The Clinical Opportunities & Needs Networked with Engineering, Computation & Translation (CONNECT) Colloquium series brings together researchers, clinicians, faculty, and graduate students to identify shared research interests, exchange expertise, and create new interdisciplinary collaborations.
Each colloquium combines a research presentation with an extended discussion and brainstorming session. Promising connections can continue through follow-up meetings, researcher matchmaking, identification of funding opportunities, and collaborative proposal development.
How CONNECT Works
Each CONNECT colloquium is a 90-minute interactive session, with up to 45 minutes devoted to the presentation and approximately 45 minutes reserved for discussion and brainstorming.
Each Connect Colloquium session features two 20-minute presentations followed by a discussion period: one highlighting health and medicine, and the other focused on engineering and computing. Presentations are designed to be accessible across disciplines, allowing participants to learn about research questions, methods, challenges, expertise, and resources beyond their own fields.
The goal is not simply to present research. The goal is to stimulate meaningful interdisciplinary discussions, identify complementary expertise, foster new collaborations, and transform promising ideas into joint research projects and competitive grant proposals.
When a promising connection emerges, the conversation can continue beyond the seminar through introductions, follow-up meetings, researcher matchmaking, identification of relevant funding opportunities, and collaborative proposal development.
Planning to present? Please review the Guidelines for Presenters before preparing your presentation.
Planning to attend? See the Guidelines for Attendees to learn how you can participate in the discussion, connect with speakers, and become involved in potential collaborations.
Colloquium Organizer: Dr. Majid Bani-Yaghoub, Email: baniyaghoub@umkc.edu
Fall 2026 CONNECT Colloquium Schedule
All seminars are 90 minutes and include time for presentation, discussion, and interdisciplinary brainstorming.
| # | Date | Time | Presenter | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friday, August 21 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Dr. Stylianou and Dr. Simpkins | SOM, Theater A |
| 2 | Friday, September 18 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Dr. Chattopadhyay and Dr. Grote | SSE, FH 531 (Toyota Room) |
| 3 | Friday, October 16 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Dr. Yugyung Lee and Dr. Dahl | SOM, Theater B |
| 4 | Friday, November 13 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Dr. Wilson and Dr. Reddy | Virtual (Zoom) |
| 5 | Friday, December 11 | 3:00–4:30 PM | Dr. Janjua and Dr. Barkley | SOM, Theater C |
Additional speaker names and presentation titles will be posted as they are confirmed.
Colloquium Details
All materials for each colloquium series, including titles, abstracts, presentation slides, open engineering problems, and new clinical technologies, are available on our Canvas page. You will also find interviews with the speakers posted there. To request access, please contact Dr. Majid Bani-Yaghoub, Email: baniyaghoub@umkc.edu .
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Location and Parking Information
¹ Abbreviations. UMKC = University of Missouri–Kansas City; SSE = School of Science and Engineering; SOM = School of Medicine; CAM = Division of Computing, Analytics and Mathematics; FH = Robert H. Flarsheim Science and Technology Hall.
³ SOM / Health Sciences Campus. UMKC School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO 64108.
⁴ Parking at SSE / Volker Campus. UMKC faculty, staff, and students should use parking areas permitted by their UMKC parking permit. Visitors without a permit should use designated metered parking or obtain an appropriate visitor permit. Metered public parking is available at locations including the 5050 Oak Garage and Cherry Street Garage (5009 Oak Street).
⁵ Parking at SOM / Health Sciences Campus. Parking options in the Health Sciences Campus area include the Hospital Hill Parking Garage, School of Dentistry Parking Garage, and other designated parking areas. Metered parking is also available in the Hospital Hill area. Attendees should follow posted parking restrictions and UMKC permit requirements.
⁶ Visitors and Guest Parking. Visitors are encouraged to review UMKC parking information before traveling to either campus. There is no free campus parking, including nights and weekends, and departments may arrange guest parking permits for special events.