Newswise — MAYWOOD, Il. – Heart research in Chicago will enter a new era Sept. 20 when top researchers from all of Chicago’s major academic medical centers meet at the American Heart Association’s 2013 Chicago Research Network Symposium.
More than 140 researchers and students are expected to attend the meeting, which is hosted by Loyola University Chicago’s Health Sciences Division.
“The purpose is to share ideas, build synergies, strengthen collaboration and establish a stronger cardiovascular network in the Chicago area,” said Richard Kennedy, PhD, Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Programs for Loyola’s Health Sciences Division.
Speakers include physicians and basic scientists from the American Heart Association, Loyola, University Chicago, Rush University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Northwestern University, North Shore University Health System, Rosalind Franklin University, Midwestern University in Downers Grove and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. It is the inaugural program in what the heart association hopes to make an annual event.
Kevin Harker, executive vice president of the American Heart Association, Midwest Affiliate, said the association plays a critical role in supporting the development of beginning investigators and offering innovative funding mechanisms to stimulate research in promising areas of cardiovascular science. “This symposium is a natural extension of our commitment to research, and we’re delighted to partner with Loyola University Chicago to bring this opportunity to the Chicago research community,” he said.
Among the speakers is Amy Luke, PhD, a professor in Loyola’s Department of Public Health Sciences. Luke will speak on Vitamin D, Obesity and Hypertension in African-origin Populations: An Epidemiologic Approach.
The symposium was organized by Loyola heart researcher Sakthivel Sadayappan, PhD, FAHA, assistant professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, who will give the closing remarks. The department, chaired by Pieter de Tomb, PhD, will pay half the cost of the conference.
Undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students will present their heart research in poster sessions, with awards for the best research posters.
“This is an excellent demonstration of Loyola’s commitment to translational research that ranges from basic discovery to clinical and public health sciences,” Kennedy said. The all-day symposium will be held in the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing auditorium, 2160 S. First Ave., Maywood.