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Awards and Recognitions

Friend honored as Executive of the Year

Dane Friend, vice president of human resources, was selected as Executive of the Year in the Houston Business Journal's second C-Suite Awards. Award winners were selected in eight different categories, with Friend being named the Outstanding Health Care Executive, and from those finalists, the executive of the year was selected by a panel of judges. The awards were based on contribution to company success, civic involvement and career achievement. The award ceremony was held Aug. 11 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.

Lewis honored for contributions to ectodermal dysplasia

Dr. Richard Lewis, professor of ophthalmology and of molecular and human genetics, received the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias' Outstanding Service Award for his significant contribution to the ectodermal dysplasias community. Ectodermal dysplasia is a group of conditions in which there is abnormal development of the skin, hair, nails, teeth or sweat glands. He was honored in July at the foundation's annual Family Conference.

Rocha to serve as PREP deputy editor

Dr. Mary Rocha, associate professor of pediatrics, was named deputy editor for the American Academy of Pediatrics' Pediatrics Review and Education Program – Hospital Medicine. The Pediatrics Review and Education Program has become the gold standard for continuing pediatric professional development introduced in residency programs and paramount to both generalists and subspecialists.

Spitz named to National Cancer Advisory Board

Dr. Margaret Spitz, professor in Baylor's NCI-designated Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, was appointed by President Barack Obama as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board. A renowned expert in molecular epidemiology, Spitz has a long-standing interest in genetic susceptibility to lung cancer, with an emphasis on variation among individuals in susceptibility to tobacco carcinogenesis. The primary task of the 18-member board is to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the director of the National Cancer Institute on a range of issues affecting the nation's cancer program and on NCI operations.

Events

Compassion and the Art of Medicine talk

The Compassion and the Art of Medicine lecture series starts today at 12:10 p.m. in McMillian Auditorium with the Matthew Carter Memorial Lecture presented by Dr. Niraj Mehta, professor of medicine, on "Healing Begins with Feeling." Mehta is known for his dedication to education and has received numerous Baylor teaching awards. Compassion and the Art of Medicine is an annual student elective and lecture series open to the Baylor community sponsored by the Department of Family and Community Medicine. The Matthew Carter Memorial Lecture honors the memory of the first-year Baylor medical student killed in September 2000 and carries on his message of compassion and caring to successive generations of medical students and health professionals. The annual events include a lecture and day of community service by Baylor students.

DocTalk on dementia and Alzheimer’s Aug. 23

The next DocTalk is Tuesday, Aug. 23, at noon in Cullen Auditorium in the main Baylor building, with Dr. Melissa Yu, assistant professor of neurology, on living with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. DocTalk is a series of informal, lunchtime talks on a variety of topics with Baylor doctors, followed by a question-and-answer session. Benefits-eligible employees who attend will receive BCM BeWell Vitality points. Feel free to bring your lunch!

Join Baylor's Heart Walk team and get information at Aug. 24 kick-off event

The Cardiovascular Research Institute and the BCM BeWell program at Baylor are sponsoring a team for the 2016 Houston Heart Walk, set for Saturday, Nov. 5, in the Texas Medical Center. A kick-off celebration will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24, in Cullen Auditorium at 11 a.m., where representatives from the CVRI, BCM BeWell, the American Heart Association and the Texas Medical Center will present important information about cardiovascular research and health as well as Heart Walk details. The presentation will be followed by lunch and vendors in Rayzor Lounge. Attend the celebration to join Baylor's Ace of Hearts team or join online.

Surgery Collaboration Day Aug. 27

The Department of Surgery is hosting the first Surgical Collaboration Day on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the TMC Innovation Institute on the McGovern Campus, 2450 Holcombe Blvd., Suite X. The event provides a chance for clinicians and researchers in the Houston area to share their technologies and ideas with the goal of fostering new surgical-related collaborations. The keynote speaker is Dr. Scott Parazynski, a prolific inventor, product developer and former NASA astronaut. Register online.

Bone marrow drive Aug. 30

Be the Match will host a marrow donor registry drive Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the E Hall by the cafeteria at main Baylor. Come sign up and do a cheek swab to see if you can save the life of a blood cancer patient. Nearly 80 percent of donations are from blood stem cells – a procedure similar to donating plasma. All donor expenses are covered. Read an FAQ online or drop by on Aug. 30!

Sign up by Sept. 2 for annual kickball tournament

The annual You FIRST kickball tournament for employees and students is Oct. 15 at the Houston Sportsplex. To participate, sign up online by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. Benefits-eligible participants will receive 100 BCM BeWell Vitality points; the winning team will receive an additional 350 points and second place an additional 250 points. Baylor Sports Medicine will provide medical services at the tournament. Questions? Email youfirst@bcm.edu.

College News

Emergency notifications and resources

It's hurricane season – a good time to sign up for Baylor's emergency notification system so you can receive notice of campus delays and closings and other important information. When natural and other disasters do occur that impact the Baylor community, there are helpful resources. The Employee Emergency Relief fund is available to assist Baylor employees in need. Learn more online about accessing funds or making a contribution. In addition, Human Resources has established the Employee Emergency Assistance message board. It will allow employees and students to post items that they have lost during a disaster and need to replace. Any member of the BCM community can reply with items that they can donate to assist these individuals in their time of need. Contact Connie Iles at connie.iles@bcm.edu or Bonnie Weisman at bweisman@bcm.edu with any questions.

Volunteers needed for study on depression and gut function

Participants are needed for a study to understand how depression and gut function may be related in youth. Volunteers between the ages of 7 and 17 years who have experienced symptoms of depression and those who have not are both needed for the study. Volunteers must be healthy, not have taken any antibiotics in the past six months and not have taken any psychiatric medications in the past three months. The study visit will involve completing questionnaires, providing a stool sample, taking a sugar solution and collecting urine for 24 hours, a blood draw and bone scan. Volunteers will be compensated for their time and mileage will be reimbursed. Those interested should complete the following online screening form. For more information, call 832-824-5002 or email Calarge_Research@bcm.edu.

Faculty in the News

Dr. Jeffrey Sutton was a guest on NPR's Science Friday podcast. Listen to the podcast and see Baylor's other news media mentions in this week's Faculty in the News. Interested in science news? Read about a gene newly associated with Parkinson's disease in From the Labs.

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