NewsLink, Jan. 21, 2022 
Please submit items for the weekly NewsLink to Dana Benson.

Archive / BCM Family / BCM News on Twitter

College News

A room with a view

An interesting angle of the DeBakey Building, taken from the Alkek Lobby. Photo by Agapito Sanchez.  

IT news: Password standards

Individuals who have not changed their password in adherence with BCM's new password policy must do so by Jan. 31 or they will expire on Feb. 1. Emails have been sent to this group of people. See password instructions here. No action is needed by those who already have changed their password.

HR news: New BCM BeWell incentives in 2022

All benefits-eligible employees:

• The premium reduction requirement for employees has been reduced to 10,000 BCM BeWell points from 15,000 points
• $75 wellness stipend/reimbursement for activities or equipment that support well-being

Employees and eligible spouses (on a BCM medical plan):

• Complete Vitality Health Review and reach silver status (2,500 BeWell points) to receive a $75 Vitality marketplace gift card
• New Vitality users registering and completing their Vitality Health Review in the first 90 days of 2022 will earn an additional $50 Amazon gift card

Questions? Email wellness@bcm.edu.

Math tutors needed

The Center for Educational Outreach is seeking volunteer math tutors for students at BCM-associated middle and high schools. Learn more online and sign up.

Funding for HIV/AIDS research

The Texas Development Center for AIDS Research is accepting applications for pilot grants. Proposals in all areas of HIV/AIDS basic, clinical, behavioral, substance use and implementation science research are welcome. Learn more on the Texas D-CFAR website.

Center for Medical Ethics & Health Policy Annual Report

The Center's 2021 annual report is now available to read online. The report highlights efforts to reboot, reframe and reimagine medical ethics and health policy and goals for the year ahead.

Subway at Ben Taub

Good news for BCM employees working at Ben Taub Hospital! There is a now a Subway restaurant located on the first floor of Ben Taub Tower next to the registration desk. Even better, it's open 24 hours and online/app ordering is available.

Events

Datathon 2022

Project proposals for the second annual Datathon will be accepted through Feb. 14. The scope of the event includes data related to patient care at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center and Baylor Medicine, as well as education data. Proposals must encompass one of four focus areas: quality improvement, population health, research projects or education projects.  Submit a one-page proposal to datathon@bcm.edu. Find more criteria and examples of past proposals online. The virtual Datathon will be from 2 – 5 p.m. April 21.

Center for Medical Ethics & Health Policy events

Learners only: BCM students, residents and fellows are invited to an Inprint reading by Zoom for free, first-come, first-served, Jan. 24, 7 – 8 p.m. Honorée Fanonne Jeffers and Tiphanie Yanique will give brief readings from their new novels, “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” and “Monster in the Middle,” followed by a conversation with Houston Chronicle columnist Joy Sewing. Offered by the Narrative Medicine Program and Inprint, through a grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges. See the full schedule and sign up. 

Virtual Baruch A. Brody Award Lecture in Bioethics:  Noon on Feb. 1. The 2021-2022 award winner Dr. Govind Persad, J.D., assistant professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar in Bioethics, will give a lecture titled “Fair Allocation in an Unfair World: The Ethics of Allocating Scarce Medical Resources.” Register online.

CVRI seminar

The CVRI seminar series continues with a talk on "Therapeutics in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: In with the Old and in with the New," presented by Dr. Sharlene Day of Penn Medicine, Jan. 26, noon – 1 p.m. Register for this Zoom event.

Long-read sequencing seminar

The Human Genome Sequencing Center is hosting a virtual seminar titled "Learning About Long Read Sequencing Utility and Applications," Friday, Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Find more information and register.

Blood drive

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will host a blood drive on Tuesday, Feb. 8, in Rayzor Lounge at main Baylor, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Those who donate will receive a free T-shirt. Reserve your spot by signing up online.

Awards and Recognitions

Bernhardt selected for NIH pilot award

Dr. Brooke Bernhardt, assistant professor of pediatrics - hematology/oncology, has been selected as the first recipient of an NIH P20 Developmental Research Program Pilot Award to investigate outcome disparities in Hispanic children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Bernhardt's project is titled, "Clinical implications and predictors of delayed clearance of high-dose methotrexate in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia."

Chen earns Uplifting Athletes grant

Dr. Wu Chen, postdoctoral associate in neuroscience, has been named a 2022 Young Investigator Draft Pick by Uplifting Athletes for his research on rare muscular and neurological illnesses. Uplifting Athletes recognizes up-and-coming researchers who will accelerate scientific advancements for rare disease treatments and, eventually, cures. An award ceremony will be held Feb. 5 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Hotez honored for vaccine research

Dr. Peter Hotez, professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, received the 2021 Milton S. Popkin Award from the Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League during its Jan. 19 virtual board meeting. The award is presented to one recipient each year who furthers the ADL's mission to promote respect for all. Hotez was cited for his work to make vaccines accessible to all. Hotez also will be honored by the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston at its 32nd annual Children's Scholarship Ball on Feb. 26, benefiting the Irvin Kaplan Children's Scholarship Fund.

Mills honored as gastroenterology mentor

Dr. Jason Mills, professor of medicine – gastroenterology, was one of 11 recipients of the 2022 American Gastroenterological Association Institute Council Section Research Mentor Awards. The award recognizes association members who serve as outstanding research mentors in the gastroenterology and hepatology fields.

Faculty in the News

The Houston Chronicle profiled the life and work of Dr. C. Thomas Caskey, who died Jan. 13 at age 83. See this and Baylor’s other news media mentions in this week's 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.

Follow BCM