Alumni Weekend 2026: May 1–2

Thursday Events

4:30–6:00 p.m.
Alumni Weekend Early Arrival Welcome Reception
W XYZ Bar of the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile Hotel
(243 East Ontario Street)

Arriving early on Thursday? Join us for a drink and appetizers at our welcome reception! Enjoy a fun evening at the W XYZ Bar of the Aloft Chicago Mag Mile Hotel. Registration is required, so be sure to secure your spot!

Please note: Advance registration is required for all Alumni Weekend events. The Welcome Reception is not check-in. Check-in opens Friday morning. If you requested Thursday parking during registration, we will have a parking pass available for you at this event.

Friday Events

8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Check-in
Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center
(303 East Superior Street)

Your Alumni Weekend and Reunion Class Headquarters. Stop by to pick up your nametag and your full itinerary, featuring all the events you’re registered for during this weekend and their locations.

Alumni Weekend (AW) Forums
These sessions offer an opportunity to hear from our stellar medical school faculty and staff. Choose from a variety of offerings: health and wellness hot-button issues; the latest in cutting-edge basic science, bench-to-bedside, and clinical research; and timely topics of general personal and professional interest. (**Indicates that the session has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™).

9:00–9:45 a.m.
AW Forum
Development of Targeted Therapies for Patients with Neurological Disorders**
with Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD, FANA, chair and Aaron Montgomery Ward Professor in the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology; director of the Feinberg Neuroscience Institute; and president of the American Neurological Association.

9:00–10:30 a.m.
Campus Tour
Tour space is limited. Advance registration is required to participate. Please note: Tours take place rain or shine.
Revisit spots from your days as a student and explore new ones on our campus tours, led by staff or faculty with in-depth knowledge of each site.

Northwestern Simulation Center Tour
Learn how medical students, residents, fellows, nurses, and attending physicians use simulation-based education to practice and acquire technical, communication, and team skills. Northwestern Simulation uses state-of-the-art technology and education best practices to train learners to provide safe and effective patient care. The use of the mastery model is an example in which trainees must meet or exceed a predetermined high level of skill in the simulation center prior to working with patients. The center has become one of the hubs of campus life since opening in 2010.

9:15–11:00 a.m.
City Tour
Tour space is limited. Advance registration is required to participate. Please note: Tours take place rain or shine.

City Walking Tour
Enjoy a walking tour through the neighborhoods around Feinberg. From the medical school campus, we will visit Streeterville and learn about its history, from the first permanent settlement in 1799, to the McCormickville neighborhood in the late nineteenth century, to the present. This walk is approximately 1.5 miles on level sidewalks, with one optional staircase. Please dress accordingly and wear comfortable shoes. This tour will be led by alum Joseph Gugenheim, ’72 MD.

9:30–11:00 a.m.
Campus Tour
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Tour
Join us for a tour of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. This academic medical center hospital serves as the primary teaching affiliate for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the only hospital ranked No. 1 in Illinois for 14 straight years and is nationally ranked in 11 clinical specialties by U.S. News & World Report, 2025–2026. Anchoring the Northwestern Medicine system, the hospital has earned national recognition in safety, care quality, and excellence in nursing care.

10:00–10:45 a.m.
AW Forums
An Update on AI in Healthcare at Northwestern**
with Abel Kho, MD, MS, FACMI, professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine; director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine; and co-director of the Northwestern Network for Collaborative Intelligence

Breaking Barriers: Navigating Health Equity across Medical School Eras
Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring medical professionals from a broad range of life experiences as they share their unique perspectives on the evolving landscape of medical education. From the challenges faced by trailblazers breaking barriers to the evolving landscape of medical education, our panelists will explore how their experiences have shaped the pursuit of health equity for all.

11:00–11:45 a.m.
AW Forums
Navigating the Medical School Admissions Process: What Makes a Great Candidate in Today’s Environment
with Roopal V. Kundu ’97, ’01 MD, ’02 GMER, associate dean for Admissions; the Jacob R. Suker, MD, Professor of Medical Education; and professor of Dermatology and Medical Education

The SuperAging Brain: From Connectivity to Connection**
with Tamar Gefen ’12 MS, ’15 PhD, associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the Northwestern University SuperAging Program in the Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer’s Disease

12:00–1:15 p.m.
Mentoring Lunch with Feinberg Students and Fellow Alumni
Want to be a mentor? Eager to network with fellow alumni who share your professional interests? If so, this lunch is for you. Enjoy a relaxed buffet lunch with our students, share your insights, and hear others’ perspectives on the healthcare profession and various career paths during this structured yet casual session.

1:30–2:15 p.m.
AW Forum
You Have 3 Billion Heartbeats...It’s Not as Much as You Think**
with Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, vice dean for Health Equity; the Magerstadt Professor; and chief of the Division of Cardiology

1:30–2:30 p.m.
Campus Tour
Student-Led Medical Campus Tour for Alumni and Their Prospective Applicants
Tour the medical campus and learn what it is like to be a medical student at Feinberg today. Some of the tour highlights include the McGaw Pavilion (the active learning classroom spaces), Montgomery Ward Memorial Building (Augusta Webster, MD, Office of Medical Education, Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center, Admissions Office, and Office of Health Equity), Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center (student lounge area), and other places of interest on the medical campus.

1:30–3:00 p.m.
Campus Tour
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Tour
Join us for a tour of Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the No. 1 ranked rehabilitation hospital in the US according to U.S. News & World Report. Experts from the Regenstein Foundation Center for Bionic Medicine and Biologics Lab are among the leaders who will take you behind the scenes to see the research hospital’s translational medicine model in action.

1:45–3:30 p.m.
Tea at the Historic Drake Hotel
Join alumni, faculty, and students for an interactive panel with audience discussion and insights from across the healthcare spectrum.

2:00–3:30 pm
Campus Tour
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Tour
Refer to our Friday 9:30 am listing for a description of this event.

2:30–3:15 p.m.
AW Forum
New Developments in the Treatment of Cancer**
with Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD, director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University; the Jesse, Sara, Andrew, Abigail, Benjamin, and Elizabeth Lurie Professor of Oncology; professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics; and associate vice president for Cancer Programs in Northwestern’s Office for Research

Campus Tour
Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center Tour
The Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center provides critical space for scientists studying cancer, heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and other priority areas. Its design features a curved glass exterior with flexible floor plans for laboratories. The tower profile references and updates the soaring traditional Gothic buildings on Northwestern’s Chicago campus, presenting a striking profile on the city’s skyline and leading the way for future campus development. The design concept aligns with a vision of the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center as a strong connector at the core of a world-class academic medical district and research campus composed of Feinberg, Northwestern Medicine, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute—the research arm of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

4:30–8:00 p.m.
Conversations with the Dean followed by Celebrate in Chicago!
Don’t miss this official kickoff to Alumni Weekend. Join Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, to hear updates on the medical school and his vision for the future during Conversations with the Dean. There will be ample opportunity for questions. Following Conversations with the Dean, the Distinguished Medical Alumni Award will be presented.

Immediately afterward, gather with your classmates for an evening of connection and celebration during our Celebrate in Chicago event. Join the Medical Alumni Association as we recognize each of our reunion classes and salute the MD Class of 1976—our 50-year class and the newest members of our Half Century Club. Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a delicious dinner and dessert buffet.

Saturday Events

7:00–8:00 a.m.
Fun Run/Walk
Head to the Lake Shore Park Running Track (808 North Lake Shore Drive) for a self-guided run or relaxed walk along Lake Michigan (map will be provided). Everyone is invited, no matter your fitness level. Just go at your own pace!

8:00–11:00 a.m.
Late Check-in
Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center (303 East Superior Street)—Your Alumni Weekend and Reunion Class Headquarters

8:00–9:00 a.m.
Pancakes and Perspectives Breakfast
Get ready for a walk down memory lane! Start your day with some morning nourishment and spirited conversation with fellow alumni. During this early morning open mic event, we invite alumni from the 50-year reunion class and beyond to share their perspectives and reflections on their years at the medical school and in the profession since graduation. We welcome ALL alumni to join us for this event. 
Complimentary breakfast for alumni members of the Class of 1976 celebrating their 50th reunion and all Half Century Club members.

9:00–9:45 a.m.
AW Forum
Advancing Interventions for Stroke Motor Recovery Leveraging the Academic-Healthsystem Tripartite Partnership in Rehabilitation Services**
with Michael D. Ellis, PT, DPT, professor and associate chair of Translational Research in the Departments of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and director of Translational Rehabilitation Research

9:00–10:00 am
AW Forum
Have Coffee and Conversations with the Half Century Club featuring The History of Abbott Hall
Our Have Coffee and Conversations series is a unique opportunity for you to reconnect with fellow alumni, share your experiences, and enjoy meaningful conversations in a relaxed setting. Our special topic for Alumni Weekend is The History of Abbott Hall.

Rural Vermont was the birthplace of physician Wallace Calvin Abbott and his wife, Clara. A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, he and Clara moved to Chicago in 1886 so that he could practice medicine on the Near North Side. He began manufacturing pharmaceuticals in the kitchen of their two-room apartment. Although he became quite wealthy in this business, his love was practicing medicine and making house calls on his bicycle. He and Clara died in the 1920s. The Clara Abbott Foundation provided funding for the construction of Abbott Hall, believed to be the tallest building in the world, serving solely as a student dormitory when it opened in 1940. Through the years, it has served as student housing, barracks for the training of Navy officers, and administrative offices. Join us to learn more about our historic and beloved Abbott Hall.

While the Half Century Club celebrates our 50+ year alumni, we invite ALL alumni and guests to join us for this forum, led by Joseph Gugenheim, ’72 MD.

10:15–11:30 a.m.
AW Forum
Music and Medicine featuring the Northwestern Medical Orchestra**
Enjoy a discussion of Northwestern’s Music and Medicine Program founded in May 2021 by Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, associate professor of Neurology in the Division of Behavioral Neurology, and violist and music practitioner Clara Takarabe. This program brings clinically-oriented music to patients, investigates the efficacy of interventions and their mechanisms of action, and educates the public and trainees. For more information on Dr. Bonakdarpour’s work, visit bornacogneurology.com.

This forum will consist of a short talk, Q&A, and performances by chamber musicians from our Northwestern Medical Orchestra (NMO). The NMO was launched in the spring of 2018 by first-year medical students to provide an instrumental musical experience for members of the Northwestern medical community in downtown Chicago. The group now has 100+ members and holds several concerts every year. To learn more about the NMO, please visit sites.northwestern.edu/nmorchestra. A light reception will follow the forum.

10:00–11:30 a.m.
Campus Tour
Anatomy Lab Tour
On this tour, you will explore the Anatomy Lab, the location for all cadaver-based education for students in our medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, and prosthetics-orthotics programs, plus anatomy courses for a variety of residency programs. The tour will include demonstrations of the educational technology additions to the labs as they relate to the integration of pathology and radiology for the MD anatomy curriculum. There will be access to our modified resource room, including pathology specimen collections and pieces from the Arey-Krantz collection of prenatal and pathological fetal specimens. Please note: No one under the age of 18 is permitted on this tour.

10:30–11:30 am
Campus Tour
Medicine in History: A Behind the Scenes Tour of Galter Library’s Special Collections
Visit the Galter Library’s Special Collections department, the home of Feinberg’s rare books and historical treasures. The tour will include a showcase of institutional archives and classic texts in the history of medicine, an exhibition on historical approaches to mental healthcare, and a discussion of the history of the Montgomery Ward Memorial Building. The tour will be conducted by Katie Lattal, head of Special Collections at Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center.

12:00–1:30 p.m.
Commitment to Scholarships Luncheon
By invitation. Celebrating alumni and friends who have demonstrated a commitment to our current and future medical students through the creation of scholarship funds, this annual luncheon provides a special opportunity for donors to meet the students who are benefiting from their generosity. For more information, please email Olympia Asimacopoulos at olympia1@northwestern.edu.

2:30–3:30 pm
Museum Tour
Tour space is limited. Advance registration is required to participate. Please note: Tours take place rain or shine. No transportation provided.

Museum of Contemporary Art Docent Tour
Enjoy a docent-guided tour designed to navigate the concepts, methods, materials, and ideas that contemporary artists incorporate in their work. The tour will emphasize discovery, interpretation, and conversation.

2:30–4:00 pm
Museum Tours (Self-Guided)
The Art Institute of Chicago Self-Guided Tour
Enjoy a self-guided tour of The Art Institute of Chicago. Explore thousands of artworks in the museum’s wide-ranging collection, from world-renowned icons to lesser-known gems from every corner of the globe. Your personal, pocket-sized guide to the collection, the Art Institute app merges location-aware technology with audio storytelling, letting the art speak to you.

International Museum of Surgical Science Self-Guided Tour
Explore the gripping and sometimes macabre history of surgical science at your own pace with a self-guided tour of the International Museum of Surgical Science. Housed in a historic Lake Shore Drive mansion, you’ll journey through four floors of medical instruments, art, and artifacts, from ancient, trepanned skulls to the dawn of modern medicine. Download the museum’s mobile app for an enhanced experience, complete with an interactive map and exclusive content.

AW Forum
Transforming Medicine: Physicians Leading Change across Healthcare
In an era of rapid advancements and evolving landscapes, physicians are finding new ways to challenge the status quo and drive positive change. Join us as we explore the diverse roles physicians play in transforming healthcare. From developing groundbreaking medical technologies and founding successful startups to leveraging novel platforms and identifying new therapeutic targets, panelists will share their personal experiences and insights on how they see opportunities for physicians looking to make an impact beyond traditional roles in medicine. This thought-provoking discussion will cover topics such as physician entrepreneurship, digital health revolution, policy change, and challenges and opportunities. Don’t miss your chance to hear from inspiring physicians who are at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

5:00–7:00 p.m.
The Founders Society Reception
By invitation. This annual event celebrates and honors members of The Founders Society, our giving society comprised of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who have made leadership-level philanthropic contributions during our current and previous fiscal years, as well as individuals who provided significant volunteer service to the school during that time. Please visit feinberg.northwestern.edu/tfs or email Sarah Kalsbeek at s-kalsbeek@northwestern.edu for more information on joining The Founders Society. Our fiscal year runs from September 1 to August 31.

7:00–9:00 pm
Class Dinners and Photos
Dinner locations near campus to be announced and determined by registration numbers. No on-site registration is available. Advance registration is required to participate. Our professional photographers will be popping in to take group pictures that we will share after the weekend. Dress to impress!

Reunion Class and Half Century Club Dinners
This will be the perfect finale to your weekend! For those marking a milestone reunion, join your classmates to celebrate. For members of our Half Century Club (all alumni past their 50-year reunion), this is a great time to not only eat, drink, and be merry, but also to share stories, take pictures, and continue to connect with old friends and new. Your dinner and drinks are included in the event fee. Select your class year when registering. Alumni from the Class of 1976 should select their 50-year reunion dinner. If you graduated in 1975 or before, please select the Half Century Club dinner.

Dental Alumni Reunion Dinner
Join us for a festive evening of dinner and drinks at our Dental School Alumni Reunion Dinner. This special gathering welcomes alumni from all classes of the Northwestern University Dental School (NUDS), which operated from 1891–2001. Come back to campus to meet with fellow NUDS alums and share stories of the past. Your dinner and drinks are included in the event fee.

Physician Assistant (PA) Program Alumni Dinner
All PA alumni are invited to join this inclusive reunion celebration recognizing the classes of 2016, 2021, and 2025. Event fee includes a two-hour open bar and dinner. For more details and pricing, please email paprogram@northwestern.edu. The PA Department is pleased to offer complimentary dinner for alumni members of the Class of 2025 celebrating their 1st reunion.

Young Alumni Reunion Party at Timothy O’Toole’s (Classes of 2007–2025)
Calling all young alumni! Let’s celebrate the 2011, 2016, and 2021 reunion classes at Timothy O’Toole’s—the spot of late-night hangouts, unforgettable laughs, and the kind of med school stories that only get better with time. Enjoy discounted pricing on this two-hour party with an open bar and delicious appetizers. The fun doesn’t stop there. This party is open to ALL young alumni from the classes of 2007–2025, and guests are welcome too. Don’t miss this chance to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. Your Medical Alumni Association is pleased to underwrite a portion of the event fee to make this celebration affordable for our young alumni.

Reunion Class, Half Century Club, and Young Alumni Reunion Attendees:
Visit the “Find Your Class Year” tab for more information.

Dental Alumni Reunion Dinner Attendees:
For details, please email medalum@northwestern.edu.

Physician Assistant (PA) Program Alumni Dinner Attendees:
Visit the “Find Your Class Year” tab for more information. For details and pricing, please email paprogram@northwestern.edu.