Spring 2026 Seminars
The CVRI is pleased to announce our partnership with the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine to jointly organize the James T. Willerson, M.D. Cardiovascular Sciences Seminar Series. Together with the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, we aim to honor Dr. Willerson's significant contributions to cardiovascular science and medicine. To learn more about Dr. Willerson's legacy, visit the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine website.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit will be available to eligible attendees for all seminars. For further details, visit the CME website.
Seminars are open to all who are interested in cardiovascular sciences and are held on select Wednesdays at noon.
Jan. 7, 2026
Ketan Ghaghada, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Radiology
Baylor College of Medicine
Texas Children’s Hospital
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Jan. 21, 2026
Mingtao Zhao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Pediatrics
The Ohio State University
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Feb. 11, 2026
Wenbo Li, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
McGovern Medical School
UT Health
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Feb. 25, 2026
Olujimi Ajijola, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medicine
Co-Director UCLA-Caltech Medical
Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
March 4, 2026
Guizhen Zhao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Pharmacy
University of Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
April 29, 2026
Sandhya Thomas, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine-Nephrology
Baylor College of Medicine
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
May 13, 2026
Jennifer Davis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology and Bioengineering (Joint)
University of Washington
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
May 27, 2026
Na Li, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Fall 2025 Seminars
Nhat-Tu Le, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Richard Wainford, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Matthew DeBerge, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Gordon K. Moe Professor and Chair
Biomedical Research and Translational Medicine
Director of Research
Masonic Medical Research Institute
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Renita Horton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Laboratory (CTEL) Director
Biomedical Engineering Department
University of Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Steven Marx, M.D.
Professor
Director, Cardiology Fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center/NY-Presbyterian Hospital
Director, Cardiology Component of a NIH Training Grant for Cardiology Fellows and Surgery Residents
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Holger Eltzschig, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Departments of Anesthesiology & Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Gea-Ny Tseng, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Medicine Physiology and Biophysics
Department of Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Seminar Location: Room N315