Section of the heart showing the ventricular septum from Henry Gray, Anatomy of the Human Body (1918). Public domain.

I spent this past Saturday at the University of Toronto attending their annual Cardiovascular Disease Conference, hosted by UofT's Undergraduate Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology Student Union. The event brought together eight speakers to discuss topics ranging from underlying biological mechanisms to how research advances from the lab to real-world treatments.

Since photos and videos weren't permitted, I won't go into detail about the specific research presented.

My highlight lectures were from Dr. Fish, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Radisic.

Dr. Jason Fish

Is vascular damage at the heart of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction?

Dr. Fish discussed the cardiovascular side effects of cancer treatments.

Dr. Warren Lee

LDL Transcytosis: Atherosclerosis by a thousand cuts

This talk focused on the process of LDL transcytosis through endothelial cells and explored potential methods for interrupting or reversing the process.

Dr. Milica Radisic

Immune cells and vasculature in engineered heart tissues

Dr. Radisic's lecture highlighted the role of tissue engineering in cardiovascular disease research, including her well-known work in organ-on-a-chip engineering.

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As a Materials Engineering student, this conference was particularly enriching as it fell outside the scope of my typical coursework. I was exposed to new perspectives on the intersection of materials science and medicine.

I highly recommend attending conferences, symposiums, and events at other universities if you're a student. Overall, it was a well-spent Saturday, and I can't wait to see more advancements in this field!