NewsLink, June 5, 2015
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Awards and Recognitions

Graham honored for mentoring

Dr. David Y. Graham, professor of medicine and molecular virology and microbiology, received the 2015 Esophageal, Gastric and Duodenal disorders section Research Mentor Award at the Annual Meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association in Washington, D.C., on May 19. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions as a mentor over his distinguished career.

Kean receives grant from leukemia group

Dr. Thomas Kean, instructor in the department of orthopedic surgery and part of the Dennis Lab, recently was presented with a research grant from the Ladies Leukemia League. It will support his research into improving the engraftment of umbilical cord blood using bone marrow targeting peptide paints, which offers patients receiving banked donations a shorter period of immunodeficiency, reducing the possibility of infection.

Silberfein honored for teaching

Dr. Eric Silberfein, assistant professor of surgery, was awarded the 2015 Philip J. Wolfson Outstanding Teaching Award from the Association for Surgical Education. The award was presented at the association’s annual meeting in April in Seattle. It is given annually to individuals who are actively involved in surgical education and who are considered by their chair, peers, residents and/or students to be outstanding teachers.

El-Serag and O’Malley awarded CPRIT grants

Dr. Hashem El-Serag, professor of medicine, and Dr. Bert O’Malley, chair and professor of molecular and cellular biology, were awarded grants in the latest round of funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. El-Serag’s funded research will focus on liver cancer, and O’Malley’s on prostate cancer. Read more in the Baylor press release.

Events

Check presentation to Baylor CMV research

Dr. Gail Demmler, professor of pediatrics – infectious diseases, will accept a check from the nonprofit organization Maddie’s Mission, today, Friday, June 5, at 2 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium. The funds are proceeds from the March 7 5K/10K event held to benefit CMV research at Baylor College of Medicine. Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a common virus that can cause a serious infection in an unborn baby. In addition, June is CMV Awareness Month. Find more information about CMV on the Baylor website, at Maddie’s Mission and at the CDC.

College News

Get ready for hurricane season; register for emergency announcements

Hurricane season began June 1 and continues through November. The National Hurricane Center has detailed information about tracking hurricanes and preparing your home for a hurricane. The Harris County Office of Emergency Management also has information on preparing for hurricanes as well as other emergencies. In the event of emergency, announcements and updates are made through Baylor’s emergency notification system, as well as on the Baylor website, the Employee Information Line at 713-798-4444 and through news media outlets. Take time now to register or update your personal contact information. By providing additional phone numbers and email addresses, you will be able to receive text messages, voice mails and emails in addition to your Baylor email and work phone, which are automatically registered.

CVRI accepting applications for research awards

The Cardiovascular Research Institute is now accepting applications for pilot awards to support cardiovascular research that will promote collaborations between multiple investigators and are likely to lead to externally funded grants in the foreseeable future. All BCM faculty members who are members of the CVRI (CVRI membership is free) are eligible for the pilot awards. Submissions should utilize a multiple-PI approach, including two or more PIs, with primary appointments in at least two different BCM departments. Find more information online. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 29, by 6 p.m.

BCM BeWell Getaway to Good Health update

Since February, BCM employees have been virtually walking from the main Baylor campus to Panama City, Fla., by tracking their steps in an effort to improve health. To date, participants have walked 1.2 billion steps! There is still time to register for the Getaway to Good Health challenge if you would like to join your peers. For participating in this challenge participants receive 5,500 BCM BeWell points in the wellness portal that can be used toward an activity tracking device. Email wellness@bcm.edu for registration or with any additional questions.

You FIRST News

Polls open for faculty and staff of the year awards

The Faculty and Staff of the Year recognition program identifies current faculty and staff whose exceptional contributions to BCM either directly or indirectly advance the College’s mission and values. The nominees all were named as Faculty and Staff of the Quarter during the year. Now it is time to make recommendations from this list on colleagues you think deserve the special recognition for the year. Vote online through June 19.

'Leading through Influence' open for registration

Human Resources is offering “Leading through Influence” Wednesday, July 8, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This course is designed to empower faculty with techniques on hiring, conflict resolution and employee morale. It also will include Insights Discovery, a four-color model to help understand an individual’s unique working style and gain deeper insight into yourself and your colleagues. Register online. For additional information, please contact youfirst@bcm.edu.

Faculty in the News

Baylor's newly announced affiliation with the Texas Heart Institute was featured in the local media this week. See this and Baylor's other news media mentions in this week’s Faculty in the News.

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