TAMEST Member News Roundup – September 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
Dallas Innovates: Texas is Chosen for One of Three ARPA-H Hubs, with Dallas Snagging a Key Prize,Hill Prizes Funder Lyda Hill Philanthropies
Innovation Map: New Biotech Lab, Accelerator Emerges in Houston to Speed Up Commercialization of Life-Saving Cures, TAMEST Member Reginald DesRoches, Ph.D. (NAE), Rice University
Texas Monthly: Healthy Eating May Turn Your Gut Bacteria Into Cancer-Fighting Heroes, 2023 O’Donnell Award in Medicine: Jennifer Wargo, M.D., MD Anderson Cancer Center
KUT: RSV Vaccine for Pregnant Women Could Change the Game for a Common Illness, UT Austin Scientist Says, 2022 O’Donnell Award in Medicine: Jason McLellan, Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
Houston Public Media: How to Deal with the Unintended Consequences Technology Creates, TAMEST Member Moshe Y. Vardi, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS, FRS), Rice University
Texas Monthly: Anti-Science Views Are Literally Killing Us, Dr. Peter Hotez Warns, TAMEST Member Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine
Cure: Optimism Abounds in Ovarian Cancer Research, TAMEST Member Anil K. Sood, M.D. (NAM), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Member Briefs
Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital Launch a New Clinical Genomic Sequencing Program to Help Patients with an Undiagnosed Condition
About 35 percent of severe developmental childhood genetic diseases have a known disease-causing gene mutation. Researchers including TAMEST Members Hugo J. Bellen, D.V.M., Ph.D. (NAS) and Richard A. Gibbs, Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine, have launched a new genomic sequencing initiative to identify the genetic mutations and the underlying mechanisms responsible for the remaining two-thirds of these pediatric conditions. Read More
Dr. Joan Conaway is Named President-Elect of Leading Scientific Society
TAMEST Member Joan Conaway, Ph.D. (NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been elected President-Elect of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), one of the largest scientific societies in the world. “This is an incredible way for me to give back to a society that has supported me since my earliest days as a scientist,” said Dr. Conaway. Read More
Intestinal Bacteria Release Molecular ‘Brake’ on Weight Gain
Bacteria that live in the intestines inhibit a molecule that limits the amount of fat absorbed, increasing weight gain in mice fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center including TAMEST Board Member Lora Hooper, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS) report. The findings, published in Science, could eventually lead to new ways to combat obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition – health problems that plague hundreds of millions worldwide. Read More
Philanthropic Gift Establishes Historic UT Commitment to Monitoring Texas’ Natural Resources
TAMEST Member Institution The University of Texas at Austin is embarking on a significant new commitment in biodiversity, natural-resources and field-station research. During the coming decades, with more than $50 million in new philanthropy from the Winn Family Foundation and another $150 million in estimated institutional and additional philanthropic support, the University is increasing research investments in field stations and ecological research designed to take place over decades. Read More
Applications Now Open for the Activate Fellowship
Activate has expanded its immersive two-year fellowship for science entrepreneurs with the launch of its newest community in Houston. The fellowship clears the path for promising entrepreneurial scientists to quickly and effectively bring their groundbreaking research to market. Applications are now open through October 17, 2023. Read More
