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Background Information
The Houston Medical Forum is proud to present its Inaugural Research Symposium, a new event designed to showcase excellence in research, amplify community-engaged scholarship, and foster meaningful connections across disciplines and career stages. In advance of our 2026 inaugural celebration, this symposium highlights HMF’s continued commitment to advancing health equity through research, innovation, service, and mentorship.
Date: December 6, 2025
Location: University of Houston School of Medicine
Time: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Agenda
The symposium will feature a full day of learning, collaboration, and community engagement. Speakers will include experts in health disparities, community-engagement, and research.| Time | Session / Title | Faculty |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:30 AM | Registration and Breakfast | |
| 7:45 – 8:15 AM | “Rethinking Hyperkalemia Management in Patients on RAASi Therapy” (Non-CME) | Deidra, Lee, PharmD, MHA, RPh |
| 8:30 – 8:40 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks | Simbo Chiadika, MD, MPH Janine Dailey-Garnes, MD, MPH |
| 8:40 – 9:00 AM | Navigating Barriers in HIV Care: Access, Engagement, and Evolving Challenges | Mandy Hill, DrPH, MPH |
| 9:00 – 9:20 AM | Improving Maternal Health: Closing The Gap | Carla Ortique, MD |
| 9:20 – 9:40 AM | Sleep Disorder Disparities | Annise Wilson, MD |
| 9:40 – 10:00 AM | Connecting Policy, Research, and Practice: Leveraging Data to Address Disparities in Population Health |
Yen-Chi Le, PhD Executive Director, Innovation & Quality Director, UT Physicians Center for Population Health Management & Quality |
| 10:00 – 10:20 AM | Alzheimer’s Disease: Expanding Access, Addressing Disparities, and Advancing New Treatments | Eddie Patton, Jr., MD, MBA, MS |
| 10:20 – 10:30 AM | Break | |
| 10:30 – 11:10 AM | Keynote Presentation: "Mobilizing Science for Justice: Patients, Providers, and Policy in a New Era" | Selwyn Rogers, MD, MPH University of Chicago |
| 11:20 AM – 12:20 PM | Interactive Workshops (Concurrent) A. Incorporating Clinical Trials into Your Private Practice, Napoleon Higgins, Jr., MD B. M&Ms! A Blueprint for a Quality Assurance Program to Nurture a Culture of Safety in a Medical Group, Jacqueline Okere, MD, FACP, FHM; Felisha Perry-Smith, MD, C. From Genotype to Injustice: APOL1 as a Window into Cardiometabolic and Kidney Disparities, Margaret Collins, MD and Akinsansoye K. Dosekun, MD (Non-CME) |
|
| 12:20 – 12:30 PM | Transition to Lunch and Panel Discussion | |
| 12:30 – 1:30 PM | Lunch Panel: From Margins to Medicine: Reimagining Brain Health Research Through Community Inclusion Moderator: Kendra Anderson, PhD |
1:30 – 2:30 PM | Poster Session and Exhibit Showcase | Poster judging by faculty and invited reviewers |
| 2:30 – 3:15 PM |
Panel Discussion: From Collaboration to Transformation: Building a Shared Future for Community-Engaged Research Moderator: Sandi Shaw, MBA, RN, ASC-BC, FAHA Panelists: Chidinma Anakwenze, MD, MPH; Pastor Jamail Johnson; LeChauncy Woodard, MD, MPH; Jose -Miguel Yamal, PhD, Logan Thornton, DRPH, MPH |
|
| 3:20 – 3:30 PM | Closing Remarks | Anjail Z. Sharrief, MD, MPH, FAHA, FANA |
| 4:00 – 6:00 PM | HMF Awards & Scholarship Reception | |
Registration
Registration for the Inaugural HMF Research Symposium is now open via OneCause.
This event is free for all current HMF members.
Registration Fees for Non-Members:
- Physicians – $75
- Allied Health Professionals including nurses and pharmacists– $50
- Trainees (residents, fellows, medical and pre-medical students) – $25
- Community organization members– $25
Registration includes access to all educational sessions, continuing education credits (CME/CNE/Pharmacy CE), as well as breakfast and lunch. Registration does not include access to the awards reception.
Awards & Scholarship Reception
The HMF Awards and Scholarship Reception will be held from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM following the symposium.
This will be a ticketed event with complimentary admission for accepted poster presenters and invited speakers. More details to follow.
Submit Abstracts
We invite abstract submissions from students, resident and fellow trainees, post-doctoral fellows, physicians in training, and community collaborators in the following categories:
- Clinical Research
- Community-Engaged Research
- Health Disparities & Implementation Science
- Basic & Translational Science
Three $500 awards will be given for best abstracts across selected groups.
Abstract Submission Opens: August 15, 2025
Deadline: October 7, 2025, 11:59 PM.
Notifications Sent: November 3, 2025
For questions, email: research@houstonmedicalforum.org
CME Information
Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine and Houston Medical Forum. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Credit Designation
Physician Continuing Medical Education
The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
ABIM MOC
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 5.5 medical knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Continuing Nursing Education
The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 5.5 contact hours.
Continuing Pharmacy Education
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 5.5 contact hour(s) (0.55 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
Universal Activity Number - JA4008162-9999-25-607-L99-P
Type of Activity: Knowledge
For questions about continuing education, please contact us at research@houstonmedicalforum.org
Conference Organizers
Symposium Co-Chairs
- Anjail Sharrief, MD, MPH
- Natalie Dailey Garnes, MD, MPH, MS.
Steering Committee
- Kenya Steele, MD
- Kevin McKinney, MD
- Esther Bonojo, BS
- Simbo Chiadika, MD, MPH
- Gabriella Tavera, BS
- Collins Mokua, BS
Symposium Coordinator
- Caitlynn Carter, BS
The symposium is a project of the Houston Medical Forum, with support from the HMF Executive Committee and its broader membership.
Contact Us
For general inquiries, abstract assistance, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact:
research@houstonmedicalforum.org