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CEPI and HMRI Partner to Accelerate Development of Pandemic Vaccine
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI), have announced a partnership to combine cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology with established laboratory techniques to speed up the development of future vaccines against novel viral threats, also known as Disease X. Houston Methodist will lead a consortium including experts from Argonne National Laboratory at the University of Chicago, J. Craig Venter Research Institute in La Jolla California, The University of Texas Medical Branch, and The University of Texas at Austin.
CEPI will provide up to US$4.98 million to Houston Methodist to advance the application of AI to analyze the structures of viruses from priority viral families from which the next Disease X is likely to emerge. These AI approaches will be used to identify target pieces of protein in the virus that stimulate the immune system, known as epitopes. The Houston Methodist-led consortium will initially focus its efforts on paramyxoviruses and arenaviruses, viral families which include the Nipah virus and Lassa virus, respectively.
Click here to read more about this collaboration
Digital Methodology
From The Humble Fly, Great Discoveries Are Made
Hyunglok Chung, PhD, has found the Drosophila fruit fly to be a key partner in discovering ultra-rare and previously unknown diseases, as well as developing new treatments for already known maladies.
Read more in digital Methodology.
Lab Notebooks Available
Houston Methodist Academic Institute-approved lab notebooks are available for distribution through the Office of Technology Transfer.
TMC Oral History Project
The Friends of the Texas Medical Center Library announces the launch of its Oral History Project that is committed to recording and preserving the histories of individuals who have made singular contributions to their professions and the Texas Medical Center (TMC). The Oral History Project will focus on a selection of noteworthy people across the 54 institutions that comprise the TMC.
Current or former individuals of a TMC institution or other contacts are invited to take part in this project. Approximately five individuals will be interviewed per year. Examples of subjects that interviewees might address include but are not limited to: Texas Medical Center history, COVID-19 experiences in the healthcare community, technological development, healthcare delivery, the evolution of ethical considerations and educational program development.
Initial interviews are planned to begin by late summer of this year. To submit names of individuals for consideration, please include their contact information and a brief description of their story.
Information may be sent via our online submission form.
If you have any questions about the Oral History project, contact the Friends of the Texas Medical Center Library at tmclibraryfriends@library.tmc.edu or Rebecca Denkeler at 713-799-7108.
The transcripts and audio/video interviews will be hosted online by the McGovern Historical Center at the Texas Medical Center Library when completed and processed at the Oral History Project.
Thank you in advance for your support with this project. Your input in developing a list of individuals whose stories should be preserved is greatly appreciated.
Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium
The 11th Annual Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Friday, Aug. 11, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. Presenters will cover a variety of topics, including innovative translational science and clinical updates with strategies for implementation in current clinical practice. Register here.
Liver Disease Conference: Innovative Trends in Liver Health 2023
The Annual Emerging Topics in Liver Disease Conference: Innovative Trends in Liver Health 2023 will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5:05 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. Attendees also have the choice to register for virtual participation. This continuing education activity will provide participants information about developments in hepatology and approaches to managing liver diseases that practitioners can integrate into their daily practice. Register here.
Sepsis Symposium 2023: Novel Landscape of Sepsis
The Sepsis Symposium 2023: Novel Landscape of Sepsis is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. This one-day symposium incorporates diverse lectures and speakers across a variety of important sepsis topics to enhance learner competency and performance, with the goal of improving patient care. The deadline to submit an abstract is Friday, Sept. 1. Register here.
Cryoablation for Breast Cancer program
The Cryoablation for Breast Cancer program will be held from 7:55 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 15, at the Dunn Rio Grande Conference Room. This activity provides learners with an overview of the use of cryoablation in treating breast cancer. The activity covers the principles of cryoablation, patient selection, procedural techniques, safety, efficacy and potential complications of the procedure. Register and learn more here.
16th Annual Advances in Neurology Symposium
The 16th Annual Advances in Neurology Symposium will be held from 7 a.m. to 5:10 p.m., Sept. 15-16, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. This program will emphasize evidence-based strategy for the current treatment of neurological disorders and cutting-edge research in novel therapeutics. Register here.
Workplace Violence Workshop
The Houston Methodist Hospital Nurse Practitioner Service is hosting “Workplace Violence in the Health Care Setting,” from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and other health care providers will learn best practices for maintaining staff and patient safety. Register here.
Nursing Reignited Symposium: Transforming the Profession through Clinical Inquiry
“Nursing Reignited Symposium: Transforming the Profession through Clinical Inquiry” will be held from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 27, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium. This hybrid symposium will explore how nursing inquiry is driving practice change, improving patient outcomes, addressing health disparities, transforming the environment of care, and advancing translational and emerging research methodologies. Register here.
Praying for Each Other
Every week, the Prayer Connect Team at Houston Methodist Hospital sends an email with prayer requests. About 160 Methodist employees have committed to pray for requests from our colleagues and community.
We believe that staying connected is vital to our well-being, so please consider joining the chaplains in this initiative. If you would like to join us in praying for the requests of our employees and community, please reply to this email or contact Michela deTranaltes, Project Specialist for Grace Ministries, so we can add you to our confidential online community.
If you would like to submit a prayer, either text PRAYER to 45991 or email HMHPrayerRequest@houstonmethodist.org.
Nicole Fontenot, DNP, Manager of Nursing Science at Houston Methodist Academic Institute, has been elected treasurer of the national board for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the largest specialty nursing organization in the world with more than 130,000 members. This one-year officer position is in addition to her current three-year term as a director on the board.
Mas Takashima, MD, was elected to the AAO-HNS: Leadership Audit Committee 2023, AAO-HNS: Presidential Task Force on AI in Otolaryngology for 2023
Omar Ahmed, MD, was elected president of the Houston Society of Otolaryngology for 2023-2024 and appointed to the American Board of Otolaryngology Member Taskforce for 2023.
Anthony Brissett, MD, was elected to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. as Group Vice President of Research, Development and Humanitarian 2022-2023.
NIH News
Find NIH Funding Statistics and More on the NIH Data Book
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, which also means we have a lot of funding data! To get at-a-glance graphics and tables of NIH funding trends on grant awards, you can explore the NIH Data Book.
Neil Gandhi, MD, recently was featured in an NPR news report on heat-related illnesses during this summer’s excessive temperatures. Listen to and read the story here.
Help Enhance the DEI Toolkit
We encourage you to utilize the DEI Resources Submission Form in the DEI Toolkit to recommend new books, videos, activities, assessments and other resources to be added to the DEI Toolkit. Submissions are reviewed by the Toolkit administrator, with approved resources added to the Toolkit’s “Collaboration” tile. For more information, contact Jessica Frazier.
Enjoy Your DEI Personal Day
Remember to use your 2023 DEI Personal Day PTO hours. Eligible employees may use their DEI PTO hours to celebrate days that are special to them or other members of their faith, race, nationality or anything else that makes them unique. Note that unlike standard PTO, the hours do not roll over to the next year, so don’t forget to use your personal day before the last day of the final pay period of 2023, which is Dec. 16. For more details, see HR Policy 72.
We would love to see how you spend your DEI Personal Day this year so we can share with your colleagues in upcoming editions of the DEI Corner. Please forward photos of you enjoying your DEI Personal Day to theofficeofdei@houstonmethodist.org.
Let Us Know About Heritage Observances
Is there a heritage month or day you would like for others to learn more about? Let us know. Contact theofficeofdei@houstonmethodist.org.
Career Opportunities
The Houston Methodist Academic Institute has new job openings. Visit here to find one that interests you, (remove comma) or forward to someone who might be interested.
We welcome these new employees who joined the Academic Institute in December 2022.
- Yaqoob Ali, Neurology – Ashizawa, Research Assistant I
- Jordan Ankerson, Orthopedics Clinical, Research Engineer I
- Sandy Bakheet, Neurology – Ashizawa, Research Assistant I
- Jaskirat Batra, Nanomedicine – Grattoni, Postdoctoral Fellow 1
- Tomasso Bo, Nanomedicine - Grattoni, Graduate Research Fellow
- Shelby Chancy, Education-CNREP, Trainee Affairs Coordinator
- Rebecca Corrigan, IACUC and Safety, Senior Pre-Clinical Regulatory Analyst
- Tatiana Di Napoli, Infectious Disease – Arias, Pre-Award Specialist
- Wenjuan Dong, SMAP-Lab, Research Associate I
- Mustafa Elhefnawi, Cancer - Anthony Tang, Research Technician I
- Latrisse Griffiths, MITIE Administration, Program Manager
- Ogun Ali Gul, Nanomedicine – Ozpolat, Research Assistant II
- Qi Guo, Cancer – Yi, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Dominik Haudenschild, Orthopedics – Research, Scientist
- Hymn Kanwar, HR-General, HR Analyst
- Najm Khan, ENT- Takashima, Research Coordinator I
- Karina Ortega Martinez, Cancer – Shu-hsia Chen, Research Assistant I
- Zachary Melchiode, Urology – Satkunasivam, Research Coordinator I
- Jesus Monroy-Torres, Neurology – Admin, Financial Analyst
- Michelle Nguyen, Medicine-Pulmonary COPD, Clinical Research Nurse
- Nikko Nibres, Research and Educational Clinical Information, IT Sr Project Manager
- Margarita Nino, Infect Disease – Kumaraswami, Research Assistant I
- Kaitlee Ornelas, Neurology – Masdeu, Clinical Research Specialist
- Khush Patel, Surgery – Scientific Core, Data Scientist
- Poojasree Pasupuleti, Medicine – Underwood Center, Data Analyst
- Rachel Phifer, Contracts Administration,Research Contract Analyst
- Raven Rea, Education-CNREP, Program Manager
- Krista Runge, Translational Prod & Quality, Manager, Research Operations
- Philip Thornton, Infectious Disease- Arias, Research Assistant III
- Deepak Kumar Yadav, RNA Therapeutics – McRae, Research Associate III
- Jasper Yik, Orthopedics – Research, research Scientist
- Ya Ping Yu, Neurology - Hyung-Lok Chung, Research Technician I
Policy Reminders
BP in Practice is an educational reminder designed to raise awareness regarding Business Practices hot topics, relevant laws and policies & procedures. Find archives of BP in Practice here. If you have questions, contact the BP EthicsLine at 800.500.0333 or visit tmhs.myethicsline.com.
Redesign of Health Care Systems to Reduce Diagnostic Errors: Leveraging Human Experience and Artificial Intelligence
Abid, M. H., Ahmed, A., Ud Din, S. M. S., Abid, M. M., & Ratnani, I. (2023). Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management, 30(3), 67-70. https://doi.org/10.12788/jcom.0130
The Accuracy of Infection Diagnoses Among Patients Meeting Sepsis-3 Criteria in the Emergency Department
Adelman, M. W., Septimus, E. J., & Arias, C. A. (2023). Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciad240
Coronary Microvascular Heath in Symptomatic Patients with Prior COVID-19 Infection: An Updated Analysis
Ahmed, A. I., Al Rifai, M., Alahdab, F., Saad, J. M., Han, Y., Alfawara, M. S., Nayfeh, M., Malahfji, M., Nabi, F., Mahmarian, J. J., Cooke, J. P., Zoghbi, W. A., & Al-Mallah, M. H. (2023). European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging. https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjci/jead118
Commentary on Low Cortisol in a Cushingoid Patient
Bertholf, R. L. (2023). Clinical Chemistry, 69(6), 561-562. https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/hvad041
Factors Affecting Survival After Liver Retransplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Brombosz, E. W., Moore, L. W., Mobley, C. M., Kodali, S., Saharia, A., Hobeika, M. J., Connor, A. A., Victor, III, D. W., Cheah, Y. L., Simon, C. J., Gaber, A. O., & Ghobrial, R. M. (2023). Frontiers in Transplantation, 2, 1181770. https://doi.org/10.3389/frtra.2023.1181770
If you have a featured publication, such as a journal cover, let us know so we can include it in our next issue.
Bridge to Translational Research Initiative (B2TRI) Request for Applications
The Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) is pleased to reissue the Bridge to Translational Research Initiative (B2TRI) Request for Applications, which provides funding for promising and clinically relevant research (molecular, cellular, or early pre-clinical research) to advance for TRI funding consideration. The TRI is a Houston Methodist (HM) program designed to identify and fund the further development of drugs, diagnostics, devices, tools or technology that will comprise HM intellectual property. However, some promising ideas are not yet eligible for TRI funding, and the B2TRI program aims to support investigators in preparing these ideas for future competitive TRI applications.
Key Dates
Applications Due: Rolling
Applications must be submitted via the Houston Methodist Intramural Awards portal and will be accepted on a rolling basis. Email submissions will not be accepted.
Link to B2TRI opportunity details page is here.
Houston Methodist Academic Institute RNA Therapeutics for Cancer Initiative Request for Applications
This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits research projects which focus on personalized RNA cancer vaccines. Applications may include a variety of projects, including 1.) Acquisition of cancer tissue from well-characterized patients for its characterization by RNAseq for discovery of neoantigens; 2.) development and testing of algorithms to define the most immunogenic neoantigens from RNAseq data to design RNA vaccines; 3.) pre-clinical testing of the RNA vaccine in cell culture for assessment of expression and cellular localization, and in animal models for assessment of immune response; 4.) development and testing of immunoassays to assess the immunogenicity of a cancer vaccine. The purpose of this RFA is to prepare the investigators for grant submissions, such as ARPA-H, that will contribute to the development of a personalized RNA Cancer vaccine at HMH.
Key Dates
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Noon
Committee Review: August
Award Announcement: August
Funding Award Period: Sept. 1– Aug. 31, 2024
For additional details and eligibility information, please review the attached RFA. Applications must be received by noon on Aug. 9, via the Houston Methodist Intramural Awards Portal (https://intramural-awards.houstonmethodist.org/).
2023 Men of Distinction Annual Award Request for Applications
Key Dates
Internal Application Submission Deadline: August 10, 2023; noon
HMH Foundation Review: August – September 2023
Application Due to Men of Distinction: October 12, 2023
The Men of Distinction funding opportunity provides support for clinician/research scientist partnerships leading pediatric research, education, and/or patient care programs in the Texas Medical Center or Houston area.
Eligibility
- Any Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI).
- Proposals must include a HM-employed Physician and a HM-employed Research Scientist.
- HM-employed, non-independent researchers (e.g., research scientists, research associates, and instructors) are eligible to apply as a co-Investigator (co-I).
- Proposed programs must focus on research, treatment, education, or patient care for children in the Texas Medical Center and the city of Houston.
Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center Investigator-Initiated CAR-T Cell Treatment Clinical Trial Request for Applications
Key Dates
RFA Release Date: June 6
Submission Deadline: Thursday, Aug. 31 at 5 p.m.
Funding Start Date: Oct. 1
Funding Opportunity Overview
The goal of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to provide funds for the development of innovative Investigator-Initiated Interventional Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy Treatment Trials (IIT), leading to the advancement of the future clinical therapies that may be utilized by patients with a diagnosis of a malignant neoplasm.
IITs are in-house clinical research studies authored or co-authored by Cancer Center investigators that undergo scientific peer review by the center’s Protocol Review and Monitoring System (PRMS). The investigator has the primary responsibility for conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and reporting results of the clinical research study. Proposals are due by Aug. 31.
Applications must be received via electronic submission to CancerCenterBasicScience@houstonmethodist.org by 5 p.m. on the submission deadline
Contact Information: Questions related to the RFA may be sent to CancerCenterBasicScience@houstonmethodist.org
CPRIT Academic Research Program Releases Cycle 24.1 Recruitment RFAs
CPRIT announces the release of three Recruitment RFAs for the Academic Research program. Complete RFAs and instructions detailing applicable deadlines and requirements are available in the Apply for Funding section of CPRIT’s website.
- Recruitment of Established Investigators
- Recruitment of Rising Stars
- Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track-Faculty Members
Houston Methodist Academic Institute Nanomedicine in Infectious Diseases Collaborative Pilot Projects Request for Applications
The Department of Nanomedicine and the Center for Infectious Diseases at Houston Methodist are pleased to announce a seed funding program to foster intra-institutional innovative collaborations that will lead to federal funding. The main goal of the program is to provide funding and resources for high-impact collaborative pilot studies that will generate preliminary data for federal funding applications. This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits highly meritorious collaborative, multidisciplinary, translational research in Nanomedicine for Infectious Diseases.
Key Dates
Submission Deadline: Oct. 26 at 5 p.m.
Scientific Review: November
Award Announcement: December
Estimated Start Date: Jan. 1
Applications must be submitted through the Houston Methodist Intramural Awards Portal. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Oct. 26. For support with using the portal, Academic Affairs has created a webinar that can be viewed on Watch HM.
For questions related to the RFA and Houston Methodist Intramural Awards portal, contact:
HMAI Academic Affairs
Houston Methodist Academic Institute
6670 Bertner Avenue, R12
Houston, TX 77030
academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org | 346-238-8244
Administrative Program Contacts:
Christy Le chle@houstonmethodist.org
Dilzi Mody dfmody@houstonmethodist.org
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