About Us
About the conference team coordinators
Dr. Frank W. Sellke, MD
Karl E. Karlson, MD and Gloria A. Karlson Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Professor of Surgery at Brown Alpert Medical School and the Lifespan Hospitals
Dr. Sellke is a noted clinical cardiothoracic surgeon, researcher, and author. He was the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Johnson and Johnson Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School prior to moving to Brown. His research interests include the regulation of the microcirculation in health and disease, ischemic injury and inflammation during cardiac surgery, collateral vascular formation and the use of growth factors and cell therapy to increase blood flow to ischemic tissue. His clinical research interests include optimizing outcomes after cardiac surgery, the reduction of bleeding and transfusion, and neurocognitive dysfunction and atrial fibrillation after surgery. Dr Sellke has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for 28 years. He serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Circulation Heart Failure and the Circulation Journal. He is on the editorial board of Circulation, Surgery, the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, and the Journal of Cardiac Surgery. He is the Editor of the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th editions of Sabiston and Spencers' Surgery of the Chest, the 1st and 2nd editions of the Atlas of Cardiac Surgical Techniques, and he is completing work on a textbook on Acute Aortic Dissection and Acute Aortic Syndromes with international contributors. Dr. Sellke is the author of more than 534 peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as numerous book chapters and abstracts. Dr. Sellke is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians, American Heart Assocation, and the American College of Surgeons.
Ghazal Aghagoli
MD ‘23
Ghazal is currently a second year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She received her B.S. in Neuroscience from Brown University. Her research interest is focused on the cross section between epigenetics and cardiovascular research. Outside of medical school, she likes to paint, sing, and hike the New England trails!
Andrew Del Re
MD ‘22
Andrew is a fourth year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He majored in Nutritional Science and minored in Food Science from Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science. Andrew’s interests in medicine involve nutrition education and access, and their relationship to cardiovascular disease. Outside of medical school, Andrew likes to cook, exercise, and play guitar.
Ronald K. Phillips III
MD ‘23
Ron is a second year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Delaware. Ron is currently interested in cardiac and trauma surgery. He also loves horror movies, acting, and bouldering.
Benjamin Gallo Marin
MD ‘23
Ben is a second year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He studied molecular biology at Princeton University and completed a pre-health post-bacc at the University of Pennsylvania. Ben is interested in global health, infectious diseases, cardiovascular medicine, and emergency medicine.
Krishna Gopal Bellam
MD ‘24
Krishna is a first year medical student at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. His passions lie in cardiovascular medicine and global health, with an emphasis on healthcare delivery to underserved communities. Outside of med school, Krishna loves to play/watch basketball, play the piano, and eat Chipotle.
Emily J. Siff, MS
PhD ‘26
Emily is a neuroscience PhD candidate in Yale University’s Biological and Biomedical Sciences. At Brown University, she obtained bachelors’ degrees and a master’s degree in the brain sciences, with a computational focus. Emily is motivated to convey and discuss research findings within and beyond scientific communities. Outside of the lab, Emily enjoys reading everything from Shakespeare to Marvel comics.
Sign Up for the Conference
2021 Abstract Submission Deadline is 11:59pm EST, Wednesday, April 21st