NewsLink, April 9, 2021
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Coronavirus Information

CDC guidelines for healthcare setting

The CDC recently updated public health recommendations for vaccinated people outside of the healthcare setting, allowing for small gatherings. These guidelines do not apply to the healthcare setting, which includes Baylor College of Medicine and all of its buildings and locations. All employees and learners of Baylor while in the workplace or academic setting should follow the CDC's Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations.

CDC update on travel

Baylor's Return to Work and Return to Training guidelines have been updated to reflect new CDC recommendations on international travel. This applies to personal travel only; BCM currently is not sponsoring business-related travel.

Awards and Recognitions

Lei honored by AACR

Dr. Jonathan Lei, postdoctoral fellow in informatics and computational biology in the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, received an American Association of Cancer Research Doreen J. Putrah Cancer Research Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award. He was recognized for his abstract on chemotherapy response and potential therapeutic targets to overcome resistance in triple-negative breast cancer. This competitive award is presented to those with meritorious abstracts and applications and supports attendance at the AACR Annual Meeting 2021.

Mercado honored by alma mater

Ricardo Mercado, director of accreditation, compliance and continuous quality improvement in the School of Medicine, has received a Rice University Young Alumni Builders Award. This award recognizes highly distinguished individuals for extraordinary achievements and contributions to their professions, local communities and Rice University.

Rodriguez presents CDC campaign at conference

Natalia Rodriguez, M.P.H., program manager in the section of infectious diseases, represented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Let's Stop HIV Together campaign at the fifth Annual HIV Prevention Summit, March 30 – 31. Rodriguez participated in a Spanish virtual interview with her grandmother to discuss HIV stigma in the Latinx community and bring more awareness to HIV preventive resources, like Ready, Set, PrEP.

Storch, Schneider earn NIMH grant

In collaboration with colleagues from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Drs. Eric Storch and Sophie Schneider received a five-year, $4.2 million R01 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for "Optimized Affective Computing Measures of Social Processes and Negative Valence in Youth Psychopathology." This application develops and validates novel facial expression and linguistic measures that can be easily and widely disseminated across research and clinical settings to improve assessment of behavioral health conditions in youth. Other Baylor investigators include Drs. Leandra Berry, Kirti Saxena and Robin Kochel.

Events

Center for Medical Ethics events

• Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor's Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy will host a virtual Bioethics Intensive Course April 12 – 16. This is geared toward individuals who encounter complex ethical challenges in the healthcare setting and wish to receive advanced training. For more information and to register, click here.
  
• Ethics Grands Rounds continues April 20, 5 – 6 p.m., with an interfaith panel from Houston institutions discussing "Brain Death or Donation after Cardiac Death." Attend via Zoom.

Register now: Alumni Awards 2021

Join the celebration of our distinguished alumni and faculty during the 2021 Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Awards (virtual) Ceremony, April 14 at 6 p.m. Register here.

Healthcare Heroes night at Sabercats

The Sabercats, Houston's professional rugby team of which Baylor is the official medical provider, is offering a 15% discount to the Baylor community on Healthcare Heroes Night, April 17 at 7 p.m. Purchase online using promo code BAYLOR21.

Compassionate Conversation: Addressing Asian Discrimination

The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Chinese Student Scholars Association will host a Compassionate Conversation: Addressing Asian, Asian American & Pacific Islander Discrimination on April 21, 5 – 6:30 p.m. The interactive session will feature Dr. Francis Lu, professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, whose career has focused in part on cultural competence and diversity. Register online.

Mental health symposium

The John M. Oldham National Mental Health Symposium: The Territory of Trust will be held virtually on April 22. The event, named in honor of Dr. John Oldham, distinguished emeritus professor at Baylor and former chief of staff at the Menninger Clinic, will feature national speakers, including Dr. Patrice Harris, former AMA president, and other noteworthy experts. See link for details.

Save the Date: COVID Disaster Research & Prevention

The Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health (GC-CPEH) and the French Embassy are hosting a virtual COVID19 Disaster Research and Prevention Symposium on May 19, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. via Zoom. Speakers and program will be announced soon. The event is free but requires registration. Send any questions to gc-cpeh@bcm.edu.

College News

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month to raise awareness about sexual assault and sexual violence, and how to prevent them. Baylor is committed to the idea that all community members have the right to be free from sex- and gender-based discrimination, which includes sexual violence. During the COVID 19 pandemic, the Title IX Office would like to bring attention to online sexual abuse, harassment and exploitation that occurs through screens or online spaces such as workspaces, classrooms and social media platforms. Find more information at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. To learn more, please visit Baylor’s Title IX website.

HR news: College planning

It's never too early to start thinking about your child's college education. The Bright Horizons College Coach program offers free insight and expertise that will help your child succeed. Check out upcoming Bright Horizons College Coach webinars, including an April 13 session on standardized testing.

Faculty in the News

Dr. Harvey Levin spoke with media about the long-term impacts of concussions on women, and on the COVID front, Dr. Prathit Kulkarni was interviewed by the New York Times about the 'mysterious aftereffects of infection.' Check out 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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