Houston Methodist Research Institute Week on The Academic Minute

Monday

Jad Ardakani, clinical research fellow, explores how where you live may have an effect on your health.

Tuesday

John P. Cooke, professor of cardiovascular sciences, discusses free radicals, and how are they affecting our cells.

Wednesday

Weichuan Dong, assistant research professor of cardiology, examines whether epilepsy is more prevalent in certain regions of the country.

Thursday

Maen Abdelrahim, chief of gastrointestinal medical oncology, explains why a simple blood draw alongside imaging could benefit cancer patients in the future.

Friday

Andrew Lee, professor of neuro-ophthalmology, looks at the rise of pickleball and the injuries that come with it.

Catch up with The Academic Minute from 9/28 - 10/2

Monday

Katharine Mach - University of Miami
Actionable Knowledge: Adapting Cities to Relentless Heat

Katharine Mach is professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, & Earth Science. During Spring 2025, she was the Coleman P. Burke Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Environment. Her research assesses climate-related risks and response options to address increased flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, and other hazards. Through innovative approaches to integrating evidence, she informs effective adaptations to the risks.

Tuesday

Krista Mehari - Michigan State University
To the Problem of Teen Takeovers, Teens Can Be the Solution

Krista Mehari is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health in Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. Her work focuses on improving the safety and well-being of youth from minoritized groups in overburdened, underresourced communities, with a specific focus on youth violence and firearm injury prevention. She takes a participatory action research approach to partner with communities to develop, implement, and evaluate violence prevention strategies. Her work has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and others.

Wednesday

Christian Martinez - Brooklyn College, City University of New York
The Accidental Author

Christian A. Martinez is a graduate instructor at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, where he teaches reproducible research and data science. His work focuses on open science, civic open data, and designing educational experiences that enable students to create publicly available research and open-source software.

Thursday

Eugen Wassiliwizky - Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
The Gender Attractiveness Gap

Eugen Wassiliwizky has an interdisciplinary background in neuropsychology, classics, and musicology and has conducted research in Germany, Canada, and Norway. His work examines the neural and evolutionary foundations of aesthetic experience across domains including language, film, music, and facial perception. Alongside his academic research, he has extensive experience as a communication coach, helping researchers, policymakers, and professionals communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.

Friday

Rotem Rozental - University of Southern California
Gen Z Resurrects Film Photography and the Analog World

Dr. Rotem Rozental is Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Los Angeles Center of Photography and lecturer in Critical Studies at USC Roski School of Art and Design. She holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Binghamton University, where her dissertation examined photographic archives and nationalism.

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