Findings
Houston, Texas
Volume 7, Issue 1
January 2009

News briefs

Lawrence gift boosts bone disease research, clinical activities

Philanthropists Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence have given the Bone Disease Program of Texas $4 million to expand clinical care and research activities at its two collaborating institutions – The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.

In the year 2000, the Lawrence family made a $2 million gift to launch the program. To honor their generosity and active role in raising awareness of bone disease, the two institutions have named their collaborative program the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence Bone Disease Program of Texas.

The gift will be shared equally between the two institutions and will be used to establish the Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence research grants in perpetuity and to continue to support and expand core facilities necessary for bone research. The gift also will provide seed funding for additional research, enabling scientists to provide proof of concept that their ideas work and allowing them to successfully compete for additional funding.

Award supports epilepsy research

The American Epilepsy Society / Milken Family Foundation Early Career Physicians Scientist Award was given to David K. Chen, M.D, assistant professor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine and director of the neurophysiology laboratory at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston.

The award of $50,000 will support Chen's research investigating diffusion tensor and magnetization transfer imaging as a means to better understand the association of posttraumatic epilepsy with pathologies in the mesial temporal region of the brain.

The American Epilepsy Society / Milken Family Foundation Early Career Physicians Scientist Award encourages the development of new therapies for epilepsy by providing research training for physicians early in their careers.

Fasser honored by P.A. Education Association

Carl E. Fasser, P.A., director of the Physician Assistant Program at Baylor College of Medicine and associate professor in the School of Allied Health Sciences, received the Master Faculty Award from the Physician Assistant Education Association. This national award is given to the physician assistant educator who exemplifies excellence in all aspects of teaching, learning and educational evaluation.

Fasser came to BCM in 1970 to begin a physician assistant service and educational program at what is now the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Over the next 25 years, he led the BCM program to be recognized as one of the top 10 PA programs in the United States.

BCM Sleep Center accredited

The Baylor College of Medicine Sleep Center in Houston recently received accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The Baylor Sleep Center offers a multidisciplinary approach to managing sleep disorders. The center has the only behavioral sleep medicine therapist certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in the state of Texas, and the only dental specialist certified by the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. It is also the only program in the city which has an Alert, Well and Keeping Energetic, A.W.A.K.E., support group endorsed by the American Sleep Apnea Association. The support group provides education and follow-up care for those who suffer from sleep apnea and use a continuous positive airway pressure machine.