News for BCM Faculty, Aug. 16, 2018
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Homes for Animal Heroes: Retired research dogs enjoy a frolic on the lawn after an appearance at a BCM BeWell event with volunteers from Homes for Animal Heroes. These young Labrador mixes participated in muscular dystrophy studies; the two on the left are looking for families to adopt them.

DEA Registrant Alert: Someone impersonating a Drug Enforcement Agency agent recently contacted a Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center office claiming the physician’s DEA number was used in a drug trafficking ring. The person claimed that the sheriff’s department would be coming to arrest the physician. BSLMC officials confirmed with the DEA that it was a scam. The Texas Medical Board has sent an alert notifying DEA registrants that criminals are contacting physicians' offices to extort money or obtain DEA information. Never provide your DEA number to someone who contacts your office over the phone. Please advise your administrator and the Compliance Department immediately if this happens in your office.

Academic Council:

• The Harris Health Trustee Board’s vote to end the Affiliated Medical Services contract was discussed at length at the Aug. 13 meeting. President Paul Klotman stated that Baylor, UTHealth and Harris Health will begin work on a new agreement as quickly as possible. While discussions are underway on the contract, the College will continue its delivery of high quality care to underserved communities and its support for the training of medical and health professions students, residents and fellows in the clinics and at Ben Taub Hospital.
• Provost Alicia Monroe announced that the faculty evaluation period will start Sept. 17 and conclude Dec. 14. The College will populate the evaluation form with mission-driven goals for all faculty. She reminded leaders to review their list of designated evaluators, make revisions as necessary and notify the evaluators of their responsibilities before Sept. 17.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings: Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center is No. 2 in Houston and No. 4 in Texas in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals list published this week. It maintained last year’s local and state rankings, tying with Memorial Hermann. Houston Methodist, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Baylor University Medical Center top the state list. Three BSLMC service lines are ranked nationally: Cardiology & heart surgery (No. 22), neurology & neurosurgery (No. 34) and gastroenterology & GI surgery (No. 38). Nationally, Baylor affiliate TIRR Memorial Hermann ranks No. 3 in rehabilitation, Texas Children’s Hospital is No. 4 for children’s hospitals and Menninger Clinic is No. 5 in psychiatry. See all the data online.

Faculty Kudos

Dr. Hsiao-Tuan Chao, clinical child neurologist, was awarded the Child Neurology Foundation's 2018 Pediatric Epilepsy Foundation Shields Research Grant for clinical or basic science research by an early-career researcher. The $100,000 grant will be awarded over two years to support Chao's transition from postdoctoral trainee to independent investigator where she will continue to tackle important questions in intellectual disability, autism and epilepsy.

Dr. Changyi Johnny Chen, professor of surgery and of molecular and cellular biology, received the Hans-Peter Krayenbuehl Memorial Award for distinguished work in the field of research of cardiac function during the 2018 International Academy of Cardiology Awards, part of the 23rd World Congress on Heart Disease in Boston.

Dr. Joseph Lamelas, professor of surgery and associate chief of cardiac surgery, was appointed to the Olga Keith Wiess Chair in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees Aug. 4. An internationally recognized expert in minimally invasive heart surgery, he has performed 445 such procedures since arriving at Baylor last year. He also has developed techniques and instruments to facilitate minimally invasive repair of the mitral and aortic valves.

Dr. James Lupski, Cullen Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics and Pediatrics, will be honored with the Victor A. McKusick Leadership Award by the American Society of Human Genetics at its annual meeting October 16. The award, named for a late colleague of Lupski’s, recognizes individuals whose achievements have enriched the development of human genetics and its assimilation into the broader context of science, medicine and health.

Dr. Anthony Rodriguez, assistant professor of medicine - immunology, allergy & rheumatology, was awarded a grant by the Gillson Longenbaugh Foundation for his research on the "Role of let-7 microRNA in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

Dr. Richard Strax, assistant professor of radiology, is featured in the Meet Your Senator article on the faculty intranet portal, He represents his department's faculty members on the Senate.

College Events

Voter Registration: With midterm elections set for Nov. 6, the College is hosting a voter registration drive with The League of Women Voters. Volunteers will be available to register newcomers from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, in Alkek Lobby, main Baylor. They also will assist with verifying and updating voter registration status and changes of address. Further information on eligibility and required identification can be found online.

Physician Mixer: Network with colleagues, meet new clinicians and promote internal referrals at the Find a Physician Networking Happy Hour, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, in Conference Rooms A&B at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center McNair Campus. Food and beverages provided; free underground parking available. Contact Hannah Munsey with any questions.

Faculty Opportunities

Associate Course Directors: Nominations are now open for two leadership positions in the Medical School. Inspiring faculty members with an interest in medical education and experience in either patient safety or quality improvement are encouraged to apply for the Patient Safety associate course director position. Innovative faculty members with a heart for public health, underserved populations and medical education may be interested in applying for the Determinants, Disparities and Social Health of Populations associate course director position. For more information, please see the Faculty Opportunities webpage. The application deadline is Friday, Aug. 17.

AAMC Leadership Seminar: The Provost’s Office will sponsor one faculty member to attend the Mid-Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar Dec. 1 – 4 in Atlanta. This national program is designed for women who have a faculty appointment at the associate professor level, hold leadership positions within their department/center, and are seeking to advance their leadership positions at the College. Topics include sponsorship, negotiation, funding the academic mission, resilience and wellness, communication and influence. More information and application instructions are available online. The deadline to apply is Aug. 31

Faculty Resources

Education Technology Workshop: Learn how to apply College-supported educational technologies to your teaching in a session facilitated by Dr. Tyson Pillow, Dr. Anoop Agrawal, Jared Howell and Jimmy Clark. The workshop is 3 – 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24, in Room N317, main Baylor. RSVP to Deborah Fernandez to attend.

Early & Mid-Career Advancement: The Career Advancement Series is a five-part program at Baylor sponsored by the Offices of the Provost, Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Equity and Faculty Development. It offers a professional development opportunity for faculty from all disciplines and educational backgrounds in three categories for assistant professors, associate professors and individuals who are seeking to participate in an assistant professor women’s faculty group. More information and application instructions are available on the diversity website. Deadline for applications is September 14.

For a Good Cause

Vote on Flood Bonds: The Harris County Flood Control District Bond Election is Saturday, Aug. 25. The district wants to issue up to $2.5 billion in bonds for flood risk reduction projects across the county’s watersheds. See the county website for polling locations.

Attention Clinicians: See Clinical Calendar

Clinical Events

Faculty Senate Roadshow: Find out how the Senate is working for you when the Roadshow comes to the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, in the Auditorium, MEDVAC.

Clinical Seminars

Hernia Symposium: The Multidisciplinary Management of Complex Hernias symposium is Sept. 15 at the McNair Campus. Lectures focus on complex open and minimally invasive abdominal wall reconstruction techniques, reconstructions in the setting of infection, inguinal hernia repairs, and setting up a hernia center. CME credit is available. Register online.

DFCon2018: The 18th annual interdisciplinary diabetic foot conference is set for Oct. 11 – 13 at the Royal Sonesta Galleria. The continuing education course is designed for the wide spectrum of generalists and specialists who diagnose and manage the diabetic foot. Didactic talks, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, specialty symposia and workshops will delve into diagnostic and interventional strategies for diabetic foot ulcers and amputation prevention. Information and registration details are online.

Attention Researchers: See Research Calendar

Call for Abstracts

Physician-Scientists' Meeting: Abstracts are being accepted from physicians, researchers, trainees and students for the South Regional American Physician-Scientists Association Meeting. The meeting offers the opportunity to present research, network with colleagues, hear from keynote speakers and learn more about M.D./Ph.D. programs and medical scientist training programs from current students and faculty. It is Sept. 29 in MD Anderson's Onstead Auditorium; hosted by the Baylor Medical Scientist Training Program. Submit abstracts online by Saturday, Aug. 18.

Research Resources

GrantForward: The College now has access to GrantForward, a research funding search tool that uses specialized data-crawling technology to constantly update the extensive database of sponsors and funding opportunities, allowing thousands of grant opportunities to be gathered from more than 9,000 U.S. sponsors. You can sign up with your BCM email account and log in to create a profile with keywords and specific research areas. Features include the ability to build and search by profile, which creates recommended opportunities, and to set personalized searches, alerts and filters.

From the Labs: Read how Dr. Olivier Lichtarge, Cullen Chair of Molecular and Human Genetics, Dr. David Marciano, instructor in genetics, and international colleagues collaborated to develop a simpler, faster CRISPR technology in this blog article. You can receive weekly articles on Baylor's research and innovation highlights as they are posted by going to From the Labs and entering your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the right. Or get a digest at the end of the month with links to the articles posted that month by emailing science writer Ana Rodríguez with "Subscribe me to From the Labs" in the subject line.

Funding Opportunities: See the Office of Institutional Diversity, Inclusion and Equity’s list of funding opportunities for research on healthcare disparities and social determinants of health. The Office of Research offers a list of privately funded awards currently accepting applications for August.

Questions or Comments?

Faculty Senate: Please contact your Senator for faculty-related questions or suggestions.

Institutional Policy Committee: Contact the Policy Committee to learn more about College policies and procedures.

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