ITHS at ACTS 2026: Poster Presentations Feature TL1 Trainees

Several ITHS contributors made waves at the ACTS Translational Science 2026 (TS26) in April, including three TL1 trainees.

The four-day event, held this year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, always brings together CTSA leaders at every level to amplify emerging voices in translational science and clinical research for scientific sessions, networking, and collaboration.

Centered on this year’s theme of Building Trustworthy Translation: Rigor, Reproducibility, and Real-World Impact, TS26 provided a national platform to exchange ideas, address pressing challenges, and explore solutions that drive meaningful progress in the field.

Special recognition goes to Erin Blakeney, PhD, RN, co-lead of the UW ITHS Team Science Core, UW Research Associate Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics, for her Top 50 Poster, “Virtual Expansion and Impact of Team Science Training: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Across the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) Region.”

Congratulations to ITHS trainees and faculty on their poster presentations this year.

Participation

Megan Peach, ITHS TL1 Trainee, MSU Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, & Kinesiology: 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) and Poster, “Quantifying Biomechanical and Functional Deficits When Returning to Activity Following Bone Stress Injury”

Kelsey Leong, ITHS TL1 Trainee, UW Department of Bioengineering: Top 50 Poster with oral poster presentation, “Patient-Centered Design of Immunosuppressant Point-Of-Care Tests for Transplant Recipients in Remote Settings”

Jessica L. Ayers, ITHS TL1 Trainee, UW School of Medicine: 3MT and Poster, “Defining Pathogenic Mechanisms and Testing Novel Therapeutic Targets for Hailey-Hailey Disease”

Aric Lane, MPA, ITHS Senior Research Education Specialist: Poster, “Implementation of a Clinical and Translational Research Pathway for Health Sciences Students Across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho Region”

Erin Blakeney, PhD, RN, co-lead of the UW ITHS Team Science Core, UW Research Associate Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Informatics: Top 50 Poster with oral poster presentation, “Virtual Expansion and Impact of Team Science Training: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Across the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) Region”