Build the KUH PRIME Community - Annual Symposium
Join Us for our Annual Symposium
January 15 -16th 2026
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tulane University
Agenda
Pre Symposium - January 14, 2:00 PM - 8:30 PM
2:00 – 6:30 PM Hotel Check-In & Registration (Lobby/Reception Area)
6:30 – 8:30 PM Welcome Reception
Thursday, January 15, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
8:00 – 8:25 AM Networking & Morning Welcome Coffee
8:25 – 8:30 AM Welcome Remarks & Agenda Overview
8:30 – 9:30 AM Keynote Speaker – Dr. Javier Neyra (UAB)
9:30 – 10:30 AM Trainee Oral Presentations
10:30 – 10:40 AM Break
10:40 – 11:40 AM Session 3 – Workshop Block I Current Topics in the Scientific Research Landscape
11:40 – 12:15 PM – Boxed Lunch
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Session 4 – Keynote Dr. Douglas Strand
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Session 5: TL1 Scientific Impact: Oral Presentation
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Break and Networking
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Session 6 – Workshop Block II Round Tables
4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Break and Networking
4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Session 7 – Poster Presentations (8th Floor)
Friday, January 16, 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Pastries & Posters (Poster Viewing with Light Breakfast)
9:00 – 10:00 AM Keynote Speaker – Dr. John Tisdale (National Institutes of Health)
10:00 – 11:30 AM Panel Discussion: Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Lunch and Closing Remarks
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Deep-Dive Workshops iSMART
2:00 p.m. Conference Concludes
Virtual Agenda
Virtual Agenda Coming Soon
Additional Symposium Details
Lodging:
The Jung Hotel & Residences
Attendees will need to book their own hotel rooms.
Symposium Location:
Tulane University School of Medicine Murphy Building
Meet the Trainee Speakers
Rawdah Elbahrawi, MD
“Exploring SDOH in pediatric patients with SCD and the association with early development of albuminuria”
Samuel Walton, PhD
“Investigation of the Sexual Dimorphic Relationship Between T Cells and the Gut Microbiota in Salt-Sensitive Hypertension”
Katherine Mantilla
“Impact of menopause on hypertension and kidney damage in polycystic ovarian syndrome”
Ahmad Mohammad
“Spatially Resolved Transcriptional Profiling of Tertiary Lymphoid Organs in Human Kidney Transplant Biopsies”
Gillian Kelly
“Early life stress mediates vascular dysfunction through reprogramming of the endothelium”
William Spanier
“Molecular clock and oxalate synthesis”
Natasha Claxton, PhD
“Engineering Bone Marrow Niches and Biomaterial Platforms to Improve Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Sickle Cell Disease”
Kayla Nist, PhD
“Sex differences in kidney disease in immune cell-mediated hypertension”
Maria Venegas, PhD
“Interaction of the Endothelin System and the Circadian Clock on MAP Rhythms and Electrolyte Balance”
Andrew Barbera, MD
“Clinical And Molecular Features of Acute Kidney Injury without Rejection in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation (CAMpFIRE)”
Udeme Ekrikpo, PhD
“Development and Validation of Deep Learning-based Risk Prediction Models for Short and Long Term Outcomes in Acute Kidney Injury Individuals”
Annual Symposium 2025
Build the Community Inaugural Research and Training Symposium
KUH PRIME hosted its inaugural Research and Training Symposium on January 16–17, 2025, at the UAB National Alumni House. The event featured keynote addresses from Dr. Kristina Penniston (University of Wisconsin) and Dr. Opeyemi Olabisi (Duke University). Attendees enjoyed two days filled with networking opportunities, career development insights, and a wide range of scientific presentations.
Trainee Speakers
Abby Brooks, UAB: “The Immune ET-1/ETA Axis in Diabetic Kidney Disease”
Lance Benson, PhD, UAB: “Dysregulation of the Circadian Rhythm of T Cell Function Exacerbates Hypertension”
Tha Luong, UAB: “Diet-induced Obesity Leads to Increased Kidney Resident CD8+, but Not CD4+, T cells”
Amanda Clark, PhD, UAB: “Gene Expression and Regulation of Causal PKD Genes Across Biological Contexts”
Rebecca Horowitz, Tulane: “Mechanisms in Hypertensive Vaccine Hyporesponse”
Maggie Jones-Carr, MD, UAB: “Holes in the Safety Net: Examining Inequities in Access to Kidney Transplantation for Liver Recipients under the Safety Net Policy”
Arin Melkonian, UAB: “Acute Kidney Injury”
Huy Nguyen, UAB: “Fibroblast HDAC1 Activation and Immune Responses Following Acute Kidney Injury Leading to Interstitial Fibrosis”
Denisha Spires, PhD, Augusta: “The Role of ANP in Proximal Tubule Injury in Type 1 Diabetes”
For any questions about the symposium please email Kelsi Hancock.