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News for BCM Faculty, Nov. 4, 2021
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College News

Dr. Huda Zoghbi is awarded the Brain Prize

Dr. Huda Zoghbi, professor and director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, last year was awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in neuroscience, the Brain Prize by the Lundbeck Foundation. This past month the award ceremony was held in Copenhagen, hosted by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. Zoghbi is pictured with her co-recipient, Sir Adrian Bird of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Both were honored for their role in discovering a gene mutation that causes Rett syndrome and for establishing the importance of epigenetic regulation in both brain development and the maintenance of normal adult brain function.

Hackathon: The Human Genome Sequencing Center hosted its third annual Hackathon last month, which brought together nearly 90 programmers from Houston and around the world to tackle bioinformatic and computational problems on topics like the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants worked in groups and spent three days writing code and creating new tools that can be used by the scientific community.

Android password change: On Nov. 8 Baylor's Office of Information Technology will start requiring a four-digit numeric password on your device. You may be prompted to change your device password to regain access to BCM-provided Microsoft services such as Outlook, MS Teams and OneDrive. Learn more. Questions? Email desktopautomationteam@bcm.edu.

Teams and Cloud help: The IT Business Enablement Team offers weekly coaching sessions on Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Enterprise Cloud Storage. These sessions are offered Tuesday at 9 a.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m. Department and individual sessions are also available by appointment. To sign up for a session or request an appointment for a department or individual session, register online.

Faculty Kudos

Dr. Daniel CalameDr. Daniel Calame, postdoctoral fellow in pediatrics-neurology, was one of 11 researchers across the country awarded a Development Grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association. These grants are awarded to investigators at the beginning of their careers with the goal of supporting the next generation of researchers. Calame's project is titled "Uncovering the Genomic Architecture of Undiagnosed Neuromuscular Disease."

Dr. Lynn Bimler, postdoctoral fellow in the Corry Lab, won first place in the seventh annual VA Research Poster Session for her work on developing a chronic model of Candida albicans cerebral mycosis through gut colonization. Janine Wong, part of the Peterson Lab in the Department of Medicine - Health Services Research, won second place; Jacob Zulk, graduate student in the Trautner Lab, won third place. Dr. Ramiro Salas, associate professor and member of the Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, won People's Choice.

Dr. Rui Chen Dr. Timothy StoutResearchers led by Dr. Rui Chen, professor of molecular and human genetics, faculty member in the Human Genome Sequencing Center and member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Timothy Stout, chair, Sid W. Richardson Professor and Margarett Root Brown Chair and director of the Cullen Eye Institute, have been awarded a Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Ancestry Networks for the Human Cell Atlas to support the inclusion of data from tissue samples from ancestrally diverse donors in the Human Cell Atlas (HCA). The project will focus on how genetic ancestry influences health and disease at the level of our cells, resulting in a scientific resource that will be more representative of the diversity found in the global human population.

Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine, was awarded the 2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation David E. Rogers Award at the virtual ceremony recently held by the AAMC. The award honors a medical school faculty member who has made major contributions to improving public health and healthcare. Learn more.

Faculty Opportunities

BCM Runners: The group hosts a structured group training run on Thursdays at two levels: beginner and intermediate. Those interested in training for a 5k, 10k, half marathon or full marathon are encouraged to email Dr. Kazuhiro Oka with the subject "BCM Runners" and join the Facebook group for updates. Participants also must sign a waiver. Join one or more of the BCM teams for these upcoming athletic events:

Research participation: Does it run in the family? Researchers at the Duke University School of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at Penn, and Stanford Medicine are assessing intergenerational influences of careers in healthcare professions. Includes questions about demographics, family and/or other connections to the medical profession. All US physicians, residents, fellows, and medical students are eligible. Learn more and fill out the 5-minute survey.


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

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