From the Labs
Houston, Texas
Volume 7, Issue 3
April 2008

Briefs

Palzkill named chair of pharmacology

Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees has named Timothy G. Palzkill, Ph.D., chair of pharmacology.

Palzkill has served as interim chair of the department since July 2007. He received his undergraduate degree from Creighton University in Nebraska and holds a doctorate in genetics from the University of Iowa. Palzkill completed two years of postdoctoral work at Genentech Inc. and another two years at Stanford University.

Since joining the BCM faculty in 1991 as an assistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology and immunology, Palzkill has received numerous awards and honors. They include the American Society for Microbiology Vector Laboratories Young Investigator Award and a MERIT Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Palzkill is also a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM.

Palzkill's research interests include the role of beta-lactamase mutations in antibiotic resistance and functional genomics study of treponema pallidum which is the causative agent of syphilis.

Traber named to VA genomic medicine panel

Baylor College of Medicine President and CEO Peter G. Traber, M.D., has been named to the Genomic Medicine Program Advisory Committee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

As a member of the panel, Traber will help establish policies for using genetic information to optimize the medical care of veterans and to enhance development of tests and treatments for diseases particularly relevant to veterans.

The group will recommend policies to gather and use both genetic and other medical information for medical care and research. It will lay the groundwork for future development of a comprehensive genomic medicine program for the VA.

Traber also serves on the VA's Blue Ribbon Panel – Federal Advisory Committee on Veterans Affairs Medical School Affiliations. He has served as the president of BCM since March 2003.

The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston is one of BCM's primary affiliated teaching hospitals.

Baylor College of Medicine joins Personalized Medicine Coalition

Baylor College of Medicine has joined the Personalized Medicine Coalition, a national group working to advance the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine for the benefit of patients.

"The coalition provides an ideal opportunity for collaboration as we move forward with our vision of patient-focused medical care," said Peter G. Traber, M.D., BCM president and CEO. "We are interested in promoting this vision not only for Baylor College of Medicine, but for the delivery of health care in the future."

The coalition is a nonprofit group comprised of academic, industrial, patient and provider organizations that promotes discussion and understanding of personalized medicine. The group provides leadership surrounding the issue and serves as a forum for education and advocacy.

Traber has outlined a vision for personalized medicine that brings together the college's missions of education, research, patient care and community service and emphasizes the individual health of each patient.

"Our vision is to invent the future of medicine," Traber said. "Personalized medicine involves all of the college's programs and moves us forward as a national leader in the delivery of medical care based on quality, service and individualized treatment."

Since its launch in 2004, the coalition has grown to more than 100 members, providing a forum on the issue for the public, policymakers, government officials and private sector healthcare leaders to further the public interest in personalized medicine.