Clinical Translational Research Forum Seminars

Overview

The Clinical Translational Research Forum, “CTRF”, supports CONHI faculty researchers in hosting an innovative scholar every Wednesday during the Spring and Fall semesters to present to nursing and kinesiology, undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, faculty, and researchers/healthcare professionals from across campus and colleagues throughout DFW. A new schedule of seminars is distributed each semester throughout campus and research facilities in the DFW area.

Clinical Translational Research Forum – Schedule of Seminars

SPRING SEMESTER 2026

The following seminars are held on Wednesday from 12 to 12:50 PM in SEIR #198. Anyone who is interested in the material being presented is invited to attend, including faculty, students, and staff.

Date

Seminar

JANUARY 21

Ankitha Srinivasa (PhD student, UTA Material Science Engineering) and Michelle Pearce (PhD student, UTA Nursing)

"Vitamin D Modulation in Neutrophils Reveals Anti-Inflammatory Role of Calcitriol"

JANUARY 28

Chris Hearon Jr., PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Clinical Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas

“Blood volume and heart size across the spectrum of BMI: relationship to adiposity and the pathophysiology of HFpEF”

FEBRUARY 04

Elise Erickson, PhD, CNM, FACNM, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona

“Reframing Risk: Aspirations in Precision Pregnancy Research From pharmaco(epi)genetics to wearable sensors, building tools to improve maternity care.”

FEBRUARY 11

Sukh Makhnoon, PhD, Assistant Professor, O’Donnell School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center

“Public health genetics across the cancer continuum”

FEBRUARY 18

Juliet Varghese, PhD, Assistant Professor, Radiology, The Ohio State University

"Cardiopulmonary assessments with MRI: intra-cardiac oxygen saturation and exercise testing"

FEBRUARY 25

Michael B Reid, PhD, Dean and Professor, College of Health and Human Performance, University of Florida

“Research, ROS, and Racing”
*Presented as part of the Barry McKeown Speaker Series*

MARCH 04

Chengkai Li, Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, Director of the Innovative Database and Information Systems Research Laboratory (IDIR), and Co-Director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (CARIDA).

“Demystifying AI: The Best and Worst Innovation of Our Time”

MARCH 11

No Seminar – Spring Break Week

MARCH 18

Silvia Salinas Blemker, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder Springbok Analytics, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia

"Measuring and Modeling the Human Musculoskeletal System at Scale: Tool Development and Biological Insights”

MARCH 25

Bianca J. Gamez, Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations, United Football League

“Building Up a Start Up Brand in Sports”
*Presented part of the Anderson Lecture Series*

APRIL 01

Han Kyul Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research, UT Southwestern

“High Phosphate-Induced Augmented Exercise Pressor Response: A Role for Central FGF23 Signaling in Sympathetic Activation”

APRIL 02 (Thurs)

3rd Annual CONHI Research Expo (Mavericks Activity Center)

APRIL 08

Mohamed Kamara, MBA, CEO/Founder, InovCares, LLC

“A Translational Approach to Maternal Health: Technology‑Enabled Partnerships Across Clinical and Community Settings”

APRIL 15

To Be Determined

APRIL 22

No Seminar – APS Summit 4/23-4/26

APRIL 29

Brandon Hathorn, PhD Candidate, Department of Kinesiology, UT Arlington

"Limitations and Innovations in Exercise Cardiac MRI"

 

Previous CTRF Series