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From left, John Windle, M.D., Wanfen Xiong, M.D., Ph.D., and Edward Clark, M.D. |
Highlighting cardiovascular research
“The purpose of this annual conference is to highlight the outstanding research that is done at UNMC in cardiovascular research,” said Thomas Rosenquist, Ph.D., UNMC vice chancellor for research. “The symposium gives the cardiovascular research community an opportunity to present their recent work, interact with each other and form new collaborations, and to bring outstanding scientists from around the world to meet with NHS/UNMC scientists.
“This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Ed Clark, is one of the two or three most outstanding researchers in the world in the field of heart development and congenital cardiovascular diseases. He gave an outstanding presentation. The oral presentations by UNMC researchers also were superb. The poster judging was indeed difficult because of the high quality of the work.
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From left, John Kugler, M.D., Mark Niebauer, M.D., Ph.D., and Edward Clark, M.D. |
Dr. Rosenquist commended Dr. Irving Zucker for founding the symposium, which brings together basic and clinical researchers; and the Center for Continuing Education division, which organized and promoted the standing-room only event.
Keynote speaker taught at UNMC
The keynote speaker was Edward B. Clark, M.D., Wilma T. Gibson Presidential Professor and Chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and medical director of Primary Children’s Medical Center, both in Salt Lake City. Dr. Clark completed his senior residency at UNMC, where he served as assistant professor of pediatrics and a pediatric cardiologist from 1977-1980.
Dr. Clark’s research activities include blood flow in aortic arch development, modeling and genetic analysis of congenital heart disease, function-structure relationship in ventricular development, study of clinical genetics of congenital heart defects, ventricular mechanics in the developing embryonic heart, and SCOR in pediatric cardiovascular disease. He is advisory editor of the American Journal of Medical Genetics and serves as peer reviewer for several cardiology journals.
The symposium
John Windle, M.D., professor in the department of internal medicine cardiology, gave the symposium welcome. UNMC oral presenters were Dr. Rosenquist; Janee Van Waes, D.V.M., Ph.D., assistant professor, in the department of genetics, cell biology and anatomy; David Danford, M.D., professor; and Zahid Amin, M.D., associate professor, in the department of pediatric cardiology.
More on Drs. Niebauer, Xiong
Dr. Niebauer also is director of NHS electrophysiology service, UNMC electrophysiology, section of cardiology, and UNMC’s cardiology electrophysiology fellowship program. He received his medical degree in 1988 from Creighton University. From 1995 to 2002, he served as staff cardiologist and director of the cardiovascular electrophysiology fellowship program at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. He joined the UNMC faculty in 2002.
Dr. Xiong received her medical degree in 1985 at Jiangxi Medical College in China. In 1992, she joined UNMC as a graduate student in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology. She received her doctorate in biochemistry from UNMC in 1998. In 2000, she joined the laboratory of Tim Baxter, M.D., professor in the department of surgery.