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News for BCM Faculty, Sept. 26, 2019
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Charity Races: It’s that time of the year when Houston’s runners and walkers lace up their shoes to raise funds and awareness for health causes. The Komen Race for the Cure kicks off the season Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Houston. Register to run with the Baylor team and support breast cancer research and care. The following Saturday, Oct. 12, you can benefit student wellness initiatives by participating in Baylor’s Wellness 5K in the Texas Medical Center, pictured above. Sign up by Friday, Sept. 27, for early-bird special pricing.

Flu Shots: The Occupational Health Program is offering the flu vaccine across the Baylor campus in October. More dates and locations will be added; check the OHP calendar for updates. You also may get your flu shot from your physician’s office or at a pharmacy or walk-in clinic. Wherever you get vaccinated, but sure to complete the online verification to show you complied with Baylor’s policy requiring flu vaccination for all employees and trainees.

Open Enrollment for benefits begins Monday, Oct. 7, and continues through Oct. 21. This is your opportunity to make changes to enrollment elections for health, dental and vision insurance and to participate in flexible spending accounts. It’s also a great time to review your retirement plan contributions and beneficiary designations. New benefits for 2020 include the addition of Roth after-tax contributions to the 403(b) plan as well as banking and financial planning resources. Attend a benefits fair or open enrollment meeting to get the most out of the College’s benefits. The full schedule of events at a variety of locations is available online.

Faculty Commons is going in search of autumn and will not publish Thursday, Oct. 3.

Faculty Kudos

Dr. Christie Ballantyne, professor of medicine and vice chair of research, has been recognized as an Expertscape World Expert in Hyperlipidemias. Rankings are calculated by how many publications (indexed in the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database) each doctor has made over the past 10 years with Ballantyne being in the top 0.1% when compared to all doctors writing on the same topic. Expertscape is designed to help find the most knowledgeable physicians and health professionals in the world in more than 27,000 biomedical topics.

Dr. Marc H. Feldman has joined Baylor Medicine, the new name for the Faculty Group Practice, as medical director for Corporate and Concierge Programs. An assistant professor of family & community medicine, he will collaborate on the development of new primary care, corporate and concierge programs, oversee their clinical operations, integrate new methods and participate in Ambulatory Operations leadership.

Dr. Julie Kaplow, associate professor of pediatrics – psychology, chief of psychology service and director of the Trauma and Grief Center at Texas Children's Hospital, received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico in an effort to assist children and families affected by Hurricane Maria. The grant will support a large-scale mental health needs assessment and training of community and school clinicians in evidence-based, culturally informed treatments for childhood trauma and grief.

Dr. Joseph Lubega, assistant professor of pediatrics at Texas Children's Cancer Center, recently was appointed vice chair of the Global Special Interest Group of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. He will organize the annual special interest group meeting, engage members who have an interest in global care and work to extend the reach of ASPHO beyond the U.S. Lubega previously served as medical director of TCCC's Global Hematology Oncology Pediatric Excellence Program in Uganda.

Kristin Wade, R.N., has accepted the position of chief operating officer for Baylor Medicine. With 30 years of experience in ambulatory care and patient-centric culture, she joined the College as vice president of nursing in 2016 and has served as interim COO for the group practice since April.

Dr. Laurel Williams, associate professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, has been awarded a $1 million grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for a program with the City of Houston and Child Mental Health Consortium to provide immediate tele-mental health crisis care at select school campuses. The grant will allow experts to provide in-home treatment for young people with early onset psychosis and severe bipolar disorder over the next five years.

Dr. Kim Worley, professor of molecular & human genetics, is this week’s highlighted senator as the Faculty Senate observes Women in Medicine & Science Month. Read about her work as the Senate’s basic science representative on the faculty intranet portal.

image image The Association of American Medical Colleges highlighted Baylor leaders in its national publications during Women in Medicine and Science Month. Provost Alicia Monroe was recognized for her service on the AAMC board of directors and Interim Dean Carolyn Smith was profiled for her role in the biomedical sciences. Associate Provost Toi Harris is the chair-elect of the AAMC’s Group on Women in Medicine and Science.

College Events

DocTalks: You have two opportunities to hear from Baylor experts this week. Bring your lunch, join the conversation and earn BeWell points:

  • “Gynecological Cancers” with Dr. Claire Hoppenot, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology, at noon today, Sept. 26, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor.
  • “Training Smart” with Dr. Theodore Shybut, associate professor of orthopedic surgery, at noon Thursday, Oct. 3, in Conference Rooms A&B, Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center, McNair Campus.

Diversity & Inclusion Week kicks off with an ice cream social hosted by the Association for Graduate Student Diversity and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 4-5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, in Alkek Lobby, main Baylor. On-campus events include:

  • “A Compassionate Conversation: Immigration Care in the First Person,” a panel discussion with Dr. Fernando Stein and Dr. Karla Fredericks, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor.
  • “Refugee Experience: Trauma, Resilience and Recovery,” a panel discussion with Drs. Sophie Banu, Jeffrey Kottler and Suni Jani, 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in Cullen Auditorium, followed by a reception in Rayzor Lounge.
  • “Ethical Conflicts in the Care of Immigrants,” a panel discussion with Drs. Amy McGuire, Fernando Stein, Karla Fredericks and Elizabeth Chiao, noon to 1 p.m. Friday Oct. 11, in Howland Auditorium, Children’s Nutrition Research Center.

Faculty Resources

Alumni Awards: Nominations are open for the College’s 2020 Alumni Awards. To nominate faculty and alumni and view past awardees, please see the alumni website. The recognition ceremony and dinner are set for April 25 at the Intercontinental Houston Medical Center. Nominations are due Friday, Sept. 27.

Photo Sessions: Get your picture taken for the 2020 BCM calendar. Professional photo sessions are from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. in the following locations:

  • Main Baylor: DeBakey Library and Museum, Monday, Sept. 30.
  • McNair Campus: Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center Lobby, Wednesday, Oct. 2.
  • Children’s Nutrition Research Center: CNRC Lobby, Friday, Oct. 4.

Education Grand Rounds: “Big Ideas in Health Professions Assessment – An Overview” is the topic of a talk by Dr. Joel Purkiss, assistant dean of evaluation, assessment and research, at noon Thursday, Oct. 3, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor, or via Zoom. Grand Rounds is sponsored by the School of Health Professions and the Office of Faculty Development.

Professionalism: The Center for Professionalism, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Career Development Center sponsor two talks by Dr. Karen Kelsky, founder and president of “The Professor Is In,” an academic career consultancy, on Thursday, Oct. 3. Hear “Hacking the Academic Job Market for Scientists” at noon in Room 301A and “Advice for the Advisors” at 4 p.m. in Room 201A, main Baylor.

Compassion Series: Dr. Phyllis Chappell, a palliative care physician at Houston Methodist Hospital, presents “Compassion in End-of-Life Care” as part of the Compassion & the Art of Medicine series at noon Friday, Oct. 4, in Cullen Auditorium.

Kindness: The Center for Professionalism, Narrative Medicine Program and DeBakey VA Medical Center Education Service Line host Christie Watson, best-selling author, nurse-healer and patron of the Royal College of Nursing Foundation, discussing “The Language of Kindness” at noon Monday, Oct. 7, in the Main Auditorium, 4A-300 DeBakey VA Hospital.

Recycle Your Scrubs: The annual lab coat, white coat and scrubs recycling event, sponsored by the BCM Resource Stewardship and Sustainability Program, is Monday through Thursday, Oct. 7-9. Drop clean and uncontaminated garments in labeled bins located in the E-Hallway by the cafeteria at main Baylor.


Attention Clinicians: See Clinical Events

Clinical Seminars

Cancer Therapy: Dr. Junjie Chen, professor and chair of experimental radiation oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, presents “Targeting DNA damage checkpoints in cancer therapy” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, in Room N315. His seminar is sponsored by the Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

Surgery Grand Rounds: Dr. Kenneth Liao, professor and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Transplantation and Circulatory Support, presents “Robotic Assisted Cardiac Surgery” at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Room N315, main Baylor, or via Zoom, meeting ID: 517 471 817.

Precision Medicine Grand Rounds: “From the Human Genome Project to Precision Medicine: A Journey to Advance Human Health” is the topic of Dr. Eric Green’s credit-eligible presentation at noon Monday, Oct. 14, in Denton A. Cooley Auditorium, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, or via Zoom, meeting ID 998 568 805. Green is director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.


Attention Researchers: See Research Calendar

Research Seminars

Research Finance: The TMC Clinical Research Institute offers an overview of financial aspects of clinical research with Mary Veazie, executive director of clinical research finance at MD Anderson Cancer Center, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Third Coast Restaurant Room II. Register online to attend.

TBMM Retreat: Dr. Nicholas Katsanis, professor of cell biology and pediatrics at Duke University and founder and CEO of Rescind Therapeutics, presents “Simple Complex Genetics” as the keynote address at the Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine Annual Research Retreat and Conference, 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in Cullen Auditorium, main Baylor.

Schoolar Lecture: Dr. Bryan Roth, professor of pharmacology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Medical School, presents the Schoolar Lecture in Psychopharmacology, “New Insights into Psychiatric Drug Actions,” at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, in Room N315, main Baylor.

Welch Conference: The Welch Foundation hosts “The Chemistry of Genome Editing and Imaging” on Oct. 21-22 at the Hilton Houston North Hotel. The two-day conference, chaired by Dr Jennifer Doudna, chair in biomedical and health sciences and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at the University of California, Berkley, includes both fundamental and applied research and applications. Online registration is open for this free event.

Research Resources

Alzheimer's Research: The Prevention Beyond the Pipeline Program of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation will award grants of up to $100,000 for comparative effectiveness research, prevention clinical trials, and epidemiological studies that probe whether the use or choice of drugs alters the risk for dementia or cognitive decline. Eligible applicants include researchers and clinicians at academic medical centers, universities, nonprofits and biotechnology companies. Submit a letter of intent by Friday, Oct. 11, to apply.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia: The National Ataxia Foundation is accepting letters of intent for research projects focused on the development of treatments for spinocerebellar ataxias through Tuesday, Oct. 15. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal for grants of up to $100,000. If you are interested in applying for this grant or the Alzheimer’s grant above and have questions or need help in submitting your proposal, please contact Andrea Calo, assistant vice president of development.

The Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists recognize the nation’s most innovative and promising faculty-rank scientists and engineers in the disciplinary categories of Chemistry, Physical Sciences & Engineering and Life Sciences. Baylor may submit one candidate (born in or after 1978) in each category. Internal applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7. See the website for more information.

From the Labs: Read about the research pediatric hematologists Dr. Karen Rabin and Dr. Philip Lupo are conducting into the higher risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children with Down syndrome 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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