Spring 2026 Seminars
The CVRI is pleased to announce our partnership with the Texas Heart Institute at ²ÝÁñÉçÇøÈë¿Ú to jointly organize the James T. Willerson, M.D. Cardiovascular Sciences Seminar Series. Together with the Texas Heart Institute at ²ÝÁñÉçÇøÈë¿Ú, we aim to honor Dr. Willerson's significant contributions to cardiovascular science and medicine. To learn more about Dr. Willerson's legacy, visit the .
Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit will be available to eligible attendees for all seminars. For further details, visit the .
Seminars are open to all who are interested in cardiovascular sciences and are held on select Wednesdays at noon.
Ketan Ghaghada, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Radiology
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Texas Children’s Hospital
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Associate Professor
Department of Pediatrics
The Ohio State University
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
McGovern Medical School
UT Health
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Professor
Department of Medicine
Co-Director UCLA-Caltech Medical
Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences
College of Pharmacy
University of Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Sandhya Thomas, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine-Nephrology
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Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology and Bioengineering (Joint)
University of Washington
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Na Li, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medicine
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Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Fall 2025 Seminars
Nhat-Tu Le, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Richard Wainford, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Matthew DeBerge, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Gordon K. Moe Professor and Chair
Biomedical Research and Translational Medicine
Director of Research
Masonic Medical Research Institute
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Renita Horton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Laboratory (CTEL) Director
Biomedical Engineering Department
University of Houston
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Steven Marx, M.D.
Professor
Director, Cardiology Fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center/NY-Presbyterian Hospital
Director, Cardiology Component of a NIH Training Grant for Cardiology Fellows and Surgery Residents
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Holger Eltzschig, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Departments of Anesthesiology & Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Seminar Location: McMillian Auditorium
Gea-Ny Tseng, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Medicine Physiology and Biophysics
Department of Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Seminar Location: Room N315
