TAMEST Member News Roundup – August 2024

TAMEST In The News

The New York Times: A Mammoth First: 52,000-Year-Old DNA, in 3-D, 2023 O’Donnell Award in Physical Sciences Recipient Erez Lieberman Aiden, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine

The Texas Tribune: UT San Antonio and UT Health San Antonio Will Merge Into One Institution, James B. Milliken, Chancellor of The University of Texas System

InnovationMap: Houston Semiconductor Researchers Join DARPA-Funded Texas Team, TAMEST Member Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), 2024 O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., Rice University and TAMEST Member S.V. Sreenivasan, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin

SciTechDaily: 98% Recovery – Scientists Develop New and Improved Battery Recycling Method, TAMEST Member James M. Tour, Ph.D. (NAE, FRS), Rice University

InnovationMap: This New Houston Lab is Translating Genetics Research into Clinical Diagnostics, TAMEST Board President Brendan Lee, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine

Texas A&M Today: Engineers Explore Intelligence Augmentation to Improve Safety, TAMEST Member Stratos Pistikopoulos, Ph.D. (FREng), Texas A&M University

Dallas Innovates: UT Southwestern Researchers Target a Protein to Fight Leukemia, Lymphoma, TAMEST Member and Nobel Laureate Bruce Beutler, M.D. (NAM, NAS), UT Southwestern Medical Center

HHMI: HHMI Invests Over $300 Million in 26 New Investigators, 2023 O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences Recipient James J. Collins III, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center

D Magazine: Meet the Dallas 500: Tom Luce, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, TAMEST Hill Prizes Funder Lyda Hill Philanthropies and TAMEST 2020 Annual Conference Speaker Tom Luce, J.D., Texas 2036

Center Times Plus: Innovative Virologist Julie Pfeiffer Appointed Chair of Microbiology, 2019 O’Donnell Award in Science Recipient Julie Pfeiffer, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center

Morningstar: Intuitive Machines Honored by City of Houston; Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium – Texas Space Commission Appointment, TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference Speaker Tim Crain, Ph.D., Intuitive Machines

ASU Magazine: Science and Technology Building Planned for University of North Texas, Vice President for Research and Innovation Pamela Padilla, Ph.D., University of North Texas

KVUE: UT’s Texas Institute for Electronics Awarded $840M for Tech Research and Development, TAMEST Member S.V. Sreenivasan, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin

Member Briefs

TAMEST Mourns the Loss of Pete Winstead

TAMEST mourns the loss of Pete Winstead, a vital early champion of our organization who played a pivotal role in shaping our society. For over 20 years, Mr. Winstead and Winstead PC have provided invaluable pro bono legal support that has been instrumental in our success. He served as a key partner to TAMEST in the very first years of the organization as a member of our Industry Advisory Committee. His firm hosted the first TAMEST Board meetings, drafted our initial bylaws and secured our nonprofit status. TAMEST was just one of the many causes Mr. Winstead dedicated himself to and our organization wouldn’t be where we are today without him and Winstead PC. He will be deeply missed. Learn more about his life and legacy.

$18M ARPA-H Award Supports Rice-Led Research on Tumor Analysis System for Breast, Head and Neck Cancer

A Rice University-led multi-institutional research collaboration including TAMEST Member Rebecca R. Richards-Kortum, Ph.D. (NAE, NAS) and 2024 O’Donnell Award in Engineering Recipient Ashok Veeraraghavan, Ph.D., has won an award of up to $18 million over five years from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop and validate a new system for improving tumor removal accuracy for two types of cancer: breast and head and neck cancer. Read More

Four Longhorns Receive Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards for 2024-2025

Four scholars, including TAMEST Member Anthony Di Fiore, Ph.D. (NAS), at The University of Texas at Austin have received Fulbright United States Scholar Program awards for the 2024-2025 academic year. With support from the United States Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, three UT faculty members and one graduate student will teach, study or research in four countries. Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty members, researchers, administrators and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. Read More

Julie Schoenung Receives Prestigious Distinguished Lectureship in Materials and Society

TAMEST Member Julie Schoenung, Ph.D. (NAE), Texas A&M University, has been selected as the recipient of 2024 TMS/ASM Joint Distinguished Lectureship in Materials and Society Award. This esteemed recognition, jointly presented by ASM International® and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), marks a significant milestone in Dr. Schoenung’s career. Read More

UTSW Study Identifies RNA Molecule that Regulates Cellular Aging

A team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers including TAMEST 2016 O’Donnell Award in Medicine Recipient and TAMEST 2023 Annual Conference Co-Chair Joshua T. Mendell, M.D., Ph.D., has discovered a new way that cells regulate senescence, an irreversible end to cell division. The findings, published in Cell, could one day lead to new interventions for a variety of conditions associated with aging, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, as well as new therapies for a collection of diseases known as ribosomopathies. Read More

Innovative Early-Career Engineers Selected to Participate in The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2024 Symposium of the National Academy of Engineering

Seventy-six highly accomplished, early-career engineers have been selected to participate in the 2024 The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, a signature activity of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Engineers who are performing exceptional research and technical work in a variety of disciplines will come together to share new techniques and approaches across fields, facilitate collaboration in engineering and build professional networks among the next generation of engineering leaders. The 2024 USFOE is chaired by TAMEST Member and TAMEST 2024 Annual Conference Co-Chair Karen E. Willcox, Ph.D. (NAE), The University of Texas at Austin and will be held September 11-14 at the National Academies’ Beckman Center in Irvine, California. Read More

INCELL Pioneering the World’s First Effective Cell Therapy for ALS

TAMEST Member Mary Pat Moyer, Ph.D. (NAE), discusses INCELL’s pioneering work on the world’s first effective cell therapy for ALS. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is defined by the ALS Association as a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS symptoms vary and patients may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. There is no cure. The Mayo Clinic reports that no treatments can reverse ALS damage, but they may slow the progression of disease symptoms or help prevent complications. INCELL is committed to tackling innovative ALS therapy. Read More

First Look at the Rice Nexus, Rice University’s Premier Innovation Factory at the Ion

Rice University has unveiled the first architectural renderings of the Rice Nexus, a groundbreaking innovation factory within the Ion that will transform ideas from Rice faculty and students into market-ready technology. Situated in the heart of the 16-acre Ion District, the Rice Nexus will open this fall, offering a dynamic space for collaboration and creativity in technology development. Read More

National Science Foundation Turns to Texas A&M to Protect Sensitive Research

The U.S. National Science Foundation picked Texas A&M University to be part of a comprehensive national project to keep sensitive American research out of the hands of foreign entities. The NSF announced the five-year, $67 million investment to establish the Safeguarding the Entire Community of the U.S. Research Ecosystem (SECURE) Center. Of the $67 million investment, $17 million will go to Texas A&M University. Read More

UT Health San Antonio Faculty Member Helps Create Universal Long COVID Definition

A report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) provides a working definition of long COVID. TAMEST 2020 Webinar Speaker Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, served on the committee that produced the report. Read More

Antonio Bianco Named UTMB Health Vice President and Vice Provost for Research, Chief Research Officer

Antonio Bianco, M.D., Ph.D., will join the University of Texas Medical Branch as Vice President and Vice Provost, Research, and Chief Research Officer, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Bianco is a renowned physician-scientist, scholar and research leader, with an impressive academic career that includes influential contributions to the field of thyroid diseases and an enduring commitment to education and mentorship. Read More

Action Collaborative on Combatting Substance Use and Opioid Crises Launches National Pilot Project to Transform Interprofessional Substance Use Education and Training

The National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Combatting Substance Use and Opioid Crises announced the launch of its Core Competency Implementation Pilot Project and the selection of 16 implementation sites across the United States, including University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. In partnership with the Action Collaborative, the sites will work towards advancing substance use care, workforce competency, and interprofessional education and practice by implementing the Action Collaborative’s 3Cs Framework for Pain and Unhealthy Substance Use, released in 2022. Read More

The Alan T. Waterman Award Call for Nominations

The Alan T. Waterman Award recognizes an outstanding early career researcher in any field of science or engineering supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The annual award is the nation’s highest honor for early-career scientists and engineers. In addition to a medal, the awardee receives a grant of $1,000,000 over a five-year period for scientific research or advanced study in the science and engineering disciplines supported by the National Science Foundation at the institution of their choice. NSF is seeking nominations for exceptional candidates that represent the diversity of the U.S. Nominations for the 2025 Alan T. Waterman award will be accepted from July 22 to September 20, 2024. Read More

New Breakthrough in Alzheimer’s Research: UTMB Researchers Develop Nasal Spray Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch recently discovered a significant advancement in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, introduces an innovative nasal spray treatment that has shown promising results in clearing harmful tau protein build-up and improving cognitive functions in aged mice models with neurodegenerative diseases. Read More

Texas State Named Part of Texas Institute for Electronics Consortium to Advance U.S. Semiconductor Industry

Texas State University has been named part of the Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) consortium to develop the next generation of high-performing semiconductor microsystems for the Department of Defense. The $840 million project is part of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Read More

Chevron to Move its Headquarters from California to Texas

Chevron Corporation will move its headquarters from San Ramon, California, to Houston before the end of the year, the company said. Chevron is the latest company to leave California for Texas seeking a laxer, more business-friendly regulatory environment. Chevron said in a press release the move will allow better collaboration between its executives, partners and employees. The oil company already has roughly 7,000 employees in the Houston area. It expects all corporate functions to relocate to Houston over the next five years. Read More