TAMEST Member News Roundup- January 2021

TAMEST In The News

Baylor College of Medicine: Dr. Benjamin Arenkiel Recognized by TAMEST for Breakthrough Findings, TAMEST 2021 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine Recipient Benjamin Arenkiel, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine

UT Southwestern Medical Center: Biochemist Benjamin Tu Honored with O’Donnell Award from TAMEST, TAMEST 2021 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science Recipient Benjamin Tu, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center

The Dallas Morning News: He Fights Covid in the Research Lab and in the Media, TAMEST Member Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tornado Gave Tech Department Chance to Expand Research, TAMEST Member Kishor C. Mehta, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas Tech University

The Eagle: John L. Junkins Addresses Interim President Role for Texas A&M, TAMEST Member John L. Junkins, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University

Scientific American: Sunlight Powers Portable, Inexpensive Systems to Produce Drinking Water, TAMEST Member Naomi J. Halas, Ph.D., D.Sc. (NAE, NAS), Rice University

Chron.com: Strict Lockdowns Led to Fewer Deaths Later in Pandemic, Rice University Study Says, TAMEST Member Vivian Ho, Ph.D. (NAM), Rice University

Fleet Equipment Magazine: Understanding New Diesel Engine Technology and Making Sure it’s Used Correctly, TAMEST Member Selda Gunsel, Ph.D. (NAE), Shell

Axios: Former FDA Commissioner: “Reliable Drug Supply is Absolutely Critical,” TAMEST Member Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), The University of Texas at Austin

AnandTech: AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su: Interview on 2021 Demand, Supply, Tariffs, Xilinx, and EPYC, TAMEST Member Lisa Su, Ph.D. (NAE), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Member Briefs

Five NAM Members Elected to Serve 3-Year Terms in the Academy’s Governing Council
TAMEST Member Huda Y. Zoghbi, M.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine, is one of five National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Members chosen by NAM President Victor J. Dzau, M.D. (NAM) and Home Secretary Elena Fuentes-Afflick, M.D. (NAM) to serve a three-year term on the Academy’s Governing Council, effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024. Read More

A Special Dedication to Tissue Engineering’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Tony Mikos
For more than 25 years, TAMEST Member Antonios G. Mikos, Ph.D. (NAM, NAE), Rice University, has served at the helm of one of the most influential peer-reviewed academic journals in the field: Tissue Engineering. As one of the founding editors of the journal, Dr. Mikos collaboratively led Tissue Engineering to tremendous success with focused dedication, advocacy, vision, and stalwart commitment. Along with his commitment to overseeing the growth of the journal, supporting the field, and advocating for researchers around the world, Dr. Mikos worked diligently to build and support the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), the official, and only, society affiliated with the journal to date. Read More

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine: Gulf Research Program
TAMEST Board President David E. Daniel, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Dallas, has recently been named Chair of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Gulf Research Program Committee. The program is dedicated to enhancing offshore energy safety and environmental protection while also maintaining human health and community resilience. The committee plays a critical role in identifying opportunities that will advance program initiatives, conceptualizing and designing program activities, assisting with program outreach, and evaluating program impact. Read More

Leveraging the Future Research and Development Ecosystem for the Intelligence Community
The Intelligence Community Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine appointed an ad hoc committee to explore ways in which the intelligence community might leverage the future research and development ecosystem. Committee Chair and TAMEST Member Frederick R. Chang, Ph.D. (NAE), Southern Methodist University, will lead the committee in planning, organizing, and writing a consensus report that will be based largely on two unclassified workshops. Read More

Researchers Uncover a Potential Treatment for an Aggressive Form of Lung Cancer
In the lab of TAMEST Member Ralph J. DeBerardinis, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), UT Southwestern Medical Center, researchers have uncovered a new metabolic vulnerability in a highly aggressive form of non-small cell lung cancer. The findings, published in Nature Metabolism, could pave the way for new treatments for patients with mutations in two key genes – KRAS and LKB1. Patients whose tumors contain both of these mutations, known as KL tumors, have poor outcomes and usually do not respond to immunotherapy. Read More

Sanara MedTech Inc. Announces the Appointment of Sara Ortwein to its Board of Directors
TAMEST congratulates board member Sara N. Ortwein (NAE), ExxonMobil (retired), on her recent appointment to the board of Sanara MedTech Inc., a provider of wound and skincare products dedicated to improving patient outcomes. Ms. Ortwein was selected for her diversity of thought and Fortune 500 experience at the executive level as well as for her strong background in science and engineering. Read More

Scientists Identify New Gene Involved in Autism Spectrum Disorder
TAMEST Member and Nobel Laureate Bruce A. Beutler, M.D. (NAM, NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center, recently co-authored a study that identified a new gene involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) called KDM5A. Using an adapted version of the classic research technique called forward genetics, researchers identified a link between disrupted communication in young mice carrying the induced genetic mutations. In addition to the loss of vocalizations, mice lacking KDM5A also displayed repetitive behaviors and deficits in social interaction, learning, and memory – all hallmarks of ASD.

Enhancing Machine-Learning Capabilities in Oil and Gas Production
Both a machine-learning algorithm and an engineer can predict if a bridge is going to collapse when they are given data that shows a failure might happen. However, the algorithm generally cannot explain why a system would fail due to a limitation in terms of interpretability based on scientific knowledge. To reduce this limitation, TAMEST Member Akhil Datta-Gupta, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University, is leading his institution’s participation in a multi-university and national laboratory project through The U.S. Department of Energy. The project will create an advanced system that will quickly sift data produced during hydraulic fracturing operations through physics-enhanced machine-learning algorithms. This will filter the outcomes using past observed experiences, and then render near real-time changes to reservoir conditions during oil recovery operations. Read More

Simple Bioreactor Makes ‘Gut Check’ More Practical
In a study recently co-authored by TAMEST Member Mary K. Estes, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine, researchers have discovered how to mimic conditions in intestines, providing a mechanical model for the real-time growth of bacterial infections. The researchers demonstrated a lab tool that simplifies simulations of the human intestine, making it more practical to find treatments for diseases like infectious diarrhea. Testing the device led the researchers to find the first direct evidence that aggregative adherence fimbriae, sticky appendages found on most infectious enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), are necessary for the bacteria to form a biofilm. Read More

Moshe Vardi World Logic Day Webinar, From Aristotle to the iPhone
To commemorate World Logic Day 2021, TAMEST Member Moshe Y. Vardi, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS), Rice University, presented on the progression of logic – tracing its path from Aristotle to the iPhone. The presentation, hosted by Rice University’s Department of Computer Science, detailed how logic has surpassed the branch of philosophy by developing and formalizing in such a way that we now apply it to our modern computer systems. Watch Here

The Ken Shine Prize Lecture: Dr. Anthony Fauci
On January 14, 2021, Ken Shine Prize in Health Leadership awardee Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. (NAM, NAS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and TAMEST Member Clay Johnston, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), The University of Texas at Austin, discussed what comes after COVID-19. Hosted by UT Austin’s Dell Medical School, the interview discussed some of society’s most pressing questions based on Dr. Fauci’s unique combination of experience, access and insight to understanding. Topics included what we’ve learned from the pandemic, how we can sustain preparedness in non-pandemic times, the politicization of science and more. Watch Here