Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Exploring Cardiovascular Disease
Schedule
Sat Jan 10 2026 at 09:00 am to 05:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
MacLeod Auditorium (MS2158) - Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto | Toronto, ON
About this Event
Curious about how current cancer therapies can lead to cardiac dysfunction? Interested in learning how cholesterol builds up in the arteries and how this can be treated? Fascinated by recent advances in cardiac tissue engineering?
The Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology Student Union at the University of Toronto proudly presents the 14th installment of our annual conference series: Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Exploring Cardiovascular Disease. Join us this January as we take a deep dive into the innovative research conducted by renowned researchers on cardiovascular diseases. This conference will shed light on the pathological and cellular underpinnings of disease etiology, the progress from transitioning treatments from the bench to the bedside, and advances in cardiac tissue engineering for research and regenerative medicine. We aim to inform and inspire our attendees by showcasing the most recent developments in this field and their potential to revolutionize our comprehension of cardiovascular health.
The esteemed Dr. Avrum Gotlieb will kick off our conference with an overview of the field through the last 175 years, giving expert insight into how our knowledge of cardiovascular disease has gotten to where it is today. We will then explore the latest breakthroughs with leading researchers, including our keynote speaker, Dr. Jason Fish, a renowned expert in vascular biology, and our 6 general speakers: Dr. Anthony Gramolini, Dr. Michelle Bendeck, Dr. Warren Lee, Dr. Sara Vasconcelos, Dr. Milica Radisic, and Dr. Michael Laflamme.
Additionally, the conference will feature 3 interactive panels: Lifestyle Matters! The Influence of Exercise & Nutrition on Cardiovascular Health, The Clinic: Clinical Applications of Cardiovascular Research, and Lab to Market: Commercializing Breakthroughs, for attendees to engage in meaningful conversations with leading scientists in the field of cardiology.
The conference is FREE and open for anyone to attend. It will take place at the University of Toronto's St. George Campus. Breakfast and drinks (coffee, tea, water) will be provided for all attendees. While we would like to accommodate lunch for all, please note that lunch will be guaranteed only for University of Toronto undergraduate students, and the rest will be served on a first-come, first-served basis for all other attendees. Attendees will also have the opportunity to win several raffle prizes at the end of the conference! Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m on the day of the conference and will remain open throughout the event.
You must register on Eventbrite in order to attend!
If you have any other inquiries, please email us at [email protected].
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:30 AM
Registration & Breakfast
Info: Breakfast will be provided for all attendees
🕑: 09:30 AM - 09:45 AM
Opening Remarks
Host: Dr. Rita Kandel, LMP Department Chair
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Historic Talk
Host: Dr. Avrum Gotlieb
Info: “175 Years of Innovation and Controversy Drives Discovery in Atherosclerosis Research”
🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Is vascular damage at the heart of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction?
Host: Dr. Jason Fish
Info: Keynote Lecture
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Coffee Break
Info: Coffee and tea will be provided for all attendees
🕑: 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Mass spectrometry in mouse and human hearts in health and disease
Host: Dr. Anthony Gramolini
🕑: 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM
N-cadherin nanotherapy for atherosclerosis
Host: Dr. Michelle Bendeck
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch Break
Info: Lunch will be provided for all attendees
🕑: 01:15 PM - 01:45 PM
LDL Transcytosis: Atherosclerosis by a thousand cuts
Host: Dr. Warren Lee
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:45 PM
Panels
Info: Choose 1 of 3 panels to attend: “Lifestyle Matters! The Influence of Exercise & Nutrition on Cardiovascular Health,” “The Clinic: Clinical Applications of Cardiovascular Research,” “Lab to Market: Commercializing Breakthroughs”
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:00 PM
Coffee Break
Info: Coffee and tea will be provided for all attendees
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Endothelial cell organotypic specification
Host: Dr. Sara Vasconcelos
Info: “Endothelial cell organotypic specification in engineered pancreatic islet grafts for the treatment of diabetes"
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo
Host: Dr. Michael Laflamme
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Immune cells and vasculature in engineered heart tissues
Host: Dr. Milica Radisic
🕑: 04:30 PM - 04:45 PM
Closing Remarks
Where is it happening?
MacLeod Auditorium (MS2158) - Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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