News for BCM Faculty, March 28, 2019
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Quadlympics: It’s not all studying, rotations and exams. Baylor’s student learning communities, known as “quads,” recently held their annual field day in the courtyard. Teal, Orange and Burgundy showed a lot of quad spirit, but Yellow Quad won the day! Congratulations to all the competitors and their faculty mentors.

NIH Funding: The Blue Ridge Institute of Medical Research has announced its listing of grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. In 2018, Baylor College of Medicine faculty successfully competed for more than $259 million in funding from the NIH. Baylor is ranked 20th among the nation’s medical schools in funding from the NIH and the College is ranked first in Texas for the 12th year in a row. Also for the 12th year in a row, the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics ranked No. 1 in the nation. See the list of 13 Baylor departments that ranked in the top 30.

Commencement Regalia: Tuesday, April 2, is the deadline for faculty to RSVP and reserve regalia, if needed, for commencement. The ceremony for graduating M.D. and Ph.D. students will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 28 at Jones Hall. You are encouraged to attend and support Baylor’s students.

Faculty Town Hall: Join President Paul Klotman for a town hall meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor. The meeting focuses on results of the Faculty Satisfaction Survey that almost 60 percent of Baylor faculty completed last fall. A Zoom link and a video will be available for those who cannot attend in person.

Faculty Kudos

Elizabeth Elliott, PA-C, associate professor in the School of Health Professions, has been named associate director of the Physician Assistant Program. Elliot is a graduate of the Baylor College of Medicine PA Program and also serves as a faculty senator representing health professions.

Dr. Stephanie Gordy, assistant professor of surgery, is the subject of a Progress Notes profile by third-year medical student Victoria Valdes. In it she describes her life as a trauma surgeon at Ben Taub Hospital and her new appointment as director of the surgical core clerkship.

Dr. Will Parsons, associate professor of pediatrics, was appointed as deputy director of Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Centers. Parsons also serves as co-director of the Brain Tumor Program, co-director of the Cancer Genetics and Genomics Program and director of the Center for Precision Oncology in the Texas Children's Cancer Center.

Dr. George Rodney Jr., associate professor of molecular physiology & biophysics, received a STAR Award from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease for his research on novel therapeutic agents for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The STAR program provides supplemental funding for early-career stage investigators who have renewed their first NIAMS-funded R01 grant. The funding will further Rodney’s study of the lysosome’s role as a signaling hub in skeletal muscle.

Dr. Rebecca Schwiebert, attending veterinarian in the Center for Comparative Medicine and an assistant professor of molecular virology and microbiology, has been elected to the Council on Accreditation of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. The council promotes quality and continuing improvement in the well-being of animals used in research, testing and teaching. The College is AAALAC accredited.

Dr. Anne Utech, assistant professor of medicine, was appointed as national director for the Veterans Health Administration Nutrition and Food Services. In this role, she will oversee nutrition policies and programs, strategic planning and national partnerships and serve as the VA's primary subject matter expert. The program provides clinical nutrition care to enrolled veterans and serves more than 39 million meals annually to veterans in VA medical centers and community living centers.

College Events

Transplant Roundup: Dr. Bartley Griffith, cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center, delivers the keynote address at the fourth annual O.H. “Bud” Frazier Transplant Roundup: Current Trends in Management and Treatment of Transplant Patients, Friday, March 29, at Houston Marriott Medical Center, 6580 Fannin St. Register online to attend and earn CME credit.

Tsais' Research Symposium: The 47-year research life partnership of Dr. Sophia Y. Tsai and Dr. Ming-Jer Tsai, professors of molecular & cellular biology, is celeberated at an afternoon biomedical symposium, 1 – 6 p.m. Firday, March 29, in Room M112, main Baylor.

Policy Research Day: The Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy hosts Health and Science Policy Research Day Tuesday, April 2, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor. The lunchtime keynote speaker, Dr. Tim Caulfield from the University of Alberta, addresses “Is Popular Culture Killing Science (and You)?” Registration and more information are available on the website.

STAT Voting: Vote for Baylor research to reach the Final Four in the STAT Madness contest. STAT is an online publication focused on life sciences, research and medicine that runs an annual bracket-style competition. Baylor's entry features Dr. Scott LeMaire's aortic research.

Faculty Resources

History of Medicine: Dr. Heather Wooten, historian at UTMB Galveston, speaks on “Call to arms: Polio, patriotism and disability politics in World War II and postwar America” at noon Tuesday, April 2, in Kleberg Auditorium, main Baylor, as part of the elective course sponsored by the College, McGovern Medical School and TMC Library.

Women in Science: The Association for Women in Science Gulf Coast Houston hosts its monthly networking event at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Holman Draft Hall, 820 Holman St. The first Tuesday of each month is your time to network with other women in the sciences and discuss workshops and career development opportunities. Sign up online to attend.

Academic Leadership: “Changing the Leadership Paradigm in Academic Medicine” is the topic of a talk by Dr. Elizabeth Travis, associate vice president for women and minority faculty inclusion at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Room N315. The event is sponsored by the Department of Medicine – General Internal Medicine, the offices of Institutional Diversity, Inclusion & Equity and Faculty Development and the Center for Professionalism.

Medical Ethics & Health Policy: Dr. Trevor Bibler, assistant professor in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, presents “Faith and Healing: Patients, Miracle Language and a Space for Faith in Medicine” as part of the Center’s Conversation Series. The luncheon begins at noon April 11 at Third Coast Restaurant, 6550 Bertner Ave. Register online to attend.

For a Good Cause

BP MS 150: Join Team BCM for a silent auction 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in the E Hallway, main Baylor. Bid on gift baskets and certificates from Bike Barn, Chick-Fil-A, Alley Theatre, Avon, Tiff's Treats, Houston BCycle, YMCA of Greater Houston and more. All funds raised from the event support multiple sclerosis research and care. To donate items, please contact wellness@bcm.edu.

Attention Clinicians: See Clinical Events

Clinical Seminars

Surgery Grand Rounds: Dr. Mary Brandt, professor of surgery, pediatrics and medical ethics discusses “Surgeon Health, Well-being and Joy: A new paradigm to prevent burnout in surgery” at 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Room N315, main Baylor or via Zoom, meeting I.D. 517 471 817.

GI Grand Rounds: “Rectal Cancer: Do We Really Need a National Accreditation Program” is the topic of a presentation by Dr. Atif Iqbal, senior faculty in surgery, at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 4, in Conference Room A, McNair Campus hospital building.

Quality & Safety: The College’s Sixth Annual Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference, directed by Dr. Nana Coleman, assistant dean of graduate medical education, is set for 4 – 8 p.m. April 25 at Onstead Auditorium, 6767 Bertner Ave. Registration is now open online.

Houston Venom Conference: Learn how to recognize and treat snake bites, spider bites, scorpion and jellyfish stings and other envenomations in this conference led by Dr. Spencer Greene, director of medical toxicology consultation services. The event is April 30 in Cullen Auditorium, followed by a tour and reception at the Houston Zoo. Register online by April 23.

Pri-Med Southwest Conference, developed in partnership with the College and course directors Dr. Stephen Greenberg, Michael Fordis and Richard Hamill, May 1 – 3 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, offers more than 40 educational sessions designed to equip healthcare professionals and trainees with the latest knowledge and tools in patient care; up to 21 CME credits available. Register online at a special rate (code BaylorVIP); students and residents may attend free of charge.

Clinical Events

Epilepsy Day of Science: The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute invites patients and families to a Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy Day of Science, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at NRI. Epilepsy experts will discuss drug resistant epilepsy and surgery, transitioning from pediatric to adult care, the impact of genetics on drug development and new epilepsy treatment options. Register online.

Senate Roadshow: Meet your Faculty Senators and find out what the Senate can do for you when the Roadshow comes to Smith Clinic at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, in the Fifth Floor Conference Room, Smith Clinic, 2525 Holly Hall St.

Heart Health: Dr. Hani Jneid, associate professor of medicine and director of interventional cardiology research, leads a four-part layperson’s course on prevention, treatments and innovations in heart disease beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Rice University. Register online to attend.

Attention Researchers: See Research Calendar

Research Seminars

Greenberg Lecture: Dr. James Lupski, Cullen Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics and pediatrics, delivers the 20th anniversary Frank Greenberg Memorial Lecture on “Molecular Mechanisms for Genomic and Chromosomal Rearrangements” at noon Friday, March 29, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor.

Clinical Research: The TMC Clinical Research Professional Training and Education Committee presents “Insights into the Clinical Trial Protocol” with Noelle Gaskill, vice president of research operations with SignalPath LLC, at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Third Coast Restaurant, 6550 Bertner Ave. Sign up online to attend.

Gene Regulation: The Therapeutic Innovation Center presents its second annual symposium April 11 – 12 to further the understanding of diseases of gene regulation, especially RNA and chromatin biology. Keynote speakers are Dr. Robert Darnell of the Rockefeller University and Dr. Nathanael Gray of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Registration is free, but required to attend the symposium in Kleberg Auditorium, main Baylor.

Research Resources

Interim Funding: The Interim Funding Program provides short-term relief funding up to $100,000 for established laboratories that have experienced a lapse in federal funding. The College provides awards for up to twelve months' duration. Full eligibility, award and application information for fiscal year 2020 is available online. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. April 17.

Bridge Funding: Through the Bridge to Independence Program, the College provides bridge funding of up to $100,000 for junior faculty members who have spent down their seed but not yet obtained independent funding. Full eligibility, award and application information for FY 2020 is available online. The application deadline is 5 p.m. April 17.

From the Labs: Read how researchers in Dr. James Lupski’s lab discovered that 17p11.2 syndromes are much more than deletions and duplications in this blog post. Receive From the Labs via email by entering your email address in the box at the end of any article and clicking the "subscribe" button.

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