News for BCM Faculty, July 23, 2020
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Stormy Weather: A tropical depression is making its way to the Houston area, bringing heavy rain this weekend. Make sure you have enrolled in Baylor College of Medicine’s Emergency Notification System and that your contact information is current. Through the ENS, you’ll receive important College updates by text, phone and/or email. Be prepared for inclement weather with news, information and resources on the Weather Safety webpage.

Coping with COVID: Is your child is experiencing anxiety, depression or stress due to or worsened by the pandemic? You may be interested in participating in a program that provides free, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy for children ages 5 to 13. This initiative, developed by Baylor mental health experts, includes 60-minute coaching sessions for parents via Zoom or phone over a six-week period. Parents also will complete three assessments to track progress. For more information on the Coping with COVID program, please call 832-206-4034 or email Project Reach.

Faculty Kudos

The Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Martin Matzuk as chair of the Department of Pathology & Immunology. Interim chair since March 2019, he is director of the Center for Drug Discovery and holds the Stuart A. Wallace Chair and Robert L. Moody, Sr. Chair. Matzuk was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2014 and to the National Academy of Inventors in 2016. He has been at Baylor since 1992.

The Baylor Board has appointed Dr. Nancy Moreno as inaugural chair of the Department of Education Innovation & Technology. A professor of health professions and family & community medicine, she has served as associate provost for faculty development and institutional research. Moreno was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018. She joined the faculty in 1993.

Dr. Rachel Davis, assistant professor of anesthesiology, will become director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice – Nurse Anesthesia program on Jan. 1, 2021. Currently the program’s associate director, she succeeds Dr. Jim Walker, who will remain on faculty in the DNP program.

Dr. H. Courtney Hodges, assistant professor of molecular & cellular biology in the Center for Precision Environmental Health, has received an R35 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This award will bring a total of $2 million to Baylor over five years to fund his research on SWI/SNF complexes in human disease.

Dr. Kristy Rialon, assistant professor of surgery, is an author of the ACGME Council of Review Committee Residents' report that initiated a progressive leave policy for residents and fellows. The new American Board of Medical Specialties policy allows all trainees in programs of two years or more in duration to take a six-week leave for family, parental or medical reasons.

Dr. Karla Sepulveda, associate professor of radiology, was elected to serve as president of the Board of Directors of the Texas Radiological Society for 2020-2021. The society is dedicated to advancing the profession in the state, with members including diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, residents and fellows.

College (Virtual) Events

Cancer Seminar: Dr. Pallvi Popli of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School discusses “Receptor-defined Breast Cancer in East Africa and Additional Research Topics” at 8 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, via Zoom, passcode: 224884.

Health Equity Grand Rounds: The Center of Excellence in Health Equity Training and Research presents Dr. Francis Lu, professor emeritus of the University of California, Davis, in a talk on “Advancing Health Equity in the Clinical Encounter: The Role of Cultural Identity in Patients and Healthcare Providers,” 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. Register by 5 p.m. Monday, July 27.

Education Workshop: The Office of Faculty Development leads a workshop on “E-rounds, an educational innovation, lessons learned” at noon Thursday, July 30. RSVP to attend via Zoom.

Cancer Seminar 2: Dr. Kavitha Beedupalli of Louisiana State University Health Science Center speaks on “New Predictive Biomarkers and Therapies in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer” at 13:30 p.m. Friday, July 31, via Zoom, passcode 831342.

Hibernation Workshop: Join the Translational Research Institute for Space Health at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, for the “Science of Suspended Animation in Deep Space.” This virtual workshop delves into multiple aspects of hibernation, from medical and physiology to CO2 footprint and terrestrial applications. Learn more and RSVP.

Faculty Opportunities

Inclusion & Excellence: The Inclusion and Excellence Council is seeking applications to fill vacant faculty positions. The council provides a forum for engaging trainees, faculty and staff and supporting the diversity and inclusion goals of the College. Meetings are held once a quarter and subcommittee meetings are once a month. Candidates must obtain written approval from their supervisor and self-nominate through submission of their C.V. and a completed application form to the Office of the President, copying institutionaldiversity@bcm.edu. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 31.

Call for Abstracts: The Academy of Distinguished Educators invites you to submit your educational scholarship abstract to the virtual Annual Showcase of Educational Scholarship by Monday, Aug. 3. See the academy’s website for guidelines; the event is set for Sept. 18.

Quality & Safety: The Institute for Continuing Professional Development in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety is accepting applications for its fall 2020 QI Jump Start course and for QI Coaches through Sunday, Aug. 9. Application forms and more information are available online.

Health Equity Scholars: The Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research is recruiting its 2020-2021 cohort of scholars. The program enhances the training of junior faculty members from populations underrepresented in medicine to increase the number of diverse and highly qualified medical professionals pursuing careers in academic medicine. For more information and the application form, visit the website.

Faculty Resources

TMC Library Update: Due to the surge in local coronavirus cases, the TMC Library building will remain closed until Monday, Aug 3. Users may contact librarians, access journals and conduct data searches virtually through the library portal.

LCME News: The School of Medicine’s July LCME Newsletter features recent subcommittee work and an overview of Element 1.2—Conflict of Interest Policy, Element 12.5—Non-Involvement of Providers of Student Health Services in Student Assessment/Location of Student Health Records and Element 1.4—Affiliation Agreements. The newsletter also contains pertinent information for the site visit Sept. 26-29, 2021.

Education Grants: Applications will be accepted through Friday, July 31, for 2020 Academy of Distinguished Educators Educational grants. The academy’s website has detailed information on eligibility, categories of fundable budget items, selection criteria and application procedures. Recipients will be notified in September.

KCA Awards: The Kidney Cancer Association is accepting applications now for its Young Investigator Awards, which support promising early-career researchers in urology and clinical oncology who are planning to pursue an investigative career in kidney cancer. Four $75,000 awards are available. Full proposals are due Wednesday, Aug. 5. Complete details about the grant application process are available online.

Device Grants: The Southwest Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium announces a grant opportunity to support pediatric medical device innovators who are able to use their technology to aid in the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on children. It seeks novel device solutions to address the coronavirus and other critical emerging public health needs for pediatric patients. Applications are due Wednesday, Aug. 5. More details and the application form are on the website.

From the Labs: Read how an online 300,000-cell atlas developed by Dr. Ivan Rosas, chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and colleagues is contributing to the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis and other chronic lung diseases in this week’s 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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