North Texas researchers build connections and advance science at Hardin Symposium
More than 100 cardiovascular researchers from across North Texas gathered at the third
annual Robert J. Hardin Translational Cardiovascular Research Symposium last month.
The event highlighted the latest advances and emerging trends in cardiovascular research and medicine, bringing together faculty, scientists, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from institutions across the region to share findings and encourage collaboration.
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Cardiovascular research drives the advances needed to prevent, diagnose and treat these life-threatening conditions,” said Dr. Johnathan Tune, event organizer and chair of physiology and anatomy at UNT Health Fort Worth.
This year’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Craig Crandall, professor of cardiology at UT Southwestern. His presentation, “Thermoregulatory and Cardiovascular Consequences of Severe Burn Injuries: Implications for Exercise and Its Prescription,” explored how severe burn injuries affect cardiovascular health and the role exercise can play in recovery and treatment.
Researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from area universities presented research on a wide range of cardiovascular topics. Awards were presented to students and post docs to recognize the top research presentations.
The symposium is a collaboration among UNT Health’s Department of Physiology and Anatomy and College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions. Support also comes from the Robert J. Hardin Heart and Cancer Research Fund.
The event’s organizers share a unique connection that goes back decades. Dr. Johnathan Tune of UNT Health, Dr. Scott Smith of UT Southwestern and Dr. Paul Fadel of UT Arlington are all alumni of UNT Health’s PhD in Biomedical Sciences program. They have worked togetherfor the past three years to grow the symposium into a regional gathering of cardiovascular researchers.
“North Texas is home to many universities and organizations focused on cardiovascular research and health,” Tune said. “Through this symposium, we’ve been able to foster scientific collaboration among these outstanding organizations, showcase their innovative discoveries, and support the training of future cardiovascular researchers. Ultimately, all of these efforts are accelerating the translation of research into improved cardiovascular health and patient care.”
Robert J. Hardin Translational Cardiovascular Research Symposium Awardees
Pre-doctoral award winners
- 1st Place: Salman Essajee, UNT Health
- 2nd Place: Ario Sajjad Moradi, UT Arlington
- 3rd Place: Sogal Zahedi, UT Arlington
Post-doctoral award winners
- 1st Place: David Buckley, UT Arlington
- 2nd Place: Ziba Taherzadeh, UT Arlington
- 3rd Place: Giorgio Manferdelli, UT Southwestern/IEEM