NewsLink, Jan. 29, 2016
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Awards and Recognitions

Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratory named a ‘Deal of the Year’

Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratory, a joint venture between Baylor and Japan-based Miraca Holdings Inc., was named the winner in the healthcare category of Houston Business Journal’s Deals of the Year awards. BMGL specializes in the development and commercialization of high-quality genetic and genomic testing. Winners were announced and honored at a ceremony Jan. 21 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

CNRC ranked as one of best graduate research institutes

Grad School Hub has ranked the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital among the 50 best graduate research institutes in its recent ranking. The ranking considered research and development expenditures, awards and recognition, presence of certified facilities, interdisciplinary approaches and other factors. The CNRC, which came in at No. 22 on the list, was highlighted as being one of just six USDA human nutrition research centers in the United States.

Parsons earn grant for precision oncology project

Dr. Will Parsons, associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor and Texas Children’s Cancer Center, received a $200,000 grant from the nonprofit organization Cookies for Kids Cancer to support his project to evaluate the potential impact of genomic testing for children with pediatric solid tumors. The project will address key questions related to precision oncology treatment strategies. Cookies for Kids Cancer was launched by the parents of a young cancer patient to fund research for new and improved treatment.

Smith named among city’s most influential women

Dr. Peggy Smith, director of the Baylor Teen Health Clinic, was named one of Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2015 by Houston Woman magazine. She was recognized for her commitment to community healthcare for vulnerable populations and finding innovative approaches to improve outcomes for at-risk youth. She and the other awardees were honored at a ceremony Jan. 25 at La Colombe d’Or.

Events

Wear Red Day Feb. 5

On Friday, Feb. 5, Baylor will participate in National Wear Red Day in support of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign, a nationwide movement to fight heart disease in women. Be sure to take a photo of you and your colleagues wearing red and send it to audrey.marks@bcm.edu by 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, to be featured on Baylor’s social media channels.

Feb. 5 lecture on women in academia

“Women Don’t Ask,” a lecture on women in the academic workplace by Dr. Carol Rumack of the University of Colorado and founding president of the American Association of Women Radiologists, will be held Feb. 5 at noon in Cullen Auditorium.

Baylor part of statewide CPR training Feb. 6

The Texas Two Step, a collaborative CPR training effort organized by all 10 medical schools in Texas, including Baylor, will take place Saturday, Feb. 6, at various locations in Houston as well as other cities across the state. Find the nearest training location and register online.

RecycleMania starts Feb. 7

Baylor is one of more than 400 university campuses competing in RecycleMania from Feb. 7 – April 2. Identify any plastics, aluminum or tip boxes in your office or lab that need to be recycled, then look for recycling sites around campus or request a small recycling bin for your desk. This annual event is hosted by BCM’s Resource Stewardship & Sustainability Program. For more information, contact Ashley Ugarte at ashley.ugarte@bcm.edu.

TMC hosting Super Bowl tailgate Feb. 8

The Super Bowl is coming to Houston in 2017 and the Texas Medical Center is a founding sponsor of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. The TMC will host a “Countdown to the Kickoff Tailgate” for all TMC institutions on the lawn of the McGovern Commons, 6550 Bertner Ave., on Feb. 8 starting at 11:30 a.m. Free hotdogs, hamburgers and treats will be provided for the first 750 guests along with prizes and live entertainment.

Evenings with Genetics on sexual development Feb. 9

Evenings with Genetics will be held Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Children’s Museum of Houston with Dr. V. Reid Sutton, professor of molecular and human genetics, and Dr. Lefkothea Karaviti, professor of pediatrics, on Conditions of Sex Development: A Team Approach. Speakers will discuss typical development of males and females, the reasons for disorders of sex development and treatment for the specific condition of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Light refreshments at 6:30 p.m.; seminar at 7 p.m. The seminar is free but registration is required.

Alford Distinguished Lecture Feb. 11 on HPV-associated cancer

The second annual Bobby R. Alford MD Grand Rounds Distinguished Lecture will be held Thursday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium, with a reception to follow in Rayzor Lounge. The speaker will be Dr. Robert Ferris, endowed professor and chief of the division of head and neck surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, who will speak on “A New Disease, a New Surgical Technique and a New Modality: Therapeutic Targeting of HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancer.” The Alford Distinguished Lecture is endowed by Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundations.

College News

Diversity survey

Help enhance the College’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Take this 10-minute, anonymous survey by Jan. 31. Contact institutionaldiversity@bcm.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Watch wellness portal demo

On Jan. 1, Vitality launched an enhanced wellness portal to simplify the member experience. The new Vitality portal is engaging, easy to navigate and fun! View the 2016 Vitality Portal demo video for more information. For questions, please email the BCM BeWell program at wellness@bcm.edu.

Faculty in the News

Dr. Celestine Tung was interviewed by KPRC on the HPV vaccine. See this and Baylor's other news media mentions in this week’s Faculty in the News.

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