Forward Pediatric Alliance is a strategic collaboration between Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health Kids that leverages the strengths of both health care systems to expand access to world-class pediatric cardiac care and adult congenital heart care. Learn more.
Educational Series
Forward Pediatric Alliance Grand Rounds
First/fifth Tuesday of each month at 7 a.m.
Grand rounds presentations are to designed to foster engagement and provide a space for learning, dialogue, and collaboration via open conversation.
Forward Pediatric Alliance Research Forum
First Friday of each month at 9 a.m.
This event series is a shared forum for discussing research with participation of clinical faculty, APPs, research faculty, and trainees from Madison and Milwaukee.
If you would like to be added to the invitation list for these series, please email Riley Caylor.
Annual Events
William Gallen Lecture
The 2026 Gallen Lecture will take place on June 10 in the Health Science Learning Center at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2026 Gallen Lecturer is Rebecca Beroukhim, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and pediatric and fetal cardiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Research Retreat
On September 24, Forward Pediatric Alliance will host its inaugural research retreat at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We’re bringing the pediatric research community together to share innovative research projects, spark new collaborations, and accelerate breakthroughs for our youngest patients. Full details on registration and abstract submission are coming soon.
Previous Sessions
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March 6, 2026 - Research Forum
Session title: Engineering Growth-Accommodating Biomaterials for the Repair or Regeneration of Pediatric Vascular Tissues
Speaker: Josephine Allen, PhD, MS, professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatrics Cardiology
Session title: Gaps in Wisconsin Hospital Preparation for Neonatal Cardiac Emergencies
Speaker: Katherine Dolan, student researcher, Division of Cardiology, Living Longer, Living Better Research Group (Boyett Anderson) research group member
February 6, 2026 - Research Forum
Session title: From Bench to Baby: Finding the ORIGIN of Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Speaker: Amy Peterson, MD, MS, professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Session title: Inside Out 2: Advancing the Frontier of Cell-Free DNA Research
Speaker: Aoy Mitchell, PhD, professor, Division of Pediatric Cardiothorasic Surgery, Department of Surgery; and professor of Biomedical Engineering, Medical College of Wisconsin
February 3, 2026 - Grand Rounds
Session title: Partial Heart Transplantation
Speaker: Douglas Overbey, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Division of Surgery, Cardiovascular, and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University
January 9, 2026 - Research Forum
Session title: UW EP Research Update
Speaker: Nicholas (Nick) Von Bergen, professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Session title: The PEACE Study: Non-invasive Prediction of Early Cardiac Transplant Rejection
Speaker: Margaret Samyn, MD, MBA, FAAC, professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, assistant dean for scholarly activities, Medical College of Wisconsin
December 5, 2025 - Research Forum
Session title: Centrosome Dynamics in Heart Disease and Development
Speaker: Lu Han, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin; principal investigator, Han Lab
Session title: Preterm Birth is a Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor: Building Translational Models
Speaker: Jinshing Wu, MD, PhD, Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
November 14, 2025 - Research Forum
Session title: 18 Years of Pulse Oximetry Screening for Congenital Heart Disease in Newborns
Speaker: John Hokanson, MD, professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Session title: Advances in Fetal Magnetocardiography
Speaker: Janette Strasburger, MD, director, Strasburger Lab, Medical College of Wisconsin
October 3, 2025 - Research Forum
Session title: Mechanisms of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations in a Single Ventricle Circulation
Speaker: Andrew Spearman, MD, associate professor of pediatric cardiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Herma Heart Institute, Children’s Wisconsin
Session title: Accessible Congenital Heart Disease Patient Transition Readiness for Long-Term Health (ACHD STRONG)
Speaker: Krisjon Olson, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
September 5, 2025 - Research Forum
Session title: Is Pre-Phenotype Treatment of HCM a Reasonable Goal?
Speaker: J. Carter Ralphe, MD, professor and chief, Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Session title: Postnatal Heart Valve Cell Heterogeneity and Fate
Speaker: Theresa Bluemn, PhD, research scientist, Medical College of Wisconsin, Laboratory of Joy Lincoln
Congenital Cardiovascular Grand Rounds
The Congenital Cardiovascular Grand Rounds offered monthly educational sessions for health care professionals via presentations from guest speakers. As of June 2025, the Congenital Cardiovascular Grand Rounds have been sunset, with new Forward Pediatric Alliance series taking their place. An archive of Congenital Cardiovascular Grand Rounds recordings can be viewed on YouTube.
Forward Pediatric Alliance Leadership
Petros V. Anagnostopoulos, MD, MBA, FACS
Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Surgeon-in-Chief, Section of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
J. Carter Ralphe, MD
Professor of Pediatric Cardiology
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Co-Director, Congenital Heart Program
UW Health Kids
Kiefer Jundt, MHA
Director
UW Health Congenital Heart
Peter J. Bartz, MD
Professor of Pediatric Cardiology
Division Chief
Medical College of Wisconsin
Co-Director, Herma Heart Institute
Children’s Wisconsin
Robert (Jake) Jaquiss, MD
Professor of Surgery
Medical College of Wisconsin
Co-Director, Herma Heart Institute
Children’s Wisconsin
Nicholas Peterson
Executive Director
Herma Heart Institute