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Houston Methodist Academic Institute
NEWSLETTER
August 2022
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Houston Methodist moves into highest-ever position on U.S. News & World Report list
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U.S. News & World Report has once again named Houston Methodist Hospital to its Honor Roll – ranking No. 15 in the United States. This is Houston Methodist’s highest position ever, up one spot from last year, and also the fourth straight year in the top 20 and sixth time on the list. Houston Methodist has been named the best hospital in Texas for the 11th year in a row. Among community hospitals, Houston Methodist Sugar Land is tied for No. 5 in Houston and tied for No. 9 in Texas. Click here for an infographic highlighting more information about this ranking. Houston Methodist hospitals have been recognized for the exceptional safety, quality and service provided to patients by several external organizations. In addition to U.S. News, Vizient, Leapfrog, Healthgrades and others have all honored Houston Methodist hospitals as some of the best in the country. Click here to read more.
Digital Methodology
Can regulating cellular aging mitigate both cancer and heart disease? New findings show cellular senescence is linked with cancer and cardiovascular disease, and it may offer new treatment options. Read more on digital Methodology.
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Announcements
ENMED Innovation Symposium and Showcase The School of Engineering Medicine (ENMED) invites you to the Annual ENMED Symposium and Student Showcase on Wednesday, Aug. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the ENMED Tower Auditorium, 1020 Holcombe in Houston. This event honors and acknowledges the innovative research initiatives of the ENMED students, including the Capstone Innovator Awarded Recipients. It is a one-day conference featuring projects and concepts developed by the ENMED students, awards and presentations. Click here for the event website and registration.
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10th Annual Houston Methodist Cancer Symposium This annual symposium, dedicated to the science and clinical care of solid and hematologic malignancies, brings together Houston Methodist scientists and physicians from a broad spectrum of fields, including basic, clinical and epidemiological research. A wide range of topics will be covered, from innovative translational science to clinical updates with strategies for implementation in current clinical practice. The program will provide education focused on improving patient care, research collaboration and leading medicine. The symposium will be from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Aug. 12 in the Bookout Auditorium. Click here for more information.
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7th Annual Underwood Symposium: Exploring Frontiers in the Management of Digestive and Liver Disorders Several new surgical, endoscopic and pharmacological approaches to the management of digestive disorders have become available, yet their exact role in the management of these disorders is unclear. Providers need to recognize the range of therapeutic and diagnostic options that are now available for the management of digestive disorders and their clinical applications. This course will address the challenge of defining the role of new technologies, disease entities and therapies in everyday clinical practice by presenting the latest evidence-based information on diagnostics and therapeutics in digestive disorders. Click here for more information.
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George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine “The New Frontier of RNA Nanotherapeutics” meeting, presented by the George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine, will feature a discussion on the events that led to the RNA vaccine breakthrough and preview emerging RNA nanotherapeutics. Advances in the design of RNA constructs to improve stability and translational efficiency will be presented along with the leading-edge developments in nanomedicine to improve delivery and tissue specificity. The hybrid conference will be Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Click here to register.
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.
Hang Ten: Employee Support Group
Hang Ten provides a safe and confidential environment for mutual support. A chaplain will facilitate the group and introduce life tools such as mindfulness, intentionality and reframing. Each session will stand alone, so feel free to log on any week for as long as your time permits. The group meets every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. Click here to join the recurring meeting.
Accolades
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Phillip Horner, PhD, and his team have received an NIH training grant for a first-of-its-kind program to bridge the gap between neuroscience and organ systems. The T32 grant, first in Houston Methodist’s history, was awarded to the Department of Neurosurgery in May and will usher in a new wave of research exploring the little-studied connection between the brain and the vascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and immune systems. Read more here.
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Stanley Appel, MD, received the Muscular Dystrophy Association Tribute Award to acknowledge his extraordinary work in pioneering ALS research and care and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of what is now the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute's MDA ALS Research and Clinical Center. Read more here.
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Angelique Regnier-Golanov, PhD, and Gavin Britz, MD, received an NIH grant for their study of electrostimulation on cerebrospinal fluid flow to provide new therapeutic venues for the treatment of hydrocephalus and other neurological diseases.
Omkar Ijare, PhD, received the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Award for Excellence in Peer-Reviewed Publication for his research on metabolism in meningioma. Read more here.
Siddhartha Ganguly, MD, the Carol Cockrell Curran Distinguished Centennial Chair in Hematologic Oncology, has been appointed as the new Associate Director for Clinical Investigation at the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center. In this role, Ganguly will catalyze cancer-focused clinical research across the Methodist system and implement new initiatives to expand the Center’s depth and scope of clinically relevant translational research.
The Rising Stars Summer Enrichment Program, developed by the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist, recently wrapped up a six-week course. Ten scholars from different high schools across Houston experienced health care through the lenses of surgeons, scientists, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health professionals. LaShara Davis, PhD, and Amy Waterman, PhD, connected with the young rising stars to discuss research and other career development opportunities. The program is part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council of Houston Methodist Hospital, led by Vice Chair Constance Mobley, MD, PhD, FACS, and supported by Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, FAST, Department of Surgery.
NIH News
New iEdison System to Launch August 9; Prepare for Downtime and Transition NIST will launch a new iEdison system on Tuesday, August 9, as the management of the system changes hands from NIH eRA to NIST. In preparation for the transition and transfer of data, the current iEdison system will be unavailable for a week from August 2 through August 8.
Watch
Videos on Watch
Treating and Preventing Chronic Metabolic Disease: An Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine and Establishing its Place in Traditional Health Care Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the US. Lifestyle medicine is a medical approach that uses evidence-based behavioral interventions to prevent, treat and manage chronic disease. Click here to watch.
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11th Annual Nantz National Alzheimer Center Symposium Plasma Biomarkers and New Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders The Nantz National Alzheimer Center symposium will examine the striking advances made in the identification of plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Plasma biomarkers will allow for the identification of people at risk and, likely, for measuring the speed of disease progression. Thus, they will be critical in clinical trials and for the application of new therapies. Click here to watch.
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Inaugural Colorectal Cancer Updates for Primary Care Colorectal cancer is the third-most-common cancer in the United States and the third-leading cause of cancer deaths. Of note, colorectal cancer rates are rising rapidly among young adults. Primary care providers play an important role in colorectal cancer prevention and are often called upon to provide care to colorectal cancer patients during and after their treatment. Click here to watch.
In the Media
Cesar Arias, MD, PhD, was interviewed by NBC News for a national story about drug-resistant bacteria and fungi infections spiking in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave, erasing progress the U.S. made against superbugs in the years leading up to the pandemic.
S. Wesley Long, MD, PhD, was interviewed by Bloomberg for a story on the BA.5 omicron variant causing widespread cases, though lower hospitalizations. The article can be accessed at this link. Long has been interviewed by several media outlets regarding COVID-19 variants. Below are some highlights:
  • KHOU-TV with reporter Brittany Ford: Houston health officials say BA.5 subvariant driving another wave of COVID
  • Houston Chronicle Re/New by health reporter Evan MacDonald: COVID variant leading to a rise in Houston cases
  • Houston Chronicle by medical reporter Julian Gill: COVID hospitalizations double in Houston, TMC data shows, as new variant spreads
  • KPRC-TV with reporter Bill Spencer: COVID-19 subvariant BA.5 is now the most dominant strain in Houston; It’s also the most contagious
Malgorzata Kloc, PhD, was interviewed last week by The Scientist magazine as a third-party source commenting about a study on how SARS-CoV-2 could use nanotubes extending from infected host cells to infect the brain. She was specifically requested by the reporter for this interview because of her research into how the coronavirus restructures the cytoskeletal membrane. You can read the article at this link.
DEI Spotlight
Celebrating Hindu Holidays
August features a pair of significant Hindu holidays: Raksha Bandhan (Aug. 11) and Krishna Janmashtami (Aug. 19). Raksha Bandhan, which translates to “bond of protection,” celebrates the bond and love between a brother and sister. Traditionally on this day, a sister ties a threaded amulet (or rakhi) around a brother’s wrist as a symbol of the brother’s oath to protect his sister throughout her life. The sister gives the brother a gift that signifies his acceptance of this duty. The festival of Krishna Janmashtami, also called Gokulashtami, commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna. Celebrated by millions of people around the world, it is a holiday that brings spiritual renewal and the celebration of new beginnings and a fresh new year. Check out the Hindu American Foundation website for information on these holidays and much more about the Hindu experience.
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Link to DEI Toolkit Added to LMS
Accessing the wealth of information and resources provided by the DEI Toolkit is now easier than ever. A link to the Toolkit is now offered on the LMS landing page. The toolkit provides resources to help you and your team continue the conversation around DEI topics. Resources are classified by topic and provide you with summaries, discussion questions and more to help you navigate activities.
Join an Employee Resource Group Today!
To join an existing employee resource group (ERG) or create a new one, text “ERG” to 45991, or contact Nazia Imrose at nimrose2@houstonmethodist.org. Employees across Houston Methodist can join any of the eight ERGs if they are a member of the group or would simply like to learn more and support the group. Visit Houstonmethodist.org/dei for details.
Job Postings
We have several job openings in the Academic Institute. Click here to find one that interests you, or if you know of someone who might be interested.
New Employees
We welcome these new employees who joined the Academic Institute in December 2021.
  • Christian Abraham, Radiology Rsrch - Diego Martin, Research Technician I
  • Victoria Cassell, Surgery – Waterman, Clinical Research Data Coord
  • Sunny Chen, Neurology – Masdeu, Research Assistant I
  • Christina Marie Clements, HM Research Institute, Dir Finance
  • Raimondo D’Ambrosio, Neurosurg-Neuroprosthetics, Sr Program Manager
  • Yong Du, Transplant - Zhiqiang Zhang, ACM Research Associate I
  • Jenny Dinh, Neurosurg – Sayenko, Clinical Rsch Spclst
  • Elizabeth Eversole, Nanomedicine – Filgueira, Research Assistant I
  • Seth Fritzhand, RNACore, Research Technician I
  • Kayla Garcia, Comparative Med General, Veterinary Technician
  • Kenneth Gathogo, Education – CNREP, Student Professional Nurse
  • Sayyed Gilani, Education – CME, Sr Continuing Med Edu Coord
  • Taha Hatab, Structural Heart Dis_Interv, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
  • Alexis Hayes, Education – CNREP, RI Nurse Scientist
  • Bo Hu, Neurology - Jun Li, RI Research Scientist
  • Marissa Schettino Intriago, Infectious Disease – Arias, Research Coordinator I
  • Farhan Ishaq, Heart Failure_Transplant, Clinical Rsch Spclst
  • Sharon John, Neurology – Masdeu, Clinical Rsch Spclst
  • Ashley Joubert, Nanomedicine – Grattoni, Research Technician III
  • Jennifer Leal, HM Research Institute, Sr Finc Analyst
  • Rebekah Lemeshev, Education – CNREP, Student Professional Nurse
  • Teresa R. Martin, HM Research Institute, Sr Finc Analyst
  • Harika Nagandla, Cancer - Christoforos Thomas, ACM Research Associate I
  • Sebastian Pernal, Neurology - Jun Li, Research Assistant I
  • Kathryn Power, Cancer Clinical Trials Clinical Rsch Spclst
  • Marjorie Prince, COR – Vahidy, Academic Coordinator
  • Ana Cristina Rueda, Cancer Clinical Trials, Research Coordinator I
  • Isabella Schena, Neurology - Jun Li, Research Assistant I
  • Vrutant Shah, RNA Therapeutics – Brannan, ACM Research Associate II
  • Izza Shahid, Preventive Cardiology, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
  • Vrushaly Shinglot, Mathematics in Med – Cristini, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
  • Emad Singer, Vascular, Research Coordinator I
  • Sridhar Suchitra, RNA Therapeutics – Kiss, ACM Research Associate I
  • Edwin Vega Vargas, Neurology – Roman, Research Coordinator I
  • Savanah Weaver, Medicine – Pulmonary, Clinical Research Nurse
  • Dulanthi Weerasekera, Infect Disease – Kumaraswami, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
  • Anthony Wood, Nanomedicine – Liu, Research Assistant I
  • Shu Zhang, Radiology Rsrch - Diego Martin, RI Sr MRI Clinical Physicist
  • Le-Le Zhu, Cancer - Yi, ACM Research Associate 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.
Publications
Prognostic Interplay Between Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: The CAC-FIT Study
Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed, Jean Michel Saad, Yushui Han, Moath Said Alfawara, Ahmed Soliman, Faisal Nabi, William A. Zoghbi, Mouaz H. Al-Mallah. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 2022. 10.1016/j.mayocp.2022.03.032
A Time-Series Feature-Based Recursive Classification Model to Optimize Treatment Strategies for Improving Outcomes and Resource Allocations of COVID-19 Patients
Lin Wang, Zheng Yin, Mamta Puppala, Chika Ezeana, Kelvin Wong, Tiancheng He, Deepa Gotur, Stephen Wong. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, July 2022. 10.1109/jbhi.2021.3139773
Inhibitory mechanism of Ambroxol and Bromhexine Hydrochlorides as potent blockers of molecular interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human angiotensin-converting Enzyme-2
Idowu A. Kehinde, Anu Egbejimi, Manvir Kaur, Collins Onyenaka, Tolulope Adebusuyi, Omonike A. Olaleye. Journal of Molecular Graphics & Modelling, July 2022. 10.1016/j.jmgm.2022.108201
Social Asymmetry, Artificial Intelligence and the Medical Imaging Landscape
Geoffrey Currie, Eric Rohren. Seminars in Nuclear Medicine, July 2022. 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2021.11.011
If you have a featured publication, for example on a journal cover, please let us know so we can include it in our next issue.
Funding Opportunities
Houston Methodist Academic Institute RNA Therapeutics for Cancer Initiative Request for Applications
The Houston Methodist Center for RNA Therapeutics offers rigorous and transformative research strategies and cutting-edge technologies for foundational biological mechanisms in RNA biology and translates this knowledge into novel RNA-based products. This Request for Applications (RFA) solicits research projects that focus on innovative cancer-related projects aimed at developing mRNA-based therapeutics or utilizing mRNA as a tool to study cancer biology. Applications may include a variety of projects, including but not limited to proof-of-concept and high-risk investigational studies.
Key Dates
Internal Application Submission Deadline:
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, at noon*
Committee Review:
August - September 2022
Award Announcement:
September 2022
Estimated Funding Start Date:
Oct. 1, 2022
For additional details and eligibility information, please review the attached RFA. Applications must be received by noon on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, via the Houston Methodist Intramural Awards Portal (https://intramural-awards.houstonmethodist.org/).
Houston Methodist Academic Institute Translational Research Initiative Request for Applications
The Houston Methodist Academic Institute is pleased to announce a new cycle of the Translational Research Initiative (TRI) program, which supports the development of projects that are ready to advance significantly beyond basic laboratory research. The TRI mechanism considers innovations that are ready to enter a product development stage including but not limited to analytical and clinical evaluation, GMP production, GLP studies and/or Phase I or IIa clinical trials.
Key Dates
Applications Due:
Aug. 19, 2022, at noon*
Applications Reviewed:
August 2022 - November 2022
Awards Announced:
November/December 2022
Estimated Funding Start Date:
Jan. 1, 2023
Full details regarding submission requirements can be found in the attached RFA. Applications must be received by noon Aug. 19, 2022, via the Houston Methodist Intramural Awards Portal (https://intramural-awards.houstonmethodist.org/). Direct link to funding opportunity: https://intramural-awards.houstonmethodist.org/#competitionDetail/1847028
Houston Methodist Academic Institute Golfers Against Cancer Request for Applications
Key Dates
Applications Due:
Oct. 14 at noon
Applications Reviewed:
October/November
Limited Submission Selection:
November
Golfers Against Cancer (GAC) announces the reissuance of their Request for Applications (RFA) to support cancer research in all areas of cancer and for proposals meeting the following criteria:
  • Research aimed at finding a cure for cancer
  • Proposed research is innovative with a high potential for a medical breakthrough
  • Results are not limited to only one type of cancer and have the potential to impact a broad population of cancer patients
 Submission Guidelines For more details and to submit an application, please visit the Intramural Awards. Applications are due by noon on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. *All times CST