Vanderbilt MSTP well represented at the APSA/ASCI meeting
The Joint Meeting of the Association of American Physicians (AAP), American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and American Physician Scientists Association (APSA) hosted in Chicago, IL from April 15-17, 2016 represented a broad range of cutting-edge research in medicine. This Joint Meeting featured lectures by accomplished researchers and leaders within their respective fields, such as Anthony S. Fauci, MD, Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, and Michael Brown, MD, which provided a rich forum for exposure to innovative research and perspectives. Additionally, the meeting program was designed to foster opportunities for career development and networking between students, junior investigators, and senior investigators. Vanderbilt was well represented at the conference with attendance by Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program students (Rachana Haliyur, Nicholas Harris, and Kevin Bersell), residents (Matthew Rioth, MD), fellows (Katie D. White, MD, PhD, Won Jae Huh, MD, PhD), and faculty (Evan Brittain, MD, Jon Lehman, MD, Chris Williams, MD, PhD, and Dan Roden, MD).
Students and residents had the opportunity to present their research in two scheduled poster sessions. Kevin Bersell, a graduate phase Vanderbilt MSTP student, was one of two students selected to provide an oral presentation. Kevin gave an excellent talk where he described his elegant experimental approach to identifying how a recently identified novel genetic variant in a cardiomyocyte transcription factor (TBX5) contributes to the phenotype seen in Brugada Syndrome, an arrhythmic heart condition.
Next year's APSA/ASCI meeting will be held in Chicago, IL on April 21-23, 2017.