TAMEST Member News Roundup – March 2023
TAMEST loves to share the accolades of our membership. If you have been nominated for an award, been interviewed by the media or otherwise have a reason to celebrate, please share your news with TAMEST.
TAMEST In The News
D Magazine: Drunk Mice Are Sobering Up Twice as Fast with This Hormone Treatment, UTSW Study Finds, TAMEST Member David J. Mangelsdorf, Ph.D. (NAS) and Steven A. Kliewer, Ph.D. (NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center
KDFW FOX 4: Here & Now: A Conversation with New HSC President Sylvia Trent-Adams, TAMEST Member Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D. (NAM), The University of North Texas Health Science Center
Sci Tech Daily: Dark Energy Experiment Reveals Galaxy Gold Mine in First Large Survey, 2012 O’Donnell Award Recipient Karl Gebhardt, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
Houston Chronicle: MD Anderson Team Using Poop to Develop Cancer Treatment, 2023 O’Donnell Award Recipient Jennifer Wargo, M.D., MD Anderson Cancer Center
D Magazine: UTSW Pharmacologist Receives Award, 2023 O’Donnell Award Recipient James J. Collins III, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center
San Antonio Express-News: UT Health San Antonio gets $4 million to Improve Cancer Outreach and Outcomes for Latinos, TAMEST Member and Former Board President Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. (NAM), UT Health San Antonio
Member Briefs
Mathematics’ Highest Prize Awarded to Luis Caffarelli
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has named TAMEST Member Luis A. Caffarelli, Ph.D. (NAS), a professor of mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin, winner of the 2023 Abel Prize, considered the Nobel Prize equivalent in mathematics and one of the top international awards. Norway’s King Harald V will present the Abel Prize to Caffarelli at an award ceremony in Oslo on May 23. He is the first Latin American mathematician to receive the award. Read More
UT Southwestern Medical Center Announces the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research
UT Southwestern Medical Center has established the Beth Levine, M.D. Prize in Autophagy Research, an annual award and lecture for exceptional scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of autophagy. Considered the founder of the field of mammalian autophagy, the late TAMEST Member and 2008 O’Donnell Award Recipient Beth Levine, M.D. (NAM), UT Southwestern Medical Center, was an internationally revered investigator whose groundbreaking work demonstrated that autophagy plays a critical role in the determination of human health and as a driving mechanism in a broad range of human diseases. Read More
UT Southwestern Researchers Report New Mechanism in an Ancient Pathway of Immune Response
Biochemist, TAMEST Member and 2007 O’Donnell Award Recipient Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center, famously identified the cGAS enzyme pathway that alerts the human immune system to disease-causing invaders like viruses. Since then, researchers have found that cGAS signaling is an ancient, conserved defense strategy stretching from bacteria to mammals. A new study from the Chen lab published in Nature reports a novel mechanism bacteria use to enhance the effectiveness of the cGAS-mediated immune response. Read More
Texas Children’s Hospital: Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi and Dr. Huda Zoghbi Inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame at 2023 Gala
TAMEST Member Huda Zoghbi, M.D. (NAM, NAS) and 2020 TAMEST Protégé Maria Elena Bottazzi, Ph.D., Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, were honored by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC) and inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame. The Texas Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding women who have contributed significantly to the advancement of women and improved the quality of life for future generations of Texas women.
UH Energy Transition Institute Introduces Advisory Board
The new University of Houston Energy Transition Institute has established an eight-member advisory board including TAMEST Board Member and Treasurer-Elect Selda Gunsel, Ph.D. (NAE), Shell Global Solutions U.S. and 2023 TAMEST Annual Conference Speaker Peter F. Green, Ph.D. (NAE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to help grow the institute and achieve its goal of an energy future with reliable, affordable and cleaner energy for all. Read More
Mosquito’s DNA Could Provide Clues on Gene Expression, Regulation
Researchers including TAMEST Member Peter G. Wolynes, Ph.D. (NAS), Rice University and 2023 O’Donnell Award Recipient Erez Lieberman Aiden, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, are among the pioneers of a new approach to studying DNA. Instead of focusing on chromosomes as linear sequences of genetic code, they’re looking for clues on how their folded 3D shapes might determine gene expression and regulation. Read More
Lyda Hill Philanthropies Announces Purpose-Built Life Science Development in Dallas-Fort Worth Region
TAMEST 2023 Annual Conference Sponsor Lyda Hill Philanthropies announced its plans for Bridge Labs in its Dallas-based Pegasus Park. It will be the first purpose-built life science/R&D development in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The 135,000 square foot building will be designed to accommodate a range of wet lab and dry lab uses with flexible, 25,000-35,000 square foot floor plates. The project includes best-in-class specifications, including fully upgraded utilities and centralized HVAC, back-up generator, loading dock and centralized/shared lab infrastructure, including glass wash, autoclave, and chemical storage. Read More
