NewsLink, Sept. 11, 2020
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Coronavirus Information

COVID testing for employees and trainees

Options for COVID-19 testing are available to faculty, staff, trainees and students, whether they are experiencing symptoms or not. A survey has been developed to guide you to the appropriate testing path. Complete the survey online or through Microsoft Power Apps. Watch this video for more information, and read this FAQ. For additional support, consult with your leader or manager.

Awards and Recognitions

Hotez, McDeavitt honored for COVID work

Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor and a vaccine researcher, and Dr. James T. McDeavitt, senior vice president and dean of clinical affairs and leader of BCM’s COVID response through the Incident Command Center, were honored by the Center for Pursuit for their fact-based leadership during the pandemic. David Baldwin, chair of the Baylor Board of Trustees and vice president of the Pursuit Foundation Board, thanked them for their contributions and announced a new partnership of the Center and the Transition Medicine Clinic to provide care for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Read more in this BCM Family story.

Collaborative teams earn Dunn Awards

Three teams of BCM and Rice University researchers have been named winners of the 2020 John S. Dunn Collaborative Research Awards. Winners and projects are listed below, and read even more in this Rice news story.

• "An AI-Assisted Smart Wound Dressing for Expedited and Personalized Wound Healing," Dr. Taiyun Chi, Rice, and Dr. Swathi Balaji, Baylor
• "CRISPR/Cas9-based Epigenome Editing to Dissect the Mechanistic Causality between DNA Methylation and Immune Phenotype," Dr. Isaac Hilton, Rice, and Dr. Andrew DiNardo, Baylor
• "Region-specific and Brain-wide Gene Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders," Dr. Mingshan Xue, Baylor, and Dr. Jerzy Szablowski, Rice

Events

COVID webinars in English & Spanish

Got COVID-19 questions? Get answers from Baylor Medicine physician assistant Isabel Valdez at wellness webinars in English, Sept. 14, and Spanish, Sept. 15, both at 5:30 p.m. Register here for English or here for Spanish and to submit questions in advance.

CVRI seminar series plus pilot award info

The Cardiovascular Research Institute fall 2020 seminar series starts Sept. 16, at noon, by Zoom, with Dr. Lalitha Nayak of Case Western on "Targeting Neutrophils in Thrombosis." In other CVRI news, applications are being accepted through Sept. 14 for 2020-2021 pilot awards of up to $15,000 for cardiovascular research. Learn more and apply.

Bioethics Grand Rounds on global health

Bioethics Grand Rounds continues Sept. 16, noon, with a presentation on "Technology and Global Health: Essential, Enabling and Ethical," by Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy, professor and director of Baylor Global Health. Access via Zoom; to register dial 713-798-9666 and enter event ID 949 8808 3050.

Stories from the Heart of Medicine

Baylor's Narrative Medicine Program and UT Health's McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics will host a storytelling event, Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 – 7 p.m. Join for an hour of reflections on hope from students, residents, faculty and others. Learn more and register.

Learn about the inner ear

The Association for Research in Otolaryngology Seminar Series will present a virtual learning experience with Baylor's Professor Emeritus Dr. William Brownell on "From Sound to Action Potentials: A Tour of the Inner Ear," Thursday, Sept. 17, 5 p.m. Brownell's research focus is on the electromechanics of hearing. Register for the free event.

Postdoc appreciation events!

• The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is hosting a virtual kudoboard for faculty, staff, students and postdocs to post messages and images of appreciation for research postdoctoral associates and fellows. Submit your kudo by Sept. 18, then check the board out during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, Sept. 18 – 21.
  
• A virtual Postdoctoral Affairs Town Hall will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, offering an overview of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and highlighting the PROS recruitment program, policy updates and professional skills development for postdocs. Postdocs, faculty and staff are welcome. Register here.

College News

HR news

• Register for the virtual benefits fair to provide information and resources for Open Enrollment, Oct. 5 – 19.
• A series of financial discussions with Ayco financial counselors will be held via Zoom each Wednesday in September. See the schedule.

Elections info

September is the final month to register to vote in the Nov. 3 elections. Verify your voter registration or complete a registration application and mail it to your county's voter registrar before Oct. 5. For more information, see the Voter's Guide.

Faculty in the News

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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