NewsLink, Oct. 30, 2015
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Awards and Recognitions

Anderson receives funding to advance ovarian cancer research

Dr. Matthew Anderson, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, received a $50,000 grant from the KK125 Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation for a study to look at new ways to prevent and detect ovarian cancer earlier. Anderson was presented with a check from the Foundation in a special ceremony at Baylor on Oct. 22. Read the full Baylor press release.

Harati joins neurological council

Dr. Yadollah Harati, professor of neurology, was elected as a member of the United Council for Neurological Subspecialties Board of Directors to represent clinical neuromuscular pathology, effective Nov. 1. The appointment is for a two-year term. Harati is a nationally recognized leader in the field of neuromuscular disease and has been a key instrument in the recognition of clinical neuromuscular pathology.

Surgery department grants

Dr. Scott LeMaire and Dr. William Fisher, professors of surgery, have each received recent grants to support their research. LeMaire, who also is vice chair for research in the department of surgery, was awarded an NIH grant for his project, “Targeting the Inflammasome to Prevent Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Dissections.” Fisher, chief of the division of general surgery, was awarded an NIH grant for his project, “Building a Pancreas Surgery Consortium via Randomized Controlled Trial of Drain Placement.” In addition, Fisher received an NIH grant for a study across multiple sites to characterize the microorganisms in pancreatic tissue from patients with chronic pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using next-generation sequencing.

Events

Upcoming DocTalks

The next DocTalk is Tuesday, Nov. 3, at noon in Cullen Auditorium with Dr. Philip Alapat, assistant professor of medicine and a sleep expert, on the importance of sleep. Then on Nov. 10, also at noon in Cullen Auditorium, Dr. Pedro Piedra, professor of molecular virology and microbiology, will discuss the upcoming flu season and flu vaccine. Benefits-eligible employees who attend these informal talks, followed by a question-and-answer session, will receive BCM BeWell Vitality points.

Professionalism communication workshop

The Center for Professionalism in Medicine and Faculty Education Initiatives are presenting “Communication as a Teacher,” Thursday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. in DeBakey M321 and 323. One hour of CME ethics credit is available for attending this workshop. For more information, contact Andrea Croft at 713-798-4553 or ProfessionalismMatters@bcm.edu.

Emeriti fall workshops

The BCM HR-Benefits Team is offering Emeriti Fall Workshops presented by Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions in partnership with Aetna Thursday, Nov. 5. The Emeriti Retiree Health Solutions Program is offered by BCM as a core benefit to help ensure that you are saving for healthcare expenses throughout your retirement years. Benefits-eligible employees who attend will earn 200 BCM BeWell Vitality points. An Aetna representative will be available to answer questions. For more information, contact Emeriti at 1-866-363-7484 or visit the Emeriti website.

Compassion lecture Nov. 6

The next Compassion and the Art of Medicine lecture is Friday, Nov. 6, at 12:10 p.m. in Cullen Auditorium with Dr. Brian Skotko, board-certified medical geneticist and co-director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. He will speak on “Prenatal Diagnoses of Down Syndrome: Delivering Results in Our New Age of Genetic Testing.” The series is presented by the department of family and community medicine.

TMC service day

Baylor students are invited to participate in the inaugural Texas Medical Center-wide volunteer day specifically for students called TMC Serves: One Day. One Event. One Purpose. It offers students from all TMC institutions the opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. The event is Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Register online. For more information, contact Jackie Gilford at jgilford@tmc.edu.

College News

Healthiest Workplace award

Baylor College of Medicine was recognized as a 2015 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America for its commitment to employee health and exceptional wellness programming. Winning organizations were recognized at the Corporate Wellness Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Sept 29. Award applicants were evaluated across six key categories: Vision, Culture/Engagement, Learning, Expertise, Metrics and Technology. Read the Baylor press release.

Updated College policies

The College has a number of new or updated policies, which are summarized on this webpage.
To access policies individually, please click on the links: Employment Eligibility Verification Policy; Physical Inventory Policy; Consistent Treatment of Costs Policy; Time and Effort Reporting Policy; Financial Responsibilities, Financial Aid Eligibility, and Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Students; Accommodations for Breastfeeding Mothers; Issuance of Visas for Training Policy; Request for Trainee Records Policy; and Annual Program Evaluations Policy.

Faculty in the News

Dr. Harold Farber was featured on the front page of the Houston Chronicle about pediatricians' recommendations on tobacco. See this and Baylor's other news media mentions in this week’s Faculty in the News.

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