METHODOLOGYThe Research and Education Newsletter of Houston Methodist

>> CONT. PAGE FIVE

WINTER SPRING 2014

The new George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine at the Houston Methodist Research Institute began operations this month after receiving a generous gift from George J. and Angelina P. Kostas.

George and Angelina Kostas gift propels heart & vascular nanotechnology research at Houston Methodist

Houston Methodist Foundation

The groundbreaking center will foster international collaboration and bring

together faculty working in cardiovascular disease and nanomedicine to

investigate how emerging technologies in nanomedicine can be used to

heal damaged hearts and vascular tissue. This gift will also fund a yearly

international annual meeting on cardiovascular nanomedicine. From left to right: Alan B. Lumsden, M.D., Ch.B., R.V.T., F.A.C.S.;

Georgia Kostas Nichols; Marc L. Boom, MD, FACHE; George J. Kostas; Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.; Pamela Kostas Walker;

Guillermo Torre-Amione, M.D., PhD, FACC; and Cynthia G. Kostas

We are deeply grateful for the visionary leadership of our strategic planning chairs. Their work will define the future of the Houston Methodist academic enterprise.

“

”

Patients

PrecisionMedicine

Biotherapeutics & Regenerative

Medicine

Outcomes, Quality &

Health Care Performance

innovative education

INSTITUTE FOR ACADEMIC MEDICINE STRATEGIC PLAN 2013-2018

– Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., Houston Methodist

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

I’d also like to share with you the vision our faculty have for the future of Houston Methodist. A year ago, the Houston Methodist faculty embarked on a landmark journey to create the first 5-year strategic plan for research and education at Houston Methodist. This plan was essential to the formation of the Institute for Academic Medicine envisioned by our president and CEO, Dr. Marc Boom. We were honored and fortunate to have Dr. antonio Gotto accept the position of chair of the strategic planning process.

Dr. Gotto has a long and distinguished history that gives him a unique understanding of Houston Methodist and our academic partner Weill Cornell Medical College. He collaborated extensively with Dr. Michael DeBakey while at Houston Methodist and Baylor College of Medicine, and then presided as Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College during a period of enormous growth, raising more than $2 billion for capital campaigns.

Together, faculty leadership and more than 250 stakeholders throughout Houston Methodist provided the vision and built the plan that will differentiate us in the years to come. By leveraging our collective clinical, research, education and administrative strengths, they identified three key areas where we will continue to innovate and lead:

This January marked the beginning of the implementation for the strategic plan, which will be led by Dr. Barbara Bass, chair of the Department of Surgery and the Council of Chairs Strategy Committee. Dr. Bass brings the visionary leadership that built MITIESM to the IAM, as we work together to position Houston Methodist as a national leader in these areas. Our faculty are deciding the best ways to collaborate and align their clinical and academic initiatives across all our hospitals, centers and institutes to achieve these shared goals.

I encourage you to remain engaged in the process of advancing the strategic plan by attending the strategic Grand Rounds and Town Hall meetings. You can also find examples of how our strategic plan is coming to life all around you in this newsletter and in our weekly eNews.

Thank you for your dedication to the academic mission of Houston Methodist. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue leading medicine.

Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.

Ernest Cockrell Jr. Distinguished Endowed ChairPresident and CEO, Houston Methodist Research InstituteDirector, Institute for Academic MedicineExecutive Vice President, Houston Methodist

Welcome to the winter issue of Methodology, a newsletter that celebrates the Houston Methodist faculty innovations in research and education. We hope you enjoy reading about the tremendous success of projects like Dr. Alan Lumsden’s Pumps & Pipes conference, Dr. Stan Appel’s phase II ALS clinical trial, and Dr. Lidong Qin’s woodblock technique-inspired cell array printing technology.

Precision MedicineBiotherapeutics & Regenerative Medicine

Outcomes, Quality & Health Care Performance

>> CONT. PAGE FOUR

by xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Featured News

The Kostas Center ....................... 1

A Vision for the Future ................. 2

Strategic Grand Rounds ............... 6

Implementation of strategic plan launched ................ 7

SciVal Project ............................... 8

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives ...................... 8

Pumps & Pipes unites Houston’s top three industries .... 9

Just two weeks in orbit causes changes in eyes .............10

New ALS drug headed for phase II trial at Methodist ..........11

Early stages of breast cancer could soon be diagnosed from blood samples ....................12

Research Highlights ..........14

Clinical Research Services expand at Houston Methodist ..15

Inside the Institute ............16

Houston Methodist Research Art Contest ..................................16

Compaq co-founder Canion discusses getting new medical technologies to market faster ....18

ICARE MOMENTS .................19

Education News ...................20

2014 UH/HMRI Graduate Fellowship Proposals Selected ..23

Awards & Accolades .........24

New Funding Awards & Applications .....................25

New Employees ...................26

New Visitors ..........................26

Contents

Special thanks to the Institute for Academic Medicine strategic planning leadership:

integration Committee Antonio Gotto, Mauro Ferrari, Roberta Schwartz, Dirk Sostman, Barbara Bass,

Ed Jones, William Winters, Richard Robbins, Richard Stasney, Ann Scanlon McGinity, Donna Gares,

Dan Newman, Robert Phillips, Beryl Ramsey, Chris Siebenaler, Wayne Voss

Barbara Bass & James Musser, Precision Medicine Chairs

Osama Gaber, John Cooke, & Xian Li, Biotherapeutics & Regenerative Medicine Chairs

Carol Ashton, Nelda Wray, & Maureen Disbot, Outcomes, Quality & Health Care Performance Chairs

Tim Boone, Education Chair

Osama Gaber, Transplant Chair

Alan Lumsden, Heart Chair

Stan Appel, Neuro Chair

Jenny Chang, Cancer Chair

Tim Boone & Brad Weiner, Ortho & Regenerative Medicine Chairs

Nelda Wray & Carol Ashton, Outcomes & Quality Chairs

Anne Meyn, Patient Engagement

subcommittees members:

Andrea Apple, Kapil Bhalla, David Baskin, David Bernard , Jett Brady, Nancy Brinlee, Donald Briscoe,

Brian Bruckner, Brian Butler, May Cahill, Shiela Coggins, Neal Copeland, Peggy Creany, Roland Cruickshank,

Catherine Currier-Buckingham, Paolo Decuzzi, Stuart Dobbs, Don Donovan, Mike Donovan, Brian Dunkin,

Robert Eardley, David Engler, Jerry Estep, Bridget Fahy, Matt Fink, Jeff Friedman, Jaime Gateno,

Mark Ghobrial, Linné Girouard, Alessandro Grattoni, Bob Grossman, Rebecca Hall, Dale Hamilton,

Shannan Hamlin, Eric Haufrect, Alicia Hernandez, Robert Jackson, Nancy Jenkins, Stephen Jones,

Adrienne Joseph, Soma Jyothula, Alan Kaplan, Robert Kidd, Lisa Kiehne, Paula Knudson, Jenny Lai,

Andrew Lee, Xian Li, Mike Liebl, Matthias Loebe, Joseph Masdeu, Katherine Meese, Susan Miller,

Charles Millikan, Angie Mitchell, Joseph Naples, Dan Newman, Liisa Ortegon, Samir Patel, Judy Paukert,

Mariana Pope, Eammon Quigley, Miguel Quinones, Michael Reardon, Gustavo Roman, Harish Seethamraju,

Haifa Shen, Tong Sun, Ennio Tasciotti, Pauline Todd, Miguel Valderrábano, Luz Venta, Rongfu Wang,

Paul Webb, Stephen Wong, Amy Wright, Xiaofeng Xia, William Zoghbi

strategic Planning administrative team:

Rebecca Hall, Strategic Planning Project Manager

Robert Mittman, Strategy Consultant, Facilitation, Foresight, Strategy

Tom Benthin, Hahn Hoang, Homer Quintana, Kari Stein, Tong Sun, Sawana Tillet

MESSAG

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M TH

E PRESID

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>> CONT. FROM PAGE THREE

Angelina P. Kostas and George J. Kostas

Kostas Center GiftThe Kostases, American-born children of

Greek immigrants, have a long tradition of

philanthropic gifts, including establishment

of The George J. Kostas Research Institute

for Homeland Security (2010) and The

George J. Kostas Nanoscale Technology

and Manufacturing Research Center at

Northeastern University (2003) in Boston,

George Kostas’ alma mater. The George J.

Kostas Research Institute for Homeland

Security is a secure building at Northeastern

University, Burlington Campus. Its mission

is to conduct classified research to protect

Americans in the face of 21st century risks.

Northeastern awarded him in 2008 an honorary

Doctorate of Sciences and the President’s

Medallion award. After his retirement from

Conoco in 1972, where he was manager of

the Organometallics Division, he founded

and has been president of TESCO (Techno

Economic Services Inc.) for 30 years. Under

his leadership, TESCO developed a revolu-

tionary new process, based on his patents,

termed “Xenoclad”, which plates aluminum in

an atomic form on metal substrates to render

them resistant to corrosion. George Kostas

was recruited in 1943, along with seven other

engineers, to start and operate the first U.S.

synthetic rubber manufacturing plant which

was already being built in Baytown, Texas. In

1946, Kostas was appointed a member of the

U.S. Research & Development Committee

and served in this capacity until 1955 when

the government decided to exit the synthetic

rubber program.

The Kostas Center will be directed by the

Research Institute President & CEO Mauro

Ferrari, Ph.D., and the Heart & Vascular

Center Medical Director Alan B. Lumsden,

M.D at Houston Methodist. Together with

an executive committee, they will guide the

center’s development, approve new research

initiatives and initiate collaborative ventures.

The center’s program and working group

leaders include some of Houston Methodist’s

>> CONT. FROM PAGE ONE

Angelina, “Lea,” a woman of deep faith, grace, and warmth, and devoted lifelong member of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, served as a member of the Philoptochos charitable society for 70 years, and board member for 40 years. During World War II, Lea served as a spotter for enemy aircraft over the Houston area. Married for 62 years, George and Angelina are the parents of four, talented daughters. The Kostas family has been generous supporters of the Annunciation and St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Churches of Houston. They built the St. George Chapel and then donated it to the Cathedral. St. Basil’s church honored Mr. Kostas by naming the Education Center in his honor. In 2008, they honored Lea Kostas by naming the Auditorium in her honor.

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leading faculty, including Guillermo Torre-Amione, M.D., Ph.D., Elvin Blanco, Ph.D., Miguel

Valderrábano, M.D., John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., Ennio Tasciotti, Ph.D., William Zoghbi, M.D.,

and Paolo Decuzzi, Ph.D. The groups are designed to work in sequence, a bit like runners

in a relay race, to move discoveries quickly from the lab to clinical trials.

One example project the new center will tackle is the use of non-toxic, silicon-based nanoparticles

to dismantle and disperse the fatty plaques that often form along the inner sides of blood vessels.

These plaques contribute to hypertension. When larger plaques are dislodged, they can cause

blockages downstream, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

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Read more online: HoustonMethodist.org/hmrinews

Strategic Grand RoundsThe Institute for Academic Medicine Strategic Grand Rounds is a monthly lecture series addressing advances in Precision Medicine, Biotherapeutics & Regenerative Medicine, and Outcomes, Quality & Health Care Performance. National and international leaders in these areas are invited for this series, and Houston Methodist leadership will address institutional progress toward the goals of the strategic plan throughout the year. For more information contact: events@houstonmethodist.org

Employees can access live webcasts and recorded sessions on the intranet.

2014 Event Speaker

February 7 Martha and D. Gibson Walton Lecture Series Mary-Claire King, Ph.D.

February 24 President’s Distinguished Lecture Cato Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

March 28 Education & SciVal Update Tim Boone, M.D., Ph.D.

Rebecca Hall, Ph.D.

April 16 MIT-EF Flagship Program - Panel & Speakers Clive N. Svendsen, Ph.D.

Advances in Regenerative Medicine Eckhard U. Alt, MD Ph.D.

Moderator: John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D. James T. Willerson, M.D.

Joseph Gold, Ph.D.

May 13 Strategic Plan Implementation Update Barbara Bass, M.D.

June 17 Institute for Academic Medicine Update Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.

July Outcomes Research Nelda Wray, M.D., MPH

Carol Ashton, M.D., MPH

August Infrastructure for the Strategic Plan & Ed Jones, MBA

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives Tong Sun, MBA

September 9 Marialuisa Ferrari Lectureship for Life Philip A. Pizzo, M.D.

October 9 George and Angelina Kostas Research Center TBA

for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine Annual

International Meeting

November Strategic Plan Implementation Update Barbara Bass, M.D.

“The implementation committee began work on several key areas: defining the academic operational structure, fostering and retaining junior faculty, optimizing recruitment to advance the strategic plan, and building the clinician scientist ranks to bridge strategic areas targeted for growth. ”

The Institute for Academic Medicine (IAM)

strategic planning process, chaired by Antonio

Gotto, M.D., D. Phil, concluded in late November

of 2013. The implementation will be led by

Barbara L. Bass, M.D., the John F. and Carolyn

Bookout Distinguished Endowed Chair of

Surgery and chair of the Houston Methodist

Council of Chairs Strategy Committee.

Implementation began this month with a kick-

off retreat held at The Houstonian on January 11,

2014, and will continue to meet bimonthly.

Bass opened the IAM Strategy Committee

retreat with a vision for implementation as a true

collaboration between leadership in all areas

of Houston Methodist. The group discussed

the importance of connecting labs to the clinic,

and was tasked in thinking about how the new

Centers of Research Excellence would fit into

the current Houston Methodist framework.

Timothy Boone, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the

IAM recapped the strategic plan, and gave an

overview of research funding and faculty

metrics. Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., director of the

IAM and executive vice president of Houston

Methodist, gave an overview of the Foundation

goals and fundraising strategy to support the

strategic plan. Roberta Schwartz, executive

vice president of Houston Methodist Hospital

reviewed the system goals and budget

expectations. Robert Phillips, M.D. reviewed

the Physician’s Specialty Group budget

structure, and Edward Jones, senior vice

president of the Institute for Academic

Medicine reviewed research funding and

clinical trials operations.

To keep up to date on implementation progress,

subscribe to the IAM weekly eNews and

quarterly newsletter by contacting:

news@houstonmethodist.org

Implementation of strategic plan launched

– Barbara L. Bass, M.D.

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Our competitiveness as an academic medical center relies on a cultural fabric of collaboration, woven with the threads of skills and experience within the Houston Methodist family and our network of affiliates and partners. The strategic plan identified a need for better information exchange to build these collaborations and increase our competitiveness for extramural funding opportunities. The SciVal project was launched as part of the Institute for Academic Medicine strategic plan for communications & collaboration to provide Houston Methodist with:

•acentralizedsourceofdetailedacademicprofilesforourfaculty

•accesstocuratedglobalfundingopportunitiesandpublicationdatabases

•toolsforacademicreportingandperformanceassessment

SciVal profiles will become available in 2014 and will be completed for Houston Methodist faculty in 2015. Join us at Strategic Grand Rounds for updates or contact Dr. Rebecca Hall (rmhall@houstonmethodist.org), Director of Communications & Academic Reporting, for more information.

SciVal Project

The goals of OSRI are to increase institutional competitiveness for

large grant opportunities and accelerate the translation of research

projects into clinical applications in the three strategic thrust areas.

The office staff will work directly with investigators throughout the

system to achieve two main goals:

Developing Cooperative institutional extramural Funding Proposals The office will identify and distribute funding opportunities that

position our faculty for success. The office will also assist investigators

to develop large collaborative proposals like the T32 and PO

mechanisms. The office will then coordinate teams with subject matter

expertise, and write, edit, and create budgets for large grant proposals.

Investigators are also provided with guidance through the administrative

processes and requirements for grants and contracts, technology transfer

and intellectual property, regulatory compliance and research protections,

and clinical trial services.

advancing strategic initiatives with intramural Funding Opportunities The office will work directly with The Foundation to develop resources for

an internal fund for research development that advances the strategic

initiatives. OSRI will administer the process for distributing these resources

as seed funding for basic and clinical research by issuing intramural

requests for proposals. These internal funding mechanisms will specifically

be reserved for projects that advance the strategic initiatives, and that

have significant translational potential. Successful proposals will be

assessed by teams of industry and investment experts for market

potential, product development feasibility, and clinical impact.

For more information about OSRI contact:

strategicResearchOsRi@houstonmethodist.org

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives

The Office of Strategic Research Initiatives Team

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On the surface, no two industries could be more dissimilar than medicine and energy. However, as renowned Houston Methodist cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Alan Lumsden, discovered while sitting next to an oil and gas engineer during an outbound flight, the two industries face surprisingly similar technological challenges. During that flight, Dr. Lumsden and his seatmate broke down some of the essential scientific concepts of importance to both industries, such as fluid flow and imaging of build up inside pipe-like structures.

Pumps & Pipes

unites Houston’s top three industriesby George Kovacik & the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of International Trade & Development

That simple exercise grew into recognition

that representatives of both industries had

a lot to gain by starting a dialogue between

practitioners in the two fields, especially if

it could be facilitated, planned, and creatively

managed. They envisioned a format that

encourages energy engineers, medical

experts, and others to borrow from each

other’s intellectual “tool kits” to solve as-yet

unsolved problems -- and to inspire entirely

new technologies. This was how the first

Pumps & Pipes was conceived, and with

the partnership of Bill Kline, Drilling and

Subsurface Research Manager for ExxonMobil

Upstream Research Company, the inaugural

conference was held in 2007.

Pumps & Pumps is now in its seventh year and

has grown to include the aerospace engineering

and robotics industries. Long-term space

travel, 3-D “bioprinting,” and the fountain

of cardiovascular youth were among the

topics discussed by scientists, engineers,

and doctors discussed at the seventh annual

Pumps & Pipes held on Dec. 9, 2013 at the

Houston Methodist Research Institute.

Registration was maxed out with 250 on-site

attendees and more than 1,000 virtual

attendees from 19 U.S. states and 14

countries watching the live webcast.

The Research Institute auditorium foyer

took on a bit of science museum flair.

NASA Johnson Space Center sent its

“Driven to Explore” exhibit, an elaborate

mobile exhibit that lets visitors experience

a simulated space shuttle launch and learn

about other aspects of the U.S. space

program. There was also an international

art-in-science exhibit by high

school students of STEM (science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics).

Previous meetings have mainly convened

experts in energy and medicine, Houston’s two

largest industries. But a concerted effort by

Pumps & Pipes organizers to include top engi-

neers and scientists from NASA Johnson Space

Center has meant a more substantial presence

for aerospace engineering.

Pumps & Pipes seven program directors were

Alan B. Lumsden, M.D., Mark G. Davies, M.D.,

Ph.D., and Stephen R. Igo (Houston Methodist),

William E. Kline, Ph.D. (ExxonMobil Upstream

Research Company), Ioannis A. Kakadiaris, Ph.D.

(University of Houston), and Ellen L. Ochoa,

Ph.D. (NASA Johnson Space Center).

More information about Pumps & Pipes can be

found online at pumpsandpipes.com.

Imag

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umps

andp

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.com

Just two weeks in orbit causes changes in eyes

Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers from Houston Methodist, NASA Johnson Space Center, and two other institutions in the October 2013 issue of Gravitational and Space Research.

Animal Enclosure Modules similar to

the one shown here, being inspected by

Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell, Ph.D.,

and Pilot Charles Hobaugh aboard Space

Shuttle Endeavor (STS-118), are used to

study animals in low gravity conditions.

Scientists are reporting mice traveling

aboard STS-133 showed evidence of

ocular nerve damage and changes in

eye gene expression.

The study, which looked at how low gravity

and radiation and oxidative damage impacts

mice, is the first to examine eye-related

gene expression and cell behavior after

spaceflight.

“We found many changes in the expression

of genes that help cells cope with oxidative

stress in the retina, possibly caused by

radiation exposure,” said Houston Methodist

pathologist Patricia Chévez-Barrios, M.D.,

the study’s principal investigator. “These

changes were partially reversible upon

return to Earth.”

Since 2001, studies have shown astronauts

are at increased risk of developing eye

problems, like premature age-related

macular degeneration. Experts suspect the

cause is low gravity, heightened exposure to

solar radiation, or a combination of the two.

In Nov. 2011, a NASA-sponsored Ophthalmology study of seven astronauts showed that all

seven had experienced eye problems after spending at least six months in space. Doctors

saw a flattening of the back of the eyeball, folding of the choroid (vascular tissue behind the

retina), excess fluid around and presumed swelling of the optic nerve, or some combination

of these.

High-energy radiation from the sun can cause nasty, extremely damaging chemical reactions

in cells, collectively called oxidative stress. Earth’s atmosphere reflects or absorbs much

of this radiation and is, ironically, a much better shield than the thick metal hulls of space

shuttles and the International Space Station.

If both radiation exposure and gravity loss are to blame, one solution to save astronauts’

eyes might be a spacecraft with a more protective hull and inside, a spinning hamster

wheel that simulates gravity similar to those envisioned by futurist author Arthur C.

Clarke and realized in Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

by David Bricker

NASA Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell, Ph.D., and Pilot Charles Hobaugh inspect an Animal Enclosure Module aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor.

Damage to eyes isn’t merely a long-term health issue forsome astronauts back on Earth — it could interfere withfuture missions in which any loss of focus or vision makesit difficult for humans to complete long missions, such asround-trip travel to Mars (12 to 16 months) or to the moonsof Jupiter (about two years).

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New ALS drug headed for phase II trial at Methodistby David Bricker

Houston Methodist researchers will soon begin phase IIa clinical trials of TDI-132, a drug

that in animal models has shown promise in reducing the inflammation associated with

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

The purpose of the phase IIa trial is to determine the safety and tolerability of TDI-132 in

ALS patients. Not all ALS patients are eligible to participate. For eligibility requirements,

please visit www.als.net/tDi-132.

TDI-132 is also known as fingolimod, or by its commercial name, Gilenya, a drug

originally developed by Novartis International to treat multiple sclerosis. Preclinical

studies have shown that TDI-132 can decrease the number of immune cells, keeping

cells in lymph nodes from entering general circulation. These studies also indicate

that decreases in the number of these cells can protect against inflammation and

the worsening of symptoms.

The phase IIa trial is being funded by the ALS Therapy Development Institute

(ALS TDI), a non-profit biotech based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ALS Clinical

Research Division Director Ericka Simpson, M.D., is the Houston Methodist site

principal investigator of the study. The principal investigator for the larger trial is

James Berry, M.D., at Massachusetts General Hospital, also one of the study sites.

The other two study sites are University of California, Irvine Healthcare in Orange,

Calif., and Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta, GA.

“Seeing TDI-132 enter into clinical trial for ALS gives me hope that

people living with ALS may soon be able to fight back,” said

Augie Nieto, an ALS patient and chair of the board at ALS TDI.

Stanley Appel, M.D. , Director

Houston Methodist Neurological Institute

Our primary goal in this trial is to determine the safety of fingolimod in a small trial at four centers in the U.S., including our own MDA/ALS Center at Methodist

“

”

To determine the impact of radiation exposure

on eyes, Chévez-Barrios and lead author Susana

Zanello, Ph.D., a space life scientist at NASA

Johnson Space Center, examined mouse retinal

gene expression on the 1st, 5th, and 7th days

following a 13-day trip aboard space shuttle

Discovery (STS-133), measuring indicators of

oxidative and cellular stress. The researchers

also examined the eyes and surrounding tissues

for broad changes in structure and shape that

could relate to low gravity. They maintained

two controls on Earth — one in which mice were

kept in the same general conditions as those

aboard the shuttle, and one in which mice were

maintained in typical, Earth-based care facilities.

Mice returning to Earth showed immediate

evidence of oxidative stress in their retinas.

But the increased expression of six oxidative

stress response genes appeared to return to

normal by the seventh day on Earth. An indicator

of oxidative stress in the cornea was also elevated

one day after mice had returned from orbit, but

returned to near-normal levels by the seventh day.

“This suggests oxidative stress in the retina and

lens are at least partially reversible under the

circumstances of the experiment,” Chévez-Barrios

said. “This was after a relatively short time in

orbit. We don’t know if damage caused by longer

periods of oxidative stress will be more severe.

Only more studies with longer exposure times

may help answer this question.”

Zanello is affiliated with the Universities Space

Research Association, a consortium founded by

NASA and the National Academy of Sciences.

Also contributing to the Gravitational and

Space Research paper were Corey Theriot, Ph.D.

(University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston)

and Claudia Prospero Ponce, M.D. (University of

Arizona Health Sciences Center). Work was

funded by the NASA Human Research Program.

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What could someday be the first blood test for the early detection of breast cancer was shown in preliminary studies to successfully identify the presence of breast cancer cells from serum biomarkers, say the Houston Methodist Research Institute scientists who are developing the technology.

Early stages of breast cancer could soon be diagnosed from blood samples

With a New York University Cancer Institute colleague, the

researchers report in an upcoming Clinical Chemistry article

that the mixture of free-floating blood proteins created by the

enzyme carboxypeptidase N accurately predicted the presence

of early-stage breast cancer tissue in mice and in a small

population of human patients.

The technology is not yet available to the public, and may

not be for years. More extensive clinical tests are needed,

and those tests are expected to begin in early 2014.

There are currently no inexpensive laboratory tests for the

early detection of breast cancer, providing the impetus for

researchers around the world to invent them.

“What we are trying to create is a non-invasive test that

profiles what’s going on at a tissue site without having to do

a biopsy or costly imaging,” Hu said. “We think this could be

better for patients and — if we are successful — a lot cheaper

than the technology that exists. While there’s more to the

cost of administering a test than materials alone, right now

those materials only cost about $10 per test.”

In this paper we link the catalytic activity of carboxypeptidase N to tumor progression in clinical samples from breast cancer patients and a breast cancer animal model,” said biomedical engineer Tony Hu, Ph.D., who led the project. “Our results indicate that circulating peptides generated by CPN can serve as clear signatures of early disease onset and progression.

“

”

CPN is an enzyme that modifies proteins after the

proteins are first created. Past studies have only

shown the enzyme is more active in lung cancer

patients. The present report in Clinical Chemistry

is the first to show CPN isn’t merely more active in

breast cancer patients, but there’s also more of it.

The technology being developed by Hu’s group

combines nanotechnology and advanced mass

spectrometry to separate and detect extremely

low levels of small proteins (peptides) created by

CPN. These peptides are believed to originate in

or near cancerous cells, eventually making their

way into the bloodstream.

In animal models and human biopsies, Hu’s group

first determined the presence of breast cancer

tissue, characterized each sample’s stage of

development, and looked at how much CPN was

being expressed. Blood samples were also taken

from each individual.

Blood serum proteins were separated on a

nanoporous silica chip dotted with four nanometer

holes, which captured and isolated smaller

proteins for spectrographic analysis. Using

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, the researchers

analyzed what remained for the light signatures

of six peptides known to be created by CPN.

by David Bricker

12

The researchers compared the stages of breast cancer tissue development

in previously diagnosed patients to the presence of CPN-created peptides

in their blood. They found all six peptides were present at detectably higher

levels, the first pathologic stage of breast cancer. (That stage is defined as

having cancerous cells and a tumor of 2 cm or smaller, or no tumor at all.)

The researchers also found that CPN peptides were present at detectably

higher levels in the blood of mice, compared to controls, just two weeks

after the introduction of breast cancer tissue.

Interestingly, CPN activity dropped significantly over time in mice over the

eight week study period, suggesting the blood test as currently configured

may not work as well in detecting later stages of breast cancer. Hu said he

plans to investigate this phenomenon.

Even at the eighth week, CPN activity was still significantly higher than baseline,” Hu said. “However, we suspect the activity of different enzymes goes up and down as the disease progresses. We will be looking at how we might add known and future biomarkers to the blood test to increase its robustness and accuracy.

“

”

Current means for the early detection of breast cancer

are expensive and are not generally recommended for

prevention by the American Cancer Society. Rather, the

society recommends that healthy women age 40 and older

have a mammogram every year and work with their doctors

to assess their individual risks of developing the disease.

Prior to age 40, the society recommends that women have

a clinical breast exam whenever they visit their doctors,

or else every three years.

Also contributing to the Clinical Chemistry report were

Yaojun Li, Ph.D., Yueguo Li, Ph.D., Tao Chen, M.D., Anna S.

Kuklina, Paul Bernard, Haifa Shen, M.D., Ph.D., and Mauro

Ferrari, Ph.D. (Houston Methodist Research Institute) and

Francisco Esteva (NYU Cancer Institute). Research was

funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, with

additional support from the National Institutes of Health.

“Circulating Proteolytic Products of Carboxypeptidase N

for Early Detection of Breast Cancer” Clinical Chemistry,

doi:10.1373/clinchem.2013.211953

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Research Highlights

by George Kovacik

Deep in the heart of the outpatient

center parking garage, Houston Methodist

Machinist Juan Fernandez

creates everything from medical device

prototypes to research lab tools. Learn more

about Fernandez’s history with Michael

DeBakey and the Texas Medical Center

in the Jan 4 issue of the Houston Chronicle.

Read more on houstonchronicle.com.

Machinist continues legacy of ingenuity

Plato’s Cave Highlighted in ChronicleNear the intersection of Fannin and Old Spanish Trail, Plato’s cave offers new 3-D technology to

create virtual patients using real data from such tests as magnetic resonance imaging. Brian Butler,

M.D., chair of radiation oncology, created the technology to ‘preflight’ surgery of a patient, and so

that surgeons can prepare for unique aspects of a patient’s body before surgery begins.

Learn more in the October 2013 issue of the Houston Chronicle.

Phot

o: D

ave

Ross

man

Phot

o: K

aren

War

ren

PCORI Funds LVAD Outcomes Study

Houston Methodist receives multi-million dollar grant from NIH for atrial fibrillation study

Houston Methodist and Baylor College

of Medicine are teaming up to develop

a tool to help patients with heart failure

decide if they want to undergo implan-

tation of a heart pump called a left

ventricular assist device (LVAD). The

study will be funded by an award of up to

$1.3 million from the Patient-Centered

Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

Partners also include the University

of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

and UT Houston Health Science Center

School of Public Health. The Houston

Methodist study will be led by Jerry

Estep, M.D., Matthias Loebe, M.D., Ph.D.,

and Brian Bruckner, M.D.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)

awarded Miguel Valderrábano, M.D.,

a cardiologist with Houston Methodist

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, a

grant for more than $3.5 million over

five years to study a novel way of curing

atrial fibrillation by infusing alcohol

into the oblique vein of Marshall.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes

an irregular and rapid heartbeat that in

turn causes poor blood flow to the rest

of the body thus increasing the risk of

fatal stroke. It affects nearly three

million people every year.

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•ProtocolDevelopment

•Budgetandcontractset-up

•Researchnursing/coordinators

•Studydesignandstatisticalanalysis

•Project/sitemanagement

•Datamanagement (CRF Development)

•Regulatorysupport(IND/IDE)

Core Services

The Cockrell Center is a joint project in affiliation with the Research Institute to make

clinical trials available to every patient who needs and wants to participate. Clinicians

interested in running Phase I-IV clinical trials can access Cockrell Center support by

contacting the Academic Office of Clinical Trials.

713.441.3250 | clinicaltrials@houstonmethodist.org

Houston Methodist has expanded the Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics to Houston Methodist Sugar Land and Houston Methodist West Houston, and Houston Methodist Pearland Emergency Care Center.

By Julie Sicam & Resa Labbe-Morris

Clinical Research Services expand at Houston Methodist

RESEA

RCH

HIG

HLIG

HTS

Kai Zhang et al. borrowed concepts

from woodblock printing techniques

to develop a method for constructing

single-cell arrays with close to 100%

cell viability, called block-cell-printing

(BloC-printing). In this method, a network

of microfluidic channels is deposited

onto a glass slide or Petri dish. A cell

culture medium is drawn through the

network of channels and individual cells

are trapped in hook-shaped protrusions

on the array, which can be spaced as

little as 5 µm apart. After the single cells

are allowed to adhere to the substrate,

the BloC mold is removed, leaving the

cells in regularly-spaced single-cell

arrays of any geometric shape desired.

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2014, III: 2948-53

by Kai Zhang, Chao-Kai Chou,

Xiaofeng Xia, Mien-Chie Hung,

and Lidong Qin.

Woodblock technique inspires printed cell arrays

Plato’s Cave Highlighted in Chronicle

Menstrual cycle linked to concussion outcome

Kenneth Podell, Ph.D. of the Houston

Methodist Neurological Institute recently

provided medical expert comments for

a HealthDay wire story. The article

focuses on a University of Rochester

study that looks at how women who

suffer a concussion may heal more

slowly if the injury occurs in the two

weeks leading up to their menstrual

cycle. Read more on health.usnews.com.

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Certified cGMP staff grows to 40

About 50 Research Institute PIs and staff attended

the cGMP Training last November, and 39 people

went on to take the cGMP Certification Test.

All 39 passed and are receiving cGMP Certification

from Ostrove Associates Inc., bringing the

Houston Methodist total to 40.

Inside the Institute

The Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine and the Research Institute recently sponsored the first Research Art contest. Seven images were chosen by the CPAM Arts Integration Committee to inaugurate Houston Methodist’s first science-based art gallery exhibit.

Images will be displayed in the Hand and Upper Extremities Physical Therapy Clinic located on the 4th floor of the Scurlock building. CPAM

plans to tour the exhibit throughout the hospital, system hospitals, and community. For more information, please visit the contest website:

www.houstonmethodist.org/CPaM-Research-art-Contest

Congratulations to Matthew Ware, Ph.D. and Biana Godin Vilentchouk, Ph.D.

for their winning entry in the Federation of American Societies for

Experimental Biology’s 2013 BioArt Competition. Their image shows tiny

silica beads used to model how drug-laden nanoparticles are transported

into cells. The image was featured in the NIH Director’s Blog and is open to

public viewing at the NIH Visitor Center located in Bethesda, MD.

Learn more online: directorsblog.nih.gov

Houston Methodist Research Art Contest

BioArt 2013 Exhibit

Mathew Ware, Ph.D. and Biana Godin, Ph.D. won 2013 BioArt Award from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Media Highlight

1 2 3

Houston Methodist Research art Contest Winner List: (see images at top of page)

1. Capillary in Failing Heart, Jose H. Flores-Arredondo, Torre-Amione and Serda Labs 2. Orchids in the gut, Fransisca Leonard, Godin Lab 3. The Leukolike Vector, Michael Evangelopoulos, Tasciotti Lab 4. The Approach, Michael Evangelopoulos, Tasciotti Lab 5. Faces of our inner soldiers, Victor Segura-Ibarra, Serda Lab 6. The Polymeric Flower, Jenolyn Francisca Alexander, Godin Lab 7. Uptake of the Multistage Vector, Michael Evangelopoulos, Tasciotti Lab

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INSID

E THE IN

STITUTE

New on the web

Media HighlightStories: 652

Audience: 435.5 million 2013 was a productive year for Houston Methodist researchers in terms of academic publications, but also in terms of

popular media coverage. High-profile stories were featured in USA Today, the Houston Chronicle, and Yahoo Health.

4 5 6 7

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I N T H E N E W S

new videos on the web: Watch them all at methodist.hendrikmvp.com

•Open standards: Lessons on Balancing Risk and Potential, Rod Canion

•Kennedy’s assassination: a Look inside trauma Room One, Robert Grossman, M.D.

•novel targeted therapeutic and imaging agents for Cancer and inflammatory Diseases, Philip Low, Ph.D.

•targeting Beta-amyloid: scientific Cul-de-sac or the Future of alzheimer’s therapy, Martin Sadowski, M.D., Ph.D.

•Pet imaging in neuroscience and Diabetes, Richard Carson, M.D., Ph.D.

•evaluation of the Joint Commission surgical Care improvement Project, Mary Hawn, M.D.

Our web address is changing from tmhri.org to houstonmethodist.org/research. Please make sure to update your email signatures and business cards.

Visit our new websites for: Clinical Research services houstonmethodist.org/clinical-research-services the Cockrell Center for advanced therapeutics houstonmethodist.org/ccat Department of Cardiovascular sciences houstonmethodist.org/cardiovascular-sciences Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration houstonmethodist.org/center-for-cardiovascular-regeneration Rnacore houstonmethodist.org/rnacore

Need help getting your clinical trial information in the web

directory? First you need to make sure the trial is entered

correctly in the CTMS and MORTI. More details are available

online and from MORtitraining@houstonmethodist.org.

Clinical Trials on the web

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INSTITUTE QUICK FACTS

Million in Research Expenditure Worldwide

1400 Credentialed Researchers

Members Worldwide

Trainees

Million in Total Funding

540125

55840

550278

Thousand Sq Ft Research Space

Clinical Protocols

Compaq co-founder Canion discusses getting new medical technologies to market fasterLast December, Invesco Ltd. director and Compaq co-founder and Houston Methodist Research Institute board of directors member Rod Canion presented his ideas about how to improve the process of bringing important medical discoveries quickly and safely to patients.

The talk was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Houston Methodist Research

Institute President & CEO Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., and included former NCI Director and

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., Rice University Practice of

Entrepreneurship Professor Jack Gill, Ph.D., and Bay City Capital investment partner

and Vivaldi Biosciences CEO & President Douglass Given, M.D., Ph.D., MBA.

Watch it online at methodist.hendrikmvp.com

From left to right: Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.; Jack Gill, Ph.D.; Rod Canion; Douglass Given, M.D., Ph.D., MBA and Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

Dr. Jospeh Masdeu joins Houston MethodistJoseph C. Masdeu, M.D., Ph.D., joined Houston Methodist as the Nantz National Alzheimer

Center director in December, and will serve as director of neuroimaging and the Robert

Graham Distinguished Chair in Neuroimaging. Dr. Masdeu comes to us from the National

Institutes of Health, where he served as senior staff physician and scientist in the Section

of Integrative Neuroimaging of the Clinical Brain Disorders Branch. Dr. Masdeu brings

more than 30 years of experience as a clinician, researcher, educator and leader of two

neurology departments.

ICAR

E MO

MEN

TS

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The holiday season brings time with our families and friends, and also many opportunities to put our ICARE values into action. We’d like to share a few of these stories from around the Research Institute.

The Office of Governance & Faculty Affairs organized a central administration team to

adopt a family for the holidays, raising money for gift cards and wish lists for the children.

The family struggles to pay their bills on a single income, with one parent staying home to

care for a daughter and a three-year old son with Downs Syndrome. The Cancer Center,

Office of Research Protections and the Academic Office of Clinical Trials also organized

teams that adopted families in need for the holidays. The Office of External Relations had

individuals volunteering with the Houston Food Bank, the Hillcroft Dental Clinic, City ArtWorks,

and the City of Houston Holiday Project. They helped the city make handmade holidays cards,

deliver them to assisted care facilities, and visiting with the residents over the holiday season.

Tricia Lydick, Senior Executive Secretary, went above and beyond

to help a caller trying to track down medical records for a family

member. The caller reached the main Research Institute line after

several unsuccessful transfers. Tricia stepped in to navigate the

maze and find the right contact number for the grateful caller.

ICARE year in reviewThe Academic Office of Clinical Trials adopts a family for the holidays.

– Damali Keith, FOX 26 reporter

I truly appreciate Ms. Lydick’s kindness and consideration. I have had to take a lot of trips to Michigan, a lot of phone calls to hospitals and a lot of visits to doctors. For most of the people I encounter it is business as usual and there aren’t any attempts to make this battle any easier. I so VERY much appreciate Ms. Lydick and I hope you do as well!

“

”

Over the last year, many individuals throughout the organization volunteered with the Houston Methodist community benefits ICARE in Action program:

ICARE highlight: Tricia Lydick

Jackie nguyen, Diabetes & Metabolic Disease Program

Regina Fernandez, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine

Jennifer Leyendecker, OSRI

Maricela Ramirez, Diabetes & Metabolic Disease Program

Laurie Minze, Diabetes & Metabolic Disease Program

stacy Robinson, Diabetes & Metabolic Disease Program

Colleen Kelly, Communications & External Relations

Carly Filgueira, Genomic Medicine

William May, Genomic Medicine

song Kim, Governance and Faculty Affairs

sawana tillett, Governance and Faculty Affairs

Luanne novak,Governance and Faculty Affairs

shaun stephenson, Grants and Contracts

Krista Walton, Infectious Disease Program

Diane Jaskulski, Laboratory Operations

tara Conrad, MITIE

Jessica Rhudy, Department of Nanomedicine

Kathryn Brinkman, Governance and Faculty Affairs

nelcy Ramirez, Governance and Faculty Affairs

nianxi Zhao, Infectious Disease Program

sunae Kim, Department of Translational Imaging

Clarissa Fenroy, Research Receiving Dock

Michelle shemon, Communications & External Relations

Xiaoping Zhu, Department of Systems Medicine & Bioengineering

Hanh Hoang, Central Administration

Mariana Pope, Governance and Faculty Affairs

eudora Vasquez, Governance and Faculty Affairs

tiffany Polk, Governance and Faculty Affairs

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Education News

Globaleducational

Reach

Continuing Medical EducationTOTAL: 17,000

39 Series 21 National conferences

Graduate MedicalEducationTOTAL: 257

Residents/Fellows2013: 2472018: 303

Research EducationTOTAL: 3,900 (19 countries)

110 Seminars & conferences3500 Attendees131 Postdoctoral trainees (19 countries)67 Graduate students63 Summer students (29 institutions) 10 Undergraduate students 16 High school students

Global Health Care ServicesTOTAL: 3,085 (47 countries)

23 Lectures2853 Lecture participants10 iLEAD participants59 MITIE learners33 CME learners

MITIE Learners

CME

GMEMITIE

IAM

TOTAL: 6,267

858 Courses

Other LearnersTOTAL: 770

Rotating residents (419)Nursing students (100+)Pharmacy students (178)Allied health students (73)

MOREGHCS

GLOBaL eDuCatiOnaL ReaCH

CME • IAM • MITIE • GME • GHCS • MORE

Two fellowship programs have received accreditation from the Accreditation Council

for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME):

These programs will begin training their first class of trainees in July 2014. To see a

comprehensive list of the ACGME accredited and GMEC sponsored residency and

fellowship programs at Houston Methodist, please visit methodistgme.com.

Program director Dr. Jerry Estep

A D V A N C E D H E A R T F A I L U R E A N D T R A N S P L A N T C A R D I O L O G Y

Program director Dr. Alexandria Phan

H E M A T O L O G Y O N C O L O G Y

Three fellowship programs accredited

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Houston Methodist is the first hospital in the nation to achieve American Board of Physical Therapy ‘s accreditation for the Critical Care Physical Therapy Fellowship.

Methodist Academy Summer InternshipBeginning June 2, the Houston Methodist Academy will host 45 students from 10 states and 3 countries for

the summer internship program. Students will join us from 22 institutions including Harvard, Brown, Duke,

Purdue and Rice Universities. For more information contact Amy Wright, (aswright @houstonmethodist.org).

Mentored Clinical Research Training Program Junior physicians can apply for this fast-track program to acquire the skill set

to develop a clinical research project proposal and embark on a clinical research

career pathway. The program is aimed at WCMC and HM early career physicians

who have a strong interest in clinical research but who currently lack the time

to participate in comprehensive clinical research training.

timeline: notification of intent due March 17, 2014

invitation for applications March 19, 2014

application due May 1, 2014

For more information or to apply, visit: ctscd4.ctsc.med.cornell.edu/ctsc/training_and_education/mentored_training_program.

Congratulations to alex Martagon and Jan Lammel (Monterrey Tech students) for graduating on December 13, 2013.

Congratulations to our affiliate, Weill Cornell Medical College, for being named one of the Best Medical Schools for research by the 2015 U.S. News & World Report.

Watch the Annual Presidential Career Symposium sponsored by the TMC PostDoc Association, now available online at apcstmc.org.

EDU

CATIO

N

UPCOM

INg

EVENTS

Education News

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uPCOMinG eVents

april 16 Pluripotent Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine CMe credit available

april 16 Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

to Model and Treat Neurological Disease CMe credit available

april 16 The Future of Regenerative Medicine -

Advances in Research and Commercialization

april 16-17 New Frontiers in Therapeutics: Drugging the Undruggable

april 24-25 Multi-scale Cancer Systems Biology Symposium

april 30 New Tools in the Detection of Breast Cancer

CMe credit available

May 1 Health Care Reform: A Continually Changing Landscape

May 2 Training the Exceptional Surgeon:

A Human Factors Perspective

May 8 Tissue-engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral and

Central Nervous System Repair

May 13 Strategic Plan Implementation Update

June 17 Institute for Academic Medicine Update

Join toastmasters to polish your next presentationLooking to develop speaking and leadership skills? Join the Houston Methodist Toastmasters Club. Meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month (R6-124) and fourth Friday of each month (R8-124) at noon. Bring your lunch and eat during the meetings. For more information, contact Darren Schnider at drschnider@houstonmethodist.org

EDU

CATIO

N N

EWS

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2014UH/HMRIGraduateFellowshipProposals SelectedProposals have been selected and student recruitment has begun for the following 2014 UH/HMRI Graduate Fellowship Program projects.

HMRi Mentor uH Mentor Project title

Alessandro Grattoni (Nanomedicine)

Jacinta Conrad and Ramanan Krishnamoorti (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Understanding and modeling nanoparticle transport during drug delivery

Xian Li (Transplant Immunology)

Tianfu Wu (Biomedical Engineering)

Cytokines and costimulatory factors in T cell survival, activation and regulatory function

Edward Graviss (Pathology)

Elebeoba May (Biomedical Engineering)

Engineering models to investigate the impact of immune deficiencies and malnutrition and Mtb metabolic fitness and persistence

Ennio Tasciotti (Nanomedicine)

Ravi Birla (Biomedical Engineering)

Nanodelivery system for cardiac tissue engineering

Stephen Wong (Systems Medicine & Bioengineering)

Kirill Larin (Biomedical Engineering)

Early detection of lung cancer using multimodal assessment of tissue architecture, morphology, and function

Alvaro Munoz (Urology)

Yingchun Zhang (Biomedical Engineering)

Minimally invasive techniques to assess the recovery of bladder function after spinal cord injury interventions

Lidong Qin (Nanomedicine)

Ashutosh Agrawal (Mechanical Engineering)

Exploiting the distinct mechanical characteristics of cancer cells for optimizing cellular transport

Lidong Qin (Nanomedicine)

Jiming Bao (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Synthesis of H2O2 nanocatalysts for next generation point-of-care volumetric-bar-chart-chip

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Awards & Accolades AWAR

DS &

ACCOLADES

2013 Dottie and Jimmy C. adair Myelodysplastic syndrome treatment and Research Fund award

•Dr.SwaminathanP.Iyer,CMML/MDS/AMLMETEORDatabase

•Dr.StevenWong,FastTrackDrugRepositioningforMyelodysplastic Syndromes Biomarkers

•Dr.RongfuWang,EpigeneticReprogrammingandDifferentiationin Myelodysplastic Syndromes

•Dr.HaifaShen,TargetingtheRootofDiseaseforEffectiveTreatment of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

translational imaging 2013 Pilot Project awardees

•Investigators:Drs.PaoloDecuzziandVickiColvin Project Title: Magnetic Nanoconstructs for the Early Detection

and Ablation Therapy of Tumors

•Investigators:Drs.ZhengLiandYouliZu Project Title: Molecular Imaging with Nucleic Acid Aptamers

Copeland & Jenkins honored for research impact

Drs. Neal Copeland & Nancy Jenkins were listed as some of the most highly influential biomedical researchers in a recent publication by Boyack et al based on bibliometric analysis of their research impact from 1996-2011.

Houston Methodist Research institute: the Movie wins ‘addy’ award

The new Research Institute movie received a 2014 American Advertising Association Award for Best-of-the-Best in Houston. A special thanks to the entire Research Institute & MITIE for their help during the script development and filming over the last year.

Watch it online now: houstonmethodist.org/abouthmri

Methodology newsletter wins 2014 Graphic excellence award

Congratulations to creative lead Doris Huang and the IAM Office of Communications and External Relations for receiving a Best in Houston Award of Excellence in the 2014 Graphic Excellence Awards design competition for the Methodology newsletter.

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New Funding Awards & Applications

New FuNdiNg AwArds & ApplicAtioNs

Cancer Research

$300,000, Jenny Chang, 1 yr, National Science Foundation

$60,000, Patricia Chevez-Barrios, 3 yrs, NASA

Applications: Barbara Bass, Kapil Bhalla, Bhuvanesh Dave, Muralidhar Hegde (3), Min Kim, Yi Liu, Shiladitya Sengupta, Chunying Yang

genomic Medicine

Applications: Stephen Ayers, Patricia Chevez-Barrios, Paul Webb (4), Xuefeng Xia

Inflammation & Epigenetics

Applications: Qi Cao, Rongfu Wang, Yicheng Wang, Motao Zhu

Diabetes & Metabolic Disease

Applications: Ke Ma, Willa Hsueh (2)

Infectious Disease

Applications: Osama Gaber, Soma Jyothula

Neurosciences

Applications: Robert Grossman, Santosh Helekar

Transplant Immunology

Applications: Roger Sciammas, Thomas Kaleekal

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences

$350,000, Stephen Little, 3 yrs, National Science Foundation

Applications: John Cooke (2), Yohannes Ghebremariam (3), Nazish Sayed, Dipan Shah, Roman Sukhovershin, Miguel Valderrabano

Department of Nanomedicine

Applications: Silvia Ferrati, Biana Godin Vilentchouk (2), Alessandro Grattoni (3), Ye Hu (3), Xuewu Liu, Lidong Qin, Jason Sakamoto (3), Rita Serda, Haifa Shen (2), Ennio Tasciotti (4), Bradley Weiner, Arturas Ziemys

Department of Systems Medicine & Bioengineering

Applications: Yang Cong, Stephen Wong (7), Xiaofeng Xia (2), Zhong Xue (2), Ming Zhan

Department of Translational Imaging

Applications: Santosh Aryal, Paolo Decuzzi (3), Zheng Li (2), Brian O’Neill

Biostatistics

Applications: Leif Peterson (2)

New Members, Employees and Promotions

PromotionsElvin Blanco, Ph.D., Instructor, NanomedicineStanley Fisher, M.D., Associate Member, NeurologyLidong Qin, Ph.D., Associate Member, NanomedicineSteven Shen, Ph.D., Full Member, Pathology & Genomic MedicinePing Wang, Ph.D., Associate Member, Infectious DiseaseKelvin Wong, Ph.D., Associate Member, Systems Medicine & Bioengineering

New MembersSantosh Aryal, Ph.D., Translational ImagingAlessandro Parodi, Ph.D., NanomedicineChun Huie Lin M.D., Ph.D., Cardiovascular SciencesEduard Yakubov, Ph.D., Cardiovascular SciencesEric Bernicker, M.D., Cancer Research ProgramGavin Britz, M.D., M.P.H., NeurosciencesGill Sviri, M.D., M.Sc., NeurosurgeryGustavo Roman, M.D., Neurosciences Research ProgramJorge Darcourt, M.D., Cancer Research ProgramJoshua Swan, Pharm.D., Center for Outcomes ResearchLuca Deseri, Ph.D., NanomedicineLuca Pollonini, Ph.D., SurgeryMuralidhar Hegde, Ph.D., Cancer Research ProgramNazish Sayed, MBBS, Ph.D., Cardiovascular SciencesPhilip Low, Ph.D., AdministrationSeyed Moghimi, Ph.D., Translational ImagingSteve Fung, M.D., Translational ImagingTianfu Wu, Ph.D., Transplant ImmunologyWeidong Le, M.D., Ph.D., NeurologyWing Tak Jack Wong, Ph.D., Cardiovascular SciencesYingchun Zhang, Ph.D., CancerYohannes Ghebremariam, Ph.D., Cardiovascular SciencesZhiqiang Zhang, Ph.D., Transplant Immunology

Cancer Research Daniel Davila Gonzalez, Graduate Research Fellow Michiko Kodama, Postdoctoral Assc Sanjay Adhikari, Research Scientist

Clinical Trials SupportMorgan Yrshus , Clinical Research Nurse

Inflammation & EpigeneticsBaowei Cai, Graduate Research Fellow Changsheng Xing, Postdoctoral Fellow Hongwei Du, Postdoctoral Fellow Jung Sun Kim, Postdoctoral Fellow Ann-Marie Cimo, Scientific Writer

Comparative MedicineChe Kamani, Veterinary Technician II Judit Markovits, Veterinary Pathologist

Department of Cardiovascular Sciences Gang Zhou, Postdoctoral Assc Timo Nazari-Shafti, Postdoctoral Fellow IRachel Kronman-Gross, Sr. Research Coord Christopher Mattair, Research Coord II

Grants and Contracts Rhonda Davenport, Finance Manager

Transplant Immunology Jie Wu, Graduate Research Fellow Yanmeng Peng, Graduate Research Fellow Sunil Kannanganat, Research Assc I Yihui Fan, Research Assc I Peixiang Lan, Postdoctoral Fellow Zhiqiang Zhang, ScientistRoger Sciammas, Scientist

Department of Nanomedicine Giancarlo Canavese, Affiliated Scientist I Maria Scavo, Research Assc I Erkuan Wang, Research Asst II Haiyu Huang, Research Asst II Zhengbao Zha, Postdoctoral Fellow Yang Li, Postdoctoral Fellow IPing-Jung Su, Postdoctoral Fellow II

NeurosciencesXiaoling Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow

Infectious DiseaseJie Xuan, Postdoctoral Fellow

Outcomes & Quality Alexandra Anderson, Research Asst II Sravan Bhagavatula, Graduate Research Fellow Department of Systems Medicine and BioengineeringLin Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow Xi Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow 1

Department of Translational ImagingWeiwei Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow

New Visitors

Department of Cardiovascular SciencesSharleen Botero, Visiting Undergraduate Research FellowOdeaa Al-Jabbari, Visiting Postdoctoral FellowBahij Kreidieh, Visiting Postdoctoral FellowCesar Uribe, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Department of Systems Medicine & Bioengineering Lin Tian, Visiting Graduate Research Fellow

Department of Translational ImagingIlaria Zivi, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

MITIEGuillaume Joerger, Visiting Graduate Research FellowFanny Verdier, Visiting Graduate Research Fellow

NanomedicineShawn Jacob, Visiting High School StudentSarah Hmaidan, Visiting Graduate Research FellowBronwyn Scott, Visiting Undergraduate Research FellowZhizhou Yang, Visiting ScientistLedu Zhou, Visiting ScientistDechen Zhang, Visiting Graduate Research Fellow

NeurosciencesCinzia Chiandetti, Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

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Houston Methodist Research Institute

6670 Bertner Ave.Houston | TX 77030

Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Hall, Ph.D.

Design & Creative Lead Doris Huang

Content Coordinator Michelle Shemon

Photographer Billy Stewart

METHODOLOGYThe Research and Education Newsletter of Houston Methodist

Contributing Writers David Bricker Brenda Hartman Hahn Hoang Colleen Kelly George Kovacik Resa Labbe-Morris Michelle Shemon Julie Sicam Katie Wooldridge

Read more online: HoustonMethodist.org/hmrinews

Office of Communications and External RelationsInstitute for Academic MedicineIAMNEWS-002 | 04.2014 | 500

Research around the cornerThe Houston Methodist Hospital and Research Institute in the heart of the TMC form the headquarters of our medical research and education programs. The Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics has offices throughout the greater Houston area to support clinical trials closer to study participant homes or workplaces. For more information, contact 713.441.1261 or visit houstonmethodist.org/research.

LEADINg MEDICINE IN gREATER HOUSTON

HOUSTON METHODIST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (Texas Medical Center) 6670 Bertner Ave., Houston, Texas 77030 houstonmethodist.org/research

COCkRELL CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS

CCAT & PHASE 1 RESEARCH UNIT - TMC HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL (Texas Medical Center) 6565 Fannin St. Houston, Texas 77030 Phase 1 unit: 713.441.3959 Clinical Trials hotline: 713.441.3250

CCAT–SUgAR LAND HOUSTON METHODIST SUgAR LAND HOSPITAL (U.S. 59 and Sweetwater) 16655 Southwest Fwy. Sugar Land, Texas 77479 713.441.3958

CCAT–WEST HOUSTON WEST HOUSTON METHODIST HOSPITAL (I-10 at Barker Cypress) 18500 Katy Fwy. Houston, Texas 77094 713.441.3250

CCAT–PEARLAND METHODIST PRIMARy CARE gROUP 9430 W. Broadway St., Suite 120 Pearland, Texas 77584 281.485.3434

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