Houston Methodist Academic Institute
NEWSLETTER
July 2022
result
result
Appel highlighted in Houston Chronicle feature
The Houston Chronicle interviewed Stanley Appel, MD, for an article regarding his years of research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The disease was brought to the forefront of the American public in 1939 when New York Yankee legend Lou Gehrig was diagnosed. Two years ago, Major League Baseball established Lou Gehrig Day to raise awareness.
The increased focus on ALS and the advancements in his own research have made Appel optimistic that researchers will find an effective treatment to improve the lives of patients.
Stanley Appel, MD, stands in a hallway in the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology in the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute.
Photo by Justin Rex
Appel has worked with 6,000 patients with ALS over his career, and in fact, Houston Methodist named the department his honor: the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology.
Appel took part in the Houston Astros’ celebration of Lou Gehrig Day during the June 6 game against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park. He was interviewed on the Houston Astros Radio Network and was featured along with one of his patients.
Read more about Appel and the strides he and his team have made in treating this debilitating disease.
Digital Methodology
Novel Vascular Engineering Platforms Are a Boon for Bioengineering
A research team lead by Joan Nichols, PhD, developed novel in vitro biomimetic vascular models with appropriate culture- or microfluidic-supported vascular platforms and used them to investigate delivery of VEGF via microparticle or hydrogel and the effects of VEGF on vascular cell attachment and subsequent tissue formation. Read more in digital Methodology.
Announcements
$6.2M Agreement Reached with Coya for Treg research
Houston Methodist signed a 4-year SRA agreement with Coya Therapeutics for Treg research worth approximately $6.2 million. Stanley Appel, MD, the Peggy & Gary Edwards Distinguished Chair in ALS Research and director of the Ann Kimball & John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics, and his team will conduct research on the impact of enhancing Tregs on ALS progression with these funds. The Treg technology platform is being standardized at the Johnson Center and has been licensed by Coya to scale up manufacturing.
2022 Neurology and Neurosurgery Resident Bootcamp
This course is designed for second to fifth-year residents who have matched into integrated neurosurgical and neurology residencies. During this 3-day intensive bootcamp, the attendees will learn the basics of treating patients with various neurological and neurosurgical conditions. For more information, click here.
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.
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.
Register at: https://learn.houstonmethodist.org/content/kostas-2022
Nominate your PI Mentor
A mentor serves as both a teacher and a role model, inspiring their mentees to set ambitious goals then helping to achieve them. In appreciation of the contributions of truly outstanding mentors at Houston Methodist Research Institute, the Methodist Association for Postdoctoral and Trainee Affairs will honor one PI with the inaugural, Mentor of the Year Award.
Criteria:
- Nominations are limited to current PIs in the Houston Methodist Research Institute.
- The nominator should detail examples of the mentor providing support, encouragement, goal setting, career advice, etc in their nomination submission.
- Limit one (1) nomination per Houston Methodist user. Network login required.
- All nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m. on July 15.
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.
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.
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.
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
Benjamin Saldana, DO, was interviewed by KPRC-TV’s Haley Hernandez about the Saharan dust cloud that arrived in Texas and the potential health effects this can have. He addressed the potential for these dust particles to enter the lungs and act as irritants as well as potential surges in illnesses such as coronavirus and influenza. These effects are particularly detrimental to vulnerable populations such as those under five, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses. You can see the story here at this link.
John P. Cooke, MD, PhD, was interviewed for an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about the University of Pennsylvania’s mRNA intellectual property. Cooke provided insight on the potential of the mRNA platform and how the current platform used in the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines differs from others that exist but haven’t yet been used in a commercialized product.
S. Wesley Long, MD, PhD, was interviewed by ABC News for a story on the low levels of testing possibly hiding a COVID wave in Texas. The story can be read at this link.
Long also was interviewed by CNN for a story about studies showing the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants appearing to escape antibodies among individuals who’ve had previous COVID-19 and omicron infections, as well as those who have been fully vaccinated and boosted. The story can be read at this link.
The Associated Press also reached out to Long for an interview on individuals now being susceptible to multiple COVID-19 infections.
Cesar A. Arias, MD, PhD, provided expert comment for an article on monkeypox and current vaccine developments. The resulting article is on the Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News site, and he is identified as co-director of the Center for Infectious Disease at Houston Methodist.
DEI Spotlight
Recognizing Microaggressions Training Available
Recognizing the Impact of Microaggressions-Staff and Physicians training sessions are now available in LMS. This 1-hour, 15-minute training will prepare you to have conversations with your team and facilitate learning around the impact of microaggressions in an engaging, non-judgmental environment. This session will provide tools to create inclusive language and enhance positive interactions and will ignite powerful discussions, stimulate awareness and promote positive change related to microaggressions, which can lead to strained relationships and breakdowns in trust.
To register, search “DEI” in LMS or contact DEITraining@houstonmethodist.org. Group sessions for your team are also available.
Waterman and Davis Participating in NHLBI Mentoring Program to Promote Inclusivity in Biomedical Research
Working toward a more equitable representation in biomedical research at Houston Methodist, Amy Waterman, PhD, director of Patient Engagement, Diversity and Education, is a participating mentor in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research. She is currently working with mentee LaShara Davis, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery, in the NHLBI-funded Obesity Health Disparities program which focuses on obesity prevention, treatment and community-based interventions.
Symposium Addresses LGBTQ+ Health Care
The LGBTQ+Allies employee resource group and the Office of CME hosted a LGBTQ+ Health Symposium on June 30 in the Research Institute’s Bookout Auditorium. The symposium focused on the unique patient care needs of the LGBTQ+ population, effective communication and how to provide exceptional care. If you were unable to make it in person or view the livestream, a recording of the symposium is available here.
To join an existing employee resource group 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 like to learn more and support the group.
The Celebration of Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha (also Eid ul-Adha) — celebrated this year on July 9-10 — is one of the two key Eids (celebration festivals) in Islamic culture.
The day of Eid-al-Adha falls on the 10th day in the final (12th) month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar (Dhu-al-Hijjah) and follows the completion of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj.
“The celebration of Eid-ul-Adha commemorates Prophet Abraham’s devotion to God and his readiness to sacrifice his son, Ismail. At the very point of sacrifice, God replaced Ismail with a ram, which was to be slaughtered in place of his son. This command was a test of Prophet Abraham’s willingness and commitment to obey his Lord’s command, without question. Therefore, Eid-ul-Adha means the festival of sacrifice,” said Houston Methodist Chaplain Narjess Kardan.
Eid-al-Adha celebrations can last between two and four days. The act of Qurbani (sacrifice) consists of slaughtering an animal and is performed following the Eid Salaah (Eid Prayers), which are performed by the congregation at the nearest Mosque. The meat can then be divided into three equal portions to share with family, friends and donated to those in need. The day is traditionally spent celebrating with family, friends and loved ones and with gift giving.
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.
- Akanksha Agrawal, CV Regeneration – Altamirano, Postdoctoral Fellow 2
- Fnu Alimiran, TP&Q - cGMP Core, ACM cGMP Specialist I
- Precious Anoskie, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Lissenya Argueta, Surgery - Tissue Engineering, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Kevin Asirifi, Education – CNREP, Research Coordinator I
- Jackeline Aviles, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Sasha Azar, Surgery - Tissue Engineering, RI Scientist
- Kelsey Banaglorioso, Cancer Clinical Trials, Research Coordinator I
- Rashmi Basavaraj, Neurosurg – Weng, Research Technician II
- Kevin Bondar, Orthopedics Clinical, Clinical Rsch Spclst
- Henry E. Bradford, MITIE Content, Mgr Video and Photography Srvs
- Heidy Retana Campoverde, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Jeimy Chavez, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Michael Chan, SMAB – Lab, Research Assistant I
- Ranidhanagomathi Chandrasekaran, Neurosurg – Britz, Research Assistant I
- Jordan Clark, Cancer - Shu-hsia Chen, Research Assistant I
- Tamia Dabney, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Pinar Atalay Dundar, Nanomedicine – Ozpolat, Postdoctoral Fellow 1
- Melissa Galvan, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Joana Garcia, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Leslie Garcia, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Cristal Gonzalez, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Derek Hernandez, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Elaine Huang, Infect Disease – Kumaraswami, Research Assistant I
- Elizabeth Jardinella, Flow Cytometry Core, Research Asst II
- Ryan Johnson, Neurosurg-Baskin, Clinical Rsch Spclst
- Kelli Joiner, Cancer Clinical Trials, Financial Analyst
- Amanda Jolly, Grants Administration, Grant Specialist
- Eduardo Juarez, Faculty & Institutional Dev, Program Manager
- Shaunak Kar, Infectious Disease – Gollihar, Postdoctoral Fellow 1
- James Kasper, Faculty & Institutional Dev, Scientific Writer
- Nora Kovacs, Vascular, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Shelby Kvinta, Infectious Disease – Musser, Research Assistant I
- Dora LeBlanc, RNA Therapeutics – Admin, Administrative Assistant
- Ashanti Martinez Nunez, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Gustavo Mastella, Cancer - Andrew Hu, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Boniface Mensah, COR – Menser, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Roxanne Miller, Orthopedics Clinical, Clinical Rsch Spclst
- Stella Nweke, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Rumeysa Ozyurt, Nanomedicine – Ozpolat, Postdoctoral Fellow 1
- Decha Pinkaew, COR – Menser, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Shaohua Qi, SMAB – Lab, ACM Research Associate I
- Wissam Rahi, Imaging, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Patricia Matute Rangel, Cancer Clinical Trials, Research Coordinator II
- Mujtaba Saeed, Imaging, Postdoctoral Fellow 0
- Eric Selvera, Cyclotron, ACM cGMP Specialist II
- Syed Shams, Infect Disease – Kumaraswami, Research Assistant I
- AshLee Soto, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
- Nicole Stephens, Academic Affairs, Program Manager
- Mohammad Tariq, Infect Disease – Kumaraswami, Research Assistant I
- Michelle Ramirez-Sullins, CV Regeneration – Cooke, Sr Academic Coordinator
- Sanjana Tabassum, Vascular, Clinical Rsch Spclst
- Ziyu Wang, Cancer – Yong Lu, Research Assistant I
- Tiara Watson, RNA Therapeutics – Kiss, Research Assistant I
- Marilyn Wity, Education – CNREP, Patient Care Asst Student
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
A 57-year-old woman with falls, slurred speech, and abnormal MRI signal in the pons, middle cerebellar peduncles, and cerebellum
Holloman, A., Panchal, S., Mistry, E., Monroig-Bosque, P., Christensen, P., Lai, E. & Cykowski, M., Jul 2022, In: Brain Pathology. 32, 4, e13072. 10.1111/bpa.13072
3D Specimen Mapping Expedites Frozen Section Diagnosis of Nonpalpable Ground Glass Opacities
Kennedy, G. T., Azari, F. S., Bernstein, E., Desphande, C., Din, A., Marfatia, I., Kucharczuk, J. C., Delikatny, E. J., Low, P. S. & Singhal, S., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.09.069
Added Prognostic Value of Plaque Burden to Computed Tomography Angiography and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Patients with Diabetes
Alnabelsi, T., Ahmed, A. I., Han, Y., Al Rifai, M., Nabi, F., Cainzos-Achirica, M. & Al-Mallah, M. H., Jun 2022, In: American Journal of Medicine. 135, 6, p. 761-768.e7 10.1016/j.amjmed.2021.12.010
Advanced strategies to thwart foreign body response to implantable devices
Capuani, S., Malgir, G., Chua, C. Y. X. & Grattoni, A., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Bioengineering and Translational Medicine. 10.1002/btm2.10300
Alterations in brain activation patterns in women with functional defecatory disorder: A novel fMRI rectal balloon expulsion study
Neshatian, L., Karmonik, C., Khavari, R., Shi, Z., Elias, S., Boone, T. B. & Quigley, E. M. M., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Neurogastroenterology and Motility. 10.1111/nmo.14389
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 Neal Cancer Center Innovation Award Request for Applications
Key Dates
RFA Release Date:
May 10, 2022
Submission Deadline:
July 15, 2022
Funding Start Date:
Sept. 1, 2022
Funding Opportunity Overview
The goal of this Request for Applications is to provide pilot-funding for team-based, multi-PI research projects. If approved, funding is expected to support the formation of new cancer-focused activities with the potential to compete for NCI Program Project (P01), SPORE, and/or R01 equivalent funding within the next two years.
A P01 is a broadly based, multidisciplinary, often long-term research program that has a specific major objective or a basic theme. A program project generally involves the organized efforts of relatively large groups, members of which are conducting research projects designed to elucidate the various aspects or components of this objective.
Eligibility Information
Clinical, basic science, and/or translational research proposals will be accepted. Eligible principal investigators (PIs) include any Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center Research Member or Associate Member.
Non-independent investigators (e.g., research associates, instructors, post-doctoral fellows, residents, and graduate students) are not eligible to apply as PI but can be included as co-investigators. More than one application from an investigator may be submitted. If you have received an HMNCC grant award in the last three (3) years you are not eligible to apply as the primary/contact PI but can be included on multi-PI proposals.
Funding Information
Applicants may propose a project funding period of up to 2 years with a maximum budget of $100,000 ($50,000/year). Funding for Year 2 will only be granted after satisfactory submission and review of Year 1 progress report. Awarded projects are not renewable beyond the 2 years. Applicants are required to describe a clear strategy to obtain future extramural funding.
The funds cannot be used for capital equipment or PI salary support. No indirect or subcontract costs are allowed.
Summary of Submission Requirements
The following components must be included in the application, in the indicated order and in a single PDF file:
Executive Summary (in lay terms)
- Research Plan (maximum 2 pages including figures and tables, with 1 additional page of references)
- Clinical Relevance
- Significance
- Innovation
- Approach
- Timeline for NCI funding submissions
- Budget (use template provided)
- Budget Justification (maximum 1 page)
- Biosketch (current NIH format, maximum 5 pages per PI and key personnel)
Houston Methodist and Baylor College of Medicine Collaborative Pilot Grants in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Request for Proposals
To support and grow their Alzheimer Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias research collaborations, Houston Methodist (HM) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) are pleased to announce the reissuance of the HM-BCM Collaborative Pilot Grants in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Request for Proposals (RFP).
Key Dates
Submission Deadline:
July 22, 2022, 5 p.m.
Committee Review:
July-August 2022
Award Announcement:
August 2022
Estimated Funding Start Date:
Sept. 1, 2022
For additional details regarding this funding opportunity, please visit the Intramural Awards Portal. Proposal must be submitted by 5 p.m., Friday, July 22, 2022. Click here for a direct link to funding opportunity.
Houston Methodist ACADEMIC INSTITUTE President’s Awards Request for Nominations
Key Dates
Nominations Due:
July 29, 2022 at Noon
Awards Announced:
Sept. 1, 2022 Town Hall
Nomination Eligibility Information
Eligible nominees include Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment by the time of publication or grant award. Nominees must be in good professional standing with the institution to be nominated. Houston Methodist Department Chairs, Center of Excellence Directors, or Vice-Chairs of Research can nominate any eligible nominee in their department (see attached template). The nominator must be senior to the nominee. No self-nominations are accepted. Additional eligibility requirements, specific to the award, are provided within the award description below, if applicable.
Please note: All Awards are chosen by the HMAI Executive Committee; not all categories are awarded at every Town Hall meeting. Nominations that are not selected cannot be resubmitted.
NIH Competitiveness Award Initiative
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) must have applied for an NIH grant, R01 or equivalent, that was not funded but scored within 10% above the pay line. Award recipients will receive up to $50,000 toward activities that support grant resubmission with the aim to achieve funding success. Unspent funds do not carry over between budget periods. NOTE: Applicants can only receive this award once during their career.
Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis. Applicants must submit 1) letter of nomination from their Department Chair, Center of Excellence Director, or Vice-Chair of Research, 2) grant summary statement, 3) copy of the grant, 4) proposed NIH resubmission strategy and 5) proposed HM budget to support research activities for NIH resubmission. The resubmission strategy should include a timeline, milestones, goals, and a point-by-point response to the reviewers’ comments. Please reach out to Faculty Development (facultydev@houstonmethodist.org) for assistance with developing a resubmission strategy.
Career Cornerstone Award
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) will have received their first career NIH R01 grant as a Principal Investigator (PI). PIs will receive the equivalent of 50% of the budgeted indirect costs as a discretionary fund for use toward eligible academic activities (excluding capital equipment purchases). For grants with more than one PI, the award amount will be based on the awarded NIH budget for the nominated PI. The discretionary fund will be active for the duration of the original NIH project period. Once the underlying NIH grant ends, use of the discretionary fund will also end. Unspent funds do not carry over between budget periods of the underlying grant project period. NOTE: Nominees can only receive this award for their first R01 grant.
Nominations are accepted as a rolling submission until the listed deadline. Applicants must submit 1) a nomination letter from their Department Chair, Center of Excellence Director, or Vice-Chair of Research, 2) NIH grant award notice, 3) the grant budget and 4) a copy of the grant.
Award for Excellence in Peer-Reviewed Publication
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) include Houston Methodist-employed junior faculty who recently published a manuscript in a high-impact journal, such as New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, Nature, Cell, Science, or their specialized sister journals. If the manuscript has not yet been published, proof of acceptance must be provided. Faculty members up to Associate Professor listed as first or corresponding author can receive up to $5,000 in discretionary funds toward eligible academic activities. Carryover of unspent funds is not allowed.
Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis until the listed deadline. Applicants must submit 1) a nomination letter that includes a brief lay summary describing the significance and impact of the work and journal impact factor and 2) a PDF of the manuscript.
Award for Excellence in Transformational Research
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) with recent transformational academic achievements, such as peer-reviewed grant awards with groundbreaking conceptual advances in translational research that strengthen the reputation of Houston Methodist, are eligible for this award. Faculty members listed as PI can receive up to $25,000 in discretionary funds toward eligible academic activities. Carryover of unspent funds is not allowed.
Eligible grants include extramural funding from government or private nonprofit foundations, such as Program Project Grants (e.g., P01, P50, P30, U54, U19) and federally funded Multi-Center Research Grants (e.g., Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program: Clinical Translational Research Award). Other examples include the transformational advancement of Houston Methodist technologies into clinical use, including but not limited to exceptional licensing agreements, sponsored research agreements, and externally sponsored clinical trials that support Houston Methodist technologies for commercialization. NOTE: Applicants cannot receive this award in recognition of funding received from intramural programs.
Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis until the listed deadline. Applicants must submit a nomination letter that includes a brief lay summary describing the significance and impact of the work. For published achievements, nominees should also submit a PDF of the grant and notice of award.
Award for Excellence in Research
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) include Houston Methodist-employed faculty members with recent outstanding academic achievements that show potential to significantly impact clinical translation or scientific innovation. Eligible grants include but are not limited to: funded U01 and R01 awards receiving a high impact score that advance new frontiers in research or bridge a critical gap between basic research and clinical applications. Other examples include licensing agreements and sponsored research agreements that bring technological advances and products into the market and support Houston Methodist technologies for commercialization. Recipients will receive up to $10,000 in discretionary funds for his/her use toward eligible academic activities. Carryover of unspent funds is not allowed.
Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis until the listed deadline. Applicants must submit a nomination letter that includes a brief lay summary describing the significance and impact of the work. For achievements that were published, nominees should also submit a PDF of grant and notice of award.
Award for Excellence in Education
Eligible nominees (see eligibility) include Houston Methodist-employed faculty members who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment and excellence in teaching, supervision, mentoring, innovation in trainee education or related instructional activities. Nominees will be evaluated and selected for their stellar and enduring contributions to high-quality clinical and translational education that advances the practice of medicine at Houston Methodist. The award will be commensurate with the level of excellence and is at the discretion of the HMAI Executive Leadership.
Stellar and enduring educational contributions include, but are not limited to:
- Educational leadership - Sustained commitment to quality instruction that promotes teaching, engagement and delivery of innovative clinical and translational education
- Innovative teaching methods - Creative, diverse, and innovative teaching strategies and instructional methods that foster patient care, quality and safety, interprofessional and team-based practice, quality education and learning
- Creation of educational programs and materials - Development of training programs, curricula or courses that provide trainees an ‘unparalleled’ learning experience and enhance academic and scholarly activities at Houston Methodist
- Mentoring - Commitment to trainees by providing advising and mentoring that supports trainee success
Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation Call for Pre-Applications
Houston Methodist has been invited to nominate one candidate for the Fall 2022 Kleberg Foundation Grant. The Kleberg Foundation supports “highly innovative and groundbreaking medical research proposals in both basic biological and applied research that will have the greatest impact on scientific knowledge and human health. Proposals should be distinctive and novel in their approaches, question the prevailing paradigm, and lead to advancement of knowledge in the field.”
A selection committee will evaluate and recommend the most suitable application to represent Houston Methodist and formally apply for the Fall 2022 Kleberg Foundation Grant.
Key Dates
Applications Due:
July 29, 2022, 12 p.m.
Applications Reviewed:
August 2022
Candidate Selection:
August 2022
For more information and to apply, please submit your application through the Intramural Awards portal by 12 p.m. on Friday, July 29, 2022.
Direct link to funding opportunity: https://intramural-awards.houstonmethodist.org/#competitionDetail/1874660
Houston Methodist Academic Institute 2022 Men of Distinction Annual Award Request for Applications
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.
Key Dates
Internal Application Submission Deadline:
Aug. 5, 2022; 12 noon*
HMH Foundation Review:
August – September 2022
Application Due to Men of Distinction:
Oct. 15, 2022
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.
- Proposed programs must focus on research, treatment, education or patient care for children in the Texas Medical Center and the city of Houston.
- One-page narrative including:
- Title of the program
- Name of the organization
- PI contact information (telephone number and email address)
- Statement of need
- Information on how the program will benefit children in Houston, Texas
- An estimate of how many lives will be impacted through this program (i.e., scope of the project)
- A detailed budget of how the grant money will be used (no overhead is allowed)
- One-page (or less) description of the program, in lay terminology
- A brief bio on the researcher(s) and/or physician(s) leading the program (1/2-page max per PI)
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
*All times CST
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