2026 Annual LCTRC Symposium

2026 Annual LCTRC Symposium: Academic Advancement and Translational Discovery

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm | UofL Clinical & Translational Research Building

The Louisville Clinical & Translational Research Center (LCTRC) invites faculty, students, staff, and institutional colleagues to its 2026 Annual Symposium: Academic Advancement and Translational Discovery. This half-day conference highlights the scientific contributions and career trajectories of the center's emerging investigators.

The program features comprehensive research updates and showcases from our Presidential Scholars, addressing current trends and innovations in clinical and translational science. Attendees will engage in cross-disciplinary dialogue with senior investigators on best practices for advancing translational research methodologies while maintaining work-life balance.

Symposium Agenda:

8:30 - 9:00 AM - Registration & Breakfast Welcoming Comments

^{LCTRC PD Core Directors Maxwell Boakye, MD & Kenneth Palmer, PhD}

9:00 - 10:45 AM - Research Updates from 2025 Presidential Scholars: Highlights from Clinical & Translational Discovery

^{Akshitkumar Mistry, MD | Dexamethosone: Friend or Foe for Brain Tumor Patients?} 

^{Christie Buonpane, MD | Harnessing Microbial Metabolite Analogs: Urolithin A as a Preventative and Therapeutic Avenue for  Nectrotizing Entercolitis} 

^{Clarissa Ong, PhD | Personalizing Pyscological Treatment from a Process-Based Lens} 

^{Andrew Lynn, PhD | Investigating Attention-Perception Interactions in Typical and Atypical Development} 

^{Frederick Ekuban, PhD | Environmental Pollutants as Hidden Risk Modifiers of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Severity: Mechanistic & Translational Insights} 

^{Neal Bhutiani, MD-PhD | Leveraging the IL-17-gdT-Neutrophil Axis to Improve Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer} 

^{Irina Vanzhula, PhD | Development of Digital Self-Guided Mealtime Interventions (eBite): Improving Access to Care}

10:45 - 11:00 AM - Break

10:45 - 11:45 AM - 2026 Presidential Scholar Research Spotlight: Robert Keskey, MD-PhD & Redi Rahmani, MD

^{Robert Keskey, MD-PhD | Title to be added}

^{Redi Rahmani, MD | Title to be added}

11:45 - 12:45 PM - Lunch Discussion with Senior Investigators: Academic Advancement & Work-Life Balance

^{Jon Klein, MD-PhD, Executive Vice President for Research} 

^{Cheri Levinson, PhD, Director EAT Labs, Founder Louisville Center for Eating Disorders} 

^{Dawn Caster, MD, Associate Professor, Nephrology}

Come network and learn more about the research being done at UofL by the next generation of up and coming clinical and translational scientists. 

Registration is required for lunch.

Previous LCTRC Symposiums