionately prevalent and poorly controlled among African American adults, contributing to persistent cardiovascular health disparities. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions for home blood pressure (BP) monitoring are increasingly used to support hypertension management; however, longitudinal BP trajectories in participants in these programs remain poorly characterized.
 

PRECISION DIABETES CONSORTIUM (PREDICT): TRANSFORMING MONOGENIC DIABETES RESEARCH THROUGH MULTICENTER COLLABORATION (Endocrinology / Metabolism)
Michael McCullough, MPH, University of Chicago
Monogenic diabetes (MD) is a group of disorders caused by pathogenic variants in key genes affecting insulin action, production, or secretion, resulting in hyperglycemia. Collectively, MD represents an estimated 1% to 5% of diabetes cases diagnosed before age 30-35 (1-3). With several subtypes having distinct treatment approaches, MD is in exemplar for precision medicine in diabetes. Unfortunately, most MD cases remain unidentified, resulting in suboptimal treatment and outcomes (3,4). Historically, progress in MD research has been limited by fragmented data, inconsistent data standards, and lack of collaboration across institutions. Increased collaboration and streamlined data sharing is necessary for further advances in MD research.