South-Central US Adult Congenital Heart Disease Round Table seeking participants for phase two of project
The Houston Methodist Adult Congenital Heart Program was recently awarded a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s (PCORI) Eugene Washington Capacity Building Engagement Award. The funds support the building of a regional roundtable of adult congenital heart patients and stakeholders with the capacity to participate as equal partners in patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research.
Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) affects about one percent of live births, and today, about ninety percent of infants with CHD reach adulthood. However, repair of a congenital heart defect is not a cure; many if not all patients with CHD require follow up with an Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) specialist, and many need intervention or surgery.
“Much of ACHD research was conducted in Northern Europe and the UK,” said C. Huie Lin, MD, PhD, FACC, FSCAI, “However, the population of Houston and the surrounding region looks quite a bit different.”
Lin is Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program and Project Lead.
“Because genetics can have important implications on anatomy, pathophysiology, and outcomes, building capacity for comparative effectiveness ACHD research in this region is truly important to improve care for our patients,” said Christopher Ibarra, MD, Project Coordinator. Specifically, African American ACHD patients and patients of Central and South American, Asian and other ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are typically poorly represented in ACHD research, so the Project aims to recruit a patient stakeholder roundtable from these communities and equip them to participate in patient-centered outcomes research and comparative clinical effectiveness research as equal partners.
The patient stakeholders will attend monthly meetings and contribute to video blogs. They will also be part of training planning and their insights will help build a better program.
“We are excited about the opportunities this PCORI Engagement Award and Project will provide ACHD patients and communities in this region,” said Lin. “It’s our hope that through this project and the patient-centered outcomes research enabled by this ACHD patient stakeholder roundtable that we can really move the needle on outcomes in ACHD patients in our region.”
For more information about the program, scan the QR code, or go to achdstakeholders.org
Registration is open for a 12-session series “From Concept to Commercialization: How to Take an Idea to the Market!”
This 12-session series lays the foundation for translating key laboratory discoveries to clinical uses that improve patient lives. Those who are passionate about seeing their ideas come to market and who seek a practical and efficient process for making that happen will benefit from this course. Each class, taught by experts in their specialties, will include both didactic and problem-based learning. Those who attend the series consistently will have a written project proposal ready for a panel review on the final day.
Praying for each other
It has been a little over a year since the launch of the Prayer Connect Team at Houston Methodist. Every week, an email has been sent out to this community with requests to pray over. In that time, nearly 160 Methodist employees have committed to pray for more than 500 requests from our colleagues and community.
We believe that staying connected is vital to our wellbeing, 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 at mdetranaltes@houstonmethodist.org, 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 us at 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. We meet every Tuesday from 12-1 pm. The recurring meeting link is below:
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Accolades
Aldona J. Spiegel, MD, has been named Chief of the newly formed Division of Surgical Innovation in the department of surgery at Houston Methodist. Spiegel is an Associate Professor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine and Texas A&M, and the Director of the Center for Breast Restoration at Houston Methodist Hospital
Andrew M. Farach, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology, Academic Institute, was named President of the Texas Radiological Society at the 108th annual meeting in Galveston in April.
Waqar Haque, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology, was named Chair of the Radiation Oncology Section of the Texas Radiological Society at the 108th annual meeting in Galveston in April.
NIH News
The revised NIH Grants Policy Statement (NIHGPS) has been published, replacing the December 2019 version as standard terms and conditions of award. This revision applies to all NIH grants and cooperative agreements with budget periods beginning on or after October 1, 2020.
Under normal circumstances, individuals must have no more than four years of postdoctoral research experience to be eligible to apply for a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award. Due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, NIH will be extending the two-receipt cycle extension (roughly eight additional months) of eligibility for prospective, eligible candidates for a K99/R00 application.
As announced in March, updated biosketch and other support format pages and instructions are available for use in applications, Just-in-Time (JIT) Reports, and Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs). Use of the new format pages is preferred immediately and required for due dates and submissions on or after January 25, 2022. This represents a change from the original May 25, 2021 requirement date for the updated formats and other support signatures. Applicants and recipients can use this time to align their systems and processes with the new formats and instructions. Failure to follow the appropriate formats on or after January 25, 2022 may cause NIH to withdraw applications from or delay consideration of funding.
Now that fiscal year (FY) 2020 grants data are available in the NIH Data Book, how many unique scientists sought support on NIH research project grants? The “cumulative investigator rate,” a person-based metric that looks at the likelihood that unique investigators are funded over a five-year window, has moved in a positive direction in recent years, and we were pleased to see the trend mostly continue into FY 2020.
In the Media
Marc Boom, MD, president and CEO, appeared on Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power” on May 13, and talked with anchor David Westin about the importance of the COVID vaccine and why Houston Methodist has mandated it. Dr. Boom’s segment begins about 37:10 into the show.
Houston Methodist was featured in several news stories recently, including ABC’s World News Tonight, Fox26 and Channel 2, that focused on the Pfizer Covid vaccine now being available for children 12 and older.
Wesley Long, MD, PhD, urged caution and perspective as Texas and several other states reported no COVID-19 deaths for the first time in many months. Dr. Long recently told the Houston Chronicle that “it’s important to remember how we got here,” and that many of today’s improvements stem from vaccines, along with masking and social distancing compliance. His comments to the Chronicle were picked up nationally by several iHeartRadio stations around the country, including talk radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the transcript of which can be read here.
Roberta Schwartz, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief innovation officer, was quoted in a press release about MIC’s “Scale to Serve” program, highlighting our vICU success and expansion.
This Forbes article published May 13 discusses the role of digital health in coordinating COVID vaccinations. The story includes Houston Methodist as one of the providers leveraging the WELL Health platform to manage communications and vaccination scheduling.
Josh Sol, Administrative Director of Innovation and Ambulatory Clinical systems, was interviewed on the podcast “Outside the Patient’s Door.” The focus of the episode was “Creating the Future of Patient Care.” Josh and another guest discussed how health care technology innovations have been accelerated because of COVID, how the health care industry has risen to the occasion during the pandemic, what innovations we can expect to remain post-pandemic, and what future innovations they are looking forward to implementing in their facilities. They touched on clinical voice technology, patient empowerment tools, wayfinding and more.
Sarah Pletcher, MD, MHCDS, 3rd Vice President & Executive Medical Director, Virtual Care, reconnected with a former medical school colleague for a discussion on telehealth. In the episode titled “Insight into the Telehealth Landscape,” Pletcher shared her telehealth expertise and explored the benefits of telehealth for patients and providers, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth adoption, the future of telehealth and more. Pletcher also was a part of a Fierce Healthcare virtual speaking panel titled “COVID changed everything: A look at the evolving consumerism landscape and pandemic,” The discussion was recapped in this article.
Houston Methodist donated medical supplies to the Indian Doctors Association to help some of the cities in India hardest hit by COVID-19. Channel 2 covered the story.
Dr. Ben Weinstein, MD, was featured on Fox 26 News in a report on coping techniques for returning to the workplace after COVID-19. Weinstein advises workers anxious about leaving home and returning to the office to take baby steps and talk to friends and colleagues about their fears.
Here are a few of the links to recent media coverage focused on the lawsuit filed against Houston Methodist:
NPR Here & NowCNN NewsroomCBS News (online)
COVID-19 Resources
Houston Methodist provides a variety of tools to facilitate collaborative research projects related to coronavirus. The following resources are available at www.tmh.tmc.edu/tmhri/acma.html
Elsevier Coronavirus Research Hub Curated COVID-19 Funding Opportunities
National Institutes of Health Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources
PURE Coronavirus Portal for Research Collaboration
Read about our COVID-19 research on the Methodology COVID-19 News page.
New Employees
We welcome these new employees who joined the Academic Institute May 2021.
Oluwatoyin Bakare, Clinical Research Specialist, Heart Failure-Transplant
Daniel Davila Gonzalez, Postdoctoral Fellow, Nanomedicine
Sonya Hadrigan, Director of Research Protection, Research Protection
Mofei Huang, Postdoctoral Fellow 0, Cancer
Jiaheng Li, Postdoctoral Fellow 2, Cancer
Zhonglin Liu, Scientist, PET Imaging Core
Margaret McCue, Lead Human Resources, HR - General
Rashi Thakur, Research Assistant I Bench, Infectious Disease
Ramiro Villarreal, ACM Graduate Research Fellow, Nanomedicine
Policy Reminders from the Business Practices Office
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.
The June 2021 issue of BP in Practice focuses on the topic of being transparent in the workplace regarding conflicts of interest or even perceived conflicts of interest. The June editions provides information on how to recognize these weak spots.
Use these links to access PDFs of System Policies BP01 and BP07. If you have questions, contact the BP EthicsLine at 800.500.0333 or visit tmhs.myethicsline.com.
Publications
The publications with the highest impact factors posted in Scholars, May 1 – May 31, 2021, include:
Xing, J., Zhang, A., Du, Y., Fang, M., Minze, L. J., Liu, Y-J., Li, X. C., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Nature Communications. Published. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23003-4
Peng, A. W., Dardari, Z. A., Blumenthal, R. S., Dzaye, O., Obisesan, O. H., Iftekhar Uddin, S. M., Nasir, K., Blankstein, R., Budoff, M. J., Bødtker Mortensen, M., Joshi, P. H., Page, J., & Blaha, M. J. Circulation. In press.
https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.050545
Lee, M. T., Mahtta, D., Ramsey, D. J., Liu, J., Misra, A., Nasir, K., Samad, Z., Itchhaporia, D., Khan, S. U., Schofield, R. S., Ballantyne, C. M., Petersen, L. A., & Virani, S. S. JAMA Cardiology. In Press. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2021.0683
Khan, M. S., Kumar, P., Sreenivasan, J., Khan, S. U., Nasir, K., Mehra, M. R., O'Donnell, C., & Warraich, H. J. In press. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.120.007341
Corradetti, B., Dogra, P., Pisano, S., Wang, Z., Ferrari, M., Chen, S-H., Sidman, R. L., Pasqualini, R., Arap, W., & Cristini, V. (2021). BioEssays. Epublished ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202000339
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
Request for nominations for Houston Methodist Academic Institute President’s Awards
KEY DATES
Nominations Due: July 15, 2021, at Noon
Awards Announced: August Town Hall
The Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) is pleased to announce the following award opportunities. All awards require nomination by the Department Chair, Center of Excellence Director, or Vice-Chair of Research. Please see the attached RFA for full details and eligibility information.
Career Cornerstone Award
Eligible nominees must have applied for an NIH grant, R01 or equivalent, that was not funded but scored within 10 percent 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. 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.
Eligible nominees will have received their first career NIH R01 grant as a Principal Investigator (PI). PIs will receive the equivalent of 50 percent 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. This fund will be active for the life of the associated NIH grant. 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 include Houston Methodist-employed faculty that recently published a manuscript in a high impact journal, such as New England Medical Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, Nature, Cell, or Science or their specialized sister journals. Faculty members listed as first or corresponding author can receive up to $5,000 in discretionary funds toward eligible academic activities. Applicants must submit 1) a nomination letter that includes a brief lay summary describing the significance and impact of the work, and the impact of the journal and 2) a PDF of the manuscript. If the manuscript has not yet been published, proof of acceptance must be provided.
Award for Excellence in Transformational Research
Eligible nominees 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. Examples include but are not restricted to: Program Project Grants (e.g., PO1, P50, P30, U54, U19), federally funded Multi-Center Clinical Trials (e.g., Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program: Clinical Translational Research Award) and the transformational advancement of Houston Methodist technologies into clinical use. Faculty members listed as PI can receive up to $25,000 in discretionary funds toward eligible academic activities. 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 include Houston Methodist-employed faculty members with recent outstanding academic achievements that show potential to significantly impact clinical translation or scientific innovation. Examples include, but are not limited to, U01 and R01 awards receiving a high impact score and 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 which 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.
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 include Houston Methodist-employed faculty members with recent achievements in education. Applicants must submit a nomination letter that includes a 5-sentence narrative explaining the specific achievement in education.
Please Note: All awards are chosen by the HMAI Executive Committee; not all categories are awarded at every Town Hall Meeting.
Nominations, along with any additional required application components, must be received by 12 noon (CST), Thursday July 15, 2021 via electronic submission to Academic Affairs academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
Paula & Joseph C. ‘Rusty’ Walter III Neurorestoration Program NeuroSpark Seed Funding Request for Applications
The Paula & Joseph C. ‘Rusty’ Walter III, the NeuroSpark Seed Funding Program has been reissued. The goal of the NeuroSpark Seed Funding is to cultivate an environment for multidisciplinary, collaborative research at Houston Methodist driving the development of restorative therapies for patients impaired by neurological disease and injury who currently have no viable option. The Neurological Institute is seeking basic and early translational research projects likely to promote a deeper understanding of why the adult nervous system is limited in its regenerative capacity and/or investigate pathways or approaches driving regeneration and the restoration of neurologic function.
Any Houston Methodist faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI).
Successful applicants will receive $100,000 (direct costs only) for up to one year.
To receive the complete RFA and budget template, please contact Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
Call for Nominations for Fall 2021 Kleberg Foundation Grant
Key Dates
Applications Due: June 30, 2021, noon
Applications Reviewed: July 2021
Candidate Selection: August 2021
Houston Methodist has been invited to nominate one candidate for the Fall 2021 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 2021 Kleberg Foundation Grant.
Any Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI). Houston Methodist-employed, non-independent researchers with a primary HMAI faculty appointment (e.g., research scientists, research associates, and instructors) are eligible to apply as a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI).
To receive the complete RFA and budget template, please contact Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine is seeking applications
Key Dates
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at noon
Committee Review: July-September 2021
Award Announcement: October 2021
Estimated Funding Start Date: January 1, 2022
The Kostas family continues to support Houston Methodist investigators, who are working toward high-impact solutions that apply nanomedicine approaches to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases.
This Request for Applications (RFA) seeks research projects in the field of Cardiovascular Nanomedicine. Applications may address any challenge in cardiovascular care that employs nanomedicine technologies, such as the development and application of diagnostics, delivery systems, therapeutics, novel devices, and imaging. Research projects should include significant and immediate nanomedicine applications within the funding period. This funding is not intended to support exploration into biological pathways or mechanisms.
Competitive applications should propose an interdisciplinary and collaborative strategy that promotes innovation in cardiovascular care and nanomedicine. The proposed projects should define a translation pathway to a clinical application(s), and a strategy for securing extramural funding.
Proposals must include a clear patient population that would benefit from the nanomedicine application being developed.
Any Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI). Houston Methodist-employed, non-independent researchers with a primary HMAI faculty appointment (e.g., research scientists, research associates, and instructors) are eligible to apply as a co-Principal Investigator (co-PI).
Applications are solicited for the following project categories:
I. Strategic Impact Projects may contain little to no preliminary data. The proposed research should fit within a 1-year timeframe with a budget of up to $50,000 in direct costs.
II. Early Translational Research Projects further develop promising ideas toward clinical applications. Typically, these projects are not yet positioned for development under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) conditions, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), or for clinical trials. These projects should have sufficient preliminary data and be based on a submitted Houston Methodist Invention with the Office of Technology Transfer, as stated under Business Policy BP12. The proposed research should fit within a 2-year timeframe with a budget of up to $100,000 in direct costs.
To receive the complete RFA and budget template, please contact Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
Translational Research Initiative Request for Applications
Key Dates
Applications Due: August 2, 2021, at noon
Applications Reviewed: August 2021 - October 2021
Awards Announced: November 2021
Estimated Funding Start Date: January 1, 2022
The Houston Methodist Academic Institute (HMAI) 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.
In the accompanying Request for Applications (RFA), the HMAI solicits applications for the development of projects in any area of medicine. Projects of interest include but are not limited to: diagnostics; therapeutics; devices; tools; software; design or development of clinical, surgical, quality, and outcomes processes; and other innovations. Projects that are still in the basic research phase are not appropriate for the TRI.
Proposed projects must be based on a Houston Methodist Invention. Any Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI). Houston Methodist-employed non-independent researchers, with a primary HMAI faculty appointment, (e.g., research scientists, research associates, and instructors) are eligible to apply as a co-Investigator (Co-I).
Requested budgets and funding period must have appropriate justification. To receive the complete RFA and budget template, please contact Academic Affairs at academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
Houston Methodist Academic Institute Orthopedics Pilot Project Initiative Request for Applications
Houston Methodist Academic Institute is pleased to reissue the Orthopedics Pilot Project Initiative Request for Applications (RFA) in the field of Orthopedics, Musculoskeletal Regeneration, and Orthopedic Surgery. The Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Center of Excellence (COE) offers the latest cutting-edge technologies and rehabilitation strategies to restore mobility and quality of life.
Applications may address any challenge to advance the field of Orthopedics, such as personalized therapeutic strategies, personalized metal implants, effective restorative cell therapy, and implant coatings and alternatives.
Any Houston Methodist-employed faculty with a primary HMAI academic appointment is eligible to apply as a Principal Investigator (PI). Houston Methodist-employed, non-independent researchers with a primary HMAI faculty appointment (e.g., research scientists, research associates and instructors) are eligible to apply as a co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). Non-independent investigators must have the full and written support of his/her department chair, direct scientific or clinical supervisor; and have an eligible Co-PI to support the application. Applications may include a Co-PI from a collaborating institution; however, the contact PI must meet all Houston Methodist eligibility requirements.
Competitive applications should propose an interdisciplinary, multi-faceted, and collaborative strategy that promotes creativity and innovation. Each proposal must include at least one basic/translational scientist and one practicing clinician. In addition, at least one PI must be affiliated with the Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine COE. Investigators can serve on multiple applications; however, each application must have a distinct project focus and investigative team. An investigator should pair with a different clinical or scientific partner on additional applications.
Successful applications will receive up to $50,000 in direct costs only, for up to 1 year.
Full details regarding this funding opportunity can be found in the attached RFA. Applications must be received by 12:00 noon (CST), August 11, 2021 via electronic submission to: academicaffairs@houstonmethodist.org.
