Research Retreat | Cardiovascular Research Center

果冻影院 Cardiovascular Research Center Research Retreat

Date: November 17, 2025
Location: 果冻影院 Campus, Alumni Center

Please email cgara@mcw.edu with any questions.

Registration closes on November 7.

The retreat featured dynamic faculty lightning talks within the CVRC鈥檚 Signature Programs and Trainee Talks, highlighting the innovative work of emerging scientists. A keynote presentation by Minna Kaikkonen-M盲盲tt盲, PhD, Professor of Cardiovascular Genomics at the A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, provided insight into 鈥淢apping the Genetic Basis of Atherosclerosis Using Single Cell and Functional Genomics.鈥�

Led by Trainee Chair Michelle Roberts, PhD, MS, and CVRC Staff Chair Christina Gara, the retreat included a vibrant poster session with over 55 presentations. This session served as a valuable platform for networking and knowledge exchange, culminating in awards for nine outstanding presenters across three categories:

Graduate Student/Medical Student

1st Place: Makenna Knas (Joy Lincoln Lab)
2nd Place: Lukas Brandt (Andreas Beyer Lab)
3rd Place: Katy LaFond (Ben Gantner Lab)

Postdoctoral Fellow/Clinical Fellow

1st Place: Stephen Hammond, PhD, MS (Andreas Beyer Lab)
2nd Place: Alicen Whitaker-Hilbig, PT, DPT, PhD (Matthew Durand Lab)
3rd Place: Maria Jaramillo-Torres, PhD (Julie Freed Lab)

Research Support Staff

1st Place: Thiago Milech De Assun莽茫o, PhD (Brian Lin Lab)
2nd Place: Valerie Wagner, PhD (Justin Grobe Lab)
3rd Place: Annabelle Brusacoram (Brian Lin Lab)

Congratulations to all the winners! The CVRC extends its heartfelt thanks to the poster judges for their invaluable contributions to the retreat鈥檚 success. This annual event underscores the collaborative spirit and cutting-edge research that define the CVRC community.

Details for the 2025 CVRC Research Retreat will be available soon, please contact cgara@mcw.edu with any questions.

Poster Session Frequently Asked Questions

Deadline to Register for the Poster Session is October 24.
To present a poster, please fill out the Abstract Submission form (link below) and upload during the online registration process.
Abstract Submission Form
There will be (2) Poster Sessions scheduled for the retreat, session assignment will be random.
Please prepare your poster to fit within a 8 feet wide x 4 feet high space.
ANY changes to the poster or poster presentation AFTER initial submission must be made no later than 10 days prior to the retreat.

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果冻影院's policies, federal and state laws, and regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment. Employees, learners, students, applicants, or other members of the 果冻影院 community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.