From the
PRESIDENT Fighting Infection TEXAS BIOMED’S NORTH STAR
U
talent and resources into supporting the entire research pipeline from early stage discovery through to diagnostics, therapies and cures for the benefit of mankind. This legacy continues.
sed as a noun, the word focus means “an act of concentrating interest or activity on something.” Last year, Texas Biomedical Research Institute defined its scientific area of focus as infectious diseases and hired new talent, created new science and outreach programs and launched our campus transformation projects as part of our bold, 10-year strategic plan.
Author and businessman Zig Ziglar once said, “I don’t care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don’t harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you’re never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants.”
According to the World Health Organization, half-a-million cases of drug resistant TB are reported annually. Every minute, a teenage girl in sub-Saharan Africa gets HIV. In 2017, 210 million people were stricken with malaria; 1/3 of surgical patients get a postoperative infection; 51% can be antibiotic resistant “superbugs.” Sepsis accounts for more than 50% of hospital deaths in the United States according to a December 2018 study published in the journal “Critical Care Medicine.” We are currently suffering from the largest number of cases of measles in 25 years. Finally, we have increasing susceptible populations, especially the elderly and those with diabetes. More and more, we are finding links between infection and diseases like heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Texas Biomed’s foundational mission calls for us to harness our power of discovery and direct it. Since its founding in 1941 by Thomas B. Slick, Jr., the Institute has been putting its energy, time,
Texas Biomed’s mission is to innovate and share scientific breakthroughs to protect you, your families and our global community from infectious diseases. We do that by identifying
This focus has bolstered attention on the global challenges of infectious diseases and on the solutions Texas Biomed offers to meet these challenges.
4