Heights Magazine

Six Quintessential Houston Dishes Design With Color Hermann Park Grand Opening Two Hospitals Using AI To Improve Outcomes For Patients UH Music Festival

Menil Drawing Installation Completed Art + Events

For more than 100 years, we have provided patients with the best — and safest — clinical care, advanced technology and patient experience. That is our promise of leading medicine.

Big Bend National Park

Getting AI Right

Is there a reason for concern in the upcoming elections that AI could play a role? Yes, there are obvious concerns about the implications of what AI can do. The answers to these questions seem obvious, but the solutions to handle these problems may not be quite as easy. Getting AI right now is critical for future generations. Electing people who understand the issues of AI and its benefits should guide the process, instead of leaving it to so many aging politicians who don’t know what TikTok is capable of.

“It is a renaissance; it is a golden age … we are now solving problems with artificial intelligence that were in the realm of science fiction for decades.”

- Jeff Bezos

While the media has done an excellent job of presenting the doom and gloom, AI has an inverted side; it has positive applications throughout industries.

I lost three close family members and my childhood friend at age 20 to cancer, so I have been a longtime follower of the effort to understand this disease. AI has become a valuable tool for identifying patterns in large and complex datasets like those employed in cancer research.

“AI has the potential to change the world in ways that we can’t even imagine.”

- Bill Gates

Houston Methodist has developed a partnership with Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) that leverages the company’s extensive database of Medicare data to generate personalized information about Houston Methodist patients. MD Anderson has created its own Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) to help ‘harness the power’ of AI.

“This is the most significant computing development in my lifetime.”

- Sergey Brin, Google co-founder

Leading cancer centers worldwide are also using this technology, so there is hope for improving outcomes in treating this dreaded disease.

Yes, AI can formulate all the symmetry of genetic testing and DNA configurations into problematic reasoning that our minds are not simply capable of. However, we must have people setting policies who understand AI’s power.

ARTS+

Artupdate houston published every two weeks by houstonintown. For updates and more go to houstonintown.com and sign up for free updates.

This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, join Asia Society Texas for 31 ways to celebrate the vibrant and diverse traditions and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans!

MUSEUMS

Asia Society Texas Center

May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month

Ongoing XU BING: WORD ALCHEMY thru Jul 14

Museum Of Fine Arts, Houston

Ongoing CROWNING THE NORTH: thru May 5 SILVER TREASURES FROM BERGEN, NORWAY

Ongoing MULTIPLICITY; BLACKthru May 12 NESS IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN COLLEGE

Ongoing VERTIGO OF COLOR: thru May 27 MATISSE, DERAIN, AND THE ORIGINS OF FAUVISM

Ongoing KEHINDE WILEY: AN Ongoing ARCHAELOGY OF SCIENCE

Opens JACOLBY SATTERWHITE; May 10 A METTA PRAYER

June 9- RAQIB SHAW: BALLADS Sept 2 OF EAST AND WEST

Contemporary Arts

Museum Houston

Ongoing OLIVIA ERLANGER: IF Oct 27 TODAY WERE TOMORROW

AMOAKO BOAFO: SOUL OF BLACK FOLKS

Holocaust Museum Houston

Ongoing THE KINSEY AFRICAN Jun 23 AMERICAN ART & HISTORY COLLECTION

Menil

Ongoing RUTH ASAWA thru June 21 THROUGH LINE

Ongoing JANET SOBEL: ALL-OVER thru Aug 11

Ongoing WALL DRAWING SERIES; thru Aug 18 MARC BAUER

Ongoing ABSTRACTION AFTER thru Aug 25 MODERNISM: RECENT ACQUISITIONS

May 8- FOYER INSTALLATION; Sept 15 ON KAWARA

June 15- LONGING GRIEF, AND Fall 2024 SPIRITUALITY: ART SINCE 1980

Ongoing PORTRAITS OF WOMEN thru Nov 10 FROM THE COLLECTION

Houston Museum Of Natural Science

Special Exhibits

TRANSCENDING AUDUBON DREHER MATERWORKS1

BODY WORLDS & THE CYCLE OF LIFE KING TUT’S TOMB

MUSIC & DANCE

Houston Ballet

May 23- MAYERLING

June 2

Jun 6-16 FOUR SEASONS

Houston Grand Opera

Ongoing DON GIOVANNI thru May 3

Thru May 12 THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THEATER

ALLEY Theatre

Ongoing JANE EYRE thru May 5

May 10- THORTON WILDER’S

June 2 THE EMPORIUM

May 31- DIAL M FOR MURDER

June 30

May 18

SPORTS

Baseball

Houston Astros Minute Maid Park

May 1-2 CLEVELAND 3 -5 SEATTLE 13 - 15 OAKLAND 17-19 BREWERS 20-22 LA ANGELS 31 MINNESOTA

AUGUST WILSON’S RADIO GOLF

Broadway Across America Hobby Center

Ongoing GIRL FROM THE NORTH thru May 5 COUNTRY

June 4-9 HAIRSPRAY STAGES REPERTORY THEATER

May 3- OTHELLO: THE REMIX

June 9 May 3 - June 9

May 24- A CASE FOR THE June 30 EXISTENCE OF GOD

June 1-2 MINNESOTA 3-5 ST LOUIS 14-16 DETROIT 21-23 BALTIMORE 25-26 COLORADO

Houston Dynamo Shell Energy Field

May 11 ST. LOUIS CITY 18 DALLAS 29 COLORADO

June 19 SEATTLE 29 CHARLOTTE

MFAH, Vertigo of Color Exhibit: Henri Matisse, Open Window, Collioure, 1905

AT THE MENIL DRAWING INSTITUTE

The Wall is Complete

The Wall Drawing Series: Marc Bauer debuted in September 2023 with a major theme of resilience woven throughout the mural. The second phase of this work focused on the theme of resistance. The recent and final modifications represent utopia in its broadest sense.

Swiss artist Marc Bauer (b. 1975) visited the Menil Collection for a third and final time to alter his wall drawing RESILIENCE, Drawing the Line on April 8-9. The 36-foot-wide mural, created with charcoal, pastel, and colored pencil, combines powerful imagery from art history with contemporary references to produce a thought-provoking narrative. Since its conception, Bauer’s unique approach to the drawing included the intention to create a three-part framework, evolving the work over its year-long display. RESILIENCE, Drawing the Line is on view at the Menil Drawing Institute through August 18, 2024.

Bauer’s incorporation of colorful mandala-inspired, floral-like shapes, shown in the detail above, frame select figures created in the initial drawing and signifies the achievement of a spiritual paradise.

“The addition of these abstract and dynamic shapes on top of heavier, traumatic images, shifts the narrative to bring the original visuals back to the conversation,” Bauer said. “It reveals the healing process through which the figures go through to reach utopia.”

The themes highlighted in RESILIENCE, though fundamentally distinctive, ultimately collapse in on themselves and integrate more and more as the story unfolds. Additionally, the inclusion of more color in each revision enhances the composition, providing a new focus and perspective.

Wall Drawing Series: Marc Bauer is curated by Kelly Montana, Assistant Curator, Menil Drawing Institute. The Menil’s Wall Drawing Series began in 2018 as part of the Drawing Institute’s commitment to seeking new approaches to the form and language of drawing.

For more on the Menil go to houstonintown.com.

Installation View, “Resilience, Drawing the Line”, April 2024.

Initial drawing, September 2023

Photos: Paul Hester and Sarah Hobson

Detail of a last alteration, April 2024

One of first alterations, January 2024

Intown’s Classical Music Editor and Critic, the Hon. Philip Berquist, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Croatia for Texas

The University of Houston’s Moores School of Music presents its annual Texas Music Festival

Come June, it will be Texas Music Festival time at the Moores School of Music. Originally funded 1n 1990 by Immanuel and Helen Olshan, the festival still bears their names. TMF was the brain child of then-Director of the UH School of Music, Dr David Tomatz. Tomatz was a true visionary as he led the efforts to build a new music facility for the school. He teamed up with benefactor John Moores to create a state of the art music education complex with numerous rehearsal spaces, classrooms, large study and social spaces, and offices for its music staff. Tomatz also brought to completion his ultimate dream, the beautiful Moores Opera House.

Full disclosure, I have been involved with the school for thirty years and served as president of the Moores School of Music Society from 1997, the year the Opera House was opened, until 2000,

and have remained active ever since.

The Texas Music Festival has been led by Alan Austin since 1997. The following bullet points are from the TMF website -

• Intensive threeweek orchestral training program in Houston

• For college, graduate, and young professional players (Ages 18-30)

• 80 talented orchestral musicians are selected to participate each year

• All TMF Orchestra Fellows receive fellowships covering tuition and weekly lessons valued around $3,500

• International musical community

• Faculty from the Moores and Shepherd schools of music, Hous-

ton Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Ballet orchestras, and other distinguished orchestras and music schools and conservatories

• Master classes with renowned musicians as well as principals and members of the Houston Symphony and other major orchestras

• Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artists Competition

• Weekly private lesson instruction

There are several categories of instruction and performances during the three weeks that commence on June 1 and conclude on June 22, 2024. These include the Orchestra Institute, the Keyboard Academy, the Chamber Music Series and the Jazz Institute.

Hans Graf conducting the Houston Symphony

Custom:

Outdoor Living Rooms

Patio Covers

Outdoor Kitchens

Screened Porches

Additions

Fire Features

LIVE IT OUT

In Houston, a covered patio is the new must-have. Summer’s right around the corner, and we’re ready to custom-design and build your space with elements like sun protection, patio cooling options, and plenty of room to unwind.

Scan for your free consultation

Orchestra Institute

The TMF symphony orchestra performs three concerts, each led by a different conductor. Traditionally the first concert is led by the Moores School’s Professor of Orchestral Studies, Franz Anton Krager. The initial concert is Friday, 7 June at 7:30pm and features Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, Richard Strauss’s Burleske for Piano and Orchestra, and Anton Bruckner’s rarely performed Psalm 146, a large piece for chorus and orchestra. Vadym Kholodenko is the piano soloist. The chorus is prepared by Paulo Gomez.

The second orchestra concert is on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30pm and features Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Cloe, Suite No. 2, and Richard Strauss’s epic tone poem Ein Heldenleben. The conductor is Carl St. Clair.

The final concert is on Saturday, June 22 at 7:30pm. The program is Ravel’s Le barq sur l’ocean and Anton Bruckner’s final symphony, Symphony No. 9. The conductor will be former Houston Symphony Music Director, Hans Graf.

Keyboard Academy -

The Sharon Ley Lietzow Series

Three Thursday recitals, each beginning at 7:30pm and held in the Dudley Recital Hall.

On Thursday, June 6, Ukrainian Vadym Kholodenco performs Handel: Chaconne; Beethoven: Sonata Op. 111; Prokofiev: Sonata No. 8. Kholodenco was the winner of the Gold Medal at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Kenny Broberg appears on Thursday, June 13 with the following works - Franck/Bauer: Prelude, Fugue, et Variation, Op. 18; Mozart: Piano Sonata in D, K.311; Medtner: Two Skazki, Op. 48; Chopin: Polonaise Fantasie, Op. 61; Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5. Broberg won the Silver Medal at the 2021 Cliburn and is a graduate of the Moores School. I have nothing but the highest respect for him and have heard him perform several times. This is not to be missed.

Concluding the series is William Wolfram performing on Thursday, June 20. He will be performing Schumann: Fantasie; Chopin: Mazurkas Op. 67/4 & Op. 17/4; Liszt: Sonata in B Minor. Wolfram is a graduate of the Juilliard School and is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music. He was a bronze medal winner at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow.

The Chamber Music Series

Three Tuesday recitals, each beginning at 7:30pm and held in the Dudley Recital Hall.

Tuesday, June 4 brings together the Formosa String Quartet and TMF faculty in works by Koechlin, and the Clarinet Quintet by von Weber.

On June 11, members of the TMF faculty share the stage with Orchestra Fellows in music of Beethoven and Faure’s Piano Quintet No. 1.

The Chamber Music Series concludes on June 18 as TMF faculty artists join Orchestral Fellows in music of Martinu, Brahms and others to be announced.

Jazz Institute

On Friday evening, June 21, a free event at the Moores Opera House led by Noe Marmolejo, long time director of jazz studies at Moores. Note this concert begins at 7:00pm.

For more information on the Texas Music Festival and to purchase tickets for all events -

https://www.uh.edu/kgmca/music/ events/festivals/tmf/index

Please keep letting me hear from you - classicalmusicberquist@gmail.com

Franz Anton Krager

Vadym Kholodenco

Carl St. Clair

Mariana Saldana Broker Associate Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan (832) 338-4040 www.uptownrealestategroup.com

David Michael Young Broker Associate, CLHMS, CNE, GREEN Compass RE Texas (713) 320-6453 www.youngrealtyhouston.com

5703 Cornish St. | Cottage Grove

List Price $1,275,0009 | MLS# 90399226

Unlock the potential of this prime corner lot, situated across from the scenic Cottage Grove Park and already platted into 8 lots for a Cottage Villa condominium project. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to build in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods with easy access to freeways, downtown, Galleria and Memorial Park! Jenny Wang | JWang Properties | 281-451-0185

Beverly Smith CLHMS Lake Conroe Specialist Coldwell Banker Realty (713) 569-2113 www.lakeconroebeverlysmith.com

Jenny Wang CLHMS, CRS Broker Owner of JWang Properties 281-451-0185 www.jwang.live

12503 Vinton | Memorial Meadows List Price $2,150,000 | MLS# 50283691

Situated on a corner lot in coveted Memorial Meadows, this custom-built new construction is a testament to award-winning craftsmanship and luxury. Designed for entertaining and comfortable living, it boasts generous open living spaces, a private study, media room, and game room. Michelle Hinton | Compass | 832-795-2246

Real Estate Professionals Serving the Houston Luxury Home Community

Genevieve Rowland REALTOR, MCNE, CLHMS Multimillion Dollar Producer, ILHM Keller Williams Memorial (281) 904-7014 www.rowland-properties.com

Stacy Brown Broker - Owner AHWD, CIPS, CLHMS, CNE, CRS, GRI, LUXE, RSPS, SRES Texas Preferred Properties (832) 707-1496 texaspreferredproperties.com

Michelle Hinton Broker Associate ABR, CIPS, CLHMS, GRI, CRS, MCNE, SRS Compass Real Estate (832) 795-2246 hintonhometeam.com

Heather Fordham Broker

Compass-New Heights Group (832) 567-1417 www.NewHeightsTX.com

802 County Road 34 | Chenango Ranch / Angleton

List Price $875,000 | MLS# 34683125

Tranquil country living with a modern twist. This stylish 4 bedroom home on 7+ acres offers the best of both worlds. State of the art appliances, custom finishes, and numerous outdoor amenities on peaceful acreage make this home one-of-a-kind. Large pavilion with big screen TV, built in grill, smoker, griddle and beverage fridges. 30x50 SF barn/workshop with bathroom. David M Young | Compass | 713-320-6453

Joanne Naponic Broker/Owner Naponic Properties (713) 515-3805

Bincy Jacob Broker Associate, Platinum Agent, CLHMS, CIPS, MCNE, C2EX, TRLP, ABR, TAHS, SRES, ePro, GREEN, PSA, SMP Advocates Real Estate Group (832) 848-0101 advoreal.com

Galveston

List Price $898,000

Unobstructed gulf views on 2 acres with control of five additional adjacent acres. This beautifully remodeled beach house has three bedrooms and two baths and is a private oasis on the Boliver peninsula. A short cruise to historic Galveston and some of the best fishing and bird watching in the US Genevieve Rowland | Keller Williams | 281-904-7014

The Greater Houston Luxury Home Connection

Kristen Manz Real Estate Agent

PSA, CLHMS, ALHS, AHWD, PMN Greater Houston Living Team EXP Realty LLC (281) 305-9023 GreaterHoustonLiving.com

Melonee Piperi

Broker Associate CRP, CNE, CLHMS Moving Houston Team Keller Williams Realty (713) 705-6029 www.movinghouston.com

Roxana Alarcon Broker Associate The Luxe Realty Group Compass RE Texas (832) 428-5520

1511 Ruth St | Museum District

1217 N Horseshoe Dr | Sugarland

List Price $4,450,000 | MLS # 25899464| MLS#

room was designed to have a spectacular view. This estate is nestled on a 2.89 acre lot among a grove of oak trees. Release the stress and immediately transition into a more relaxed setting only 20 minutes to the Houston Galleria. Enjoy the benefits of the city without sacrificing your privacy and serenity. Kristen Manz | EXP Realty | 281-305-9023

Six Quintessential Dishes in Houston

by Marene Gustin

Some restaurants are known for certain dishes, and some of those dishes are famous in Houston and beyond. Here, we’ve rounded up six dishes that are mainstays of H-town meals, everything from top-of-the-line streaks to TexMex. We’re not saying they are the best, but they are right up there in both Houston’s heart and history.

1

Steaks

from Taste of Texas

105050 Katy Freeway | 713.932.6901

tasteoftexas.com

It may be a bit of a drive for innerloopers, but Taste of Texas is worth it for their steaks. Opened in 1977, it’s become a must-visit restaurant for Houstonians and out-of-towners. Known for its award-wining wine list and yummy sides, Taste of Texas has been tops in beef, with its on-site butcher shop and perfectly grilled cuts for decades of meat eaters.

2

You’ll want to try these for the taste and for a taste of history

Stuffed Redfish

at Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine 1985 Welch Street | 713.807.8883 eugeneshouston.com

When it comes to seafood, there are plenty of places with fresh gulf coast cuisines, but one of our favorites is Kyle Teas’ Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine, where fresh is a matter of pride. Try one of the signature dishes like the stuffed redfish. A filet stuffed to the gills (not really) with a blue crab claw stuffing and then broiled. It melts in your mouth. Pop for the extra-large twice baked potato as a side and you’ve got a great meal.

Brunch is a rite of passage in Houston, be it fancy or your neighborhood taco truck. If it’s jazzy you want, try the venerable Brennan’s. Known as the crown jewel of Texas Creole cuisine and southern hospitality, it opened downtown in 1967 as a sister eatery to New Orleans’ famed Commander’s Palace. Its famous Sunday Jazz Brunch features such divine dishes as the Eggs Brennan. It’s two favorites in one: One Egg Benedict, an English muffin, Duroc Canadian bacon, poached egg, with Hollandaise sauce, and one Egg Sardou made of an artichoke bottom, topped with creamed spinach, a poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce.

3 6 4 5

And speaking of Tex-Mex, who doesn’t start their meal with a bowl of chile con queso? If you’re like us, we like it spiked with some meat, like the original’s Jose’s Dip from Molina’s Cantina. Houston’s oldest family-owned and operated TexMex eatery, they turn 83 this year, claims that their delicious dip was created by a long-ago waiter named — what else? — José, when a diner asked him to add some meat to the cheese dip. As the story goes, he went back to the kitchen and saw the spicy ground beef for tacos and dumped some in. And thus, as classic was born.

Jose’s Dip Original Fajitas

at Molina’s Cantina Three locations molinascantina.com at Brennan’s 3300 Smith Street 713.522.9711 brennanshouston.com

Eggs Brennan

You’ll get a lot of arguments about the best Tex-Mex in town, but it’s hard not to love the original Mama Ninfa’s tacos al carbon. The legendary Mama Ninfa first introduced North American restaurant goers to her fajitas in 1973 and they’ve been best sellers ever since. Grilled beef or chicken wrapped in a warm flour tortilla topped with pico de gallo, guacamole, and chile con queso, Tex-Mex doesn’t get any better or more basic than this dish. You need to try it just so you have bragging rights.

Chicken “Bryan” Texas

For almost four decades, Johnny Carrabba’s eponymous Italian American eats restaurant in Upper Kirby has been dishing up great food for generations of Houstonians. It’s hard to know where to start, or end up, as most everything on the menu is wonderful, from the wood-fired oven pizzas to the pasta greats but there’s one specialty that sums up the Italian-Texan tastes here and that’s the Chicken “Bryan” Texas. Grilled chicken breast topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil butter, served with fettuccine Alfredo. Named for the community of Bryan, Texas, where the Carrabba family first settled after they migrated from Sicily, this dish is a crowd pleaser.

How to Make Crosshatches from Taste of Texas

Wanna make a savory steak at home? From Taste of Texas’ award-winning cookbook, Perfectly Aged, here’s how the pros do it.

You eat with your eyes first. The appearance of their steaks will go a long way in your guests’ perception of the meal they’re about to enjoy. To make crosshatches, sear perpendicular grill marks on both sides of the steaks. Place the steaks at a 45° angle to the grill grates over high heat. Sear for 2 minutes. Rotate the steaks 90° and sear again to create diamond grill marks. After 2 minutes, flip the steaks and repeat on the other side, for a total of 8 minutes of searing. Keep a water spray bottle on hand to address any flare ups.

After searing, transfer the steaks to the lower heat side of the grill, making sure to line up the grill marks. This is where the steaks will finish cooking. The less you move the steaks around on the grill, the more perfect the grill marks will be.

Should you close the lid while the steaks are on? We leave this up to you to decide. If you close the lid on the grill, it’s possible you might get carbon marks from flare ups; however, a closed lid often gets you a better sear and crust.

You can purchase the cookbook, as well as gourmet steaks and more, at tasteoftexas.com.

Conservancy project manager, Fani Qano, MVVA’s Jack Ohly, and Conservancy president Doreen Stoller

Hermann Park Grand Opening

On April 13, 2024, Hermann Park Conservancy (HPC) and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) celebrated the long-awaited grand opening of the Commons, a dynamic 26-acre park space that began construction in April 2022. The revitalized community area features state-of-the-art play gardens for children, gathering spaces for families, picnic areas, strolling pathways and natural areas. The completion of the Commons marks a significant milestone in the development of Hermann Park.

Located in the southwest portion of Hermann Park, the Commons is bordered by the Houston Zoo, the Texas Medical Center, Rice University and the Museum District. With its proximity to the METRORail along Fannin Street, the Commons serves as an inviting gateway that enhances connectivity and accessibility to Park attractions, including the adjacent Japanese Garden and McGovern Lake.

Arkansas firm Marlon Blackwell Architects’ innovative building designs seamlessly integrate into the natural surroundings cultivated by New York-based landscape architects Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Anchoring MVVA’s design are a gently rolling central lawn and an expansive two-acre play garden for children of all ages and abilities, with space- and nature-themed play structures designed by Monstrum and a separate water garden inspired by the region’s bayous. As part of the project, MVVA’s design preserved the vast majority of existing trees and improved the soil quality by initiating the planting of cover crops and native grasses, with a total of more than 1,200 new trees and 60,000 new plantings.

Chandler Gutterson, Campaign co-chair Cece Fowler, and lead donor Mindy Hildebrand

Frank Tsuru; Stephanie Tsuru, Campaign co-chair; and Doreen Stoller

Major Donor H-E-B’s team

Lead donors Sherry and Tommy Lott

Intown Exclusive

Will AI Turn Cancer On Its Head?

By William Hanover

The media has mostly projected a doom-and-gloom scenario concerning AI and its capabilities to do harm. However, AI is changing how we are treated for many diseases, including cancer. We have recently seen giant leaps in the field of cancer treatments, most notably with immunotherapy. There is, however, a new frontier of machine learning and AI tools that will exceed our human capabilities.

Two area hospitals we asked about AI’s effects expressed optimism for better patient outcomes.

Houston Methodist has partnered

with a large AI company to create tools that leverage their database, MD Anderson has created its own Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) to help ‘harness the power’ and accelerate the pace of their mission to end cancer.

Houston Methodist by partnering with an established artificial intelligence company was able to more quickly provide physicians and staff with predictive tools to better identify at-risk patients and improve long-term outcomes.

The partnership with Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) leverages the company’s large database of Medicare data to generate personalized informa-

tion about Houston Methodist patients.

In addition to this partnership, the University of Houston and Methodist Hospital have a grant to study using AI to identify breast cancer. Dr. Hien Van Nguyen, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering, received an R01 subaward of $319,285 for his grant, “Convergent AI for Precise Breast Cancer Risk Assessment,” from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for women. However, a large percentage of breast biopsies, ranging are

found to be benign lesions. “We want to use multiple artificial intelligence tools, like image analysis and natural language processing, to process multi-modal data from collection methods like mammography, ultrasound, radiomics, and clinical features, to predict the breast lesion risk,” Nguyen explained.

The research will be done over the next five years through May 2025. The multi-disciplinary team consists of artificial intelligence experts like Nguyen, and computational disease management experts like Dr. Stephen Wong (John S. Dunn senior presidential distinguished chairman in biomedical engineering at Houston Methodist), and breast cancer expert Dr. Jenny Chang (the director of Houston Methodist Cancer Center).

Reducing big data into actionable insights and

harnessing the power of AI

The partnership with HDAI produces personalized risk profiles by matching real-time data from Houston Methodist patients with that of similar patients drawn from HDAI’s archive of electronic health records of more than 100 million patients over 20 years. The result: predictable logarithms for each patient’s anticipated mortality, length of stay, risk of developing a chronic condition or adverse event and readmission possibility.

Dr. Alan Lumsden, chairman of cardiovascular surgery at Houston Methodist stressed AI’s powerful ability to transform massive amounts of cumbersome and sprawling data into actionable insights.

Houston Methodist focuses on the highest-risk quintile, the top 20% of at-risk patients, because they generate most of the risk of readmissions and mortality. Dr. Lumsden said that allows the hospital to “focus our resources on where they’ll have the most impact.”

Dr. Lumsden acknowledged that AI’s greatest challenge in health and cancer care is acceptance — overcoming passive resistance on the part of doctors and changing the direction of an industry not known for moving quickly.

Realizing the power of data science to advance cancer research and cancer care

Currently, the standard of care is to follow a patient’s treatment protocol until imaging shows that a tumor has progressed and then adjust treatment. Through MD Anderson’s new IDSO programs, the aim is to use a combination of biomarkers, such as tumor measurement and circulating tumor cells, to proactively anticipate if a patient won’t respond well to a treatment course. Using data-driven predictive approaches will improve patients’ outcomes. IDSO provides programs to create the next, and – in many cases – the first, genera-

tion of data science being applied to the challenge of ending cancer.

MD Anderson’s Institute for Data Science in Oncology (IDSO) will harness the power of data and bring data science to decision making. “IDSO is designed to bend the knee of data science for MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer,” says David Jaffray, Ph.D., director of IDSO, and chief technology and digital officer and senior vice president for MD Anderson.

The institute is dedicated to enabling the full power of data science. Ultimately, this should advance drug discovery efforts, bring new, precise medicines to patients sooner, and reduce the time be-

Caroline Chung, M.D. Chief Data Officer, IDSO

David Jaffray, Ph.D. Director, IDSO

Dr. Hien Van Nguyen

Rare cancer cell population identified by AI-based tool

tween diagnostic procedures and treatment decisions.

“We need to use next-generation computational technologies and approaches to aid what our minds alone can’t realize to reach potentials unknown,” says Jaffray. “The urgency to address the cancer problem is too great to continue with our traditional approaches.”

“This is a collective effort to maximize the availability of data with appropriate curation for learning through the next generation of data science methods. It’s aligned under our core value of Stewardship with our substantial research, clinical and operational teams, our emerging data management system and our digital architecture teams collaborating closely,” says Caroline Chung, M.D., director of data science development and implementation for IDSO, chief data officer and vice president for Data Impact and Governance.

Teaming, recruiting and collaborating to advance data science

“Supported by our institutional commitment and investment in team data science, we are building and enhancing an unprecedented oncological data ecosystem to enable effective and impactful data collaborations with other world-leading organizations and data scientists from across many fields to bring novel perspectives to accelerate research and treatment innovation,” says Chung. “It will transition our approach from precision to predictive oncology.”

Currently, the standard of care is to follow a patient’s treatment protocol until imaging shows that a tumor has progressed and then adjust treatment. Through IDSO, the aim is to use a combination of biomarkers, such as tumor measurement and circulating tumor cells, to proactively anticipate if a patient won’t respond well to a treatment course.

IDSO is already enabling collaborations in data science and computational modeling discovery with The University of Texas at Austin Oden Institute for

Computational Engineering and Sciences and the Texas Advanced Computing Center, Rice University and Break Through Cancer.

AI is currently used in cancer care primarily as a diagnostic tool – for detecting tumor cells on pathology slides and identifying tumors on X-rays and other radiology images. When new AI models are developed to assess a patient’s prognosis there are concerns over who or what is legally responsible should an AI-recommended treatment result in harm to a patient. These are some of the legal issues that will need to be resolved.

Advancing cancer surgery through data science

At MD Anderson, operating rooms treat thousands of patients each year. The cast will be wider to include data scientists and engineers. Led by Jeff Siewerdsen, Ph. D., these quantitative scientists experience first-hand the operating room workflows they’re trying to improve.

MD Anderson’s Surgical Data Science Program was born from Siewerdsen’s observations over his 25 years as an academic researcher. In that time, he focused on developing new imaging technologies for diagnostic and interventional procedures. While his work produced numerous technologies and algorithms now used in operating rooms, he has strived more recently to conduct his research more closely with

clinical teams impacted by the problems he has sought to address.

“Rather than continuing to add new technologies to address unmet clinical needs, I wanted to simplify, integrate, and critically evaluate the value of new technologies using data science and systems engineering,” says Siewerdsen.

That opportunity arrived last year when MD Anderson recruited him.

Drawing inspiration from his research as well as the “Surgineering” education program that he created at his previous institution, Siewerdsen established and leads a focus area within the newly launched (IDSO).

One example is the creation of computational tools for improved operating room scheduling, which enhances the efficiency of operating room use. By streamlining clinical workflows, leads to increased patient access and improved clinician wellness. Another example is using machine learning for real-time analysis and prediction to avoid surgical adverse events.

“In the years ahead, my goal is not only to help move the needle on safety and quality but also to prove the hypothesis that quantitative scientists integrated with clinical operations are key to realizing major advances in surgery,” says Siewerdsen.

Lindsey Garner with MD Anderson contributed to this article.

Jeffrey H. Siewerdsen, Ph.D.

How To Bring Color Into Your Home

LEARN HOW TO INFUSE COLOR INTO YOUR HOME WITH OUR HOUSTON INTERIOR DESIGNERS

By Pamela O’Brien | Pamela Hope Designs Interiors

Color! Oh, the wonderful world of color! Color is a powerful tool in the world of interior design. Deciding where and how to bring color into your home can be an overwhelming task, but our team of Houston Interior Designers are here to help! Our Design Manager, Danna Smith, took a deep dive into some of our projects so we could share color tips with you.

Colors are always changing from one room to another, and the colors you choose depend on what other colors are already present in your space. The implementation of color may not change your space drastically, but can change it subtly. Colors can look very different in the daylight and at night. People also view color differently and have different preferences. Our job as designers is to help our clients select the best color combinations for their homes.

When choosing colors for your home, there isn’t ever a wrong answer. What can be unsuitable, however, is the amount or intensity of a color in a particular space. Color sets a space’s mood and ambiance, and so many color combinations can be achieved.

At Pamela Hope Designs, we love manipulating those combinations in their different strengths to create beautiful spaces for our clients. It’s important to remember that colors don’t necessarily have to be on the walls. You can bring them in through the furnishings, fabrics, window treatments, and accessories. The colors in your home will change from daylight to night and throughout the day, so just because it looks great in the showroom, it may not be the absolute true color in your home. We can help you determine what colors look best in your home. Let’s take a look at some of the colors we love!

QUICKLY ADD COLOR WITH PAINT

Painting the walls of your space is the most effective way to achieve a new fresh feeling to your interior without having to invest a large sum of money. A painted wall can not change the size of a room but it can certainly change how you perceive it. Lighter colors recede, which makes the walls appear farther away from us. Darker colors advance, which makes the walls appear closer to us. The same room can look completely different depending on the paint colors selected.

We like to paint the main parts or rooms in the home a lovely neutral

SW 7004 Snowbound walls

color so the furnishings can be the focal point. Often, the best neutral will be a white. One of our favorite colors to use on the walls for our interiors is SW 7004 Snowbound. Snowbound is a versatile neutral color that has a hint of a chalky appearance, not too stark white and not too gray. This paint color is lovely and gives the space a clean and fresh look.

We completed a beautiful home for one of our clients in the Upper Kirby area and used SW 7004 Snowbound for the entire house. She preferred a white-onwhite transitional style home, and this was the perfect color to use. We loved the way it turned out, and she did too!

CREATE AN ACCENT ROOM WITH COLOR

We have also used this color on a recent project for our client in the University Place area. It was a completely different style home with mid-century features. However, the color complemented the furnishings very well. Our clients also were up to the challenge of creating a showstopper bathroom. Using color is how we managed to create a gorgeous space. Our team selected a Cole & Son Curio Quartz Emerald wallpaper with gold accents for the plumbing and hardware and complemented it with SW 6454 Shamrock on the cabinets. Then we took the use of color even further and placed fabulous Gioia Avocado subway tiles on the shower walls, some laid straight and some in a herringbone pattern, and a green and white penny tile on the shower floor. We were lucky to find these oversized green subway

tiles in a perfect green to blend with the wallpaper. This bathroom was definitely extreme and definitely beautiful!

If you prefer a wonderful accent color for a special room in your home, another paint color we love is SW Laurel Woods 7749. This gorgeous, rich shade blends beautifully with warm woods and transitional furnishings. We used this color in our client’s home office in Garden Oaks, and it looks stunning!

SW 7004 Snowbound walls

Cole & Son Curio Quartz Emerald wallpaper, SW 6454 Shamrock cabinets SW Laurel Woods 7749 walls & cabinets

BRINGING COLOR INTO YOUR HOME WITH FURNISHINGS

Bringing color into your home with furnishings is a great way to personalize your home as well. One of our favorite clients recently moved from her townhome in the Montrose area to a house in the Heights, and we were able to use most of her furniture in the new house. Some of her furniture will be used in her new office, but the majority was placed in the new home. (New photos to come soon.) She loves color, and we were excited to help her carry out her vision for her townhome.

We selected a black desk for her home office with a floral print to complement her “Fox” rug and painted the walls SW 6829 Magical. We then painted the living room bookshelves SW 9059 Silken Peacock and complemented them with a deep teal sectional and multicolored rug.

We used colorful printed fabric for her primary bedroom drapery, coordinated colorful shams for her bedding, and added a unique patterned rug to finish it off.

We painted accent walls in her game room SW 6688 Solaria and then painted the accent shelves each a different col-

SW 6829 Magical walls

SW 9059 Silken Peacock bookshelves

SW 6688 Solaria accent walls

or. To complement the space, we went with a beautiful deep blue sofa, a colorful rug, and citron green and hot pink swivel chairs. It was so much fun!

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADD COLOR TO YOUR HOME

Our major takeaway? Color sets the mood for a space. How do you want to feel, or what kind of ambiance do you want to create for your living spaces? Whether you select a tranquil and quiet aesthetic or a fun and vivacious one, it should reflect yourself and your lifestyle. If you can’t decide on a color, call us, and we will be more than happy to help you. Until next time, let your creative juices flow!

About the Author Principal of Pamela Hope Designs Interiors

Pamela O’Brien is an award-winning luxury interior designer, writer, and speaker. Before founding Pamela Hope Designs, O’Brien served as a spokesperson in media and public affairs and contributed to programs including Dateline NBC and 48 Hours. O’Brien attended a professional development program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She enjoys educating audiences through writing and speaking is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID ). For more go to www.pamelahopedesigns.com

Chesney

Bryan

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS Wings of Hope Gala

Presented by CenterPoint Energy, arriving western attired guests were greeted and photographed with a Texas long-horned steer. Be An Angel’s 15th Annual Gala hosted more than 320 guests attended celebrated the lives of Special Needs Children. Three of the children, Roman Barbosa, Hadley Graham and Tanner Hicks attended with their parents.

Chaired by Dot Cunningham, the event, held at The Revaire, raised more than $550,000 for special needs children throughout Texas. The evening began with an always successful wine pull and silent auction. Included in the live auction was a dinner for eight at Capital Grille with Apollo 13 Astronauts Fred Haise and Clayton and Susan Anderson. Included was an extraordinary piece of astronaut history of Fred Haise’s training flight suit and a piece of Apollo 13.

Be An Angel’s mission is to improve the quality of life for children with special needs by providing adaptive equipment, hearing devices, select services and support programs.

Attending guests included The Honorable Dan Patrick and Jan Patrick, Be An Angel’s President Dan Pastorini with Pam Morse, and Executive Director Marti Boone. Also attended was CenterPoint’s VP Jason Ryan, Second Baptist’s Dr. Ed and Lisa Young, Cary and Veronica Benson, George and Jan Pilko, Cary and Veronica Benson, Hadley and Heather Graham, Mike and Emily Gorman to mention a few.

Tammy Beeson

Dan Pastorini, Dot Cunningham, Marti Boone & Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Ross & Lisa Astramecki

Charles & Nancy Faust

Dan Pastorini & Pam Morse

John & MJ Becher

Margaret Adsit with Kenny

signed guitar and Luke

signed boots

Bob & Glenna Leonard

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick & Jan Patrick, Lisa Young & Dr. Ed Young

Jim Anderson and Felice Abramovic

Robbie Schilhab, Mark Breaux & Roman Barbosa & Parents

George and Jan Pilko

Dan Pastorini and CenterPoint VP Jason Ryan