TAMEST Member News Roundup- March 2021

TAMEST In The News

Houston Chronicle: Opinion: Texas’ Power Wipe Out – What Went Wrong and How to Fix it, TAMEST Members Mark Barteau, Ph.D. (NAE), and Chanan Singh, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University

American Medical Association: Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. on His 10 Years of Work on Coronavirus, TAMEST Member Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine

The New York Times: 60 Black Health Experts Urge Black Americans to Get Vaccinated, TAMEST Members Mae C. Jemison, M.D (NAM), The Jemison Group, and Roderic Pettigrew, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM, NAE), Texas A&M Health; Texas A&M University; Houston Methodist

Texas Monthly: A New Microscope Developed at Rice Could Revolutionize Cancer Surgeries, TAMEST Member Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS), Rice University

San Antonio Report: The COVID-19 Vaccine: Most Who Want It Can’t Yet Get It, TAMEST Member Robert L. Ferrer, M.D. (NAM), UT Health San Antonio

Click2Houston: Polio Survivors Reflect on Pandemic as They Receive COVID-19 Vaccine, TAMEST Member Gerard E. Francisco, M.D. (NAM), UTHealth

D Magazine: Dr. Benjamin Tu Has Been Named a Recipient of the 2021 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science, 2021 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Benjamin Tu, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center

Houston Chronicle: Grieder: Texans Need to Hear Message that COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe, Will Save Lives, TAMEST Past President Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. (NAM), UT Health San Antonio

Click2Houston: CDC Numbers Show Women, White People Most Likely to be Vaccinated After First Month of Rollout, TAMEST Member Vivian Ho, Ph.D. (NAM), Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine

UT News: National Academy of Engineering Elects UT Professor and Three Alumni, TAMEST Member S.V. Sreenivasan, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin

Member Briefs

Eleven Texans Named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2021 Class of Senior Members
TAMEST congratulates 11 Texans named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2021 class of Senior Members, including 2020 O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Jeffrey Rimer, Ph.D., University of Houston and past TAMEST Protégés Saurabh Biswas, Ph.D., Texas A&M University and James F. Martin, M.D., Ph.D., Texas Heart Institute. Read More

Study Identifies Never-Before-Seen Dual Function in Enzyme Critical for Cancer Growth
A study conducted by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson), the University of Vermont, and Yale University has revealed key findings needed to potentially keep cancer cells from using DNA break repair pathways. TAMEST Member Richard D. Wood, Ph.D. (FRS), MD Anderson, co-author of the study, and the team of researchers discovered that an enzyme integral to repairing DNA damage can not only extend DNA in the repair process, but it can also behave like a nuclease and trim DNA. This discovery shows promise as a new avenue for treatment development for patients with especially hard-to-treat cancers. Read More

Bionic Muscles That Are Stronger, Faster, and More Efficient
For more than 15 years, researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) and their collaborators in the U.S., Australia, South Korea and China have fabricated artificial muscles by twisting and coiling carbon nanotube or polymer yarns. TAMEST Member Ray H. Baughman, Ph.D. (NAE), UT Dallas, and the international team recently published their research to showcase how electrochemically driven carbon nanotube muscles work in a more efficient manner than thermally powered artificial muscles. Dr. Baughman, a corresponding author of the study, suggests that these artificial muscles have a wide range of applications and could power electric robotic exoskeletons, which could enable a person to work in a warehouse and move heavy items around with ease. Read More

Silo Pharma, Inc. Enhances Scientific Advisory Board with Appointment of Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff of University of Texas at Austin
TAMEST congratulates Member Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), The University of Texas at Austin, on recently being named to the Scientific Advisory Board of Silo Pharma, Inc., a developmental stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the use of psilocybin as a therapeutic. Dr. Nemeroff was selected for his expertise and decades of clinical research in neuropsychiatric disorders. Read More

Detonation Testing Facility Approved for RELLIS Campus
A new Detonation Research Test Facility (DRTF) will be constructed on Texas A&M University’s RELLIS Campus, adding to its array of capabilities for solving complex global problems. TAMEST Member Elaine S. Oran, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University, will lead a team at the DRTF and examine how flammable gases and other materials interact and sometimes — though not always — detonate on a massive scale. The discoveries could help prevent horrific mining, industrial and home accidents, predict the path of wildfires and make high-speed engines run more efficiently. Read More

First people to Enter the Americas Likely Did So with Their Dogs
The first people to settle in the Americas likely brought their own canine companions with them, according to a new study co-authored by TAMEST Member David J. Meltzer, Ph.D. (NAS), Southern Methodist University. Dr. Meltzer, along with an international team of researchers, looked at the archaeological and genetic records of ancient people and dogs. They found that the first people to cross into the Americas before 15,000 years ago were accompanied by their dogs. The researchers say this discovery suggests that dog domestication likely took place in Siberia before 23,000 years ago. Read More

A Virtual Science Festival as Big as Texas
From now until March 26, The University of Texas at Austin is hosting a virtual celebration featuring rapid-fire and deep-dive presentations by world-changing scientists, live hands-on demonstrations of explosive experiments, telescope viewings and opportunities to interact with experts from The University of Texas system. The event will feature Nobel Laureates and TAMEST Members Jim Allison, Ph.D. (NAS, NAE), The University of Texas at MD Anderson, and Steven Weinberg, Ph.D. (NAS), The University of Texas at Austin. Other speakers include 2012 O’Donnell Award in Science Recipient Karl Gebhardt, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, and TAMEST Members Mary K. Estes, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), Baylor College of Medicine, Katherine Freese, Ph.D. (NAS), The University of Texas at Austin, and Nancy A. Moran, Ph.D. (NAS), The University of Texas at Austin. Learn More