Recap from the 12th Annual CVRI Symposium – 2025
We were honored to host Patrick Ellinor, M.D., Ph.D., as our distinguished keynote speaker. Dr. Ellinor is the Executive Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Mass General Brigham, as well as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Demoulas Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias at Massachusetts General Hospital, Institute Member and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Initiative at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Acting Chief of Cardiology and Co-Director of the MGH Corrigan-Minehan Heart Center.
Additionally, the symposium featured ten invited speakers from the Texas Medical Center who covered a wide spectrum of topics addressing the CVRI’s pivotal themes such as congenital developmental heart disease, cardiovascular genetics, arrhythmias and channelopathies, heart failure and cardiomyopathy, adult and pediatric heart transplant, and aging. In addition, two faculty received the Dr. Mark L. Entman Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education.
The symposium featured over 70 poster presentations by basic science and clinical trainees, as well as junior faculty, providing an important platform for emerging researchers to share their innovative work. The CVRI recognized excellence through the “Best Poster Awards,” honoring outstanding contributions in both basic science and clinical research. These awards were announced in categories by Dr. Lilei Zhang, Chair of the Symposium Program Committee.
12th Annual CVRI Symposium Awardees
Dr. Mark L. Entman Awards for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
- Dr. Mark L. Entman Teaching Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
Christopher Walkey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology - Dr. Mark L. Entman Service Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
Xinchun Pi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research
Best Posters
Student Category (Non-Graduate) Category
Joshua A. Keefe, Ph.D.
Mentor: Xander Wehrens, M.D., Ph.D.
Poster title: “Atrial Fibroblast-Derived Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Promotes Atrial Macrophage Accumulation in Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation”
Student Category (Graduate) Category Winner:
Dexter Robichaux
Mentor: Jason Karch, Ph.D.
Poster title: “ATAD3 is an Essential Component of them Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore”
Postdoctoral Research Trainee Winner:
Jose Alberto Navarro-Garcia, Ph.D.
Mentor: Xander Wehrens, M.D., Ph.D.
Poster title: “Oxidized LDL and LOX-1 Mediate Atrial Fibrillation Development in Chronic Kidney Disease”
Junior Faculty Category Winner:
Abhijnan Chattopadhyay, Ph.D.
Poster title: “Pathogenic Variants in ACTA2 that Activate Heat Shock Factor 1 Signaling and Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Smooth Muscle Cells Predispose to Premature Atherosclerosis”
Clinical Outcomes/Research Category Winner:
Sai Prasada Rao Manikonda
Mentor: Nandan Kumar Mondal, Ph.D.
Poster title: “Predicting Acute Ischemic Stroke in Heart Failure Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices: The Role of Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and High Mobility Group Box 1 Proteins”
Clinical Resident/Fellow Category Winner:
Co-first authors: Amrit Kannan M.D., and Meredith
Rae, M.D.
Mentor: Tam Doan, M.D. and Eyal Muscal, M.D.
Poster title: “The Added Value of Cardiac MRI in Pediatric Rheumatologic Disorders”
Recap from the 11th Annual CVRI Symposium – 2024
Our distinguished keynote lecturer, Dr. Andrew R. Marks, M.D., Chair and Professor at Columbia University, delivered an outstanding lecture titled "Leaky Ryanodine Receptors Provide Clues for Treating Disorders of Heart, Muscle, and Brain." Dr. Marks' insights set the stage for insightful discussions and collaborations throughout the symposium.
Additionally, the symposium featured nine invited speakers from the Texas Medical Center who covered a wide spectrum of topics addressing the CVRI’s pivotal themes such as Arrhythmias and Channelopathies, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy, Aortopathy and Valvular Heart Disease, Cardiac Regeneration and Stem Cells, and Congenital Developmental Heart Disease. In addition, two faculty received the Dr. Mark L. Entman Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education.
11th Annual CVRI Symposium Awardees
Dr. Mark L. Entman Awards for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
- Dr. Mark L. Entman Teaching Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
Christopher Ward, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology - Dr. Mark L. Entman Service Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
William Lagor, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology
Best Poster Awards
Students:
Jernie Rideb
Mentor: Lilei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine - Molecular and Human Genetics
Title: “Unraveling the Behavioral Phenotype of Tango2 Deficiency: Lessons from Transgenic Mice and Vitamin B Deficiency”
Maria Jose Arredondo, M.D.
Mentor: Christina Miyake, M.D.
Texas Children’s Hospital - Pediatrics - Cardiology
Title: “Nutritional Vitamin Supplemental is An Alternative Antiarrhythmic Approach to Prevent and Treat Lethal Tango2 Deficiency Disorder Related Ventricular Arrhythmias During Inpatient Admission”
Postdoctoral Research Trainee Category Winners:
Fansen Meng, Ph.D.
Mentor: James Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
Texas Heart Institute - Gene Editing Lab
Poster title: “A Novel Gene Therapy CM-Yapon Provides Long-Term Protection Against Myocardial Infarction”
Weiyi Xu, Ph.D.
Mentor: Lilei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine - Molecular and Human Genetics
Poster title: “Modeling Tango2-Deficiency Disorder with IPSC-CMS Revealed Possible Nav1.5 Dysfunction”
Clinical Fellow / Resident Category Winner
Anna H. Xue, M.D.
Mentor: Joseph Coselli, M.D., FACS
Baylor College of Medicine - Cardiothoracic Surgery
Poster title: “Reoperation After Prior Aortic Root Replacement: Evolution of Technique Over 30 Years”
Junior Faculty/Clinical Research Category Winner:
David R. Murdock, M.D.
Mentor: Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D.
UTHealth - Internal Medicine / Medical Genetics
Poster title: “Non-Canonical Splice Variants in Genes for Thoracic Aortic Disease Are Enriched in Acute Thoracic Aortic Dissection Cases and Marfan Syndrome Families Negative Panel Testing”
Recap from The 10th Annual CVRI Symposium - 2023
The event featured two distinguished keynote lecturers at the symposium. Jeffery Molkentin, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Molecular Cardiovascular Biology; executive co-director of the Heart Institute and professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center spoke on “Adult stem cells do not regenerate the damaged heart; they mildly rejuvenate it thru inflammation”.
Dianna Milewicz, M.D., Ph.D.; professor and George H.W. Bush Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine; director of the Division of Medical Genetics and vice-chair of internal medicine at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center who will speak on “Molecular mechanisms for the vascular disease pleiotropy associated with pathogenic variants in smooth muscle α-actin (ACTA2)”.
The day was filled with scientific lectures from eight invited speakers and also featured two poster sessions. The CVRI was able to highlight over 70 abstracts and awarded five "Best Poster Awards" to basic science and clinical trainees, and junior faculty. In addition, two faculty received the Dr. Mark L. Entman Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education.
10th Annual CVRI Symposium Awardees
Dr. Mark L. Entman Awards for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
- Dr. Mark L. Entman Teaching Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
Ying H. Shen, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery - Dr. Mark L. Entman Service Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Education
George Taffet, M.D.
Professor & Robert J. Luchi, MD Chair
Department of Medicine
Best Poster Awards
Students:
Bing Xie, B.S.
Mentor: James F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Integrative Physiology
Title: "YAP Mediates Cardiac Proliferation in TEAD-independent Mechanisms"
Kyle Blackburn
Mentors: Scott LeMaire, M.D.; Marc Moon, MD; Joseph Coselli, M.D.
Department of Surgery
Title: "Outcomes of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Patients with a Prior Myocardial Infarction"
Postdoctoral Associate Winner:
Rich Li, Ph.D.
Mentor: James F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D.
McGill Gene Editing Lab, Texas Heart Institute
Title: "YAP Induces a Neonatal Like Pro-Renewal Niche in the Adult Heart"
Clinical Fellow Winner:
Heba El Ayash, M.D.
Mentor: Fida Bacha, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics
Title: "Incretins and cardiac autonomic function in youth with obesity across the glycemia spectrum"
Junior Faculty Winner:
Sriram Ayyaswamy, Ph.D.
Mentor: David Durgan, Ph.D.
Department of Anesthesiology
Title: "Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Induced Hypertension is Associated with Increased Gut and Neuroinflammation"