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NewsLink, Dec. 23, 2022
Please submit items for the weekly NewsLink to Dana Benson.

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College News

An image with shiny snowflakes, the Baylor College of Medicine logo and the words "Happy Holidays"

'Tis the season to focus on preventive health

Whether you're making your end-of-year list (and checking it twice!) or setting resolutions, be sure to add preventive health checkups and screenings to your to-dos. Learn more about what this should include in this video with Dr. Fidaa Shaib, Baylor Medicine chief medical officer.

BCM services holiday schedule

Baylor will be closed for the holidays on Monday, Dec. 26, and Monday, Jan. 2. Morrison Café and Mary O's at main Baylor and Jamail Specialty Care Center will be closed on those days, and other food options in the TMC will be limited during the holiday season. See other changes to BCM services during the holidays below, and check out this photo gallery to see how the Baylor community celebrated the season. Happy holidays to all! 

BCM Shuttle Service: Operating on Red shuttle schedule on Dec. 22 – 23 and Dec. 29 – 30. This route runs from 6:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. from main Baylor – Baylor Clinic – McNair Campus (two stops) – VA – McGovern. 

BCM Mail Service:  Closing at 2 p.m. on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30. 

NewsLink: Not publishing the week of Dec. 26 – 30.

Facilitators needed for Problem-Based Learning course

The School of Medicine is recruiting Problem-Based Learning (PBL) faculty facilitators for Academic Year 2022-23. The new PBL program will deliver a large fraction of students’ learning in medical knowledge in the new curriculum and also will focus on teamwork and critical thinking skills. Faculty facilitators will work with first-year students during small-group sessions held at the main BCM campus three to six hours per week throughout the academic year. One-hour development sessions for faculty facilitators will be held twice per month. This is an opportunity to impact students in their earliest phase of training and to gain expertise as a leader in medical education. Learn more and apply on the Faculty Opportunities InTouch page or email Dr. Stacey Rose. Apply by Jan. 6.

Study opportunity: Nutrition and pregnancy

Women in the first trimester of pregnancy and non-pregnant women are needed for a study of how nutritional needs change during pregnancy and impact mothers and infants. The study involves four visits during pregnancy and one postpartum visit with the option to enroll infants. Non-pregnant participants also will have five visits. Visits involve body composition measurements, blood and milk (as applicable) samples, surveys on health and food, skin measurements and vision testing. To be eligible, participants will need to be healthy and meet body mass index criteria. To learn more about the Maternal Carotenoids Across Pregnancy Study, call 713-798-0517, e-mail MCAPStudy@bcm.edu or complete this contact form.

Med students needed to mentor high school and college students

Medical students are needed to serve as mentors for premedical students in the UT Tyler Academy of Future Health Professionals Mentoring Program. The UT Tyler program encourages East Texas high school students to consider careers in medicine and provides opportunities for premed students at UT Tyler, including mentoring and advising, shadowing and symposia. To participate, enroll here.


Events

Webinars focus on game-based learning in medical education

Baylor health professions educators are invited to join the International Association of Medical Science Educators for a webinar series titled "Not Just Fun & Games: Game-based Learning in Health Professions Education." Webinars will be held every Thursday from Jan. 5 – Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. The series will provide an overview of existing literature, including the theories underlying the use of games in medical education, and empirical findings from recent research studies, including a peek into the future of game-based learning. Invited speakers will provide practical strategies to incorporate well-known game formats into instructional sessions such as TV quiz shows, medical escape rooms, virtual reality technologies and "serious games," with an emphasis on immediate feedback and formative assessment. Register here for the free series.

IT training: Teams and Cloud storage

The Office of Information Technology will host virtual and on-site training sessions on Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Cloud storage, including an overview of Teams and Cloud storage, a demonstration of their benefits using relevant, real-word scenarios and coaching opportunities to get you started. Sessions include Get Started with Microsoft Teams,  Jan. 10, 17, 24, and 31, 9-10 a.m., and Cloud Storage: Microsoft OneDrive for Business, Teams and SharePoint Online,  Jan. 12, 19, 26, and Feb. 2, 1:30-2:30 p.m. See a complete listing of times, dates, locations and registration links on InTouch.

Volunteer opportunity with Blessings in a Backpack

Baylor, in collaboration with Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack, will host a volunteer opportunity on Jan. 13 to help pack donated food in bags for children in need. The in-person volunteer event will take place at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 12535 Perthsire Road, 77024. Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack provides food on the weekends and during school breaks for Houston children who might otherwise go hungry. Its vision is to work with partner schools to remove childhood hunger as a nonacademic barrier to learning. To volunteer, complete this sign-up form. Questions? Email Alex Alanis. If eligible, don't forget to use your Volunteer Time Off!


Awards and Recognitions

Kaochar earns young investigator award

Dr. Salma KaocharDr. Salma Kaochar, assistant professor of medicine – hematology and oncology, received the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Basic Urologic Research at its annual meeting in November. Her research focus is on cancer health disparities and translational cancer biology.

Zhang receives junior faculty award

Dr. Lilei ZhangDr. Lilei Zhang, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics, received the Ron Konopka Memorial Junior Faculty Award from the Texas Society for Circadian Biology and Medicine. It was presented at the annual meeting of the society held in Houston on Dec. 10.


Faculty in the News

Dr. Carey Eppes spoke with the Houston Chronicle editorial board about recommendations to improve maternal health in Texas after a state report revealed concerning trends. Read more in this op-ed, and see Baylor's other news media mentions in  Faculty in the News, and follow BCMHouston_News on Twitter to keep up with our experts in the media. Interested in science news? Read the latest in From the Labs.


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