Methodology Newsletter - Summer 2016

METHODOLOGY The Research and Education Newsletter of Houston Methodist

SUMMER 2016

Texas A&M to create medical school for physician engineers at Houston Methodist Hospital

by Stefanie Asin

Texas A&M University is planning to create an innovative engineering medical school at Houston Methodist Hospital to educate a new kind of doctor, who will invent transformational technology for health care.

The plan calls for fifty physician engineers to begin their studies in Fall 2017 at the new Texas A&M University Engineering Medicine School (EnMed) at Houston Methodist Hospital. EnMed will be an integrated educational and research medical school with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship and a part of the Texas A&M College of Medicine’s M.D. program and the College of Engineering. EnMed plans to initially hire 25 faculty members and utilize 75,000 square feet of instructional and research space in the Texas Medical Center.

>> CONT. PAGE THREE

a physician who has long been interested “ Asin engineering, I am particularly excited that EnMed will train a new kind of medical doctor who will be able to design technology to tackle the most complex problems in medicine.

This new collaboration could quickly impact the future of health care.

”

– Marc Boom, M.D. President and CEO Houston Methodist

Contents Contents

FROM THE PRESIDENT The summer of 2014 marked the beginning of an exciting new

by xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

partnership between Houston Methodist and Texas A&M, founded

Featured News

with a shared vision of bringing innovative medical research and

Texas A&M to create medical school for physician engineers at Houston Methodist Hospital............................ 1

education to the Texas Medical Center. I am pleased to announce that our partnership which started with joint M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. programs has expanded to included plans for a new Texas A&M University

Research Highlights:

Engineering Medicine School (EnMed) at Houston Methodist

Common antacid linked to accelerated vascular aging......................................4

Hospital. With the ambitious goal of creating “physicianeers�, the EnMed program will empower future generations of physicians to design and

Combining Pap and hrHPV tests could drastically reduce cancer miss rates.............................................6 Removing deep-seated thalamic and brain stem cavernoma through a small hole.............................................8 Umbilical cord stem cell use in post-stroke recovery..................... 10

create the new devices and treatments that they need to help their patients. I have every confidence that this joint program will create the engineering-based innovations necessary to cure the most challenging diseases confronting us today.

In this issue of Methodology, you will also read about some of the exciting medical advancements happening today at Houston Methodist. Gavin Britz, M.D., is using a minimally invasive technique

Wings for Life grant: Noninvasive functional electrical stimulation to promote healing............................... 12

that reduces the risk and recovery time for patients facing complicated resections of deep-seated

Remote-controlled implantable device delivers HIV prevention drug............ 13

disability during stroke recovery. Houston Methodist cytopathology researchers, including Dina Mody,

Nanoscale trojan horses treat inflammation..................................... 14

testing from 91% to 99% by co-testing with two currently available diagnostic tests, Pap and high-risk

First rapid detection Zika test now available...................................... 16 Education News Houston Methodist welcomes cardiac surgeons from all over the world to learn new techniques in minimallyinvasive cardiac surgery................. 18 World conference on cerebral flow diversion.................................... 18 The American College of Surgeons and MITIE collaborate to revise standards for retraining surgeons... 19 MITIE joins hands with the FBI to train first responders................... 20 MITIE hosts training courses for Latin American surgeons................. 21 Of Interest Awards & accolades.......................24

cavernomas in the brain. John J. Volpi, M.D., in collaboration with Duke University and Emory University is conducting a phase I study to assess the benefits of using umbilical cord blood to limit M.D., and Yimin Ge, M.D., have discovered that they can increase the accuracy of cervical cancer human papillomavirus (hrHPV).

John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.'s team broke the story on the link between common antacid medication (proton pump inhibitors) and an increased risk of heart disease in June 2015. And now they have found a possible mechanism for it: Proton pump inhibitors accelerate the aging of the cells lining blood vessels.

Under the leadership of Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D., a Houston Methodist-led multi-institutional team received nearly $4 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to test a transcutaneously refillable nanochannel implant that administers HIV-prevention drugs to subjects at risk of HIV-exposure.

I invite you to read on and learn more about how our translational research and physician innovations like these are advancing the art of academic medicine.

Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D. Ernest Cockrell Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair President and CEO, Houston Methodist Research Institute Director, Institute for Academic Medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital Executive Vice President, Houston Methodist Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY

New faculty members.....................26

Read more online: issuu.com/instituteforacademicmedicine

>> CONT. FROM PAGE ONE

Innovative engineering medical school will transform medical education by bringing together clinical skills and engineering mindset.

And this focus, said Texas A&M Engineering Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering M. Katherine Banks, is what would make this school unlike any other. "This is a paradigm shift. The major health care challenges of the future will not only depend on bioengineering, but also require mechanical, chemical, electrical, and computer engineers," she said. "There are other programs that link medicine with bioengineering, but this is different. All students in EnMed will be expected to invent something transformational Engineering

before they graduate. These innovators, or 'physicianeers', will radically

Medicine

change the way that health care is delivered."

“ Responsive to the rapid advances in technology, this new type of medical education prepares professionals with the clinical skills to diagnose symptoms and treat patients, along with the engineering mindset to solve problems, invent new technologies and rapidly move these innovative ideas to practice in patient care.

An innovative translational research program in medical technology at Houston Methodist Research

The medicine of tomorrow will not be practiced in the way that it is today. Medicine is not just about biology, it requires technology development. This school would not only train doctors, but allow them to invent new products and take their inventions to the marketplace.

EnMed would expand the health care technology market at the Texas Medical Center. The potential economic impact to the region would be huge.

– John Sharp

”

Chancellor Texas A&M University System

Institute will also be a part of EnMed. “Everything we do should be translational, with the end goal of bringing new solutions to our patients in a timely fashion,” said Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute.

EnMed would blend translational research and commercialization opportunities with an innovative medical education model, said Michael K. Young, president of Texas A&M University. “The presence of a hands-on innovation center combined with an office of technology commercialization is another example of Texas A&M creating dynamic solutions to the great global challenges we face in health care today,” he said. This interdisciplinary learning environment would lead to research and discoveries that would impact the state, nation and the world, but most importantly, would create new transformational educational opportunities for our students.

Front row, from left: Marc Boom, M.D.; John Sharp; Michael Young; Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D. Back row, from left: Mick Cantu; Ewing Werlein, Jr.; Katherine Banks; Timothy Boone, M.D., Ph.D.; Paul Ogden, M.D.

3

Research Highlights

Common antacid linked to accelerated vascular aging

by Gale Smith

Chronic use of some drugs for heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) speeds up the aging of blood vessels, according to a published paper in Circulation Research, an American Heart

by Gale Smith Association journal. This accelerated aging in humans could lead to increased cardiovascular disease, vascular dementia and renal failure.

These findings are a progression of the work that John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., began more than five years ago. They support recent epidemiological and retrospective studies that observed associations between the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and an increased risk of heart attack, renal failure and dementia.

PPIs like esomeprazole (Nexium) are widely used for the treatment of GERD. These medications are sold over-the-counter in the United States so medical supervision is not required. While these drugs are effective when taken as prescribed, they were not approved for long-term use and evidence suggests that up to 70 percent of PPI use may be inappropriate.

Cooke, the paper’s senior author, and team showed that chronic exposure to PPIs accelerated biological aging in human endothelial cells which line the inside of blood vessels. When healthy, human endothelial cells create a Teflon-like coating that prevents blood from sticking. When older and diseased, the endothelium becomes more like Velcro, with blood elements sticking to the vessel to form blockages. Cooke suspects that this may be the unifying mechanism that explains the increased risk of heart attack, renal failure and dementia observed in long-term PPI users. “These drugs do not seem to adversely affect the heart and blood vessels when taken for a few weeks. However, we urgently need studies to assess the impact of long-term use of these drugs on vascular health in a broad patient population. We also need to consider if these drugs should be so accessible without medical supervision.�

4

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

When we exposed human endothelial cells over a period of time to these PPIs, we observed accelerated aging of the cells. The PPIs also reduce acidity in lysosomes of the endothelial cell. The lysosomes are like cellular garbage disposals and need acid to work properly. We observed

“

“

cellular garbage accumulating in the endothelial cells, which sped up the aging process.

– John Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.

Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research Houston Methodist

PPIs for Acid Reflux

16% - 21% increase in heart attack risk PLOS ONE, June 2015

Aging of cells lining blood vessel Circulation Research, June 2016

Cooke’s earlier work identified at a molecular level that PPIs

vascular aging, H2 blockers like ranitidine did not adversely

might cause long-term cardiovascular disease and increase

affect the endothelium. Brand examples of H2 blockers are

a patient’s heart attack risk. That work led to a collaborative

Zantac and Tagamet.

study with Stanford University colleagues (PLOS ONE, June 2015) to show that in two large populations of patients, adults who used PPIs were between 16 to 21 percent more likely to experience a heart attack than people who didn't use the commonly prescribed antacid drugs.

The FDA estimates about 1 in 14 Americans have used a PPI. In 2009, PPIs were the third-most taken type of drug in the U.S., and are believed to account for $13 billion in annual global sales.

Cooke, who holds the Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter and Carole

This research was supported by grants from National Institutes of Health (U01HL100397

Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular

and K01HL118683) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (P2FRP3_151676).

Disease Research, said while PPIs were shown to affect

Yepuri G, Sukhovershin R, Nazari-Shafti TZ, Petrascheck M, Ghebre YT, Cooke JP. Proton Pump Inhibitors Accelerate Endothelial Senescence. Circ Res. 2016 Jun 10;118(12):e36-42.

5

Research Highlights

QUICK FACTS HOUSTON METHODIST

7 2,043 814,309 101,508 20,000 4,500 1,607 “ 603 567 44 11,734 1,001 440,000 100,000 TOP 20

Hospitals Operating beds Outpatient visits Admissions

by Gale Smith

Employees

Physicians Credentialed researchers Faculty Trainees

(residents, postdoctoral fellows & students)

GME programs CME, GME & MITIE learners Clinical protocols Sq.ft. dedicated research building with 12 stories and 150 lab benches

”

Additional sq.ft. research space embedded throughout the hospital

– Dina Mody, MD. U.S. domestic hospital Professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine based research institutes and paper co-author

$47.8 M $131 M

Combining Pap and hrHPV Tests Could Drastically Reduce Cancer Miss Rates

Annual extramural funding Annual research expenditures

Cytopathology researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital recently found that combining two diagnostic tests, Pap and high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), dramatically decreased the chance of missing tumors and high-grade lesions by sevenfold.

In the May 2016 issue of Cancer Cytopathology, published by the American Cancer Society, the Houston team did a retroactive study of more than 1,600 cases with Pap and hrHPV co-testing and found that each test missed approximately 9 percent of cancer and/or high-grade lesion cases.

Combining the tests resulted in only 1 percent of cases missed.

“ We’ve known that neither test is perfect and misses a certain number of cases,

but we didn’t realize until we analyzed the data just how impactful the combination of these tests would be. The numbers tell me that Ob-Gyns need to regularly offer co-testing, and woman age 30 or older need to proactively request co-testing.

– Dina Mody, M.D. Professor of Pathology and Genomic Medicine Houston Methodist

6

”

The Pap test is recommended for women between 21 and 65

primary screening tool for women 25 and older. The test detects

years old as a screening test for cervical cancer. Women 30

two of the most common high-risk HPV strains (16 and 18) as

and older who are negative on co-testing may wait as long as

well as combined results for 12 additional high-risk HPV types,

five years for their next testing, but physicians still recommend

but the test only detects a small percentage of the 150 HPV

annual well woman exams. Approximately 98,000 cases of

strains that exist.

gynecologic cancers are diagnosed in the United States every

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

In 2014, the FDA approved the use of an HPV DNA test as a

year, and less than 70 percent of cervical cancer patients live Mody, co-author of this paper, is past president of the American

longer than five years after diagnosis.

Society of Cytopathology and director of cytopathology at Houston Methodist Hospital. As part of standard quality assessments, her team reviewed data from 1,652 cases over an 18-month period.

Zhou H, Mody RR, Luna E, Armylagos D, Xu J, Schwartz MR, Mody DR, Ge Y. Clinical performance of the Food and Drug Administration-Approved high-risk HPV test for the detection of high-grade cervicovaginal lesions. Cancer Cytopathol.

2016 May;124(5):317-23.

Lead author Yimin Ge, M.D., associate professor of clinical pathology and genomic medicine, compiled cases with cytology-HPV co-testing and follow-up biopsies. The researchers found that 253 cases had biopsy-confirmed high-grade lesions. Of those cases, the Pap test and the hrHPV test accurately detected approximately 91 percent of the cases. When they combined the tests, the team found only three of the 253 cases were double-negatives for both the Pap and hrHPV tests.

“We used a large population-based observational study, which is only the second of its kind conducted since the FDA approved the HPV test as a primary screening method for cervical cancer,” Ge said.

“The next step is to look at cases missed on Pap and HPV, test the tissue and try to determine

Percentage

why they were missed.”

10

1

cancer cases missed

cancer cases missed

cancer cases missed

Pap Test

hrHPV Test

Co-Testing

7- fold decrease

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

7

Research Highlights

Removing and

Deep-Seated Thalamic Brain Stem Cavernoma

Through a Small Hole

by Katie Wooldridge

Neurosurgeons at Houston Methodist Hospital report the successful treatment of deepseated thalamic and brain stem cavernous angiomas, a type of brain tumor, in a recent Journal of Neurosurgery article.

The tumorous masses of small blood vessels in the deep-seated thalamic and brain stem regions of brain are typically difficult to reach without causing significant brain injury. Houston Methodist neurosurgeons use a minimally invasive approach that does not require cutting through the brain’s white matter, the tissue responsible for many cognitive and functional responses.

Gavin Britz, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurosurgery and professor of neurosurgery, explained in the journal article that he successfully removed deep-seated thalamic and brain stem cavernomas by using a 13-millimeter-wide portal—smaller in diameter than a dime—to reach them.

This procedure decreases operating time, risk to the patient and patient’s recovery time.

8

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

“ We gently displaced the natural folds of the brain and white matter to permit access to those deep areas that traditionally require cutting. The minimally-invasive surgical tools allow us to ease through white matter like the hull of a ship displacing water, avoiding damage to the surrounding tissue and dramatically reducing the chance of losing brain function.

”

– Gavin Britz, M.D., M.P.H., MBA, FAANS Chair, Department of Neurosurgery Professor of Neurosurgery Houston Methodist

The locations of the cavernomas discussed in the Journal of Neurosurgery article made traditional approaches for removal extremely dangerous and highly likely to cause permanent brain damage. For both patients, conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to pinpoint the position of the tumor and detail the surrounding anatomy. Two specialized MRIs were then incorporated to map brain activity and identify nearby fibers connecting the brain to organs.

Another advantage of using these surgical tools, Britz said, is that its small size enables the surgeon to remove less of the skull and dura (the thick, leather-like sac in which the brain rests) than traditional operations.

Neurosurgeon Britz uses a port that is smaller than a dime to reach and resect deep-seated cavernomas, reducing risk and recovery time for patients.

Images: © Houston Methodist Department of Neurosurgery

Scranton RA, Fung SH, Britz GW. Transulcal parafascicular minimally invasive approach to deep and subcortical cavernomas: technical note. J Neurosurg.

2016 Mar 4:1-7. [Epub ahead of print]

9

Research Highlights

UMBILICAL CORD STEM CELL USE IN Post-Stroke Recovery In a landmark investigation, Houston

Ischemic strokes are the most common type of strokes and occur when

Methodist is partnering with Duke

cells and causes swelling. The clots can be disintegrated with drugs

a clot blocks the flow of blood to the brain. The lack of oxygen kills brain

University, The University of Texas MD

or removed, but damage to the brain continues as long as the affected

Anderson Cancer Center and Emory

stroke is administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) if delivered

part of the brain remains swollen. The treatment of choice for ischemic

University in a phase I study of whole

within a narrow therapeutic window. Targeted thrombolytic therapy or

umbilical cord blood and its potential

tPA is no longer viable.

role in stroke recovery. Through stem

“When a person has a stroke, there’s an injury,” said John J. Volpi, M.D.,

mechanical clot removal are common strategies when the option of

cell therapy, physicians hope to ameliorate

principal investigator for the study at Houston Methodist and associate

long-term disability following stroke.

cells that have died from not getting blood. But then there’s a second

professor of clinical neurology. “Clot retrieval and tPA help mitigate the phase of the stroke where cells don’t die but they are very vulnerable and can progress to cell death if not rescued.”

Stem cells are undifferentiated precursors that can develop into any type of cell within the body. With the use of whole umbilical cord blood, researchers and physicians at Houston Methodist seek to rescue brain

Duke University The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center John J. Volpi, M.D., principal investigator for the study at Houston Methodist.

10

Houston Methodist

Emory University

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS cells on the threshold of injury from stroke. In the phase I

“ We believe that the primitive

study, banked umbilical cord blood will be given intravenously to a patient within 10 days of their stroke. These patients will be followed for 12 months after receiving the umbilical

cells found in whole umbilical

cord blood to measure their recovery from the stroke.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

cord blood can help reduce

will provide the banked cord blood to Houston Methodist.

swelling in the brain faster

“We want to shut down the damaging, inflammatory process

and rescue some brain cells

thereby limit disability,” Volpi said.

that are on the brink of death.

in a way that may rescue some of those brain cells and

”

– John J. Volpi, M.D. Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology Co-director, Houston Methodist Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center Houston Methodist

The investigators anticipate this phase I study to rapidly enroll patients. The next step would be a multi-year phase II project, probably in the third quarter of next year.

This study is funded by a grant from The Marcus Foundation.

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Research Highlights

Wings for Life Grant: Noninvasive Functional Electrical Stimulation to Promote Healing

by Carla Diebold

Wings for Life, a nonprofit spinal cord research foundation, has granted more than $200,000 to Philip J. Horner, Ph.D., Sean M. Barber, M.D., and Alvaro Munoz, Ph.D., at Houston Methodist. The grant was awarded to study safe functional electrical stimulation (FES) and its effect on synaptic plasticity.

The study will focus on FES and its ability to drive the integration

system has been problematic, because it causes localized

of pluripotent stem cells transplanted in murine models with early

scarring that impedes neural impulses. Horner and his team

chronic cervical spinal cord injury. The study and grant application

hypothesize that they can promote better healing instead

were conceptualized by Sean M. Barber, M.D., a neurosurgical

of scarring by synchronizing FES stimulation of transplanted

resident at Houston Methodist. Alvaro Munoz, Ph.D., assistant

stem cell-derived neurons with the neurons in the target

research professor of urology is a co-investigator in the study.

area of the nervous system. Simultaneously, they will attempt

Historically, FES that uses wires implanted into the nervous

a new non-invasive approach for FES.

had this very simple idea. If you could take a reprogrammed cell and “ We make it active in the early period when it is first injected into the spinal cord or the brain, and if you could time the stimulation so that the nerve is excited with the same pattern of circuitry as the patient’s neuronal network, then perhaps the transplanted cell would interact with that circuitry and behave as is necessary to promote healing.

”

– Philip J. Horner, Ph.D. Scientific Director, Center for Neuroregeneration Houston Methodist

12

IMPLANTABLE NANOCHANNEL DEVICE DELIVERS HIV PREVENTION DRUG

by Gale Smith

A Houston Methodist-led research team received nearly $4 million to test a transcutaneously refillable implant that administers pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs to subjects at risk of HIV-exposure.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D., associate professor of nanomedicine, a multi-million dollar grant over five years to enhance the nanochannel delivery system (nDS), which provides sustained and constant release of drugs without the use of pumps, valves or a power supply.

Many high-risk patients already take Truvada – a combination therapy of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine – for pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) to help prevent HIV-1 infection. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says poor patient adherence is an ongoing challenge. Grattoni’s implantable device achieves sustained drug delivery by controlling diffusion through nanochannel membranes engineered to be close to the size of the drug molecules being released. The nDS is implanted just under the skin and refilled through a port

Baylor College of Medicine

as needed. If successful, the research will move next into patient clinical trials.

Grattoni, chair of the Department of Nanomedicine at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, leads the project which has already shown in pilot studies that the device successfully released tenofovir alafenamide as a pre-exposure prophylactic over 21 days in preclinical models. The NIAID-

University of Colorado

Houston Methodist Research Institute The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

UT Health Medical School Houston

University of Houston College of Pharmacy

funded research will aim for larger nanochannels in the nDS to allow for a 60-day drug delivery.

In addition to HIV-prevention drugs, Grattoni and team have tested more than 50 other drugs in the device, including therapies for hormone replacement, cancer

Grattoni’s collaborators in this project include Roberto Arduino, M.D. (UT Health Medical School Houston); Jagannadha Sastry, Ph.D. (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center); Ming Hu, Ph.D. (University of Houston, College of Pharmacy); Jason Kimata, Ph.D. (Baylor College of Medicine); and Peter Anderson, Pharm.D. (University of Colorado, Denver).

prevention and treatment, mental disorders, drug abuse and metabolic syndrome.

13

Research Highlights

Nanoscale Trojan Horses Fight Inflammation

by Gale Smith

Nanosized Trojan horses created from a patient’s own immune cells have successfully treated inflammation by outwitting the body’s complex defense mechanisms, showing promise for treating diseases characterized by inflammation, like cancer and cardiovascular disease.

A

n international team, led by researchers at the Houston

Methodist Research Institute, described the creation of

then integrated their special ligands and receptors into

nanoparticles called leukosomes and evaluated their ability

the leukosome surface. Using the body’s own materials,

to treat localized inflammation in the May 23 issue of

we built a drug delivery system camouflaged as our own

Nature Materials.

body’s defense system—like the Trojan horse," said Tasciotti.

Recent approaches to treating inflammatory diseases have

Leukosomes are able to target inflamed tissues because

been unsuccessful because an already overactive immune

they retain the same surface properties of the immune

system treats simple nanoparticles as foreign invaders and

cell membranes from which they are made. To evaluate

clears them from the body, preventing them from reaching

leukosomes’ effectiveness as drug carriers, Tasciotti

their target.

and his colleagues created vesicles from mouse

"A better approach for building effective drug delivery platforms is to find inspiration for their design in the composition of the immune cells of our body,” said the paper’s senior author Ennio Tasciotti, Ph.D., associate professor of nanomedicine and director of the Center for Biomimetic Medicine at Houston Methodist.

leukocytes and filled them with dexamethasone (DXM), an anti-inflammatory drug.

“We used ‘personalized’ DXM-loaded leukosomes to treat inflammation in mice,” Tasciotti said. “After administering the leukosomes, we observed a 7-fold increase in their accumulation in the inflamed tissue. They attached to the

"Immune cells such as leukocytes freely circulate in blood

to the surface of blood vessels surrounding the inflamed

vessels, recognize inflammation, and accumulate in inflamed

tissue, and selectively delivered DXM to the affected cells.”

tissues. They do so by using special receptors and ligands

14

on their surface. We purified leukocytes from a patient,

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Receptors

Leukocytes (white blood cells) taken from blood Leukosomes made from leukocyte membrane Leukosome with drug

The treated mice showed definite signs of improvement, including resolution of the inflammation, a significant reduction in tissue thickness, reduction in infiltration of pro-inflammatory cells like neutrophils, and a reversal of the immune response

“ By combining cell biology

that is commonly seen in inflammation.

with nanotechnology,

The success of the team’s initial leukosome trial is encouraging,

we can create valuable

Tasciotti said, and suggests that membranes purified from other cell types could also be used as biomimetic nanocarriers to treat other diseases.

medical tools that work within, and not around, the laws of nature.

Molinaro R, Corbo C, Martinez JO, Taraballi F, Evangelopoulos M, Minardi S, Yazdi IK, Zhao P, De Rosa E, Sherman MB, De Vita A, Toledano Furman NE, Wang X, Parodi A, Tasciotti E. Biomimetic proteolipid vesicles for targeting inflamed tissues. Nat Mater.

2016 May 23.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, George J. and Angelina P. Kostas Charitable Foundation, The Brown Foundation Inc., William Randolph Hearst Foundation, and The Cullen Trust for Health Care.

”

– Ennio Tasciotti, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Nanomedicine Houston Methodist

15

Research Highlights

First Rapid Detection Zika Test Now Available Through Collaboration between Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital Collaboration between two Texas Medical Center institutions has resulted in release of the country’s first hospital-based rapid tests for the Zika virus.

Pathologists and clinical laboratory scientists at Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital developed the Zika molecular direct test in a matter of weeks. The molecular tests are customized to each hospital’s diagnostic laboratory and provide results within several hours. Before this test was developed, physicians faced the possibility of long delays of testing in local and state public health laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zika virus, which is mostly transmitted through mosquitoes, is a flavivirus that contains RNA as its genetic material.

The new diagnostic test identifies virus-specific RNA sequences to directly detect Zika virus in blood, amniotic fluid, urine or spinal fluid samples.

Photo: Robert Seale

16

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

“ This test is specific and can

distinguish Zika virus infection Chikungunya virus infections.

“

from Dengue, West Nile or

– James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D. Chair, Department of Pathology & Genomic Medicine Fondren Presidential Distinguished Chair, Research Institute Houston Methodist

“Hospital-based testing that is state-of-the-art enables our

director of medical microbiology and virology at Texas Children’s.

physicians and patients to get very rapid diagnostic answers.

“We must provide answers for anxious moms-to-be and families

If tests need to be repeated or if our treating doctors need

who may experience signs and symptoms or may simply have

to talk with our pathologists, we have the resources near

travel history to endemic areas,” said Versalovic.

patient care settings,” said James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pathology & Genomic Medicine

This research was made possible by philanthropists, Virginia

at Houston Methodist and leader of the Houston Methodist

“Ginny” and L.E. Simmons who created the L.E. and Virginia

test development team along with Associate Professor of

Simmons Collaborative in Virus Detection and Surveillance

Clinical Pathology and Genomic Medicine Randall J. Olsen,

program to facilitate rapid development of tests for virus detection

M.D., Ph.D., who is also the director of the molecular

in a large metropolitan area after the 2014 Ebola virus scare.

diagnostics laboratory.

“It is so great to see the progress these teams have made in “This is a significant development as health authorities are

such a short time. The work they are doing has such an impact

recommending all pregnant women who have traveled to

on so many lives,” Simmons said. “I am so grateful to know that

a place with a Zika virus outbreak get tested,” Musser said.

the funds we donated are being used to make these types of

The test will be initially offered to patients with a positive

advances in the Texas Medical Center.”

travel history and symptoms consistent with acute Zika virus infection such as a rash, arthralgias or fever or asymptomatic pregnant women with a positive travel history to any of the affected regions.

“With travel-associated cases of the Zika virus becoming more prevalent in the United States, coupled with the increase in mosquito exposure during summer months, we must be prepared for a surge of Zika testing demand,” said James Versalovic, M.D., Ph.D., pathologist-in-chief at Texas Children’s and leader of the Texas Children’s Zika

TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER Houston Methodist Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital

test development team along with James Dunn, Ph.D.,

17

Education News

Houston Methodist Welcomes Cardiac Surgeons From All Over the World to Learn New Techniques in Minimally-Invasive Cardiac Surgery

by George Kovacik More than 50 surgeons from across the United States and Canada attended the “7th Annual Re-Evolution Summit,” March 3-5 at Houston Methodist Hospital. The conference was designed to teach surgeons the latest techniques in minimally-invasive cardiac surgery.

“Cardiovascular surgery is undergoing a significant paradigm shift toward increasing minimally-invasive surgery,” said Mahesh Ramchandani M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and program director for the summit. “We are seeing this in everything from cardiac valve repair to coronary revascularization to heart failure.”

The three-day event included evidence-based lectures and expert-guided hands-on training sessions on minimally-invasive cardiac surgery and hybrid techniques in the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIESM).

Only 15 to 20 percent of surgeons are performing minimally-invasive cardiac surgeries today. One of the goals of the three-day event is to encourage them to begin exploring these types of surgeries. Please stay tuned for information pertaining to the 2017 summit, scheduled for April 6 and 7.

believe this type of hands-on training will open up “ Inew procedures for these surgeons and, ultimately, be better and safer for the patient. ”

– Mahesh Ramchandani, M.D. Program Director, 7th Annual Re-Evolution Summit Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center

Houston Methodist Conducts the World Conference on Cerebral Flow Diversion

by Maitreyi Muralidhar

18

The Houston Methodist Neurological Institute

indications and treatment options, device

With flow diversion, without entering the

hosted the first World Conference on Cerebral

selection criteria and challenges, and clinical

aneurysm, a flow diverter device is placed in

Flow Diversion in March 2016.

trials for new devices.

the parent blood vessel across the aneurysm

Over the course of the two-day event, the

Under the close supervision of Houston

attendees heard from experts in the

Methodist faculty, participants practiced device

management of intracranial aneurysms,

deployment on aneurysm models. Conventional

watched live patient case presentations, and

aneurysm treatment involves endovascular

participated in hands-on training workshops

coiling. In this procedure, a coil attached to

The next conference is scheduled for 2018.

with preclinical models. The lectures covered

a microcatheter is inserted into the aneurysm

Visit tmcnews.org to learn more and read

principles and techniques of flow diversion,

to occlude blood supply to the aneurysm.

a recap of the conference.

diverting the blood away from it. This method avoids the risk of rupture associated with entering the aneurysm during endovascular coiling.

EDUCATION NEWS

THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS AND MITIE COLLABORATE TO REVISE STANDARDS FOR RETRAINING SURGEONS SM

by Maitreyi Muralidhar

T

o keep up with the ever-changing landscape of modern

surgical practice, the training environment for surgeons needs to evolve at the same pace. After residency, a surgeon’s career can often last up to 40 years. The ongoing rapid evolution of surgical technology means that the practicing surgeon’s initial training can quickly become outdated.

Opportunities to train on the latest technologies, with sufficient

At the Surgeon Retooling Reimagined workshop, these stakeholders discussed ways to build and implement training models that

hands-on experience to develop proficiency, are often limited.

move away from patient-based

Barbara Lee Bass, M.D., John F., Jr. and Carolyn Bookout

training to a simulation-based

Presidential Distinguished Chair, established MITIE in 2006 to address this gap in training of practicing health care professionals and improve patient safety and quality of

learning environment for surgeons.

surgical care.

At MITIE, surgeons use non-patient based simulation technology

This workshop was the first in a series that will help develop

rather than on-the-job training to learn and practice new

the standards and infrastructure needed to retrain surgeons

techniques. MITIE also provides telementoring expertise and

in the future.

infrastructure to assist surgeons during new procedures.

According to Bass, rollout of the changes should happen over

In February, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and

the next 2-3 years. In late 2016, these stakeholders will meet

MITIE brought together surgeons, thought leaders, hospital

again at the ACS headquarters to further define the scope of

administrators, representatives from industry, attorneys and

the initiative, with a more specific set of deliverables and

educators to begin the process of developing a national model

objectives based on the key takeaways from the MITIE forum.

for “retraining and retooling” surgeons throughout their career.

Go to houstonmethodist.org/mitie to learn more about the workshop.

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Education News

MITIE Joins Hands with the FBI to Train First Responders SM

by Maitreyi Muralidhar

Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE ) trains SM

thousands of physicians and health care professionals every year. From teaching them how to safely adopt new technologies to providing a platform to practice new techniques, MITIE serves as an innovative virtual hospital and hands-on clinical training facility for all kinds of health care professionals. But on June 22, 2016, MITIE opened its doors for a very different kind of exercise.

M

edical operators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's

enforcement, fire department, emergency medical services

in MITIE for a training on how to prepare for and respond to

and hospitals.

emergency medical situations like mass shootings.

One of the scenes reenacted for the training was a mass

FBI’s tactical SWAT teams routinely go through trainings that

shooting in a nightclub. Though planned out well in advance,

prepare them for emergencies and disasters. They are put

in wake of the tragedy that unfolded in Orlando on June 12,

through scenarios that closely mimic real-life situations which

this training took on a whole new meaning for everyone

are often fraught with danger for everyone involved. Unlike

involved. The medical operators were trained on how to

natural disasters, in situations like a mass shooting, there is

treat people on the scene, addressing life threatening injuries

an element of great uncertainty. Very often, when emergency

within a crucial window of 30 seconds to two minutes and

personnel respond to these calls, the situation is still active

transporting the injured quickly to the local hospitals.

with the potential suspect possibly at large. The challenge

They were also trained to address other scenarios including

is to provide critical lifesaving care to those most in need

responding to explosions.

without putting others in harm’s way, thus minimizing casualties,

20

and to execute these tasks in coordination with local law

(FBI) tactical SWAT teams from across the country gathered

by Maitreyi Muralidhar In a unique collaboration, MITIE teamed up with Ethicon, to host the Latin American Forum Masters training program that brought together more than 300 surgeons from different countries in Latin America. The program provided an opportunity for participants to connect with renowned key opinion leaders from around the world to discuss latest trends, techniques and medical technology in their surgical specialty. From didactic lectures, panel discussions, breakout groups, to lively debates, the agenda allowed attendees to interact in a variety of ways.

This 6-day event included three 2-day courses focusing on thoracic surgery, colorectal surgery and bariatric and metabolic surgery. For maximum benefit, the courses were provided in Spanish, the language spoken by most of the attendees.

During the same week, MITIE and the MD Anderson Cancer Center jointly hosted an advanced course titled 'Advanced Course on Surgical Oncology for the America's 2016.' The course covered both didactic According to Michael Biamonte, the coordinator for the FBI, “A key part of

and hands-on training in thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal

successfully pulling together a training of this kind is bringing forth the aspect

and hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) cancers.

of realism. The human brain is not used to handling situations like these which can be traumatizing and disturbing. The goal of this training in MITIE was to recreate a highly realistic scene of an unfolding emergency. This was critical to teach the responders to block out the screams, block out the chaos and just respond to medical needs of the injured.”

“

It was an incredible honor to host this program and increase the awareness of MITIE among highly respected surgeon leaders in Latin America as well as my

In addition to providing the space and the tools for conducting this exercise, MITIE also provided the expertise that comes with having organized several similar simulation trainings and workshops, including ones for the Houston Fire and Harris County Sheriff's Office.

international peers at Ethicon. Programs such as this highlight true collaboration between industry and the surgical community with the focused goal of improving patient outcomes.

”

– Dawn Lane Professional Education Manager Ethicon

21

EDUCATION NEWS

MITIE Hosts Training Courses for Latin American Surgeons

OF INTEREST

New Health Policy Institute Launched by the Texas Medical Center

by Maitreyi Muralidhar

Under the leadership of Robert Robbins, M.D., the Texas Medical Center has launched a new Health Policy Institute to conduct collaborative and innovative research on health policy issues. As the world's largest medical center, the Texas Medical Center is well positioned to delve into the complex health policy challenges faced by our country today.

The Texas Medical Center Health Policy Institute has awarded

under-served communities. Another project will study the

$750,000 in grant funding to support four collaborative health

policies and practices impacting health care access for

policy research projects. In an effort to encourage greater

refugee children.

cooperation between the TMC institutions, collaborative research between two or more institutions was made a

Professor of Cardiology and Chief Medical Officer at Houston

fundamental requirement for obtaining the grant.

Methodist Robert A. Phillips, M.D., Ph.D., is the lead investigator of a study which will leverage internal hospital data on

The projects selected for the first round of grant funding, mirror

readmissions to come up with an effective plan to tackle it.

the broad spectrum of health policy challenges confronting us

This will be a collaboration between Houston Methodist,

today. One of the projects, will evaluate the impact and

CHI-St. Luke’s, University of Texas Medical Branch, Baylor

effectiveness of freestanding emergency rooms, while another

College of Medicine and Texas A&M.

will explore the most optimal routes for mobile health clinics which provide a range of services to low-income and

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Visit tmchealthpolicy.org to learn more about this new initiative.

OF INTEREST

HOUSTON METHODIST’S BIANA GODIN FEATURED ON NIH DIRECTOR'S BLOG Assistant Professor of Nanomedicine Biana Godin, MScPharm, Ph.D., was featured in the NIH Director’s blog post that described her cancer nanomedicine work at the Houston Methodist Research Institute.

The post also included an image that won the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2015 Bioart competition. Go to directorsblog.nih.gov to read the full post.

23

OF INTEREST

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Timothy B. Boone, M.D., Ph.D. Receives F. Brantley Scott Award of Excellence Timothy B. Boone, M.D., Ph.D., chair and program director of the Continence, Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, & Neurourology Residency and co-director of the Institute for Academic Medicine, has been awarded the F. Brantley Scott Award of Excellence. The award is given to distinguished physicians who demonstrate continuous learning and advancement in the field of urology. The award was established in 2010 by American Medical Systems to recognize and honor Scott’s contributions to urology and to grow his impact and legacy through education and training of future generations of urologists.

Rose Khavari, M.D., Receives Multiple Honors Assistant Professor of Urology Rose Khavari, M.D., has been named a 2016 American Urological Association/ European Association of Urology (AUA/EAU) Academic Exchange Program Scholar. As part of this program, Khavari attended the 2016 EAU Annual Meeting in Munich, Germany and also visited hospitals in UK, Belgium, Italy, and Germany to collaborate on research projects, observe urologic procedures and attend staff activities and clinics.

Khavari also received a 2016 American Urological Association Early Career Achievement Showcase Award.

Sankar Mitra, Ph.D. Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award by AAISCR The American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research (AAISCR) awarded Sankar Mitra, Ph.D., professor of radiation oncology, the Lifetime Achievement Award in Cancer Research. AAISCR promotes collaboration and provides infrastructure and resources for scientists of Indian origin working in cancer research.

James Musser, M.D., Ph.D., Ranked No. 20 in Journal Pathologist's 'Top 100 Power List' James Musser, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pathology & Genomic Medicine and Fondren Presidential Distinguished Chair at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, was ranked No. 20 in the 'Top 100 Power List' published by the UK-based journal Pathologist. Also on the list were Professors of Pathology and Genomic Medicine Philip Cagle, M.D., and Suzanne Powell, M.D.

William Zoghbi M.D., Named Chair of Cardiology William Zoghbi, M.D., has been named chair of the Department of Cardiology in the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Zoghbi has served as the president of both the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Echocardiography, and as a member of the board of the World Heart Federation. During his 30-year clinical and academic career, he has developed novel non-invasive techniques to evaluate valvular disorders and cardiac function. He also chaired national guidelines for the evaluation of valvular heart disease. Zoghbi, who founded the Cardiovascular Imaging Institute at Houston Methodist, has trained more than 100 cardiology fellows in advanced cardiovascular imaging and has authored more than 300 publications. He is the William L. Winters Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Imaging and the Elkins Family Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Health at Houston Methodist.

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MAURO FERRARI, PH.D., INDUCTED INTO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF ITALY Italy’s National Academy of Sciences (Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL) has chosen Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, to be one of only two 2016 foreign fellows.

The Academy was founded as 'Società Italiana' (Italian Society) in 1782 in Verona by Antonio M. Lorgna, a mathematician and hydraulic engineer who invited the most outstanding scientists from every part of Italy to join the society.

Ferrari was inducted into the academy during a May 5 ceremony in Italy, where he presented a lecture on nanomedicine and the use of transport oncophysics and multi-stage vectors. He and a team of investigators from the Houston Methodist Research Institute recently published a landmark study in Nature Biotechnology that may have transformed the treatment of metastatic triple negative breast cancer by creating the first drug to successfully eliminate lung metastases in mice. The second foreign fellow to join Ferrari was Douglas Wallace of the University of Pennsylvania.

Some of the greatest Italian scientists have been members of the Academy, including Volta, Marconi, Spallanzani, Golgi, Ruffini, Dini, Pacinotti, Fermi, Avogadro, Natta, Cotugno, Marotta, Scacchi, Cannizzaro, Volterra, Severi, Corbino, Amaldi, Marini Bettolo, and Scarascia Mugnozza. Seven academy members have been awarded the Nobel Prize: Marconi, Golgi, Fermi, Natta, Bovet, Rubbia and Levi-Montalcini.

Lorgna also established that the society should comprise a class of foreign members. Ferrari becomes the 177th foreign member and 14th American member, joining an elite group of Americans that includes Benjamin Franklin and Bruce Alberts.

Salute to Nurses – ­ Houston Chronicle Research nurses from Houston Methodist, Melissa Whipple, Susan Dorman and Lenis Sosa were nominees for the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses 'Top 150 Outstanding Nurses' award.

Melissa Whipple, B.S.N., RN, CCRC

Susan Dorman, RN, CCRC

Lenis Sosa, M.S.N., RN, CCRC

Senior Clinical Research Nurse

Senior Clinical Research Nurse

Clinical Trials Nurse Manager 25

OF INTEREST

NEW FACULTY RECRUITS

Tetsuo Ashizawa, M.D. Tetsuo Ashizawa, M.D., joined the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute as director of the Neurosciences Research Program. Ashizawa, formerly executive director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida, organized and developed interdisciplinary neuroscience research programs involving multiple colleges and departments. As a physician-scientist, he is studying neurogenetic disorders caused by expansions of DNA sequences that are connected end-to-end and abnormally repeated.

Randa El-Zein, MBChB, Ph.D. Professor of Radiology Randa El-Zein, MBChB, Ph.D., received her medical degree from Alexandria University in Egypt, and her Ph.D. in human biological chemistry and genetics from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. El-Zein and her team developed a novel cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay that can measure susceptibility to lung cancer in high-risk individuals. Currently, they are working to combine the standard features of mammography with identification of blood-based biomarkers to more precisely indicate a woman’s risk for breast cancer-specific subtypes.

Paolo Zanotti Fregonara, M.D., Ph.D. An expert in PET image quantification, kinetic modeling for PET brain imaging, dosimetry and radioprotection, Paolo Zanotti Fregonara, M.D., Ph.D., joined Houston Methodist as the director of the Positron Emission Tomography Facility. Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Zanotti was an associate professor in the nuclear medicine department at the University of Bordeaux, France.

NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS APPROVED FROM JANUARY - JULY 2016 Endowed Professorship E. Brian Butler, M.D. - Jim and Joan Harrell Distinguished Professor in Radiation Oncology

Houston Methodist Research Institute Appointments/Promotions Bincy P. Abraham, M.D., M.S. - Associate Clinical Member Baiba Gillard, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Member

Phat Le, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in Oncology

Francesca Taraballi, Ph.D. - Instructor

Tristi W. Muir, M.D. - Acting Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Marija Vukicevic, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Member

Edward Lee, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Xiang Xiao, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Member Orthopedic Surgery Leila Neshatian, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Yicheng (Helen) Wang - Associate Research Medicine Member* Guodong Zhang, Ph.D. - Instructor

Ahmet Omurtag, Ph.D. - Adjunct Associate Professor of Computational Surgery

Institute For Academic Medicine Appointments/Promotions

Leif E. Peterson, Ph.D. - Professor of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics*

Carlos F. Bechara, M.D. - Associate Professor of Clinical Cardiovascular Surgery

Lidong Qin, Ph.D. - Professor of Nanomedicine*

Ye (Tony) Hu, Ph.D. - Associate Member* Eugene J. Koay, M.D., Ph.D. - Assistant Affiliate Member

Dolon Das, M.D. - Instructor in Medicine Adaani E. Frost, M.D. - Professor of Medicine

Dongfang Liu, Ph.D. - Assistant Member

Baiba Gilliard, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences

Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D. - Associate Member* Nakul Gupta, M.D. - Assistant Clinical Member Dale J. Hamilton, M.D. - Full Clinical Member* Philip J. Horner, Ph.D. - Full Member

Rahul T. Pandit, M.D. - Associate Clinical Member Leif E. Peterson, Ph.D. - Full Member* Kumar Pichumani, Ph.D. - Associate Research Member Alan R. Prossin, M.D. - Assistant Affiliate Member Lidong Qin, Ph.D. - Full Member* Alpesh Shah, M.D. - Associate Clinical Member Haifa Shen, M.D., Ph.D. - Associate Member*

26

Zheng-Zheng Shi, M.D., Ph.D. - Associate Research Member*

Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Nanomedicine* Dale J. Hamilton, M.D. - Professor of Clinical Medicine* Philip J. Horner, Ph.D. - Professor of Neuroregeneration Ye (Tony) Hu, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Nanomedicine*

Haifa Shen, M.D., Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Nanomedicine* Zheng-Zheng Shi, M.D,. Ph.D. - Associate Research Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences* Mark Sultenfuss, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology Yicheng (Helen) Wang - Associate Research Professor of Inflammation and Epigenetics* Jihad Georges Youssef, M.D. - Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine Guodong Zhang, Ph.D. - Instructor in Nanomedicine * Promotions

OF INTEREST

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Houston Methodist Research Institute Steven D. Arnold

Laurie H. Glimcher, M.D.

John F. Bookout

Antonio M. Gotto, M.D., D.Phil.

John F. Bookout, III

Mark A. Houser

Marc L. Boom, M.D.

Catherine S. Jodeit

Timothy Boone, M.D., Ph.D.

Evan H. Katz

Giorgio Borlenghi

Rev. Kenneth R. Levingston

Joseph R. "Rod" Canion

Vidal G. Martinez

Albert Chao

Gregory V. Nelson

Ernest D. Cockrell, II

Stuart W. Stedman

John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D.

Andrew C. Von Eschenbach, M.D.

Dan O. Dinges

Martha Walton

Mauro Ferrari, Ph.D.

Elizabeth B. Wareing

Joe B. Foster

Ewing Werlein, Jr.

The 17th Annual

Marialuisa Lectureship for Life September 14, 2016 Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Houston Methodist Research Institute John F. Bookout Auditorium The Marialuisa Lectureship award was established at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in 2000 by the Ferrari family in memory of Marialuisa Ferrari. This annual event educates researchers, physicians, nurses, caregivers, and the community about the importance of symptom and pain management for cancer patients.

Joseph J. Fins, M.D., M.A.C.P.

The E. William Davis, Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics Chief, Division of Medical Ethics and Professor of Medicine Professor of Medical Ethics in Neurology and Medicine in Psychiatry Weill Cornell Medical College Director of Medical Ethics New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center

This years lectureship will be awarded to Joseph J. Fins, M.D., M.A.C.P., from Weill Cornell Medical College. Fins is the E. William Davis, Jr., M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics. In his lecture titled "Disorders of Consciousness and Neuropalliation: Towards Ethical Care with Rights in Mind," Fins will build on the clinical distinction between vegetative state and minimally conscious state where a patient can experience pain and suffering. He will address the tangled history of brain injury and the right to die in America; why patients in the minimally conscious state are marginalized; and how evolving therapeutics might help bring some patients with disorders of consciousness back into the nexus of family and community.

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Houston Methodist Research Institute 6670 Bertner Ave. Houston | TX 77030

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS September 10, 2016

October 8, 2016

2016 Emerging Topics in Liver Disease

Houston Methodist Lung Cancer Symposium

CME credit available

Cancer Biomarkers Conference

CME credit available

September 12, 2016

October 13, 2016 George and Angelina Kostas Research Center

Cardiac MRI Workshop

for Cardiovascular Nanomedicine Annual

CME credit available

International Meeting

September 14, 2016 The 17th Annual Marialuisa Lectureship for Life

September 21, 2016

Clinical Research Education Series (CRES)

September 23, 2016 Neuroscience and Spinal Disorders Symposium

CME credit available

CME credit available

October 20-22, 2016 Pathobiology for Investigators, Students, and Academicians (PISA) 2016 Meeting

November 7, 2016 2nd Annual North American Pure User Group Conference, cohosted by Houston Methodist and The University of Texas

September 30, 2016 9th Annual Advances in Neurology

CME credit available

Go to houstonmethodist.org/hpeventslist for more information.

METHODOLOGY

The Research and Education Newsletter of Houston Methodist Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Hall, Ph.D. Managing Editor Maitreyi Muralidhar, M.S. Assistant Editor Thomas Ellington Design & Creative Lead Doris T. Huang

Contributing Writers Stefanie Asin Gale Smith Katie Wooldridge Carla Diebold George Kovacik Maitreyi Muralidhar 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 Email: news@houstonmethodist.org IAMNEWS-006 | 08.2016 | 1500