Public Affairs
Baylor College
of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza,
Room 176B
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone:
  713-798-4712
Fax:
  713-798-3692
email: pa@bcm.edu

Photos Available Upon Request

Comments, Suggestions?

Briefs

	BCM researcher receives inaugural award
	Physical activity keeps Parkinson's at bay

BCM researcher receives inaugural award

A Baylor College of Medicine scientist was one of three in Texas to receive the inaugural 2006 O'Donnell Awards at the annual meeting of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas.

Gerard Karsenty, M.D., Ph.D., BCM professor of molecular and human genetics, received the award for his work that focuses on osteoporosis and the formation of bone. His most recent work demonstrates that in animals, beta-blockers – drugs usually used in treatment of heart disease – can reverse the course of osteoporosis. He is currently involved in studies to determine the best way in which to use this information in people.

The awards, named in honor of philanthropists Edith and Peter O'Donnell, recognize up and coming Texas researchers. The other award winners include:

Lynn Loo, Ph.D. assistant professor in chemical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, who pioneered the field of using specially designed plastics in conducting electricity. Her work combines properties of metals or semi-conductors with the mechanical properties of plastics and has potential applications in medicine and electronics, among other fields.

Michael Rosen, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, who studies how cells maintain their shape as they move through the body. He and his staff use magnets to study the arrangement of atoms in the protein molecule, which leads to greater insight into how proteins function in cells. His work could have implications in development of drugs that alter the behavior of abnormal cells.

Each award consists of a $25,000 honorarium, a citation and inscribed statue presented during the annual conference.

Physical activity keeps Parkinson's at bay

Parkinson's disease can be more effectively managed by a regular exercise program, say experts at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"There's no doubt that people who have a positive attitude and exercise generally cope with the disease much better than those who don't," said Joseph Jankovic, M.D., professor of neurology and director of BCM's Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic. "Exercise is clearly a positive force in dealing with Parkinson's."

Former Beaumont, Texas, Mayor Maury Meyers, is living proof of the "use it or lose it" adage. Maury, one of Jankovic's patients, not only stays physically active, he also embodies advancements in patient care and research.

For over 10 years, Meyers has organized the Dr. Sol and Miriam Rogers Memorial Golf Tournament, which supports a research endowment at the clinic. In spite of the devastation wrought to the Beaumont area by Hurricane Rita, Meyers' charity tournament raised the most money in its history.

Meyers, who also played in the recent tournament for the first time, currently shoots in the mid-80s for 18 holes in a sport where many people with no physical disabilities at all struggle to avoid the three-digit range. It took Meyers five years to overhaul the mechanics of his swing after first being diagnosed with the debilitating disease.

Meyers, who regularly rides a stationary bike and lifts free weights, considers mental fortitude equally as important as his physical regimen.

© Copyright 2003 - 2006 Baylor College of Medicine. All Rights Reserved.