NewsLink, Feb. 18, 2022 
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College News

Disclosure of outside interests

The BCM 2021 Close Out Attestation will be open from Feb. 21 – April 1. This is part of the College's efforts to create a culture of transparency and requires Covered Personnel (faculty, staff 1 & 2, residents, graduate students, fellows and postdoc candidates) to disclose outside interests from the previous calendar year and complete an annual Close Out Attestation using the College's DOI web portal. Resources including instructions, FAQs and other tools are available on the Compliance intranet page. Any questions regarding the DOI tool and/or the BCM 2021Close Out Attestation can be directed to the Office of Compliance at compliance@bcm.edu.

TMC voting

In-person voting is available at the Texas Medical Center McGovern Commons, 6550 Bertner Avenue, first floor. Early voting hours: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Feb 17-19; noon – 7 p.m. Feb. 20; 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Feb. 22-23; 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Feb. 24; and 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Feb. 25. Election day voting is from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. March 1. Bring an approved form of identification and wear a mask. To learn more and view all voting locations, visit HarrisVotes.com.

Infection and Immunity T32 Training Program

The Infection and Immunity T32 Training Program at Baylor is now accepting applicants for the 2022-2023 academic year. This training program is for postdoctoral trainees with either an M.D. or Ph.D. Successful applicants will conduct research on infectious diseases or immunology related to infectious diseases. Training tracks include laboratory-based research, patient-based research and global and public health research. Appointed trainees will complete research with their mentor and be guided by a mentoring team, complete Baylor's Fundamentals of Clinical Investigation course, complete training in research ethics and participate in various tailored career development activities. Learn more and apply.

Volunteers needed for veggie study

Seeking adults, 18 to 65 years old in good health, to research if a rapid, optical skin measurement can be used to measure how many servings of fruits and vegetables participants consume. Participants will consume 6 or 12 oz. of a provided juice daily for 6 weeks. Research study involves three 90 minute-each visits for height, weight, body fat and optical skin measurements, blood draw and food surveys. Eligible volunteers should speak, read and understand English; be male; self-identify as African American/Black; and meet body weight criteria. Compensation provided. If interested, call 713-798-0517 or e-mail VeggieMeterStudy@bcm.edu.

Events

Black History Month & diversity events

Health Equity Grand Rounds & Anti-racism Challenge: The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research Grand Rounds present a talk on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at noon by Dr. Alicia Monroe, provost and senior vice president of academic and faculty affairs, Dr. Jose Ribas Roca, assistant professor, and Dr. John Saunders, associate professor, both in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. To kick off a College-wide 21 Day Anti-Racism Challenge, the speakers will discuss, "Rising to the Challenge: Understanding and Addressing Racism." Attend via Zoom; Meeting ID: 988 8423 7199, Passcode: 225389. Learn more about the challenge on the Office of DE&I page on InTouch. 

Compassionate Conversation for Change: "Can You Hear Me? Finding and Trusting Your Voice in a Pandemic," presented by Dr. Taison Bell of University of Virginia, Feb. 22, 5 p.m. Hosted by the Student National Medical Association and Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Attend via Zoom; Meeting ID: 935 3313 6261, Passcode: 349166. 

Poetry reading: Celebrating Black poets and writers, Feb. 25, noon – 1 p.m. Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, this virtual event is open to everyone. Register here.

CVRI seminar on congenital cardiac research

Learn about Dr. Ravi Birla's research on the "Development of 3D Cardiovascular Tissue Models to Study Congenital Heart Disorders" at the CVRI Spring Seminar Series, Feb. 23 at noon. Birla is associate professor of pediatric surgery at Baylor and director of basic and translational research at Texas Children's Center for Congenital Cardiac Research. Register to attend.

Facilitators needed for patient safety interprofessional education

Facilitators are needed for the 2022 Patient Safety Interprofessional Education Event, which will be held Feb. 24 from 3 – 4:50 p.m. The event brings together medical, nursing and pharmacy students from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Woman's University and the University of Houston College of Pharmacy to work through a near-miss patient safety case in a small-group format by Zoom. BCM clinical faculty, senior trainees and advanced practice providers may serve as facilitators; a 30-minute optional facilitator orientation will be held Feb. 17. To participate, email Dr. Sara Andrabi at sandrabi@bcm.edu.

Clinical Advances in Ophthalmology course

The 36th annual Cullen Course, Clinical Advances in Ophthalmology, is Feb. 25-26 at the Hyatt Regency Houston/Galleria. The course will update medical clinicians on the latest ophthalmology research and clinical outcomes in the basic and clinical sciences, therapeutics, technology and surgery. CME credit available. Register here.

Autism webinar on managing crisis

The SPARK for autism research team at BCM and Texas Children's is team is hosting a free webinar at noon March 4 with licensed social worker Amanda Willis to identify resources and appropriate steps to take when facing a crisis. Register here.

Submissions open: Off-Script Storytelling Event

Submit a story, painting, drawing, song or other art form for the Texas Medical Center's storytelling hour on the theme of "Lost and Found," inspired by the experiences of loss, recovery, serendipity or discovery. All members of the Houston and TMC communities are invited to submit. Sponsored by the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy's Narrative Medicine Program. Entries due by March 6; storytelling event is April 6. Learn more and submit.

Awards and Recognitions

Anastas earns children's cancer research grant

Dr. Jamie Anastas, assistant professor of neurosurgery, is one of seven U.S. researchers who was awarded a grant from CureSearch for Children's Cancer recognizing innovative, translational work focused on ending childhood cancers. Anastas was awarded a Young Investigator award for her work developing a novel combination targeted therapy using already approved drugs to block pediatric brain tumor growth by altering tumor cell growth and survival, and by enhancing tumor immune targeting.

Faculty in the News

For Heart Month, cardiologist Dr. Biykem Bozkurt is featured in Circulation, where she talks about her experience growing up in Turkey, early role models and her pivotal research. See Baylor’s 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.

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