Houston Methodist Academic Institute
BOARD MEMBERS Houston Methodist Academic Institute Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., Sr. Chair
Martha S. DeBusk
Gregory V. Nelson
John F. Bookout, III, Chair
W. Leslie Doggett
Joe Bob Perkins
Edward R. Allen, III
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., MD, DPhil
Mary Eliza Shaper
David C. Baggett, Jr.
Edward A. Jones
Suzanne H. Smith
Marc L. Boom, MD
Evan H. Katz
H. Dirk Sostman, MD
Joseph R. “Rod” Canion
Edwin H. Knight
Douglas E. Swanson, Jr.
David T. Chao
Kevin J. Lilly
David M. Underwood, Jr.
Stephen I. Chazen
Steven S. Looke
Amy Waer, MD
Augustine M.K. Choi, MD
Ransom C. Lummis
Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter, III
Ernest D. Cockrell, II
David A. Modesett
Martha S. Walton
Martin S. Craighead
W. Benjamin Moreland
HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Houston Methodist has served as a pillar of the Houston community since it began in 1919 as a small hospital providing medical care during the Spanish Influenza pandemic. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived 101 years later, it provided many opportunities to appreciate the foresight of our founders, and the resilience, compassion and expertise of our health care providers and staff. Our academic teams worked resolutely throughout the pandemic, contributing to the system-wide COVID-19 response with rapid outcomes studies and clinical trials as well as continuing to make landmark discoveries in each of our Centers of Excellence. This book shares some of the stories that embody our mission to meet the most demanding challenges faced by patients and their physicians. In 2020, our academic community further cemented their position at the center of a global collaborative network that moves medical research from concept to clinical impact and educates healthcare professionals in the latest medical breakthroughs. This year, we partnered with Rice University to launch the Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, which brings together scientists, clinicians, engineers and surgeons to solve clinical problems with neurostimulation and robotics. 2020 also saw the establishment of the Weill Cornell Graduate School doctoral program in Physiology, Biophysics & Systems Biology at Houston Methodist that builds upon our long-standing academic affiliation with Weill Cornell. None of this work would be possible without the dedication and support of our visionary Houston Methodist Academic Institute board members, generous donors and brilliant faculty. Our work together has established Houston Methodist as a leading academic medical center, and I am honored to be a part of this journey to the future of medicine.
H. Dirk Sostman, MD, FACR Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair, Houston Methodist Emeritus Professor of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine Distinguished Member, Houston Methodist Research Institute President, Houston Methodist Academic Institute Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Houston Methodist
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
SCIENCE IN SERVICE OF MEDICINE
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CRADLE OF TRANSLATION
A vision for integrated research, education and clinical care
From its conception, the Houston Methodist Academic Institute intended to be different than other academic medical centers. Its driving objective is to develop treatments that can be readily adopted into patient care – using its physical connections to the hospital to source ideas for innovations. Our expertise in FDA approval pathways and access to clinical care team expertise reality-tests inventions and streamlines the process of translating laboratory research into clinical impact.
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CELL ENCAPSULATION Preventing Cell Transplant Rejection
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RNA THERAPEUTICS
Supports National Product Development page
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COVID-19 SPOTLIGHTS Social Determinants of Health
CONTENTS President’s Message.............................................................................................................................1 Cycle of a Cure.........................................................................................................................................5
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VISIONARY GIFTS OF HOPE The Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics...........................6 The Fondren Food & Health Alliance and The Fondren Inflammation Collaboration.......7 Cockrell Center For Advanced Therapeutics......................................................................................8 Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III................................................................................................10 Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research......................................................................12
SPINAL STIMULATION
COVID-19 STUDIES
Enables Paralyzed People to Stand Unassisted COVID-19 Spotlights Social Determinants of Health.................................................................14 Houston Methodist Researchers Step Up and Face the Challenges of COVID-19 Virus......16 Shedding Light on an Unseen Crisis: New Tools Build Health Care Worker Resiliency.....18
FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINIC OUTCOMES RESEARCH reast Cancer Survivors Find a Way to Maintain Healthy Lifestyles and B Lose Weight on Their Phones..................................................................................................................20 Mobile App Improves Joint Replacement Surgery Outcomes...............................................21
RESTORATIVE MEDICINE Houston Methodist and Rice University Launch Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces.........................................................................................................................22
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Non-invasive Spinal Stimulation Enables Paralyzed People to Stand Unassisted............24 Dissolvable Implants Enhance the Body’s Ability to Heal Broken Bones........................26 Cell Encapsulation May Hold the Key to Preventing Cell Transplant Rejection...........28 Revolutionizing the Future of Complex Valve Disease Management.................................30
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NOVEL MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT
PRECISION MEDICINE
CPRIT Funding to Drive New Discoveries in Cancer Therapeutics...........................................32 • An Innovative New Tool to Enable Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine........32
Halts Tumor Growth in Deadly Cancers
• Devising a Novel Combination Treatment for Aggressive Double-hit Lymphoma..... 33
Building Blocks for
BONE REGENERATION
• Expanding the RNAcore to Encompass the Entire Cycle of a Cure...........................34 S iemens Healthineers and Houston Methodist Imaging Innovation Hub Empowers Researchers to Push Boundaries..................................................................................36 Novel Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Halts Tumor Growth in Deadly Ovarian and Pancreatic Cancers............................................................................................38 Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIESM).....................40 • Surgical Technology Developed in MITIESM Gains FDA Approval...............................41 Can Devices Provide A New Treatment Option for Glioblastoma?.....................................42 Houston Methodist Hospital’s New Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower Offers the Most Advanced Treatments and Innovations Available......................................43 Neuroimaging Offers New Insights into Neurodegeneration.................................................44
INNOVATIVE EDUCATION LAUNCHING A LEGACY OF LEADING MEDICINE Building a Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences Campus at Houston Methodist...................................................................................................................................46 Launching a Legacy of Leading Medicine.........................................................................................46 Engineering Medicine (EnMed)...............................................................................................................47 Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) Training Program.......................................................................................................................................................................48 Faculty and Research Development.....................................................................................................49 Graduate Medical Education....................................................................................................................50
CYCLE OF TRANSLATION Research & Education in Service of Medicine Houston Methodist met the challenge of translation early in the design of the Research Institute building. It houses the essential services and technology that support the full cycle of development to efficiently and effectively deliver innovations to the clinic. Translating laboratory innovations into treatments for patients is fraught with challenges. The lack of specialized translational research resources makes it extremely difficult and expensive for most institutions to turn fundamental discoveries into tangible solutions that benefit the public. Their most promising innovations perish in the “Valley of Death” before they reach the clinic. We provide support at every step of the cycle of translation from bridge funding to technical expertise with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) facilities, good laboratory practice (GLP) facilities and clinical trial operations. The most promising innovations have a lifeline at Houston Methodist.
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EDUCATION & ADOPTION Throughout our system, we’re building interprofessional education programs that employ the latest
HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM
strategies, including simulation, to facilitate the safe and efficient adoption of new technologies as they’re approved for clinical use. Bringing a new innovation from the completion of clinical trials to clinic adoption is very time and resource intensive, needing 10 years and $1 billion, on average.
PATIENT CARE The cycle begins and ends with the care of patients in our hospitals and clinics. Clinicians in our hospitals care for more than 800,000 patients annually, enabling them to identify the most pressing challenges in medicine and provide excellent care.
QUALITY & OUTCOMES A key component of leading medicine is our culture of quality, safety and innovation. As part of the system-wide goals for quality improvement and patient safety, we invest in research and education programs that maximize patient outcomes.
CLINICAL NEEDS Clinicians and researchers form interdisciplinary
DISCOVERY
teams to address their needs and clinical challenges.
DISCOVERY Our teams of clinicians, researchers and collaborators from around the world have access to a full suite of technology to enable the discovery process.
PRECLINICAL VALIDATION Research teams have access to dedicated Translational Research Initiative bridge funds to take the most promising discoveries into preclinical and
CLOSING THE GAP
early-phase clinical development.
cGMP MANUFACTURING The research institute is equipped with FDA cGMP-compliant facilities that produce research and clinical-grade therapeutic materials and custom radiopharmaceuticals for preclinical and first-in-human studies.
GLP PRECLINICAL VALIDATION The GLP facilities at Houston Methodist perform risk, safety and efficacy assessment studies in compliance with current FDA guidelines in preclinical models. Adherence to GLP standards is required for safety studies in order
CLINICAL TRIALS
to move to clinical trials.
CLINICAL TRIALS Teams have access to early phase trial support (pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics), and outpatient clinical care and study management services, including research, nursing, regulatory submissions and budget management support for all phases of clinical trials.
Visionary Gifts of Hope
Visionary Gifts of Hope Ushering medical breakthroughs from the lab to the clinic takes many years and millions of dollars. Most promising discoveries are lost in the phase of translation called the “Valley of Death.” To help bridge the Valley of Death and to provide our most promising innovations a lifeline, Houston Methodist is drawing on the transformative power of philanthropy.
THE ANN KIMBALL AND JOHN W. JOHNSON CENTER FOR CELLULAR THERAPEUTICS
With generous support from Ann Kimball and John W. “Johnny” Johnson, Houston Methodist has entered a new era of cellular therapeutics that will expand our growing portfolio of immunotherapeutics and RNA therapeutics. Their cornerstone commitment will build a research program and production facility at Houston Methodist that will allow us to design new therapies rapidly and produce experimental therapeutics on-site. The 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility is located in the Houston Methodist Outpatient Center and will open in 2021. Stanley H. Appel, MD, the Peggy and Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair in ALS Research, Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, will lead a multidisciplinary team of researchers dedicated to expanding cell therapy research at Houston Methodist. His regulatory T cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is demonstrating promising results in slowing disease progression in some patients. Appel’s cell therapy for ALS will be manufactured on-site as part of the cell therapy program at the Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics.
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THE FONDREN FOOD & HEALTH ALLIANCE AND THE FONDREN INFLAMMATION COLLABORATION
The first of its kind in the Texas Medical Center,
Ultimately, the Fondren Inflammation Collaborative
Houston and the region, the Fondren Inflammation
will be extended to other disease areas impacted by
Collaborative is creating a singular destination for
inflammation, such as the heart, brain, cancer and
patients to seek normalcy and relief from debilitating
behavioral health. The gift also will fund four endowed
allergy, immunologic, autoimmune and gastrointestinal
chairs to recruit and retain the best minds in the
conditions. The program was made possible when
world, while supporting research, education and
The Fondren Foundation made a generous $15 million
training efforts.
commitment to Houston Methodist. The entire program will be realized in the next decade, helping patients Fondren Foundation who often get passed between doctors and clinics for months or years in search of a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
The Fondren Foundation’s vision is
The philanthropic gift strengthens and expands two
to close the gap in patient care by
Houston Methodist programs: the new Immunology Center at Houston Methodist and the Food and
building an international destination
Health Alliance within the Lynda K. and David M.
of hope and relief for people with
Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders. The Fondren Inflammation Collaborative will offer patients one-of-a-kind opportunities to participate in clinical trials focused on innovative treatments and therapies for inflammation-triggered conditions.
complex, often intertwined conditions that have underlying inflammatory triggers.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
COCKRELL CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS Since 2009, the Cockrell Foundation has made a generous gift toward an endowment that supports the Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CCAT), which opened its Phase I clinical trials unit in 2015 and continues to expand today. The CCAT and Houston Methodist have the expertise to support all phases of clinical trials, beginning with first-in-human trials. The CCAT brings together world-class medical minds and first-class facilities to study novel therapies for various medical conditions, while delivering customized and compassionate care. As part of our deep commitment to developing treatments with ready applicability to human disease, we aim to make a clinical trial available to every person who needs and wants to participate in one. All stages of clinical research operations are supported, and the experts to support all phases of clinical trials are on hand.
Houston Methodist Opens New Facility for Clinical Trials The Houston Methodist Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics supports all phases of clinical research operations. The center provides more than 7,000 square feet of dedicated space across six locations in the greater Houston area, bringing access to the latest investigational treatment options closer to study participants’ homes or workplaces. The center conducts 24-hour pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics evaluations, offers early-phase and investigator-initiated trial support services, and provides a centralized clinical trials support office. The Clinical Research Phase 1 Unit caters to early-phase and proof-of-concept clinical trials as well as precision medicine-focused translational research projects.
As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the U.S., the center’s resources and expertise played a critical role in the historic efforts to rapidly activate and conduct clinical trials to evaluate potential therapies for COVID-19. The pandemic also underscored the need for dedicated facilities within the center to support infectious disease clinical trials that require specialized services, equipment, training and protocols. This facility is equipped to facilitate outpatient infectious diseases trials and study-mandated follow-up and data collection after discharge.
VISIONARY GIFTS OF HOPE |
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Pandemic Propels Need to Develop a Component of the Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics to Administer Clinical Trials for Infectious Diseases Houston Methodist is fortunate to find itself in the very good position of having donors who believe in its mission and wish to provide support. One such donor is Reynolds and Reynolds, an automotive retailing company. Through a personal relationship with Ernest D. Cockrell, II, Reynolds and Reynolds gave a total of $2 million to Houston Methodist, with half of that amount earmarked for the Reynolds and Reynolds Company Infectious Disease Research Unit, a part of the Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics (CCAT), that is housed in the Research Institute. The other half is earmarked for outcomes research. The pandemic made the need to develop a component of CCAT to administer clinical trials for infectious diseases, beginning with COVID-19 patients, even more urgent. These trials require specialized facilities, equipment, training and protocols. This initiative is a component of Houston Methodist’s overall strategy to lead medicine in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, which ultimately will lead to the establishment of the Infectious Diseases Center of Excellence. Beyond COVID-19, Houston Methodist will continue with clinical trials under CCAT for the Cancer Center of Excellence, Center for Outcomes Research, Pathology and Genomic Medicine and several others. The Reynolds and Reynolds Company Unit will enable us to conduct clinical research in infectious diseases, which we otherwise would be unable to participate in, for the benefit of the Houston community.
COCKRELL CENTER FOR ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 1
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HOUSTON METHODIST RESEARCH INSTITUTE CCAT - TMC CLINICAL RESEARCH PHASE 1 UNIT - TMC REYNOLDS OUTPATIENT TRIALS CENTER
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HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DISEASE UNIT CLINICAL TRIALS CENTER 146
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
PAULA AND JOSEPH C. “RUSTY” WALTER III
Translational Research Initiative When Houston Methodist launched the Translational Research Initiative (TRI) in 2014, the aim was twofold: provide vital funding to promising new therapies ready to make the transition from research laboratory to clinical use and capitalize on Houston’s bold entrepreneurial spirit to lead the way toward a new model of medical innovation. TRI exceeded expectations. Houston Methodist is now
The Katz Foundation’s $5 million challenge gift helped
launching its third phase after securing more than
raise another $5 million from community visionaries.
$20 million for translational research projects. The first iteration of TRI, which became known as TRI I when a
Building on the success of TRI I and TRI II, a third
second initiative was created, began with a philanthropic
initiative was established with another matching challenge
matching fund established by Paula and Joseph C.
gift from Paula and Rusty Walter. TRI III’s goal is to create
“Rusty” Walter III.
a $10 million fund much like its predecessors, with one major difference: these funds will focus solely on
The success of TRI I spurred TRI II, which was started
neurology and translational projects, such as neurosurgery,
through the generosity of the Jerold B. Katz Foundation.
stroke recovery or Alzheimer’s disease.
VISIONARY GIFTS OF HOPE |
AnatomicAligner Uses State-of-the-Art Graphics to Help Presurgical Planning Developed by James Xia, MD, PhD, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, and Jaime Gateno, DDS, MD, chair of the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, AnatomicAligner, an FDA-approved software program uses information acquired from multiple imaging modalities to simulate jaw surgery. Due to the complex nature of the craniofacial skeleton, corrective surgeries require extensive presurgical planning. The use of state-of-the-art computer graphics and modeling in AnatomicAligner will help reduce unwanted surgical outcomes and procedures.
Before surgery, Lindsay’s bone structure was not symmetrical.
AnatomicAligner software calculated which adjustments were needed to achieve symmetry.
Innovative Magnetic Device Shows Promise for Treating Brain Injury A noninvasive, portable, wireless, affordable, smartphone-compatible magnetic stimulation cap invented by Santosh Helekar, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery at Houston Methodist and Henning Voss, PhD, associate professor of physics in radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, uses novel transcranial stimulation technology to modulate neural activity in multiple parts of the brain at the same time, leading to functional recovery following brain injury or dysfunction. When David Chiu, MD, Elizabeth Blanton Wareing Chair in the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center, and Helekar tested the device in a phase I/IIa clinical trial involving 30 ischemic stroke survivors with motor impairment, the cap increased neural activity near stroke-injured areas of the brain, inducing a trend toward recovery of motor function. The cap is also being tested for other applications, such as improvement of bladder control in multiple sclerosis. The cap technology has been granted four patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office so far, which have been licensed to a startup company called Seraya Medical LLC. A larger multicenter stroke trial and submission for regulatory clearance are being planned.
After two extensive surgeries, Lindsay wore braces for several weeks. With newfound confidence, she began her career at a large corporation.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
JEROLD B. KATZ ACADEMY OF TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
A substantial commitment from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation established the Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research, which aims to recruit and retain the world’s most promising transformational researchers in health care. According to Evan H. Katz, one of Jerold B. Katz’s sons and the president of the Jerold B. Katz Foundation, the gift is designed to continually seed innovation and facilitate the discovery of improved treatments and medications. A portion of this gift is intended to support the research efforts of eight investigators, of whom three have been announced.
VISIONARY GIFTS OF HOPE |
KATZ INVESTIGATORS Katz Investigators
GIFT IMPACT
Nestor Esnaola, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS Esnaola is the associate director of Cancer Control and Population Science in the Cancer Center, professor of surgery and division head of surgical oncology in the Department of Surgery. He works closely with Cancer Center Director Jenny Chang, MD, to drive efforts in the areas of cancer prevention, community outreach and engagement, cancer health disparities and population science research. He was awarded Katz Foundation funding to evaluate a patientnavigation intervention tool intended to optimize breast cancer care and address outcome disparities in minorities and underserved women. The tool will be tested in a large-scale, community-based, randomized clinical trial.
Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH Nasir is a professor of Cardiology, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness in the DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and co-director of the Center for Outcomes Research. Nasir was awarded the Katz investigator endowment to support his efforts to develop a systemwide hospital resource for research in the area of cardiovascular disease prevention. This platform will harness the power of big data, innovative computation paradigms and artificial machine intelligence to integrate clinical and research data of patients with cardiovascular disease. By leveraging dashboards and digital solutions like alert systems and automatic prescriptions, Nasir aims to identify gaps in preventative care among high-risk individuals.
Trisha Roy, MD, PhD Assistant professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, vascular surgeon-scientist and Katz investigator, Roy is researching advanced imaging options to improve procedural outcomes for peripheral arterial disease. Current imaging techniques fall short at accurately characterizing arterial lesions, which leads to a “one-size-fits-all” approach to treatment. Roy is developing a peripheral arterial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method for evaluating blood vessel blockages that will allow surgeons to precisely tailor surgeries and endovascular procedures to individual patients. By selecting the right treatment for the right patient, Roy hopes to reduce failure rates and make these treatments more successful.
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COVID-19 Studies
COVID-19 Spotlights Social Determinants of Health The arrival of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus had a profound impact on every aspect of Houston Methodist, challenging us to quickly operationalize a new bioinformatics pipeline to better develop best practices for managing COVID-19 patients, prioritize and facilitate COVID-19 research and learn which persons are most impacted by the pandemic and why. The Center for Outcomes Research met this challenge, devising a data repository that obtained real-time data about COVID-19 patients’ sociodemographics, diagnoses, treatments, suitability for enrollment in clinical trials and outcomes.
With CURATOR,
Houston Methodist Experts Gain Deeper Insight into Real-Time COVID-19 Data Trends The rapid global spread of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus provided an opportunity for Houston Methodist to establish the infrastructure for a learning health-care system that further merges evidence-based medicine and practice-based evidence. When the pandemic arrived, a cross-departmental big-data team led by Farhaan S. Vahidy, PhD, associate director Farhaan S. Vahidy, PhD
of the Center for Outcomes Research, developed the COVID-19 Surveillance and Outcomes Registry, or CURATOR, to roll out processes for collecting, organizing and analyzing real-time data that’s accessible to research and clinical groups across Houston Methodist. CURATOR has proven to be an invaluable resource for advancing research and optimizing patient care as the pandemic evolves.
“
Houston Methodist’s big-data infrastructure and data engineering teams proved to be highly agile and adaptable, which made it possible to establish a robust COVID-19 analytics pipeline in literally weeks. The ability to generate and implement scientific evidence was phenomenal. We consider ourselves battle tested and have confidence in our capacity to respond quickly in the midst of a global pandemic, with the majority of the teams working remotely.
”
– Farhaan S. Vahidy, PhD Coneway Family Centennial Endowed Directorship in Quality and Outcomes Associate Director and Associate Professor, Center for Outcomes Research Associate Professor, Neurological Institute Houston Methodist
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Research
COVID-19 Highlights How the Virus Has Impacted People Differently, Depending on Specific Social Determinants
CURATOR Identifies Differences Between Those Most Impacted During the First and Second COVID-19 Surges
The increase in COVID-19 cases and scrutiny of racial
CURATOR’s bioinformatics repository made it possible
inequality throughout the spring and summer of 2020 has
for researchers to make evidence-based comparisons
made people more aware of underlying race and ethnic
between Houston’s first COVID-19 surge from March 13 –
health-care disparities. Fairly early in the pandemic, most
May 15 and the second surge from May 15 – July 7, 2020,
reports showed higher rates of severe COVID-19 cases
that began two weeks after the statewide phased business
and fatalities among minority racial groups across major
reopening program began. Analyzing the electronic
U.S. metropolitan areas. However, Houston Methodist was
health records of hospitalized COVID-19 patients
one of the first to provide systematically analyzed robust
revealed a demographic shift between the first and
insights on the racial/ethnic differences for COVID-19
second COVID-19 surges.
infection by harnessing CURATOR.
Chief Physician Executive & Specialty Physician Group
Analysis of COVID-19 test results and sociodemographic
CEO Robert Phillips MD, PhD, and Farhaan S. Vahidy, PhD,
data from across the exceptionally ethnically diverse
and their team revealed that patients being admitted during
Greater Houston area revealed that people who identified
the second surge had shifted toward a younger, largely
as non-Hispanic Black or of Hispanic ethnicity were
Hispanic and lower socioeconomic patient population
almost twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19 than
who had lower rates of comorbidities, intensive care unit
non-Hispanic whites. Vahidy and his colleagues identified
admissions, and in-hospital mortality than the patients seen
possible mechanisms of these racial disparities within
during the first surge. These findings were published in
the data including lower socioeconomic status, higher
the Journal of the American Medical Association.
comorbidity burden and residence in higher population
These findings likely reflect how the phased return to work
density areas that may not permit adequate social
impacted which people were becoming infected. While
distancing. These data were published in BMJ Open.
many people with desk jobs were able to work from home,
As the pandemic evolves, emerging information on the
people who work in retail, transportation and hospitality
link between COVID-19 infection and various sociodemo-
service industries, many of whom are Hispanic, interacted
graphic factors will continue to enhance our understanding
with the public directly. These findings provided helpful
of targeted risks for contracting and preventing infectious
guidance for preparing and managing the next COVID-19
diseases, enabling Houston Methodist to provide better
surge during the fall of 2020 both locally at Houston
care for all members of our community.
Methodist and for health systems across the country.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Houston Methodist Researchers Step Up and Face the Challenges of the COVID-19 Virus When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, although the scientific and medical communities had limited information about how to treat people infected with the novel virus, Houston Methodist was well positioned to meet the urgent need for diagnostics, treatments, vaccines and critical medical technologies. Throughout the pandemic, our research groups continued their studies without interruption. In fact, Houston Methodist researchers submitted 32 more funding proposals during 2020 than they did the previous year. Many investigators quickly pivoted their research focus to COVID-19-related challenges by participating in more than 50 preclinical studies and clinical trials that resulted in more than 170 COVID-19-related published journal articles and 16,000 media placements.
Houston Methodist Leads the Way in Treating COVID-19 Patients with Innovative Therapies that Boost the Recovery Process Houston Methodist was the first academic medical center in the nation to receive FDA approval to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma therapy — a plasma transfusion from a recovered individual that contains antibodies against the virus. Although some other organizations had suboptimal results with this treatment, our patients benefited from it because we carefully analyzed and optimized our processes to select the patient populations that would be the optimal candidates. Other institutions treated broad populations much less likely to respond to Houston Methodist’s type of treatment. Eric Salazar, MD, PhD
James M. Musser, MD, PhD
In anticipation of the FDA issuing regulatory guidelines, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Eric Salazar, MD, PhD, and James M. Musser, MD, PhD, Fondren Presidential Distinguished Chair, developed the therapy protocol. They were the first group in the nation to publish data demonstrating that the therapy is safe and effective. Their work rapidly resulted in five high-profile, peer-reviewed publications on convalescent plasma donors and recipients.
“
There is so much to be learned about this disease while it’s occurring. If an infusion of convalescent serum can help save the life of a critically ill patient, then applying the full resources of our blood bank, our expert faculty and our academic medical center is incredibly worthwhile and important to do.
”
– Marc L. Boom, MD President and Chief Executive Officer Ella Fondren and Josie Roberts Presidential Distinguished Centennial Chair Houston Methodist
COVID-19 STUDIES |
Research
Houston Methodist’s Participation in Clinical Trials for Innovative COVID-19 Treatments Has Aided Many Patients’ Recoveries antibody, or mAb, therapies contain synthetic versions of the
Houston Methodist Played a Key Role in Establishing Remdesivir as a Standard of Care for Treating COVID-19
proteins made by the immune system to neutralize the virus.
In mid-March of 2020, Houston
The mAbs are designed to bind to key sites on the virus
Methodist became the only clinical
molecule to prevent it from attaching to and infecting
trial site in Houston and the fifth site in the nation
human cells.
to join the two global phase III clinical trials evaluating
Considered the next evolution of plasma therapy, monoclonal
A team of experts at Houston Methodist, led by Salazar, began participating in the clinical trials in hospitalized patients determining the safety and effectiveness of the combination mAb therapy from Regeneron containing two neutralizing mAbs called casirivimab and imdevimab in July 2020. Current data from the Regeneron REGN-COV2 trial show that trial participants receiving the experimental therapy had a lower
Gilead Sciences antiviral drug Remdesivir in patients hospitalized with moderate or severe COVID-19 infections. Originally developed to treat Ebola, Remdesivir blocks the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s ability to quickly replicate throughout the body, neutralizing the deadly inflammatory cascade that leads to respiratory failure and dependence on a ventilator.
risk of death or need for mechanical ventilation than those
The Houston Methodist clinical study led by Katherine
in the placebo group.
Perez, PharmD, assistant professor of allied health sciences,
Houston Methodist is also actively involved in the clinical studies investigating how well Eli Lilly’s bamlanivimab, a mAb therapy similar to Regeneron’s cocktail, safely and effectively prevents mild COVID-19 infections from becoming more serious. Clinical trial lead Howard Huang, MD, interim chief, division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, and his teams are administering a single intravenous infusion of the drug to patients who have recently received a positive COVID-19 test and show mild to moderate symptoms in the hopes of intervening before patients have a chance to develop more serious symptoms, thereby reducing COVID-19-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Huang and his team are also involved in similar studies of the Regeneron mAbs in patients with mild to moderate symptoms. In November, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for both the Regeneron and Eli Lilly therapies for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 infections in patients who are at high risk of becoming dangerously ill. The quick progression from beginning investigational clinical studies on newly developed drugs to having the ability to treat patients not involved in a study is a prime example of translational research in action.
Department of Pharmacy, Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine and Kevin Grimes, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine, Department of Medicine, found that participants with COVID-19 responded quickly to the investigational drug and recovered more quickly than their control counterparts. The final report from the global trial leadership confirmed that Remdesivir shortens the time to recovery in adults hospitalized with COVID-19, which paved the way for Remdesivir to become the first antiviral treatment approved by the FDA for COVID-19.
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Shedding Light on an Unseen Crisis:
New Tools Build Health-Care Worker Resiliency COVID-19 has brought the issue of health-care provider fatigue to the forefront of national conversation, but experts at Houston Methodist have been studying it for many years
Faisal N. Masud, MD
Farzan Sasangohar, PhD
During the initial COVID-19
are inherently prone to bias. To better maintain objectivity,
surge in Houston, a team
Sasangohar, Masud and their teams employed wearable
of researchers led by
technology to provide quantitative measurements of
Faisal N. Masud, MD,
stress and anxiety levels in ICU workers. Participating
Mary A. and M. Samuel
ICU staff were observed while wearing eye-tracking
Daffin, Sr. Centennial Chair
glasses with a built-in camera that recorded exactly
in Anesthesia and Critical Care and Farzan Sasangohar, PhD,
what the wearer was seeing and hearing in real time.
assistant professor of outcomes research, published a paper
The information collected from this device was paired
in Anesthesia & Analgesia discussing factors that contribute
with heart rate data and self-reported observations
to provider fatigue and burnout in intensive care units (ICUs)
to provide a more complete picture of stress triggers
during the pandemic. The article, which remained in Altmetric’s
and reactions.
top 99th percentile of publications for months, was one of the first to propose specific policy recommendations for organizational readiness, resilience and disaster mitigation — many of which were already in place at Houston Methodist. Most studies investigating burnout, including the
“Nothing like this has ever been done before in an ICU setting,” said Sasangohar. “The use of wearable technology combined with artificial intelligence could set the benchmark for future research on stress and burnout.”
aforementioned, rely on self-reporting measures that
New wearable technology developed by Faisal N. Masud, MD, and Farzan Sasangohar, PhD, provides quantitative measurements of stress and anxiety levels in ICU workers. These devices will provide objective data in self-reporting measures.
COVID-19 STUDIES |
While data analyses are still ongoing, the research team is using the preliminary results to explore potential mitigation strategies, including measures to limit or eliminate environmental, task-related and technological sources of stress that contribute to burnout among ICU personnel. The next phase of this study is to utilize wearable technology to compare burnout among health-care providers in COVID-19 ICUs with those in non-COVID-19 ICUs. Masud, who is also the medical director of critical care at Houston Methodist Hospital, has been passionate about finding transformational solutions to support the mental well-being of intensive care personnel. “The wearable technology study could provide the evidence-based solutions we need to fill the knowledge gap in health care provider stress and burnout,” he said. “COVID-19 and its far-reaching psychological implications have brought a greater sense of urgency to our work.”
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FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINIC
Outcomes Research Roberta Schwartz, PhD, chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist Hospital, led an observational study of patients and concluded that the use of mobile health technology (mHealth) has shown significant improvement in clinical outcomes among patients. The investigators found that patients who used mHealth technology averaged shorter hospital stays and lower post-surgical readmission rates. Breast cancer patients often gain weight during treatment, and that is a concern because obesity is a factor in the recurrence of the cancer. The Methodist Hospital Cancer Health Application, or the MOCHA app, was developed by Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, and his informatics development team to help cancer patients make healthy lifestyle choices. A pilot study showed that 56% of enrolled patients who used the app lost an average of 3.5 pounds and that frequency of app use was positively linked with weight loss.
Breast Cancer Survivors Find a Way to
Maintain Healthy Lifestyles and Lose Weight on Their Phones Breast cancer treatment often leads to unintentional weight gain, which is concerning because obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and a higher rate of hospital readmissions. Renee Stubbins, PhD
Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD
While weight management tools are among the most frequently accessed health apps, most are not tailored to the specific needs of cancer survivors. Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering, and his informatics development team designed a mobile app called the Methodist Hospital Cancer Health Application, or MOCHA, to be an interactive resource that helps post-treatment cancer survivors to make healthy lifestyle choices, including weight loss. A four-week pilot study of the MOCHA app revealed that 56% of enrolled patients lost an average of 3.5 pounds and that frequency of app use was positively linked with weight loss. The complete results are available in the journal JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. The next phase of this study will involve 12 weeks of intervention and one year of follow-up. While the app is currently accessible only to study participants, the goal is to broaden its use and focus on changing long-term behaviors to reduce health issues most common in cancer survivors.
“
Maintaining a healthy weight is difficult enough for the average person, let alone for breast cancer survivors. With MOCHA, we can track multiple patients at once, identify those who need additional support or intervention and communicate with them via real-time messaging to help them stay motivated. This is a tremendous improvement from the typical six-month clinic visit schedule for breast cancer survivors, between which patients can lose motivation and experience weight gain.
– R enee Stubbins, PhD Assistant Clinical Member Houston Methodist
”
HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE |
Mobile App Improves Joint Replacement Surgery Outcomes With close to 90% of the U.S. population having access to mobile devices, mobile health (mHealth) technology could transform how health care is delivered. Despite widespread recognition of its potential, there is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of mHealth technology in a health care setting. In an observational study published in the journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth, Houston Methodist investigators, led by Roberta Schwartz, PhD, chief innovation officer of Houston Methodist Hospital, show that effective use of patient-facing mHealth technology can significantly improve both clinical and patient-centered Roberta Schwartz, PhD
Stephen Incavo, MD
Courtenay R. Bruce, JD, MA
care outcomes.
The study compared the outcomes of 2,059 patients who underwent a total hip or knee replacement by orthopedic surgeons who used mHealth technology with 2,554 similar patients of nonparticipating surgeons for a year. In the mHealth group, the patients received one text or email message per day, some of which required responses while others were only informational, for 20 days before and 30 days following the joint replacement. “In our study, we observed a significant improvement in clinical outcomes among patients who used mHealth technology,” said senior author Courtenay R. Bruce, JD, MA, associate professor of medicine. “The participating group had a significantly shorter average hospital stay and lower post-surgical hospital readmission rates compared with the nonparticipating group. In addition, the participating group also had better patient-centered care outcomes such as patient engagement, experience and satisfaction.” According to Bruce, a more engaged patient is a better informed and more empowered patient. And this ultimately translates to improved outcomes.
“
We now know that mHealth technology is not only effective but significantly enhances patient outcomes. This is particularly important in the context of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic that has made mHealth services an integral part of patient care. The results of this study were so encouraging that what started as a small pilot program in a few hospital departments has rapidly expanded to include 50 different therapeutic areas, benefiting more than 300,000 patients.
”
– R oberta Schwartz, PhD Executive Vice President Chief Innovation Officer Houston Methodist
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FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINIC
Restorative Medicine Houston Methodist remains at the cutting edge of regenerative medicine by developing a range of medical and biotherapeutic products that help restore the functionality of impaired organs and tissues. These restorative solutions address challenges, including protecting transplanted tissues from rejection, restoring sensorimotor function in people with neuromuscular disorders and repairing broken bones.
Houston Methodist and Rice University Launch
Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces
Gavin W. Britz, MD
Behnaam Aazhang, PhD
Neurosurgery’s history of
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who also directs
cutting diseases out of
the neuroengineering initiative. “Several core members,
the brain is morphing into
myself included, have existing collaborations with our
a future in which implanting
colleagues at Houston Methodist in the area of neural
technology into the brain
prosthetics. The creation of the Center for Translational
may help restore function,
Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces is an exciting development
movement, cognition and memory after patients suffer strokes, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders. Rice University and Houston Methodist have forged a partnership to launch the Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics and Interfaces, a collaboration that brings together scientists, clinicians, engineers and surgeons to solve clinical problems with neurorobotics.
toward achieving our common goals.” The physical space for the center’s operation includes more than 25,000 square feet of Rice Neuroengineering Initiative laboratories and experimental spaces in the university’s BioScience Research Collaborative, as well as an extensive build-out underway at Houston Methodist’s West Pavilion location that’s expected to be completed late in 2021.
“This will be an accelerator for discovery. This center will
The Houston Methodist facility will include operating rooms
be a human laboratory where all of us — neurosurgeons,
and a human laboratory where ongoing patient/volunteer
neuroengineers, neurobiologists — can work together to
diagnosis and assessment, device fabrication and testing
solve biomedical problems in the brain and spinal cord.
and education and training opportunities are planned.
And it’s a collaboration that can finally offer some hope and options for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from brain diseases and injuries,” said center Co-Director Gavin W. Britz, MD, Candy and Tom Knudson Distinguished Centennial Chair in Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist. Houston Methodist neurosurgeons, seven engineers from the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative and additional physicians and faculty from both institutions form the center’s core team. The center also plans to hire additional engineers who will have joint appointments at Houston Methodist and Rice. Key focus areas include spinal cord injury, memory and epilepsy studies, and cortical motor/sensation conditions.
“This partnership is a perfect blend of talent,” said Rice’s Marcia O’Malley, PhD, a core member of the new center. “We will be able to design studies to test the efficacy of inventions and therapies and rely on patients and volunteers who want to help us test our ideas. The possibilities are limitless.” Houston Methodist neurobiologist Philip J. Horner, PhD, describes the lab as “a merging of wetware with hardware,” where robotics, computers, electronic arrays and other technology — the hardware — is incorporated into the human brain or spinal cord — the wetware. The centerpiece of this working laboratory is a zero-gravity harness connected
“The Rice Neuroengineering Initiative was formed with
to a walking track with cameras and sensors to record
this type of partnership in mind,” said center Co-Director
feedback, brain activity and other data.
Behnaam Aazhang, PhD, Rice’s J.S. Abercrombie Professor
HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE |
Center Collaborations Collaborations already are underway between the two institutions, which sit across Main Street from one another in the Texas Medical Center. Among them are the following: • Houston Methodist’s Dimitry Sayenko, MD, PhD, assistant
• Britz and Center Co-Director Behnaam Aazhang, PhD,
professor of neurosurgery, and O’Malley, Rice’s Thomas
Rice’s J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Electrical and
Michael Panos Family Professor in Mechanical Engineering,
Computer Engineering, and Taiyun Chi, PhD, assistant
will head the first pilot project involving the merging of
professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice,
two technologies to restore hand function following a
are collaborating on the detection of mild traumatic brain
spinal cord injury or stroke. O’Malley will pair the upper
injuries (mTBI) from multimodal observations and on
limb exoskeleton she invented with Sayenko’s noninvasive
alleviating mTBI using neuromodulations. This project is
stimulator designed to wake up the spinal cord. Together,
of particular interest to the U.S. Department of Defense.
they hope these technologies will help patients achieve a more extensive recovery — and at a faster pace. • Britz, a neurosurgeon, and Lan Luan, PhD, Rice assistant
Center for Translational Neural Prosthetics & Interfaces
professor of electrical and computer engineering, are collaborating on a study to measure the neurovascular response following a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a life-threatening stroke caused by bleeding just outside the brain.
NEUROSTIMULATION THERAPY
SEND SIGNAL
ROBOTICS & BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE
ACQUIRE SIGNAL
PROCESS & DECODE PROCESS & DECODE MUSCLE CONTROL
DEVICE CONTROL
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Noninvasive Spinal Stimulation
Enables Paralyzed People to Stand Unassisted Dimitry Sayenko MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, and his colleagues in the Neuromodulation & Recovery Lab are developing ways to promote mobility in people who have sustained a spinal cord injury.
Regaining the ability to control a full
Dimitry Sayenko MD, PhD
minimal external assistance applied to the knees or hips, using
weight-bearing standing posture without
their hands for upper-body balance as needed. The quality of
assistance from weight-supporting
their balance control improved with continued training. When
devices or other people is a key goal
the participants shifted their weight while standing, high levels
for someone who is paralyzed. Not only
of leg muscle activity emerged that depended on the amount
does this ability provide a greater level
of muscle loading.
of physical independence and mobility, maintaining balance when standing is the foundation for regaining the ability
These findings suggest that the noninvasive stimulation therapy
to walk, including stepping with assistance from robotic
can modulate the spinal circuitry into a physiological state that
devices being developed at Houston Methodist and
enables sensory inputs during weight-bearing to serve as a
other places.
primary source of neural control to maintain externally unassisted upright posture and balance.
In a well-controlled clinical study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, people with spinal cord injuries who could
Sayenko recently began collaborating with Niche Biomedical to
not stand unassisted received noninvasive transcutaneous
initiate a sponsored clinical trial evaluating the effects of spinal
electrical spinal cord stimulation via electrodes placed on
stimulation on upper limb function in individuals with spinal cord
the spinal column three days per week for a month.
injuries. Niche Biomedical is a multidisciplinary bioelectronics medical device company focused on developing neuromodulatory
Following this treatment, all the participants could maintain
technologies to address chronic conditions that have previously
an upright standing position either independently or with
defied conventional medical treatment.
RESTORATIVE MEDICINE |
“
Our clinical research program focuses on central nervous system plasticity throughout the course of motor learning and regaining lost sensorimotor function. We are especially interested in exploring the strategies for regaining functionality during self-assisted standing and stepping, as well as for improving control of motor and autonomic functions.
”
– D imitry Sayenko MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Houston Methodist
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Dissolvable Implants Enhance the Body’s
Ability to Heal Broken Bones The Houston Methodist Center for Musculoskeletal Regeneration recognizes that the human body has an incredible capacity for healing and develops biomimetic implantables to augment these processes.
Center Director and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery Francesca Taraballi, PhD, and her colleagues have demonstrated that all regenerative processes Francesca Taraballi, PhD
Bradley K. Weiner, MD
depend on a complex dialogue among different types of cells.
They have developed a collagen-based scaffold device called 3 Zonal Membrane (3ZM), which is currently in cGMP production, that enhances the structure and composition of growing bones to quickly repair complex fractures that would usually result in high infection rates, slow/incomplete healing or amputation.
RESTORATIVE MEDICINE |
3ZM Steps in Healing Process
In preclinical models, 3ZM guided immune, stem and bone membrane cells that remodeled the area into functional bone. Within six weeks, the fracture healed and the implanted
3ZM Steps in Healing Process
materials were absorbed by the body, leaving the bone strong. 3 Zonal Membrane (3ZM) is cut and shaped The center was awarded $6 million by the U.S. Department of
to fit the defect site and then sutured to the
Defense under the leadership of Bradley Weiner, MD, professor
surrounding periosteum. The process requires
of clinical orthopedic surgery, to complete preclinical cGMP
only one operation and no additional growth
assessment of 3ZM technology for a pre-Investigational Device
factors. After four to six weeks, the bone is
Exemption regulatory consultation with the Food and Drug
fully healed, and the 3ZM is absorbed.
Administration. The center leaders have worked with industry partners and regulatory experts and policymakers to identify an accelerated path to clinical application.
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Cell Encapsulation May Hold the Key to
Preventing Cell Transplant Rejection Cell transplantation is a promising option for the management of endocrine disorders such as type I diabetes and testosterone deficiency, but risk of rejection by the recipient’s immune system and the resulting life-long dependency on immunosuppressive drugs has been a major obstacle to long-term success.
Alessandro Grattoni, PhD
A. Osama Gaber, MD
In order to protect transplanted
NICHE is implanted just under the skin, permitting easy
cells and improve cell viability,
access for replenishing transplanted cells or drugs when
several research groups
needed. The researchers utilized 3D printing technology
have tried encapsulating
to create the NICHE platform as it allows easy customization
the cells within a capsule
based on cell type and rapid, cost-effective scalability.
that acts as a physical
barrier. However, issues with inadequate blood supply and
In a preclinical study published in Biomaterials, Grattoni
oxygen permeability within the capsule have limited their
and his team successfully used NICHE to transplant
ability to support the transplanted cells.
testosterone-producing testicular Leydig cells, offering a potential new treatment option for testosterone
A Houston Methodist research team of nanomedicine and
deficiency. The NICHE platform effectively established
cell transplant experts led by Alessandro Grattoni, PhD,
blood supply within the capsule and achieved sustained
Frank J. and Jean Raymond Centennial Chair, and chair
immunosuppressant delivery. Promisingly, the transplanted
and professor of nanomedicine, has developed a novel
cells remained viable for the length of the study. Building
encapsulation platform for transplanted cells termed
upon their work with Leydig cells, the team is evaluating
neovascularized implantable cell homing and encapsulation,
the efficacy of pancreatic islet cell transplantation using
or NICHE, that directly addresses these limitations.
NICHE in preclinical diabetes models.
“
Unlike other encapsulation platforms, NICHE successfully integrates blood supply, oxygenation and localized immunosuppressant drug delivery into one device. This has significantly improved cell viability, while avoiding the adverse effects of systemic immunosupression. – A lessandro Grattoni, PhD Chair and Professor of Nanomedicine, Frank J. and Jean Raymond Centennial Chair Houston Methodist
”
RESTORATIVE MEDICINE |
“
These findings are a culmination of a long history of collaboration in cellular transplantation research at Houston Methodist and should expedite the translation of cell encapsulation technology from the lab to the clinic, delivering more effective treatment options to patients with conditions like type I diabetes.
”
– A . Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, FAST John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout Presidential Distinguished Chair in Surgery Chair, Department of Surgery Houston Methodist
A
MSCs
B
MSCs C
Immunosuppressant
D
Endocrine Cells
Nanoporous Membrane Credit: Biomaterials Fig. 1. NICHE deployment strategy. (A) Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) hydrogel-filled NICHE is implanted in a subcutaneous pocket to stimulate vascularization. (B) Prevascularization phase, with blood vessel formation across the cell reservoir. (C) Transcutaneous loading of immunosuppressant into NICHE drug reservoir using loading and venting needles. Needles are advanced into the NICHE drug reservoir through self-sealing silicon ports. Upon drug loading, the venting needle permits flushing of the reservoir and removal of entrapped air or liquid. (D) Transcutaneous transplantation of cells into the vascularized and immunosuppressed cell reservoir using a needle connected to a cell-loaded syringe.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Revolutionizing the Future of
Complex Valve Disease Management Replacing a faulty aortic valve once required open-heart surgery, which can pose significant risks for patients who are older or have certain comorbidities. The advent of minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, where the replacement valve is inserted via a small incision in the groin or chest, has opened much-needed treatment options for these patients.
RESTORATIVE MEDICINE |
“Momentous breakthroughs don’t happen often in medicine. TAVR is certainly one of the most exciting developments in recent times,” said Michael J. Reardon, MD, Allison Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery. “The Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center’s valve clinic team has been at the very forefront of this pioneering innovation in minimally invasive surgery, making Houston Methodist one of the most experienced TAVR sites in the nation.” Under the leadership of Reardon and his cardiology partner Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair Neal Kleiman, MD, the TAVR program has contributed to hundreds of publications in recent years and has played a key role in shaping this new field.
TAVR was initially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in patients with an intermediate or high risk of death or major complications during open-heart surgery. In August 2019, the FDA expanded approval to low-risk patients based on outcomes from two landmark clinical trials; Reardon was the national principal investigator for one of the trials. It confirmed that TAVR was a safe and effective treatment option for low-risk patients and was associated with shorter hospital stays, improved qualityof-life scores and a significantly lower rate of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke compared to traditional surgery. The complete findings are published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
“
TAVR is a force of positive disruption that is completely redefining the scope of valve replacement surgery. With the expanded indication, TAVR will be a game-changer for low-risk patients who are seeking to avoid the risks and longer recovery associated with surgery.
”
– Michael J. Reardon, MD Allison Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery Houston Methodist
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FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINIC
Precision Medicine At Houston Methodist, we develop cutting-edge medical treatments and employ advanced technology platforms and programs to translate innovations into therapies and diagnostics that can be tailored to individual patient needs.
CPRIT Funding to Drive New Discoveries in Cancer Therapeutics Three Houston Methodist researchers have received funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to address critical gaps in cancer research and therapeutics. CPRIT awarded Houston Methodist $4 million to further the RNAcore’s evolution from a research and clinical-grade RNA provider to the only academic group in the U.S. to provide integrated RNA therapeutics services that span from the conception of an idea to commercialization.
An Innovative New Tool to Enable Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine A High-Impact/High-Risk Award from CPRIT is facilitating the development of a novel organoid platform – a mini-brain model that mimics glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. With a new High-Impact/High-Risk Award from CPRIT, Robert C. Krencik, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery, is developing a reproducible and physiologically accurate model of human glioblastoma by incorporating patientspecific glioblastoma stem cells within 3D spheres of human neural cells. This model can be utilized as a tool to screen drugs and test the effectiveness of potential treatment options for glioblastoma and other brain cancers. Using glioblastoma stem cells from individual patients will also enable a personalized approach to treatment selection.
“
This platform will not only serve as an important tool for drug discovery and personalized medicine, it will also enhance our understanding of cell interactions within the glioblastoma microenvironment.
”
– R obert C. Krencik, PhD Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Houston Methodist
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Devising a Novel Combination Treatment for Aggressive Double-hit Lymphoma Assistant Professor of Immunotherapy in Oncology, Yulin Li, MD, PhD, received CPRIT funding to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of a new combination therapy for treating the aggressive double-hit lymphoma, or DHL cancer. DHL simultaneously activates multiple cancer-causing oncogenes, making it very difficult to treat with frontline chemotherapy. While inactivating oncogenes with targeted therapy effectively kills tumor cells, this effect is limited by relapse and treatment resistance. In contrast, immunotherapies can provide a long-term survival benefit but are less effective with DHL because of reduced expression of the common anticancer immunotherapy, CD20. Li believes that combining the treatment approaches in a targeted therapy that suppresses oncogenes together with anti-CD20 immunotherapy holds great promise.
“
If successful, this approach may lead to a new paradigm of coupling targeted suppression of multiple oncogenes with simultaneous engagement of the immune system.
”
– Y ulin Li, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Immunotherapy in Oncology Houston Methodist
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Expanding the RNAcore to Encompass the Entire Cycle of Translation The RNAcore began as a core group for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium, producing high-fidelity research and clinical-grade RNA, including mRNA, modified mRNA and noncoding RNA, for the support of fundamental research and clinical applications. In 2015, the Houston Methodist RNAcore was awarded
Fast-forward six years, and RNA therapeutics are on the tip
$4.8 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research
of everyone’s tongue. The development of mRNA vaccines
Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to expand the small RNAcore
against COVID-19 brought worldwide attention to the
supporting basic research and RNA construct development.
transformative potential of RNA-based therapeutics.
At the time, the RNAcore was the first academic entity in Texas to generate the new class of drugs known as RNA therapeutics. The grant funded support of the development and generation of RNA therapeutics, particularly for cancer immunology.
In 2020, CPRIT awarded Houston Methodist with an additional $4 million to expand the RNAcore into a state-of-the-art comprehensive RNA therapeutics facility that further enables academic and biotechnology groups to translate their ideas and innovations into therapies by providing services in
PRECISION MEDICINE |
development, manufacturing, quality control and preclinical and early-stage clinical testing of RNA drugs. The RNAcore’s industry partner VGXI has licensed their manufacturing processes to scale-up for late-stage trials and commercialization. The CPRIT funding helps the RNAcore to accelerate the drug discovery process for RNA therapeutics by significantly reducing the time needed to bring potential new treatments from bench to bedside. Under the leadership of John P. Cooke, MD, PhD, Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research, and principal investigator of the CPRIT grant, the RNAcore has supported the development of several RNA-based
There are many biotech companies and academic institutes
therapies, including an mRNA vaccine for metastatic
that can quickly develop these therapies, but most lack the
melanoma cancer treatment. Promising preclinical data
means to translate their product into the clinic. Researchers
showing dose-dependent antitumor activity with the vaccine
at Houston Methodist have built critical infrastructure to
led to the creation of a spin-off company focused on mRNA-
support the democratization of mRNA therapeutics. This
based vaccine products for cancer. Daniel L. Kiss, PhD,
program is a single-entry point for the development of RNA
assistant professor of cardiovascular sciences, working
therapy candidates into transformative drugs and might be
with the RNAcore, has generated circular RNAs to block
the only program of this sort in an academic center.
the activity of overexpressed microRNAs in breast cancer.
“
Though the concept of using RNA-targeting for therapeutic purposes has been around for a while, clinical potential is only just being realized, an example being the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. With CPRIT funding, the RNAcore will help accelerate the drug discovery process for RNA therapeutics by significantly reducing the time needed to bring potential new treatments from bench to bedside.
”
In 2020, under the leadership of John P. Cooke, MD, PhD, and principal investigator of the CPRIT grant, CPRIT awarded Houston Methodist with an additional $4 million to expand the RNAcore into a state-of-the-art comprehensive RNA therapeutics facility.
– John P. Cooke, MD, PhD Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences Houston Methodist
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Siemens Healthineers and Houston Methodist
Imaging Innovation Hub Empowers Researchers to Push Boundaries
The Houston Methodist Translational Imaging Center provides clinicians and researchers across the Texas Medical Center with access to advanced, high-performance imaging equipment to create a direct translational environment for innovation. Access to such high-throughput multimodality tools in a translational research setting is seen in very few centers in the world.
PRECISION MEDICINE |
Diego Martin, MD, PhD
Through a Siemens Healthineers and
examinations. These procedures use radiation and contrast
Houston Methodist multiyear consortium
load that pose a risk of renal failure and contrast reactions
agreement, the Research Institute is home
apart from the risks of cumulative radiation. Although the widely
to one of the world’s most powerful
available 3T clinical MRI can circumvent these undesirable
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
effects, it has its own limitations. The 7T clinical MRI scanner
machines – the Siemens 7 Tesla (7T)
may provide a good alternative as its superior spatial resolution
MAGNETOM Terra, which is the first 7T MRI of its kind
and shortened T1 relaxation time of stationary tissue results
in Texas and the first 7T MRI scanner approved for clinical use in the U.S. This agreement also emphasizes an interventional imaging partnership that allows clinicians and researchers to collaborate on developing new technologies for robotic- and image-guided navigation. The higher spatial resolution and improved contrast capabilities of the 7T MRI is being harnessed in clinical studies to more accurately localize the lesions that may 7T MRI Brain Scan
be responsible for seizures in epileptic patients with focal cortical dysplasia, the most common cause of medically
in superior contrast to blood than current 3T clinical MRI and
refractory epilepsy in children and the third most common
thereby may prominently display the lumen of the aneurysm
cause of medically intractable seizures in adults. For epilepsy
and the parent vessel. Experienced endovascular neurosurgeons
patients who are good candidates for surgery, equipping
and neuro-interventional radiologists plan to compare magnetic
the surgeon with more detailed information on the lesion
resonance angiographic images with clinical standard CT
sites has the potential to significantly improve surgical
angiographic or digital subtraction angiographic acquisitions
outcomes. Houston Methodist’s collaboration with Siemens is also enabling safer, more autonomous imaging with intracardiac echocardiography, or ICE, which allows physicians to focus their efforts and time on delivering therapy rather than
3T MRI Brain Scan
to determine when the 7T provides a significant advantage.
“
The array of advanced imaging technologies at the Research Institute Translational
dividing their attention with acquiring images. The use of
Imaging Center, the partnership with Siemens
robotic- and AI-assisted ICE imaging may provide simple
Healthineers and the strong interdisciplinary
and intuitive procedural navigation. C. Huie Lin, MD, PhD, assistant professor of cardiology, is leading an effort to
collaborations within our organization are
introduce image-based control for semi-autonomous
all major reasons for my excitement in the
robotic ICE imaging and to optimize the physician-robot
opportunity to join and help lead our efforts
interface.
to make imaging sciences a centerpiece of
The 7T is also allowing physicians to better monitor patients
innovation. The 7T Terra whole-body MRI, in
with small cerebral aneurysms over time and tailor their
addition to our other MRI research systems,
course of treatment as needed. Traditionally, follow-up for such patients is conducted with computed tomography
our advanced radiopharmacy GMP lab,
(CT) angiographic or digital subtraction angiographic
cyclotron, PET facilities and our imaging scientists are vital building blocks that support development of a world-class
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new imaging center and its capabilities was held on June 26, 2019. Leaders from Houston Methodist, Siemens and across the Texas Medical Center enjoyed tours and demonstrations of the most advanced, high-performance equipment for imaging research and innovation.
translational research center. – Diego R. Martin, MD, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Radiology Houston Methodist
”
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Novel Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
Halts Tumor Growth in Deadly Ovarian and Pancreatic Cancers A research collaboration between Houston Methodist and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has identified a promising new antibody therapy for late-stage ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Termed “silent killers,” these cancers often go undetected until it is are too late to treat.
Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, from Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center, and Samuel Mok, PhD, from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, are collaborating to create an antibody as a new type of immunotherapy.
PRECISION MEDICINE |
For any tumor, its surrounding environment plays a crucial role
antibody 130A that successfully blocked MFAP5 in preclinical
in promoting growth and progression. Tumor microenvironment
models of ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Developed and
is composed of different types of cells and proteins, each of
patented by Wong and Mok, the antibody prevented the
which influences cancer cell growth, migration and differentiation.
formation of new blood vessels within the tumor, thereby cutting off the support needed for tumor growth and
A group of researchers led by Stephen T.C. Wong, PhD, from
proliferation. It also enhanced the bioavailability and
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center,
effectiveness of other chemotherapy drugs and inhibited
and Samuel Mok, PhD, from The University of Texas MD
tumor growth as well as progression. Most importantly,
Anderson Cancer Center, identified a protein called MFAP5,
treatment with the MFAP5-targeting antibody curbed tumor
which was elevated in the tumor microenvironment of both
progression without producing noticeable toxic effects.
ovarian and pancreatic cancers. They also showed that MFAP5
Co-corresponding authors Wong and Mok published their
plays a crucial role in promoting metastasis of these cancers,
findings in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
stimulating blood vessel formation within the tumor and enhancing cancer cells’ resistance to chemotherapy drugs. This made
“The lack of side effects can be attributed to the fact that
MFAP5 a promising therapeutic target for treating ovarian
MFAP5 is expressed at very low levels in normal cells
and pancreatic cancers.
compared to cells in the tumor microenvironment, which makes this therapy highly targeted,” said Wong.
To test if blocking MFAP5 produced a desirable anticancer effect, Wong and colleagues devised a new monoclonal
After demonstrating the efficacy of their monoclonal antibody in preclinical models, the team’s next step will be to design an anti-MFAP5 antibody that can be used in human studies. According to Wong, this work requires the seamless convergence of expertise across varied disciplines such as biological science, computational science and engineering, making this a truly multidisciplinary effort.
Wong and Mok created the antibody to block the action of the MFAP5 protein, secreted by the cells that surround and support ovarian and pancreatic tumor cells.
“
Finding an effective targeted treatment for two of the most lethal cancers is like the holy grail of cancer research. This translational discovery has raised the prospect of developing a treatment for late-stage ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
”
– S tephen T.C. Wong, PhD John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering Professor of Computer Science and Bioengineering in Oncology Cancer Center Houston Methodist
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Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE ) SM
Over the past decade, the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education has become one of the most advanced simulation education and clinical research facilities in the world. At MITIE, our experts can
development within the research core, confirm efficacy
continually refine their skills
within a simulated clinical environment and disseminate
and acquire new expertise
to practicing physicians within the training area and
to perform at optimal levels
MedPresence Suite.
as well as advance new innovations and develop
Under the new leadership of Alan Lumsden, MD, Walter W.
the metrics required to define procedural competence in a
Fondren III Presidential Distinguished Chair, DeBakey Heart
hands-on simulated clinical care environment. The integrative
& Vascular Center, MITIE is closely working with experts
design of the institute’s research and training spaces enables
throughout the organization to further align Houston Methodist’s
our experts to effectively collaborate within MITIE throughout
research and education efforts with the Centers of Excellence
the entire progression of technological or procedural
in a venture that will synergistically expand all of our programs.
Alan B. Lumsden, MD Randolph H. Steadman, MD
PRECISION MEDICINE |
MITIE has become an incubator for innovative ideas and technological advances that offers an extensive array of resources for training, research and device development. MITIESM Simulation Center offers a procedural and clinical environment for simulation in education and research. The Institute for Robotics, Imaging and Navigation connects conceptualization to rapid prototyping related to robotics to transform ideas into products and processes.
“
Houston Methodist is a clinical powerhouse. Aligning our education and research efforts with our Centers of Excellence allows us to share these clinical strengths. We are building relationships with collaborators and experts that create a powerful synergy as we continually expand.
The Center for Rapid Device Translation connects industry with subject matter experts in clinical and translational medicine to collaborate on preclinical device development and good laboratory practice on the path to FDA approval.
“
– Alan B. Lumsden, MD Walter W. Fondren III Presidential Distinguished Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center Professor and Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Houston Methodist
Surgical Technology Developed in MITIESM Gains FDA Approval MITIE played an integral role in the development of a new device called StimSite that creatively solves an issue confronted by surgeons during the three million procedures in the U.S. annually that involve making incisions near the ureters. StimSite was devised by Albert Huang, MD, a former Houston Methodist surgical resident and research fellow and current founder and CEO of Allotrope Medical and TMCx entrepreneur in residence. The device provides general, ob/gyn and colorectal surgeons with an elegant tool to help locate and avoid the ureters. After years of planning, prototyping and testing, Huang’s device received FDA clearance in November 2020. When the StimSite device generates a specifically calibrated current in the lower abdomen, the famously difficult-to-locate ureters are the only structures in the vicinity containing the smooth muscle needed to respond to electrical stimulation. The rhythmic movement of the stimulated ureters makes it much quicker and easier for surgeons to locate and avoid the ureters when performing surgical procedures in the region. Huang began the clinical pilot studies on StimSite by training ob/gyn surgeons from a private practice to use the device at MITIE.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Can Devices Provide A
New Treatment Option for Glioblastoma? Experts at the Houston Methodist Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Tumor Treatment Center are developing new glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treatment options, including an innovative technology that provides anticancer therapy through a wearable device.
David S. Baskin, MD
Santosh Helekar, MD, PhD
GBM is the most common
On a cellular level, they demonstrated that when OMFs are
and aggressive form
applied in a defined pattern at a certain range of frequencies,
of brain cancer. After
they disrupt electron flows in the mitochondrial electron
40 years of research,
transport chain that drives cellular fuel production. This
median survival with
disruption leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species,
aggressive treatment
triggering a cascade of cellular events that leads to cancer
has only improved from 9 to 15 months and the quality
cell apoptosis. Compared with normal cells of the same tissue
of life during this time is often poor.
type, cancer cells have critically high levels of reactive oxygen species at baseline that are poised to trigger apoptosis if
A team of researchers has developed a new method of
further increased.
generating an oscillating magnetic field (OMF) that eradicates cancer cells via a wearable device. These studies were made
With this information, the investigators further optimized the
possible by the prior invention of a wearable miniaturized
stimulus parameters of OMF stimulation and confirmed safety
multifocal transcranial magnetic stimulator by Santosh
and efficacy in a humanized preclinical model of GBM. They
Helekar, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurosurgery, and
then modified the Helekar-Voss Transcranial Permanent
Henning Voss, associate professor of physics in radiology at
Magnet Stimulator device to construct a wearable prototype
Weill Cornell Medical College. The device uses microstimulators,
for humans called an Oncomagnetic device along with the
called oncoscillators, that rotate strong neodymium permanent
associated hardware, software and mobile applications.
magnets-devised patterns. Helekar and his colleagues have produced selective anticancer effects in patient-derived GBM and breast cancer cells in culture without damaging cultured normal cells.
“
We believe that our current investigations may help to establish Oncomagnetics as a GBM treatment that does not have the limitations of chemotherapeutic agents. Given that various cancerous cell types are susceptible to apoptosis by OMF-induced accentuation of reactive oxygen species, we hope to modulate our nascent OMF treatment to target other cancers.
”
– D avid S. Baskin, MD Kenneth R. Peak Presidential Distinguished Chair & Program Director, Neurosurgery Residency, Department of Neurosurgery Professor, Neurosurgery Houston Methodist
PRECISION MEDICINE | 43 PRECISION MEDICINE | 43
Houston Methodist Hospital’s New Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower Offers the
Most Advanced Treatments and Innovations Available
Houston Methodist’s Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Tower is home to sophisticated neurological and cardiovascular surgical suites specially designed for highly technical and minimally invasive image-guided procedures. Through the Siemens consortium, the Walter Tower and MITIESM have been outfitted with triple hybrid surgical suites that integrate robotic-assisted technology with the most advanced computed tomography (CT), angiography and magnetic resonance imaging technology available as well as a dual CT and positron emission tomography scanner that can illuminate specific biochemical processes in order to provide precise, efficient and safe surgeries for our patients and advance our clinical research endeavors.
New Virtual Intensive Care Unit Simultaneously Improves Patient Care and Bed Capacity The virtual ICU system has provided a great advantage to health-care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic as it reduces the amount of direct patient interaction needed, thereby limiting PPE use and potential exposure to pathogens. At the same time, the virtual ICU system increases the number of patients that can be cared for simultaneously and empowers clinical staff to provide earlier interventions. The virtual ICU provides continuous intensivist coverage for Houston Methodist’s 300+ ICU beds, offering additional support to bedside ICU teams. The virtual unit’s operations The coronavirus pandemic has escalated a digital
center is equipped with specialized software that captures
transformation within intensive care units (ICUs) where
and analyzes real-time clinical data to calculate each
remote monitoring technologies enable professionals to
patient’s stability or risk of deterioration, allowing the team
more efficiently and safely manage their patients.
to anticipate events and act quickly. Each of the ICU rooms is equipped with a virtual alert button so that the bedside
When the pandemic began, Houston Methodist accelerated
team can immediately alert the remote intensivist and
the timeline for completing ongoing virtual ICU programming
nurses. The patient rooms also contain two-way audiovisual
and construction. In March of 2020, we launched a
technologies for unobtrusive observation or communication
comprehensive virtual ICU system that utilizes specifically
between the patient, bedside team and virtual team.
tailored remote clinical surveillance and data analytics
Houston Methodist has also deployed tablets for health-
platforms as well as interactive video conferencing.
care providers to perform “virtual rounds” on patients.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Neuroimaging Offers
New Insights into Neurodegeneration
PRECISION MEDICINE |
At a time when most efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease were focused on amyloid protein, Joseph C. Masdeu, MD, PhD, Graham Family Distinguished Chair for Neurological Sciences and director of the Nantz National Alzheimer Center at the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute found evidence that Alzheimer’s development was associated with an abnormal folded tau protein derived from the normal tau proteins that neurons use to form the white matter highways that facilitate communication among the brain’s various networks.
With the use of magnetic
These findings, published in Neurology, suggest that tau, rather than amyloid, is the critical factor in the development
resonance imaging (MRI)
of neurodegenerative disorders.
combined with 18F-FDG,
Masdeu was the first to demonstrate in vivo that abnormal
F-flortaucipir and 18F-AV-1451
18
positron emission tomography (PET), Masdeu’s group was the
tau proteins spread throughout human brain networks using white matter tracts. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine study combined MRI and 18F-flortaucipir PET to study tau protein behavior in a tau-dependent progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the languagerelated syntactic neural network. In the study participants,
first to report that brain areas
tau accumulation likely began in the anterior frontal node
with abnormal tau protein
lobe. The arcuate fasciculus white matter tract connecting
deposits had decreased
node, corresponding to a loss of neurons in the anterior node.
metabolism, a sign of low
This discovery reveals a window of opportunity for treatment,
and travelled to the spatially separate posterior temporal these regions was most affected near the anterior frontal
because to jump from neuron to neuron, tau appears
regional activity. The tau accumulations form the neurofibrillary tangles seen in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
to become extracellular – and possibly amenable to immunotherapy using antibodies that target this abnormal protein to hamper the spread, thereby preserving neural networks. Three clinical trials are underway at the Nantz National Alzheimer Center using anti-tau antibodies from Abbvie, Biogen and Eli Lilly.
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INNOVATIVE EDUCATION
Launching a Legacy of Leading Medicine Houston Methodist is committed to building transformative education experiences at the intersections and gaps between disciplines through health science and medical education programs. Houston Methodist is not degree-granting; rather, we forge academic partnerships that bring in measurable results today and offer greater opportunities for tomorrow. Our residencies, fellowships, research doctoral program and continuing education programs in medicine, research, nursing and pharmacy attract more than 41,344 learners from around the world each year.
Building a Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences Campus at Houston Methodist The Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WCGS) has expanded its PhD program to an additional campus at Houston Methodist Academic Institute, the research and education arm of Houston Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. This is a new enhancement, building upon the John P. Cooke, MD, PhD
Barbara L. Hempstead, MD, PhD
16-year academic affiliation between Weill Cornell Medicine and Houston Methodist to train the next generation of physicians and scientists.
WCGS faculty at the New York campus will provide the didactic curriculum via remote learning with mentoring by WCGS faculty at the Houston campus. The thesis research will be performed at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute, under the direction of WCGS faculty located at both the Houston and NYC campuses. Graduate students and WCGS faculty based in Houston will visit New York City for program retreats and graduate school events. In turn, graduate students and faculty based in New York City can benefit from Houston-based faculty expertise and state-ofthe-art facilities and technology at the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. This collaboration will enhance the experience of students and faculty at both locations, promote scientific interactions and add diversity to the student body.
HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE |
Engineering Medicine (EnMed) The Nation’s First Training Program at the Convergence of Medicine and Engineering In August of 2019, Texas A&M University and Houston Methodist launched the EnMed program to instill a new generation of “physicianeers” with the skills to create innovative technological solutions that can transform patient care.
The EnMed program integrates medical education and research focused on innovation and entrepreneurship to empower future professionals with the clinical skills needed to diagnose and treat patients along with the engineering mindset to solve problems, invent new technologies and rapidly move these innovative ideas to practice inpatient care.
The EnMed program is housed in an 18-story office building acquired and renovated by Texas A&M. The building will be the focal point of the future Texas A&M Innovation Plaza, a 5-acre campus currently being constructed. The students have access to a simulation center, which occupies an entire floor, a makerspace so students can print 3D models for prototypes. Most of their didactic training will be in this building, but all wet anatomy labs happen at the Houston Methodist campus.
The 34 students who entered the EnMed program in 2020 came from a variety of educational backgrounds, including biological systems engineering, chemical engineering, material physics, mechanical engineering and mathematics. Many of these students are ready to embark on capstone projects, which are two-year mentored projects involving innovative research and technology development that directly address clinical or biomedical challenges. These projects will be conducted at Houston Methodist.
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) Training Program
The training program can be distinguished from traditional physiology or neuroscience programs by its strategic focus on the interface between regeneration/disease organ model systems and functional neuroanatomy and physiology. NeuralCODR was conceived by Philip Horner, PhD, and a team of expert faculty from across several Texas Medical Center institutions with a rich history of research training, clinical modelling and education, including Rice University, University of Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine.
opment vel De ools al nd T a
d an g in
Ne ur
The 2020 NeuralCODR Fellows
NEURALCODR FELLOWS
The NeuralCODR training program is an interdisciplinary training program at the intersection of neurophysiology and organ engineering/modeling that investigates how the central nervous system communicates with other organ systems.
Neural Innerv Organ Eng atio ine n er
Caroline Cvetkovic, PhD For her NeuralCODR fellowship in the lab of Robert Krencik, PhD, Cvetkovic is investigating the relationship between astrocytes and neurons in the brain. She is developing human stem-cell derived 3D neural tissue cultures to gain deeper insights into neuronal development and degeneration that could someday lead to regenerative clinical therapies.
Betsy Salazar As a NeuralCODR fellow under the guidance of Alvaro Munoz, PhD, and Timothy Boone, MD, PhD, Salazar is investigating the impact of therapeutic drugs on functional recovery following spinal cord injury in rodent models. She is specifically interested in assessing motor function recovery using behavioral tests as well as assessing the impact that treatments have at the cellular level.
d N an r Pe e r v o u s S y s t e m orde ri p s h e ra l O rgan Di
s
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INNOVATIVE EDUCATION |
Faculty and Research Development Houston Methodist bolsters academic productivity throughout our researchers’ careers with a full complement of individually tailored resources that includes one-on-one professional development guidance, cohorted courses and customized workshops. Our experienced development team provides services essential to developing strategic academic priorities and securing extramural funding, including matching our experts with appropriate funding opportunities and providing planning and writing support for grant proposals, manuscripts, outcomes/big-data protocols Dorothy Lewis, PhD
Salim Allana, MD
and other academic publications.
In 2020, two new courses open to both trainees and faculty were launched via videoconferencing. The recorded sessions are currently available on the Academic Institute’s website. A seminar series Key Elements of Clinical Research details essential elements of planning and conducting clinical research including clinical trial design, working with industry, project presentation and grantsmanship. The Concept to Commercialization seminar lays the foundation for translating key laboratory discoveries to clinical uses that improve patient lives. It provides a practical and efficient process for researchers to bring their innovations to the market.
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Grant applications were submitted through Academic Affairs 95 through Faculty Development and 30 through Research Development
577
Mentorships hours
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HOUSTON METHODIST ACADEMIC INSTITUTE
Graduate Medical Education Houston Methodist provides an academic health-care environment that promotes comprehensive learning opportunities for more than 41,000 medical students and physicians each year through medical student rotations, residency and fellowship programs, MITIESM procedural skills training and continuing education courses. Our 920 medical students work with inpatient teams and one-on-one with subspecialists during rotations in general surgery, family medicine, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. Houston Methodist has 336 residents and fellows placed within 45 programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and nine Graduate Medical Education Committee-sponsored fellowships. On Match Day in March 2020, 60 medical students from around the world officially became incoming residents at Houston Methodist for the 2020-2021 academic year. Of the new group of residents, 32 hailed from U.S. News & World Report-ranked medical schools.
336
RESIDENTS/FELLOWS
59
=
GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
45
ACGME ACCREDITED
+
14
NON-ACGME ACCREDITED
INNOVATIVE EDUCATION |
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Mayo Clinic
Cleveland Clinic
Massachusetts General Hospital NYU Langone Mount Sinai UPMC Mercy University of Pennsylvania
UCSF Medical Center Stanford Hospital
Keck Hospital of USC UCLA Medical Center Mayo Clinic
Our residents and fellows join Houston Methodist from throughout the U.S., and go on to prestigious fellowship opportunities at institutions including Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Houston Methodist Academic Institute The Houston Methodist Academic Institute oversees the Research Institute and Education Institute, including 775 faculty and 41,344 learners. The Academic Institute aligns our research and education initiatives in service to the clinical mission, providing solutions that answer the call for new technologies and skills our clinicians need for patient care. The Houston Methodist Research Institute supports research programs and infrastructure that enable faculty across the system to bring new scientific discoveries to patients as rapidly as possible through the full cycle of a cure from conceptual bench research, to prototyping and development, to clinical trials and FDA approval. The Institute supports more than 1,470 clinical research protocols and $64.1 million in extramurally funded translational research programs. The Houston Methodist Education Institute coordinates our primary academic affiliation with Weill Cornell Medicine and joint programs, including the EnMed engineering medicine program with Texas A&M University. The Institute also oversees continuing medical education and graduate medical education and supports more than 3,355 trainees in residence for medical, nursing, allied health and research education programs.
Houston Methodist Academic Institute 6670 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030 | 713.790.3333 | houstonmethodist.org
Houston Methodist Academic Institute | houstonmethodist.org
