Houston Methodist Methodology Magazine - Fall 2018 by Houston Methodist Professional Publications

METHODOLOGY

The Research and Education Magazine of Houston Methodist Fall 2018

Hope for Slowing ALS Phase 1 Trial Uses Tregs for Immunotherapy

Hope for Slowing ALS 06

Bringing a New Degree of Expertise to the TMC 08

Lab-on-a-Chip Shines Light on Bystander Effect 10

Mapping a Path to Ovarian Cancer Treatment 12

Collaboration within the TMC 14

Center for Rapid Device Translation Opens Doors

The Most Significant Dialysis Treatment in 50 Years

Making a Difference in Medicine

New FASEB President Shares Insights

Bioengineered Lung Transplant Aided by Silicon Microparticles

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURES

Devices in Rapid Translation

Occidental Petroleum Gift Expands Specialty Care 20

Mejia Osuna Champions Community Scholars 21

Education Highlights 22

PCSLife Links Spirituality with Palliative Care 23

Lynn Randolph Exhibits Between Worlds

100 Endowed Chairs for Centennial Year 27

New Faculty Recruits & Grantees 28

Welcome Home, Qing Yi 30

News Briefs Back Cover

Upcoming Events

Houston Methodist Research Institute Board of Directors

FROM THE PRESIDENT Progress is driven by dogged tenacity and grit. It is the small steps— seldom celebrated—that lead to great leaps and bounds. As you read the headlines in this issue of Methodology, I encourage you to consider the paths these technologies took through the years to make it to the clinic. They are a testament to the clinicians and scientists that steadily apply rigorous scientific method to take each step of the journey from innovation to clinic. Our cover story showcases the first phase 1 trial involving ALS patients receiving treatment with infusions of Tregs. Led by Dr. Stanley Appel in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center’s stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy team, the study offers a first glimmer of hope for treating this debilitating disease that takes the lives of almost 5,600 people worldwide each year.

Steven D. Arnold David C. Baggett, Jr. John F. Bookout, Jr.

At the other end of the pipeline, we share the news about successfully completing the cycle of a cure with the WavelinQ™ endoAVF System. Using this device, Dr. Eric Peden became the first surgeon in

John F. Bookout, III

the U.S. to perform minimally-invasive surgery to create dialysis access for a patient with severe kidney

Marc L. Boom, MD

disease. The device was conceptualized at the Pumps & Pipes Conference more than 10 years ago

Timothy Boone, MD, PhD

and completed for preclinical testing at Houston Methodist. After FDA approval, the device returned to

Giorgio Borlenghi

Houston Methodist, which was selected by Becton Dickinson as the national expert training center for

Carrie L. Byington, MD

surgeons to bring this device to their practices across the U.S.

Joseph R. "Rod" Canion David Chao

As we are training physicians in the newest technologies to advance care, we are also designing degree

Stephen I. Chazen

programs to develop translational experts at all phases of drug and device development. We are partnering

Augustine M.K. Choi, MD

with Weill Cornell Medical College to create a new degree program—a PhD in translational biomedical

John P. Cooke, MD, PhD

sciences—based in Houston and conferred by Weill Cornell. Drs. John Cooke and David Christini

Dan O. Dinges

are paving the way to launch this new graduate program by the summer of 2020.

Mauro Ferrari, PhD Antonio M. Gotto Jr., MD, DPhil

I hope you enjoy learning more about the tremendous steps we are taking, always forging ahead, as we

Mark A. Houser

pioneer the path to medical translation and ever-better care for our patients.

Catherine S. Jodeit Evan H. Katz Edwin H. Knight Rev. Kenneth R. Levingston Kevin J. Lilly

Mauro Ferrari, PhD

Steven S. Looke

Ernest Cockrell Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair President and CEO, Houston Methodist Research Institute Director, Institute for Academic Medicine at Houston Methodist Executive Vice President, Houston Methodist

Vidal G. Martinez Gregory V. Nelson Mary Eliza Shaper Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD Joseph C. "Rusty" Walter, III

Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

Martha Walton Elizabeth Wareing Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr.

Read more online: issuu.com/instituteforacademicmedicine

FEATURES

Hope for Slowing ALS Phase 1 Trial Uses Tregs for Immunotherapy

Since its discovery in 1869 and its rise to national attention with Lou Gehrigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diagnosis in 1939, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, has offered little hope for treatment. The nervous system disorder that causes the nerve cells controlling muscle movements to degenerate, inevitably leads to weakness, difficulty speaking and swallowing, impaired breathing and death, typically within three to five years. Stanley H. Appel, MD

Now, the first-ever phase 1 clinical trial for a new immunotherapy

They gave each patient two sets of Treg infusions, with each

is showing surprising results, bringing hope of slowing the

set consisting of four infusions: The first four were administered

relentlessly progressive and fatal disease. The study, led by

every two weeks, and the last four each month. Disease

Houston Methodist neurologists Stanley H. Appel, MD, and

progression appeared to slow during each set of Treg infusions

Jason Thonhoff, MD, PhD, treats ALS patients with infusions

according to two different rating scales of ALS progression.

of expanded autologous regulatory T lymphocytes, or Tregs. These are the immune T cells that can help protect the body from the harmful inflammation associated with the progression of ALS.

“A person has approximately 150 million Tregs circulating in their blood at any given time,” said Thonhoff, the study’s lead author. “Each dose of Tregs given to the patients in this study resulted in a 30 to 40 percent increase over normal

Appel and his team selected three patients at different stages

levels. Slowing of disease progression was observed during

of ALS progression. Each patient underwent leukapheresis,

each round of four Treg infusions.”

a procedure that removed blood and separated out the white blood cells. The Tregs were then separated from the white blood cells and expanded in a specialized laboratory before being infused back into the patients. They found that Tregs that had not functioned properly when in the patient’s body,

To determine whether it is an effective treatment for slowing the progression of ALS, Appel and Thonhoff will launch a larger phase 2 study, with hope of one day developing an off-the-shelf cellular therapy for ALS patients.

returned to normal functioning after being expanded in the lab. Collaborating with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy program, the team collected the expanded Tregs and infused them back into the patients—and discovered that the number of Tregs increased in each patient's blood.

Thonhoff, JR, Beers, DR, Zhao, W, Pleitez, M, Simpson, EP, Berry, JD, Cudkowicz, ME, Appel, SH. Expanded autologous regulatory T-lymphocyte infusions in ALS. Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation. Jul 2018; 5 (4): 465. This research study was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and funded by the ALS Association and ALS Finding a Cure.

“ We found that many of our ALS patients not only had low levels of Tregs, but also that their Tregs were not functioning properly. We believed that

improving the number and function of Tregs in these patients would affect how their disease progressed.

”

– Stanley H. Appel, MD Peggy & Gary Edwards Distinguished Endowed Chair, Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology Professor of Neurology Co-Director, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute Houston Methodist

FEATURES

Weill Cornell & Houston Methodist

Bringing a New Degree of Expertise to the TMC Offering a graduate degree in translational biomedical sciences by LaVonne Carlson

Plans for a graduate program in

“The unique nature of the program will attract a cohort of bright

translational biomedical sciences will

graduate students seeking this rare opportunity to bridge the divide

bring a new degree of expertise to

between faculty and research labs,” said Cooke. “Each year, eight

the Texas Medical Center—and the

students with MSc or MD degrees will bring a knowledge-base of

potential to earn a PhD from Weill

biological science.”

Cornell. The new program envisions John P. Cooke, MD, PhD

an interdisciplinary approach to

The program will begin with an eight-week Translational Medicine

teaching translational research, with

Boot Camp to lay a foundation in the “omics” technologies:

the coursework and laboratory studies held at Houston

genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and other topics such as

Methodist and the degree granted by the Weill Cornell

epigenetics. Two years of coursework will include didactic cores

Graduate School.

that focus on logic and experimental design, computational bioinformatics, and health and human disease. Laboratory rotations

The time is right, according to John Cooke, MD, PhD, chair of

will allow students to design and conduct experiments, which will

the Houston Methodist Department of Cardiovascular Sciences,

serve as the basis for their graduate thesis research.

and David Christini, PhD, vice dean at Weill Cornell Medical College, who are championing the effort to take the long-standing

Plans are on track to see the first arrivals in July 2020. Weill

collaboration to the next level.

Cornell’s Graduate School, Sloan Kettering and Houston Methodist are guiding the proposal through a rigorous approval

Houston Methodist’s current faculty—highly accomplished

process that involves state educational commissions in both Texas

scientists with solid NIH funding—are eager to foster a vibrant

and New York, which may require many months.

training environment. And their biomedical science trainees could experience the first stages of clinical testing within the

“We have the labs and faculty to achieve top-of-the-line research,

institute’s state-of-the-art facilities, which include cGMP facilities

to take us to the next level,” said Cooke. “We’ve overcome the

for diagnostic and therapeutic radionucleides, nanoparticle

highest hurdle, now we walk the longest mile.”

fabrication, and small molecule and RNA therapeutics; a cGLP facility for large animal studies; a QC laboratory, and much more.

have the fundamentals within “ We our system to create a unique translational program. We can offer facilities that most universities don’t have—and will make our interdisciplinary program very different than anywhere else.

”

– John P. Cooke, MD, PhD Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Research Houston Methodist

FEATURES

Lab-on-a-Chip Shines Light on Bystander Effect by Gale Smith

Retinal degeneration, including glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, is the leading cause of blindness, affecting 196 million people worldwide by 2020.

The newfound ability to get a close-

many channels. It has created a model that can study retinal

up look at what’s occurring in retinal

damage as it occurs in cells, and also can screen possible

cells and their neural networks may

drugs to repair damaged neuron and retinal connections.

offer new potential—and hope—for treatments.

Lidong Qin, PhD

photoreceptors in the device, the researchers discovered that,

The innovative NN-chip technology

once damaged, the retinal cells were difficult to recover—

invented by Lidong Qin, PhD, and

and also caused their neighboring cells to die quickly. This

his team in the Department of

phenomenon, referred to as the “bystander effect,” indicates

Nanomedicine is overcoming the long-standing challenge of

that gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) is critical

studying the retina—its delicate structure, the very thing that

in propagating neuron degeneration and death—ultimately

makes it so sensitive also makes it so vulnerable to disease.

causing loss of vision.

Retinal disease, primarily caused by the progressive dysfunction and death of photoreceptors, can be induced by mutations, as seen in macular degeneration. Another cause is excessive light irradiation, for example damage caused by over exposure to the glare of electronic screens. Qin’s lab-on-a-chip technology is based on another of his inventions, BloC-Printing, which allows researchers to print living cells onto any surface in any shape within the confines of a mold. Now, the next generation NN-Chip can load and test cells with micro-needles in an open dish, tailoring the neural network to allow study of individual cells, in addition to observing how drugs progress through the platform’s

Using extremely bright light to selectively damage retina

While confirming the theory that retinal degeneration in one cell leads to deterioration in adjacent cells, Qin’s NN-Chip also shows that degeneration occurs much faster than previously thought: Damage went from 100 cells to 10,000 cells in 24 hours. The NN-Chip offers the potential to study neural pathways and processes beyond those found in the retina. Qin hopes the platform will soon be used in models for studying neural networks and screening therapeutic drugs for diseases, including Huntington's and Alzheimer's.

‘bystander killing effect’ in retina cone photoreceptors “ The leads us to believe that once retina cells are severely damaged, the killing effect will spread to other healthy cells, causing irrevocable damage. What surprised us was how quickly the killing effect progressed in the experimental model.

”

– Lidong Qin, PhD Professor of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist

Ma, Y, Han, X, De Castro, RB, Zhang, P, Zhang, K, Hu, Z, & Qin, L. Analysis of the bystander effect in cone photoreceptors via a guided neural network platform. Science Advances. 2018: 4(5), eaas9274. This research was funded by National Institutes of Health (R01 CA180083, R56 AG049714 and R21 CA191179).

FEATURES

Mapping a Path to

Ovarian Cancer Treatment Integrated computational modeling and biology experiments suggest a ready-made Rx by Lisa Merkl and Scott Merrville

Researchers at the Houston Methodist Research Institute and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found new potential for treating highgrade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and difficult form of the disease. Their study in The Journal of the

showed a poor prognosis for those with CAF-C fibroblasts,

National Cancer Institute in May

with median overall survival of 16 months compared to 33 months

2018 pinpointed a molecular

for those with CAF-N fibroblasts.

pathway between malignant cells and supportive cells that are associated with poor prognoses for patients with the disease. Stephen T. Wong, PhD

A multi-cellular crosstalk modeling

tool called Cell-Cell Communication Explorer (CCCExplorer), pioneered by Stephen Wong, PhD, Houston Methodist's chair of Systems Medicine and Bioengineering and the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-senior author, helped map the complex ecosystem of

To reveal what makes the CAF-C group promote aggressive disease, CCCExplorer was used to identify a signaling pathway, called Smad. More experiments by the MD Anderson team confirmed that patients with high expression of Smad-regulated genes had median overall survival of 15 months compared to 26 months for those with low expression. Next, the CCCExplorer tool was used to search known drugs that could target Smad signaling. It found a prescription drug,

interactions among tumor cells and between various

Calcitriol, which stops communication between cancer cells and

supporting cells.

fibroblasts by inhibiting the binding of Smad proteins to their target genes. This was confirmed when Calcitriol showed reduced

To map this pathway, the team knew they had to look beyond

cancer cell proliferation and tumor volume in mice, with overall

cancer cells as the only target for treating cancer, so they

survival increasing from 36 to 48 weeks.

focused on fibroblasts, which provide connective tissue as a

scaffolding for organs. Using laser microdissection, the team

Already approved by the Food and Drug Administration for

at MD Anderson precisely carved out fibroblasts from tumor

treating calcium deficiency and kidney diseases, Calcitriol

samplesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and found two distinct gene expressions: CAF-C

is on the fast track for testing in human clinical trials, and may

and CAF-N. A survival analysis in 46 ovarian cancer patients

be a major milestone on the path to treating ovarian cancer.

We identified a signaling pathway, called Smad, as the culprit of poor ovarian cancer outcomes. Reprogramming these cells by targeting their communication networks presents an opportunity for the development of new cancer treatment strategies. Targeting these supportive cells in

“

the tumor microenvironment instead of the tumor itself could lead to less toxic, more effective treatments.

– S tephen T. Wong, PhD John S. Dunn, Sr. Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering Professor of Systems Medicine and Bioengineering Houston Methodist

Yeung T-L, Sheng J, Leung CS, Li F, Samuel JK, Ho Y, Matzuk MM, Lu KH, Wong STC, Mok SC. Systematic Identification of Druggable Epithelial-Stromal Crosstalk Signaling Networks in Ovarian Cancer. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, May 31, 2018; djy097. The study was funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (R01CA133057, R01CA142832, RC4CA156551, U01188388, U54CA151668, U54CA149196, and UH2 TR000943) MD Anderson’s Ovarian Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) (P50CA083639), MD Anderson’s Uterine SPORE grant (P50CA098258) and by MD Anderson’s Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA016672 ) from the National Institutes of Health; by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Ovarian Cancer Research Program, U.S. Department of Defense; the Gilder Foundation; the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and a CPRIT Core Facility Support Award: funding from Mr. Carl L. Norton, the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation, The Mary K. Chapman Foundation, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Bioinformatics Research and Imaging for Neurosciences (BRAIN), Cancer Fighters of Houston, Inc., and the John S. Dunn Foundation.

FEATURES

Collaboration within the Texas Medical Center & Beyond

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program worked with neurologist

Rice University’s Alberto Pimpinelli, PhD, and a Houston Methodist team led by Alessandro Grattoni, PhD, chair of the Department of Nanomedicine, partnered

Stanley Appel, MD, on the first-ever phase 1 clinical trial

on a high-impact study, “Unexpected behaviors in molecular

for a new immunotherapy that may slow the progression

transport through size-controlled nanochannels down to

of ALS, using infusions of expanded regulatory autologous

the ultra-nanoscale,” which was published by Nature

T lymphocytes, or Tregs. Read more on page 4.

Communications in April 2018.

MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine collaborated with Houston Methodist’s Stephen Wong, PhD, to find new potential for treating high-grade serous ovarian cancer by mapping a signaling pathway that may be targeted by an existing, FDA-approved drug. Read more on page 10.

The Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Catholic Church Pontifical Academy for Life and Houston Methodist co-hosted the 2018 Palliative Care and Spirituality for Life (PCSLife) Conference. Held September 17 at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, palliative care and spiritual leaders explored ways to integrate spirituality into palliative clinical practice.

JLABS and The Center for Device Innovation @ Texas Medical Center were early collaborators with the Center for Rapid Device Translation. Read more on page 14.

Read more on page 17.

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FEATURES Center for

Center for

Rapid Device Translation Opens Doors to

Innovation

Forging a path to preclinical medical device and digital health care translation

by LaVonne Carlson With the arrival of its new Center for Rapid Device

The Center for Rapid Device Translation was formed to assist clients with the

Translation, Houston Methodist advances and extends

expertise required to achieve safety studies and regulatory approval to bring

to others its legacy of innovation, started by Dr. Michael

new medical devices to market—and ultimately to patients—with safety, accuracy

E. DeBakey, who used a sewing machine to prototype

and efficiency. The center is building collaborations with industry innovators,

the Dacron graft in 1954.

assisting them in navigating through preclinical testing, with a turnaround time of approximately 90 days from signing an agreement to commencing the study. This rapid movement through institutional requirements, such as institutional animal care and use committee approval and credentialing, ensures the technology is not delayed in its race toward commercialization. Tapping the institute’s translational research services, the center provides technologies, tools and facilities, and offers access to clinicians, research scientists and experts with laboratory and regulatory expertise who, daily, carry out best practices at Houston Methodist’s top-ranked hospital. The center’s leadership also includes successful entrepreneurs who bring expertise and insight to the foundational planning and first phases of product development. The center’s initial collaborators include Johnson & Johnson JLABS @ TMC, the Center for Device Innovation @ Texas Medical Center, Siemens Healthineers, and Automobili Lamborghini. A few examples of technologies the center is assisting with include laser tissue welding, smooth muscle stimulation for surgical recovery, and biodegradable venous wraps. Read more about projects on the horizon across multiple spaces, as well as the center’s innovations, at rapiddevicetranslation.org.

Devices in Rapid Translation ALLOTROPE MEDICAL

VENOSTENT

Allotrope Medical’s smooth muscle stimulation technology,

VenoStent developed a biodegradable SelfWrap that

StimSite, uses low-powered electrical stimulation to

surgeons can use quickly and easily to reduce venous

generate a visible contraction in the ureter and other

access site failures for hemodialysis patients. Its flexible

smooth muscle structures during minimally invasive and

shape memory polymer technology provides a self-closing,

robotic surgeries. Also available in capsule form, it can

durable mechanical support system that surgeons can

generate movements in the GI system to help patients

customize at the point of surgery with next-to-no increase

quickly recover intestinal function after surgery.

in time.

Allotrope Medical, a medical device company backed

The company first connected with the center when it was

by Y Combinator in 2018, has received funding from

seeking collaborators to conduct preclinical testing and

the National Science Foundation, was chosen as Top

met Houston Methodist experts in comparative medicine,

Innovation in 2016 at SAGES, and is a resident of the

translational imaging and cardiovascular surgery, who

highly competitive JLABS @ TMC. Allotrope has

expressed interest in the SelfWrap technology. The company

developed and tested its technology in the Houston

is part of the 2018 TMCx Medical Device Cohort and holds

Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education

a residency at JLABS @ TMC. VenoStent recently was

(MITIESM) with assistance from MITIE staff and Brian

awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business

Dunkin, MD, FACS, the John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout

Technology Transfer Program Phase I Grant, allowing it

Chair in Surgical Innovation and Technology. The training

to conduct flow optimization experiments with the help of

familiarized practicing clinicians with hands-on use of

Houston Methodist’s Christof Karmonik, PhD, director of

the StimSite device, in preparation for its first in-human

the MRI Core, and Eric Peden, MD, assistant professor

application. Allotrope is now running a clinical trial,

of Cardiovascular Surgery. VenoStent’s technology could

which is nearing FDA approval. It anticipates going

potentially impact treatment for the 700,000 U.S. patients

to market in 2019.

who suffer from End Stage Renal Disease.

FEATURES

The Most Significant Dialysis Access in 50 Years by George Kovacik

This new technique may mean fewer complications and surgeries for the 470,000 Americans who undergo dialysis two to three times a week. On August 22, Eric K. Peden, MD, chief

to perform the first surgery. Parts of the new system had been

of vascular surgery at Houston Methodist

introduced at one of the earliest Pumps & Pipes, a symposium

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center,

that created a platform for cross-industry collaboration to solve

became the first surgeon in the U.S. to

challenging problems shared by all. Its organizers included

perform minimally-invasive surgery to

ExxonMobil, NASA and Houston Methodist.

create dialysis access for patients with severe kidney disease.

When the time came to test the device, several preclinical

Eric K. Peden, MD

trials were conducted at the Houston Methodist Institute for

Peden made one small puncture in a patient’s artery and

Technology, Innovation & Education. Also known as MITIESM,

another in the vein, using a device called the WavelinQ™

it will become a site for training more surgeons in using the

endoAVF System by Becton Dickinson. It had two magnets

new procedure.

attached on the end of a catheter to pull the artery and vein together and—using a radio frequency—created a hole

“One problem with open surgery is that suturing together the

between the two that allowed them to connect.

vein and artery sometimes creates an inflammatory response, which may cause the connection to fail to develop adequately

When the system was recently approved by the Food and

for dialysis,” said Peden. “This new technique decreases the

Drug Administration, Houston Methodist was the clear choice

risk of this happening.”

story reflects the life cycle of medical device development, from “ This preclinical testing to clinical trial, FDA approval and finally physician training. We have built systems that allow us to participate in all phases of this process.

”

– Alan B. Lumsden, MD Walter W. Fondren III Distinguished Endowed Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery Houston Methodist

Bioengineered Lung Transplant

Aided by Silicon Microparticles

by Laura Niles

A pilot study that established the feasibility of using a bioengineered lung for transplantation was aided by growth factor-loaded silicon microparticles provided by Xuewu Liu, PhD, research professor of nanomedicine, and his colleagues at Houston Methodist.

Xuewu Liu, PhD

Liu's work contributed to a larger team

Using a bioreactor, the team regenerated the lung over 30 days,

effort led by the University of Texas

with the scaffold providing support for lung tissue to build up

Medical Branch that performed the

around it. Using the research models' own cells for transplan-

study, which was featured on the cover

tation reduced the likelihood of the lungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rejection. As early

of the August 1 edition of Science

as two weeks after transplant, the lungs formed blood vessels.

Translational Medicine. The research

Lung tissue formed in all four models, with no indication of

team removed single left lungs from

transplant rejection. The bioengineered lung continued to

research models a month before

develop after transplant and did not require additional outside

implantation to provide the source of cells used to bioengineer

growth factors to drive cell proliferation or lung and vascular

the organ on an acellular lung scaffold. Knowing that hydrogels

tissue development.

and nanoparticles help target delivery in support of vascular tissue development, they combined microparticle delivery of

These preliminary findings suggest many possibilities for

vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with hydrogel

impacting the future of lung transplantation. For now, the

delivery of platelet-rich plasma, fibroblast growth factor 2,

researchers are focusing future studies on procedures to allow

and keratinocyte growth factor.

continued maturation of the bioengineered lungs in vivo and to establish vascular flow via the pulmonary artery and vein.

Use of silicon microparticles with different pore sizes allowed staged release of VEGF, depositing the microparticles within the small vessels and capillaries of the lung scaffold. The nanoparticle and growth factor hydrogel modification of acellular scaffolds proved essential to the studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.

Nichols JE, La Francesca S, Niles JA, Vega SP, Argueta LB, Frank L, Christiani DC, Pyles RB, Himes BE, Zhang R, Li S, Sakamoto J, Rhudy J, Hendricks G, Begarani F, Liu X, Patrikeev I, Pal R, Usheva E, Vargas G, Miller A, Woodson L, Wacher A, Grimaldo M, Weaver D, Mlcak R, Cortiella J. Nanoparticle delivery of growth factors promotes capillary development in bioengineered lungs during bioreactor culture and transplantation in a pig model. Science Translational Medicine. 2018 Aug; 10(452):3926.

FEATURES

Making a Difference in Medicine

This RN’s vow led to a career in research nursing by LaVonne Carlson

Darrel Cleere, BSN, always wanted to be a nurse. He was inspired by his favorite aunt and role model who was a nurse, and who died of breast cancer when he was 15. Cleere remembers asking, “What more can we do? What’s something new that we can try?” He made a vow to somehow make a difference. Cleere has recalled that vow, as he’s seen his career as a research nurse come full circle. Fresh out of the Navy, he was hired as a research assistant for an organ donation study at Johns Hopkins. He felt he was making a difference, but knew he could do more if he had a nursing degree. “I moved back home to Midland and started nursing school at age 30,” said Cleere. “It was the best experience I’ve ever had, the greatest time of my life.” Soon after receiving his BSN, Cleere obtained a position in research nursing. He gravitated to thoracic medicine, and gained experience working with lung cancer. Eventually, he worked in breast medical oncology at MD Anderson, during a period of impressive advances in prevention and better treatments that included new hormonal therapies. In June 2007, Houston Methodist recruited Cleere as part of a new research program in the Department of Surgery. After meeting with Osama Gaber, MD, J.C. Walter Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair and director of the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, Cleere knew he wanted to be part of the team. Since then he has worked on more than 100 clinical trials. His early experience with research studies on organ donation helps with surgical trials related to kidney, liver and lung transplants. He also has performed clinical trials on topics as diverse as obesity and stem cells.

Recently, Cleere worked on the Transmedics liver transplant clinical trial with Mark Ghobrial, MD, PhD, the Sherrie and at the Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease &

ANNUAL FACTS

Transplantation. The clinical trial team tested the Transmedics

HOUSTON METHODIST

Alan Conover Chair for Excellence in Liver Transplantation

pump for liver transplant—the first such procedure done in Texas, and one of the first in the world. The device was designed to travel to the donor, where a surgeon harvested

the liver and connected it to a pump that perfused it, maintaining its natural body temperature. During transit, Cleere was

2,165

responsible for monitoring the liver to ensure homeostasis. “When we were in the ambulance and saw the first drop of bile in the bile bag, we all started cheering,” said Cleere. “The pump made a huge improvement in liver transplantation: Now we can use livers that couldn’t have been taken in the past.” Cleere is now preparing a similar study for a lung pump.

915,817 540,000

Training began in September and the Houston Methodist

$131 M

institutional review board has approved the protocol to start in fall of 2018. Cleere shows his appreciation for his vocation by paying it forward. “I want to keep doing all I can to advance medicine,” he said, “so I focus on building strong, young researchers who want to learn, who really want to make a difference for patients.”

$51.2 M

“

hadn’t done before, and was expanding the entire scope of research.

” – Darrel Cleere, BSN Clinical Trials Manager Surgical Oncology

Research expenditures

Extramural funding

GME programs

22,381

modalities of research I

Sq.ft. research space

struck to the core of what would be. It offered different

Patient encounters

Clinical studies

29,171

research could be and

Operating beds

1,182

“ What the Houston Methodist transplant team envisioned

Hospitals

Total learners Employees

4,387

Dave B, Gonzalez DD, Liu ZB, Li X, Wong H, Granados S, et. al. Role of RPL39 in Metaplastic Breast Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016 Physicians Dec 31;109(6)

1,614 1,900 637

Trainees-in-residence

Credentialed researchers

Faculty

– Jenny Chang, M.D. Emily Herrmann Chair in Cancer Research & Director, Houston Methodist Cancer Center As of January 2018

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Occidental Petroleum Gift Expands Specialty Care in Community Clinics by Gale Smith

The Houston Methodist Community Scholars Program received

The Occidental Petroleum Health Outcomes – Quality of Life

an additional $6 million gift in June from Occidental Petroleum,

Improvement Program is a collaborative research effort with

an international oil and gas company based in Houston. The

Texas A&M University, led by Bita Kash, PhD, director of the

program partners with community health clinics to provide

Houston Methodist Center for Outcomes Research. It will

specialty care—which otherwise would not be accessible—

research and analyze patient data about the Community Scholars

for patients who are uninsured or living outside the health care

Program’s impact on health outcomes, cost of care and quality

mainstream. The program allows residents and fellows to train

of life. Kash holds the Occidental Petroleum Centennial Chair in

in a real-world environment under the guidance of senior

Quality and Health Outcomes Research, which was established

physician mentors.

to focus on strategies and policy to close the health disparity gap for underserved and uninsured patients.

Occidental’s gift will add new services in palliative care, including the Occidental Palliative Care Fellowship to enhance services

With the addition of a $500,000 matching gift from Rusty and

provided at a Houston-area Federally Qualified Health Center

Paula Walter, the total philanthropic impact of Occidental’s

for treatment of pain, depression, loss of appetite, difficulty

expanded commitment is $6.5 million. Occidental has contributed

sleeping, anxiety and any other symptoms that accompany illness.

$10 million to the Community Scholars Program since 2015.

PROFILE

Community Scholars Champion: Patricia Mejia Osuna, MD Patricia Mejia Osuna, MD,

Mejia Osuna's experience working in the Community Scholars

graduated cum laude from the

Program inspired her to continue working in community health

Escuela de Medicina Ignacio

clinics: She accepted a position as the first staff endocrinologist

A. Santos in Monterrey,

at Legacy Community Health Clinic, providing specialty care for

Mexico, had clerkships at

underserved patients in the Houston community.

Yale and Baylor College of Medicine, and completed her internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship at Houston Methodist.

“I am grateful that the Community Scholars Program makes it possible to provide the specialty care that’s so greatly needed at our community clinics,” said Mejia Osuna. “It’s a privilege to be part of a meaningful change in the effort against the leading chronic disease epidemics affecting our community.”

ScienceDay Shares the Science of Music Hosted by the Institute for Academic Medicine on June 30, ScienceDay 2018 welcomed more than 350 children and parents to participate in 20 hands-on activities showcasing the wonders of science. This year’s theme—The Science of Music Therapy—featured interactive music therapies and drum circles, in partnership with Houston Methodist’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine. Approximately 85 volunteers, including scientists and staff, explained real-world examples of STEM in action for Houston families.

Research Internship Wraps Up 14th Year Houston Methodist’s Summer Research Internship, held June 4 through August 8, completed its 14th consecutive summer of training future scientists and clinicians to better understand research. A total of 73 students were selected from the 168 applications received. The mix of undergraduates, medical students, MD/PhD graduates and high school students had an average GPA of 3.74, with participants coming from 28 universities and other institutions around the world. The application process for the 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Internship will began in December 2018.

Connecting Clinical and Translational Trainees The Summer Science Symposium brought together postdocs, graduate students, residents and medical students to share their research expertise. Held August 3, the event featured guest speakers Bruce Beutler, MD, 2011 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, and Amy Heimberger, MD, 2007 Presidential Early Career for Scientists and Engineers Award recipient. A poster session showcased translational and clinical research from the diverse group of trainees. The event was co-sponsored by the Houston Methodist Association of Postdoctoral and Trainee Affairs, which led career development seminars throughout the summer.

EnMed Recruits Inaugural Class Interviews for EnMed’s inaugural class began in August and will continue through December 2018, with plans to accept 25 students to begin coursework on the Houston Methodist campus in July 2019. The EnMed program, the result of a partnership between the Texas A&M Colleges of Engineering and Medicine and Houston Methodist, is the nation’s first program to offer a doctorate of medicine and master’s in engineering in four years.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Palliative Care and Spirituality for Life

Creating a Joint Declaration Committed to Patient Care by Laura Niles President of the Pontifical Academy for Life His Excellency Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and Resident Bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Scott Jones signed a historic Joint Declaration on End of Life and Palliative Care on September 16, 2018, as part of the Palliative Care and Spirituality for Life Conference. The conference was convened by the Pontifical Academy for Life and organized by Father Andrea Ciucci and Nunziata Comoretto, MD, PhD, LRS. It was jointly hosted by Houston Methoodist and the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Pope John Paul II founded the Pontifical Academy for Life in 1994 to promote and defend human life. The academy includes members appointed by the Pope, as well as corresponding members chosen by the academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board for a His Excellency Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and Resident Bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church Scott Jones with the joint declaration

five-year term, including Mauro Ferrari, PhD, president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, selected in 2017.

Her Soul’s Visit; by Lynn Randolph; 16 x 22; Graphite on paper 2015

Between Worlds: Portraits of Palliative Care PCSLife included an exhibition of work by Lynn Randolph, a Houston-based painter and artist-in-residence at the University of Texas Palliative care and spiritual leaders explored how to integrate spirituality into palliative clinical practice, develop ecumenical approaches to palliative care that support the spiritual life of patients and caregivers, and advocate for best practices in palliative care around the world. In addition to the conference sessions and joint declaration, the 19th Annual Marialuisa Lectureship for Life award was presented to His Excellency Archbishop

MD Anderson Cancer Center. The exhibition, “Between Worlds,” demonstrates Randolph’s delicate work with palliative care patients. Her work draws from her experiences with patients facing death and families facing loss and the interconnectivity of mortality with clinical intervention.

Paglia and the Pontifical Academy for Life, in Honor of the Holy Father, Pope Francis.

Randolph’s work is featured in many private

The Marialuisa Lectureship award was established at The Ohio State University

collections, including the National Museum

Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J.

of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC,

Solove Research Institute by the Ferrari family in memory of Marialuisa Ferrari.

the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, the San Antonio Museum of Art,

“Between Worlds,” an exhibition held at PCSLife, featured artwork by Houston-

the Arizona State University Museum, the

based painter Lynn Randolph (see right). Watch the full conference proceedings

Blanton Museum at the University of Texas,

online at PCSLife.org.

Austin, and the Radcliffe Center for Advanced Studies. She was a fellow at the Radcliffe Center in 1989-90.

From left to right: Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Mauro Ferrari, PhD, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, His Excellency Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, and Bishop Scott Jones; Nunziata Comoretto, MD, PhD, LRS, Rev. Renzo Pegoraro, MD, and Liliana De Lima, MHA; Mauro and Paola Ferrari and family with His Excellency Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia

A book of Randolph’s drawings will be published in the fall of 2018. She was featured in The New York Times on March 22, 2018. Visit lynnrandolph.com to learn more.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

James M. Musser, MD, PhD

Shares Insights as FASEB President At Houston Methodist, James M. Musser, MD, PhD, is the Fondren Presidential Distinguished Endowed Chair, Chair of the Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, and Director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research. Musser is the 2018-2019 President of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, an organization that represents more than 130,000 biomedical researchers. Here, he shares his insights on the critical importance of FASEB to science in the United States.

Q: What is your role as the 2018-19 president of FASEB? A: FASEBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crucial mission can be summed up easily in three wordsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;advocacy, advocacy and advocacy. Advocacy for biomedical research funding is the soul and life-blood of FASEB. An important part of advocacy is educating the public and Congress about the key purposes of enhanced funding for scientific research: improved health care, training the next generation, and discovery of new medications that benefit our citizens and enhance our international competitiveness. For example, 80 percent of new pharmaceuticals begin their long journey to patients with NIH-funded research.

Q: What is the #1 priority you hope to accomplish during your tenure as president?

A: What is critical for all biomedical research is stable and predictable long-term funding. Without that, it is very difficult to encourage young people to pursue a career in biomedical research. Therefore, much of my effort as FASEB president is to advocate for stable and increased funding by Congress.

Q: What else do you hope to accomplish as president? A: Another critical aspect in science is training a diverse workforce that reflects our diverse nation and of course is exemplified by Houston. FASEB has made enhanced diversity in science a key priority and we have formulated a task force to aggressively address this topic.

Q: Are there certain areas of your own research that you hope will help inform policy at the national level?

A: It is important that NIH, the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies support high-risk interdisciplinary research. Many important scientific advances are made by work done at the intersection of seemingly disparate fields. My own research combines pathology, medicine, genomics, infectious diseases and quantitative analysis of complex multi-dimensional data sets. I try to investigate biomedical problems that can be addressed and solved where these fields collide. One example is my team’s work and recent discoveries on the molecular causes of pandemics

Musser joined other FASEB leaders for Capitol Hill Day 2018, the federation’s annual advocacy-focused day of conversations with members of Congress. A total of 62 researchers from 32 states, representing all 30 FASEB member societies, visited 129 Congressional offices.

caused by group A streptococcus, the pathogen also known as the “flesh-eating” bacterium.

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) is comprised of 30 scientific societies, representing 130,000 researchers in the U.S. and worldwide. Its mission is to advance health and well-being by promoting research and education in biological and biomedical sciences through collaborative advocacy and service to its societies and their members.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

ACCOLADES & LEADERSHIP

100 Endowed Chairs for Centennial Year In recognition of Houston Methodist’s 100-year anniversary in 2019, Paula and Rusty Walter and the Walter Oil & Gas Corporation made a philanthropic gift to attract and retain the most talented physicians and scientists to help pioneer lifesaving new treatments. The gift includes a matching fund designed to increase the number of endowed chairs to 100. For every commitment of $1 million or more, the gift will provide a $500,000 match for up to 50 endowed chairs. Initial appointees are listed here.

Ella Fondren and Josie Roberts Presidential Distinguished Centennial Chair Marc L. Boom, MD President and Chief Executive Officer, Houston Methodist

Candy and Tom Knudson Centennial Chair in Neurosurgery in honor of Gavin W. Britz, MD Gavin W. Britz, MD Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist

C. James and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health Ben Weinstein, MD Houston Methodist Behavioral Health, Houston Methodist

Crowning Achievement Centennial Chair in Nursing Excellence Liisa Ortegon, RN, DBA Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Houston Methodist Hospital

Dr. Ronny W. and Ruth Ann Barner Centennial Chair in Spiritual Care Charles R. Millikan, DMin Vice President for Spiritual Care and Values Integration, Houston Methodist Hospital

Henrietta and Terence Hall Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Orthopedic Surgery Shari Liberman, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery, Houston Methodist

Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair Miguel Valderrábano, MD, FACC Professor of Cardiology, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist

Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair Neil Kleiman, MD, FACC, FSCAI Professor of Cardiology, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist

Max and Lillie Frosch Centennial Chair in Transplant Research Xian Li, MD, PhD Professor of Transplant Immunology in Surgery and Director, Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Houston Methodist

Occidental Petroleum Centennial Chair in Quality and Outcomes Research Bita A. Kash, PhD, MBA, FACHE Director, Center for Outcomes Research, Houston Methodist

Winters Family Distinguished Centennial Chair in Cardiovascular Education in honor of Christopher, William and Scott Winters Miguel Quiñones, MD, MACC, FASE Professor of Cardiology, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist

NEW FACULTY RECRUITS

Vittorio Cristini, PhD Vittorio Cristini, PhD, joined Houston Methodist in July 2018 as director of the Mathematics in Medicine Program. Previously, he was Rochelle and Max Levit Chair in Neurosciences, and professor and director at the Center for Precision Biomedicine at UTHealth at the McGovern Medical School.

Sonia Villapol, PhD Sonia Villapol, PhD, joined Houston Methodist in July 2018 as a scientist in Regenerative Medicine Neurology in the Center for Neuroregeneration. Previously, she was an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Georgetown University.

Mouaz Al-Mallah, MD, MSc Mouaz Al-Mallah, MD, MSc, joins Houston Methodist in October 2018. He specializes in Cardiology/ PET Imaging. He previously was Consultant Cardiologist and Division Head, Cardiac Imaging, King Abdul-Aziz Cardiac Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and

GRANTEES

associate professor of Medicine at King Saud bin Abdul Aziz University.

Kaifu Chen, PhD Kaifu Chen, PhD, associate professor of Cardiovascular Sciences and director of the Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Center for Cardiovascular Regeneration, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, received the R01GM125632 award of $2,148,313 from the National Institute of General Sciences for his research on computational epigenetics modeling of cell identity genes.

Wenhao Chen, PhD Wenhao Chen, PhD, assistant professor of Transplant Immunology in Surgery, Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center, Department of Surgery, received the R01AI132492 award of $2,018,754 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for his research on IRF4-dependent T-cell effector programs in governing transplant outcomes.

Haifa Shen, MD, PhD Haifa Shen, MD, PhD, professor of Nanomedicine, Department of Nanomedicine, Cancer Center, received the R01CA222959 award of $2,389,240 from the National Cancer Institute for his research on mechanisms of intratumoral transport of particulate drugs.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome Home, Qing Yi CPRIT Recipient Chooses Houston Methodist as His Home for Leading Cancer Research by Laura Niles

Qing Yi, MD, PhD, is returning to Houston to make a

“I’m a cancer researcher,” said Yi. “I will always try my best to

difference in cancer research. After five years as the chair

maintain robust research programs within my own team because

of the Department of Cancer Biology at the Cleveland

I like to lead by example.”

Clinic, the scientist is ready to roll up his sleeves as the new Houston Methodist Cancer Center Associate Director

Prior to the Cleveland Clinic, Yi worked at the University of Texas

for Basic Science. He will expand the current cancer

MD Anderson Cancer Center. With his two daughters working

research program in preparation for National Cancer

and studying in Houston, Yi is pleased to be back in the city

Institute-designation for the Cancer Center.

that feels like home and taking on the challenge of visioning and building a translational cancer research program at

During his time in Ohio, Yi doubled the number of department

Houston Methodist.

staff, published in journals such as Cancer Cell, JEM and Science Signaling, and tripled the amount of federal funding

Yi trained as an immunologist at the Karolinska Institute in

they received. Equipped with proven experience and a warm

Stockholm, Sweden where he decided to make a career

personality that builds strong collaborations, Yi will build on

in cancer research, given the devastating number of patients

his previous successes to accomplish the goals of the

with cancer worldwide. His research focus is primarily on

Cancer Center.

tumor immunology and immunotherapy in multiple myeloma.

“ I want to do my part to help the Cancer Center achieve an

NCI designation. Here we put patients first, and that’s the most important mission: Help patients live longer and better lives.

”

– Qing Yi, MD, PhD Associate Director for Basic Science Houston Methodist Cancer Center

“ I find cancer research fascinating. Science

builds upon itself the same way we build houses: One brick at a time. We have small pieces of knowledge, but we can put them together, which leads to discovery.

”

– Qing Yi, MD, PhD

NEWS BRIEFS 1

Walter Tower Admits First Patients The new Walter Tower admitted its first patients on August 27, 2018, offering 366 beds and 18 high-tech operating rooms to better serve the institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing patient population. Four hybrid ORs include advanced medical imaging devices to facilitate minimally-invasive procedures for cardiovascular surgery and neurosurgery. The 22-story, $700-million building also features 14 cath labs, 3 intensive care floors with all-private rooms, 6 acute care floors, a VIP suite and a helipad for emergency access to the OR, cath lab and intensive care units.

Global Health Launches Pilot Study Following a Houston visit by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services is working with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health to decrease sepsis in their nation's health care system. The international arm of Houston Methodist will be the first U.S. health care-based entity to undertake an effort to launch the first national sepsis reduction campaign in the Kingdom, using a successful sepsis prevention and reduction program created at Houston Methodist Hospital. Faisal Masud, MD, medical director of critical care at Houston Methodist Hospital and vice chair for quality and patient safety, will lead the Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multi-year project, which will begin with a pilot study in fall 2018.

Impacting Population Health Edward Graviss, PhD, MPH, associate professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, had his research featured on the PLOS Tuberculosis Channel in August. Focusing on patients who are co-infected with tuberculosis and HIV, Graviss and team developed a simple validated mortality prognostic scoring system to identify HIV-infected patients at increased risk when treated for tuberculosis. Subsequently the model was developed as an app used as a practical tool for health care professionals.

2 30

Connecting Researchers and Patients In June, the Houston Methodist Research Institute announced plans to join TriNetX, a global collaborative network that helps researchers obtain data and connect with patients who could benefit by participation in relevant clinical trials. The network supplies researchers with de-identified patient data to assess study feasibility and provides an analytics tool that reaches de-identified patient cohorts for potential studies, securely, with IRB approval. Implementation is underway, with plans to launch by 2019.

Third Annual Bricker Award The 2018 Bricker Award for Science Writing in Medicine has been awarded to Lois Parshley, an independent longform journalist. All are welcome to attend the Third Annual Bricker Award Lectureship, to be held December 4 in the John F. Bookout Auditorium at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. The award is given in honor of the late David Bricker, a beloved Houston Methodist science writer who had a lifelong dedication and passion for science writing.

Pumps & Pipes 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s About Greatnessâ&#x20AC;? is the theme of the 12th International Pumps & Pipes Symposium. To be held December 3, 2018, Pumps & Pipes will bring together medical, energy, aerospace, academic and community professionals and leaders. Founded in 2007 by organizations including ExxonMobil, NASA, and Houston Methodist, it provides a platform for crossindustry collaboration to exchange technology and expertise.

Kostas Conference on Cardiovascular Nanomedicine The George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine Annual International Meeting 2018 was held Friday, October 12, at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. The conference educated physicians and physician scientists about the great potential to revolutionize clinical care through the emerging field of cardiovascular nanomedicine research. It explored the various nanomedicine modalities that are critical to understanding the advantages, limitations and uses of nanotechnologies for patients with heart disease.

7 31

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 27, 2018

4th Annual Adult Congenital Heart Symposium*

December 4, 2018

3rd Annual Bricker Award for Science Writing in Medicine

November 6-8, 2018

December 10, 2018

George P. Noon Conference Series: Frontiers

2nd Annual AAV Gene Therapy Symposium

in Organ Failure and Transplant Management*

November 16-17, 2018 9th Annual William H. Bell Lectureship: Overcoming Obstacles in Orthognathic Surgery*

December 3, 2018

Pumps & Pipes 12th International Symposium

METHODOLOGY The Research and Education Magazine of Houston Methodist

Editor-in-Chief Rebecca M. Hall, PhD Managing Editor LaVonne Carlson Design & Creative Lead Doris T. Huang Contributing Writers LaVonne Carlson George Kovacik Lisa Merkl Scott Merrville Laura Niles Gale Smith

Public Relations Contact Gale Smith 832.667.5843 gsmith@houstonmethodist.org Read more online: issuu.com/instituteforacademicmedicine Office of Communications and External Relations Institute for Academic Medicine Houston Methodist news@houstonmethodist.org IAMNEWS-011 | 10.2018 | 1500

* CME credit available Go to attend.houstonmethodist.org for more information.