TxBiomed Summer 2022

Fueling the Innovation Pipeline | #Stand4Science | Commitment to Care

SUMMER 2022

Regaining Momentum

BEYOND COVID-19

TxBiomed is a publication of Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE BRIEFS REGAINING MOMENTUM BEYOND COVID-19 FACULTY NEWS FUELING THE INNOVATION PIPELINE INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION #STAND4SCIENCE SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTER GLOBAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM MEET VETERINARIAN SHANNAN HALL-URSONE NETWORK OF SUPPORT BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ON THE COVER Ruby Escobedo, a 3rd-year PhD candidate at UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, studies tuberculosis in the labs of Texas Biomed Professors Smriti Mehra and Deepak Kaushal.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

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VISION

Welcome to the new

TxBiomed magazine

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sually, around this time, we send out our Annual Report, which focuses on the prior calendar year. Science at Texas Biomed is happening around the clock at an unprecedented pace. A year is too long to wait to share our most exciting news with you. So, to bring you the latest research and Institute updates, we are launching a new publication: TxBiomed.

This new magazine will be published in print annually and online throughout the year.

to conduct world-class science. Across the Institute, from facilities, HR and IT to finance, security and veterinary care, everyone pulls together to support the science mission.

This summer’s cover story is one I am especially excited about. Texas Biomed stepped up to tackle COVID-19, and that research continues.

Simultaneously, experts in TB, HIV and malaria have picked up the work they paused when it was all-hands-on-deck to fight the pandemic.

We can’t let history repeat itself by losing momentum on these ongoing global health threats.

This past year, in addition to the ongoing pandemic, the Institute navigated another unexpected challenge.

In late 2021, I received some daunting personal news. I was diagnosed with oral cancer. Both Dr. Turner and our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President for Administration Bruce Edwards, alongside the entire senior leadership team, helped steer the ship while I underwent months of treatments in Houston. I am so proud of the Texas Biomed team and the work it did, allowing me to focus on recovery. The encouragement our Texas Biomed family shared with me throughout was invaluable, and I am grateful to report a clean bill of health!

Throughout the magazine, you will read SPOTLIGHTS about the research happening right now and about CATALYSTS who are driving science forward faster. In this issue, we FOCUS on the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed, which is part of a national network celebrating 60 years in nonhuman primate research.

All of this work takes funding, so this edition features our 2021 financial report.

My doctor told me that my cancer was likely caused by a viral infection. I am now a walking example alongside tens of thousands of people every year diagnosed with a viral-induced cancer. For me, this experience underscores the interconnectedness of infectious disease research with all of human health and how critical our mission is to protect people from the threats of infection. Health starts with science. Health starts at Texas Biomed!

Our success is thanks, in large part, to the exceptional support team at Texas Biomed. Our research administration team, led by Executive Vice President Dr. Joanne Turner, makes sure our scientists have the resources, tools and learning opportunities they need

Larry Schlesinger, MD President and CEO 2

Our success is thanks, in large part, to the exceptional support team at Texas Biomed.

— Larry Schlesinger, MD

SPOTLIGHT

Under the leadership of President/CEO Dr. Larry Schlesinger and Executive Vice Presidents Dr. Joanne Turner and Bruce Edwards, Texas Biomed embarked on a journey in 2017 to establish a new strategic direction.

The 10-year strategic plan was adopted in 2018, providing a road map to grow Texas Biomed’s people, places and programs.

2018 • Texas Biomed set fighting infectious disease as its primary scientific mission • New Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) leadership recruited • New BSL3 and marmoset housing facility opened

2019 • Office of Research worked collaboratively with scientists to establish scientific programs, named new program leads and co-leads • Vivarium established • Integrated SNPRC and Texas Biomed scientists and veterinary faculty 4

2020 • Business Development unit established • Office of Research established new external Scientific Advisory Board • Recruitment kicked into high gear with new faculty and senior leadership • Texas Biomed played pivotal role in preclinical work on therapies and vaccines against COVID-19, while maintaining safe operations

2021 • Education and Outreach Manager and Learning and Development Specialist hired to implement internal and external education programs • Launched first Global Health Symposium • Broke ground on Animal Care Complex

2022 • Launch pre-design for Global Center for Bioscience • Work begins on Animal Care Complex • Since 2018, Texas Biomed has recruited 11 new faculty • To date, more than $50 million secured to implement the strategic plan, with capital campaign ongoing

2023 – 2027 • Continue implementing education and training programs for internal team members and the community to build bridges of learning • Continue recruiting top talent to double size of scientific faculty from 20 to 40 • Complete Animal Care Complex and break ground on Global Center for Bioscience 5

SPOTLIGHT

COVID-19 BRIEFS TEXAS BIOMED AND PARTNERS DISCOVER NEW, POTENT COVID-19 ANTIBODY COCKTAIL Texas Biomed researchers, led by Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido, PhD, and collaborators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, discovered a COVID-19 antibody cocktail that appears effective against all variants and other coronaviruses. The cocktail includes two antibodies that target different parts of the virus’s spike protein and block different steps required for viral infection. The cocktail has been exclusively licensed to Aridis Pharmaceuticals, which is seeking to advance the inhaled, low-cost treatment to human clinical trials.

The antibodies target two places on the spike protein, including an area lower down described as the Achilles’ heel of the virus.

If the virus mutates that spot to escape the antibody, it risks severe loss of function.

REPORTER VIRUSES IN ACTION SARS-CoV-2 viruses designed to express fluorescent or bioluminescent proteins make it much easier to observe the virus in cells and live animals in the lab. Developed by Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido, PhD, and his lab members, these “reporter viruses” enable faster screening of potential antiviral drugs, neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. Here, cells (blue) infected with the reporter virus glow red/pink.

The reporter viruses were described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Journal of Virology.

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INITIAL COVID-19 INFECTION ON THE SINGLE-CELL LEVEL, REVEALED Texas Biomed and SNPRC researchers led by Professor Deepak Kaushal, PhD, in collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, conducted the most detailed analysis to-date of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs during the first three days of infection. The team used the latest single-cell sequencing technologies and animal models developed at Texas Biomed to gain insights not possible with human patients who don’t know when they became infected. By sequencing more than 170,000 single cells, they found immune cells called macrophages flood the lungs in response to an “intruder alert!” signal from proteins called type I interferons. The research, reported in Nature Communications, clarified these proteins help fight off infection, which is important for developing new COVID-19 treatments aiming to limit inflammation without blocking protective mechanisms.

HEALTH CARE HEROES In October 2021, the San Antonio Business Journal honored Texas Biomed’s COVID-19 Research Team as 2021 Health Care Heroes. The Outstanding Medical Research Team Award recognized Texas Biomed’s unrelenting efforts to develop animal models, conduct preclinical testing of vaccines and treatments, and study SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. As one of the team members accepting the award, SNPRC Director Deepak Kaushal, PhD, stressed everyone at the Institute, along with community and board support, made these achievements possible.

Science Snapshot: Maximum Containment Contract Research Team Led by Professor Ricardo Carrion, Jr., PhD, (first row, far right), the MCCR team includes researchers, veterinarians, technicians, caretakers, pathologists, quality control specialists and lab staff. The largest lab at Texas Biomed, this team works on a variety of infectious diseases in biocontainment safety level 3 and 4 laboratories. Along with many colleagues across campus, they helped test COVID-19 vaccines for Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax, as well as Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody cocktail. They continue to test vaccines and treatments against variants for pharmaceutical companies around the globe, as well as study other deadly pathogens.

Staff Scientists Frédéric Chevalier, PhD, and Winka Le Clec’h, PhD, check on snails that are a vector for the parasites that cause schistosomiasis.

SPOTLIGHT

BIOMED BRIEFS SECRETS OF A CRITICAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS DRUG UNLOCKED For decades, no one really knew how the drug praziquantel treated schistosomiasis, a parasitic worm infection afflicting more than 200 million people worldwide. Texas Biomed Professor Tim Anderson, PhD, and his team, and researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, determined how the drug works on the molecular level to kill the tiny flatworms.

The teams worked independently using different methods, and both came to the same conclusion, indicating the results are very robust. They found the drug binds to a channel in the worms’ cell membranes, leading to a flood of calcium ions entering the cells, causing paralysis and death. However, the drug is only about 70% effective. The insights lay the groundwork for diagnostic tests to identify drug-resistant parasites and for developing new treatments. The five year project was published in Science Translational Medicine.

ZIKA VACCINE SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS IN PRECLINICAL STUDIES Texas Biomed and its Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) played a critical role in testing how well a vaccine candidate prevented Zika virus from passing from mother to fetus in animal models. Zika causes miscarriages and severe developmental defects in human newborns, and is a World Health Organization public health emergency of international concern.

The vaccine, developed at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, had been shown to elicit an immune response in adults, but testing on pregnant women is restricted for ethical and safety concerns. Collaborators at Trudeau Institute evaluated the vaccine in mice, while Texas Biomed researchers, led by Professor Jean Patterson, PhD, evaluated it in marmosets. The vaccine was 80% effective at preventing fetal malformations in mice and 90% effective at blocking the virus in marmoset offspring. The study was published in npj Vaccines.

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MINIMIZING ERRATIC MOVEMENTS FOR PARKINSON’S PATIENTS Uncontrolled muscle movements often emerge as a side effect of the primary medication used to treat Parkinson’s disease. Texas Biomed Associate Professor Marcel Daadi, PhD, and his collaborators have shown a compound, called PD13R, can reduce those movements by more than 85% in the marmoset model of Parkinson’s. The results were published in Experimental Neurology. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)’s Rhodium drug discovery software helped identify potential compounds that only bind to specific dopamine receptors, which is one of the hardest parts of developing effective medications for Parkinson’s and its side effects. Temple University collaborators synthesized PD13R so it could be tested in cells and animal models at Texas Biomed.

With additional safety and efficacy studies, Dr. Daadi is optimistic clinical trials can begin within two years.

The small molecule PD13R (magenta) interacting with the dopamine D3 (grey) and D2 (purple) receptors, as predicted by SwRI’s drug discovery software, Rhodium™.

DIVERSE DNA SIGNATURES LINKED TO HEART DISEASE Risk for heart disease does not look the same on the genetic level for different population groups. An international research team, led by Texas Biomed’s Professor Shelley Cole, PhD, and collaborators at Columbia University, analyzed detailed genetic data from nearly 9,400 participants in four long-term studies following different populations: American Indians in the Strong Heart Study; African-American, Hispanic and white women; men and women in Massachusetts; and black and white men and women in four U.S. communities. The researchers looked for changes in DNA activity, called methylation, associated with development of heart disease. While 33 methylation points were shared across populations, the results were mixed. The same points were associated with higher risk of heart disease in some groups and lower risk in others. This lack of a universal pattern suggests the need to tailor early warning indicators. The study was published in JAMA Cardiology.

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REGAINING MOMENTUM

BEYOND COVID-19

While tackling COVID-19, Texas Biomed never lost sight of the world’s most notorious killers: HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

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hen COVID-19 arrived on the scene, the Texas Biomed team knew that as an infectious disease research institute, it had a significant role to play. Many put aside their life’s research in order to focus all expertise, lab space and resources to develop critical animal models needed to understand the virus and develop vaccines and treatments.

“It’s what you do when in a crisis,” says Professor Jordi B. Torrelles, PhD, a tuberculosis investigator who was tapped to help coordinate Texas Biomed’s COVID-19 research efforts.

“Everybody was predisposed to move quickly, to find solutions.”

Now, as variant waves ebb and flow, some researchers are staying focused on COVID-19 and others have picked back up where they left off with renewed urgency and determination. Other leading infectious killers plaguing humanity — HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria — have not gone away during the pandemic. In fact, they’ve gotten worse.

Continued

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TB experienced the greatest setback. Deaths rose for the first time in more than a decade to more than 1.5 million in 2020.

Global health experts are estimating the pandemic reversed years of progress on these “big three” diseases, which collectively kill more than 2.5 million people annually. Across the board, the pandemic caused severe disruptions for administering vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments, and that is translating to increases in infections and deaths.

Notably, the Global Fund reported a large 22% drop in HIV testing in the countries where it operates.

While malaria control efforts continued through the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported malaria infections and deaths still rose, and the vast majority of deaths are children under the age of 5.

6.3 million infections and 1.4 million deaths from TB between 2020 and 2025, according to an analysis by the Stop TB Partnership.

TB experienced the greatest setback. Deaths rose for the first time in more than a decade to more than 1.5 million in 2020. The significant decline in diagnoses and treatments is projected to add

“We’re in for a period of time when infectious disease threats worldwide will become an even larger force than they already are,” says Texas Biomed

Torrelles Lab TB DRUG TESTING Together with their collaborators, the Torrelles lab has restarted testing its TB drug susceptibility diagnostic test in Mozambique and Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO recently updated drug treatment regimen recommendations, so the team is updating and validating this test for those new drug combinations, and to match new WHO definitions of what qualifies as drug resistant TB.

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Professor Joanne Turner, PhD HOW TO MAKE THE TB VACCINE MORE EFFECTIVE For much of her research career, Texas Biomed’s Executive Vice President for Research Joanne Turner, PhD, has investigated the role of a molecule, interleukin-10 (IL-10) on tuberculosis (TB). IL-10 typically helps dampen excessive inflammation during infection, but through numerous studies, Dr. Turner and her colleagues demonstrated that IL-10 does more harm than good, actually driving TB infection. Recently, she and collaborators showed that briefly blocking IL-10 while administering the widely-used TB vaccine significantly improves its long-term effectiveness in mice models. The finding was published in the Journal of Immunology.

President/CEO Larry Schlesinger, MD. “But the collaborative spirit within the international scientific community and at Texas Biomed has built up a huge wave of momentum that we can use to tackle HIV, TB and malaria, as well as other emerging and reemerging infectious diseases.”

The brand new malaria vaccine approved in 2021 is saving children’s lives but requires four shots and is estimated to be 30% effective in reducing deadly infection — far from ideal.

Antiviral treatments for HIV have come a very long way; the virus is no longer a death sentence, but it still lurks in the body and treatments come with side effects — a vaccine and cure is the holy grail.

THE CHALLENGE While COVID-19 mRNA vaccines were developed and tested within a year of the novel pathogen emerging, the vaccine technologies used were under development for decades and were adapted to this new threat. Those innovations are now being explored for HIV, TB and malaria applications; however, these complex diseases are extremely difficult to prevent and treat.

Much the same for active TB disease, which requires taking six to eight pills a day for months to get the easiest, drug-susceptible cases under control and it still can reactivate later if treatment fails. Drug-resistant TB requires upwards of 30 pills a day to manage the disease and side effects.

Better options are needed to combat this growing drug resistance. Malaria parasites are also evolving to resist existing remedies, requiring new solutions.

There is no vaccine for HIV. The only vaccine for TB is consistently effective only in children.

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“The challenges that we have to actually eradicate these diseases are incredibly huge,” says Joanne Turner, PhD, Texas Biomed’s Executive Vice President for Research. “We’ve got to take on drug resistance, new vaccine development and public health infrastructure challenges. It’s going to require really good teamwork.”

That we recruited some outstanding new scientists during the pandemic is noteworthy. We didn’t really stop, we actually continued to grow.

Texas Biomed is not wasting any time. Over the past two years, the Institute has expanded its expertise in these infectious diseases with new faculty, staff scientists, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and technical staff, bringing the Institute to 400 team members.

— Larry Schlesinger, MD

“That we recruited some outstanding new scientists during the pandemic is noteworthy,” Dr. Schlesinger says. “We didn’t really stop, we actually continued to grow.”

Interdisciplinary NexGen TB Research Advancement Center

WORLD-CLASS TRAINING The new Texas Biomed IN-TRAC will provide bench-to-bedside training for the next generation of TB researchers. Texas Biomed’s faculty features numerous TB experts who are leading the center.

Here, Dr. Schlesinger talks over the latest studies in his lab with Staff Scientist Eusondia Arnett, PhD, and Post-Doctoral Scientist Susanta Pahari, PhD. 14

Following three months of COVID-19 quarantine and a 10-month restoration of services:

The Institute is also expanding its leadership and collaborations through the establishment of two prestigious centers focused on TB and HIV.

GETTING ON TRAC In March 2022, Texas Biomed was named one of four inaugural TB research training centers by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), along with Emory University, Johns Hopkins University and University of Washington School of Medicine.

Additional TB cases between 2020 and 2025:

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6.3 million

Additional TB deaths between 2020 and 2025:

Texas Biomed’s Interdisciplinary NexGen TB Research Advancement Center (IN-TRAC) will leverage the expertise, facilities and collaborations based at the Institute and across South Texas to provide a worldclass training program for up-and-coming researchers.

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Specifically, researchers will receive “bench-to-bedside” training. They will work with cells in petri dishes on basic science in microbiology and immunology, and learn what insights different animal models can offer. They will visit patients at the Texas Center for Infectious Disease in San Antonio, the only free-standing TB hospital in the U.S., and participate in field research and clinical trials at the Texas-Mexico border.

“Getting this complete picture enables researchers to ask better questions and design better experiments back in the lab,” Dr. Turner says. “This program will also help them break down perceived barriers into taking on new technologies or methods.”

NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) set up the IN-TRACs as part of its strategic research plan for TB. Texas Biomed competed with universities across the country to host one of the centers, and will receive a $5.8 million program grant over the next five years.

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Source: Stop TB Partnership

GOING FAR TOGETHER To help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Texas, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Texas Biomed joined forces to establish the Texas Developmental Center for AIDS Research (D-CFAR).

By improving collaboration and communication among a network of researchers, health providers and community members, the center aims to optimize HIV/AIDS research, find new ways to treat the disease and reduce infections across Texas and the Southern United States.

“Texas is exceptional for all the wrong reasons when it comes to HIV/AIDS,” explains Texas D-CFAR Director Thomas Giordano, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine. Texas had the third-highest number of new HIV diagnoses in 2019, behind only Florida and California. More than half of HIV diagnoses in the nation are in the Southern region, despite that area having only 38% of the country’s population.

“We are thrilled NIH recognized the unique combination of resources we have in our region that make us one of the best places for TB research and training in the nation,” Dr. Schlesinger says.

“This is going to be transformative for the Institute, helping to attract even more talent and expand our impact on the TB field.”

In June 2021, NIH provided a $5 million grant to launch the Texas D-CFAR, which is one of 17 centers nationwide.

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Developmental Center for AIDS Research MENTORSHIP & SUPPORT The Texas D-CFAR places a strong emphasis on supporting the next generation of HIV researchers through mentoring and pilot grants. Texas Biomed Staff Scientist Riti Sharan, PhD, received one of the first four pilot grants to study HIV and TB co-infections.

About 1 in 9 people diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. in 2019 live in Texas.

“Texas Biomed brings both a deep bench in HIV/ AIDS researchers, but also the critical nonhuman primate models needed for basic understanding of the disease and treatments,” says Deepak Kaushal, PhD, who directs Texas Biomed’s Southwest National Primate Research Center, and serves as a Texas D-CFAR co-director.

Like the IN-TRAC, a key feature of the D-CFAR is to support early-career researchers so they can be successful, including through small pilot grant funding. Riti Sharan, PhD, a Texas Biomed Staff Scientist in Dr. Kaushal’s lab, received one of the first four pilot grants from the Texas D-CFAR for her HIV and TB co-infection research. Dr. Sharan was one of those researchers who dropped everything to help with COVID-19 studies due to her expertise working with animal models and in biosafety level 3 laboratories, and has since been able to refocus on TB and HIV.

and vaccines,” she says. “And now it is even more imperative to accelerate preclinical studies for TB and HIV therapies and vaccines.”

EVER EVOLVING PARASITES Malaria and other parasite research continued at Texas Biomed throughout the pandemic. While fewer people could be in the lab at the same time, they did not have to stop work. This was especially important for Professor Tim Anderson, PhD, who studies the genetics of malaria parasites and tiny flatworms

“It’s an incredible feeling that through our teamwork across the Institute, we had a direct impact on the development of COVID-19 animal models 16

called schistosomes that cause the neglected tropical disease schistosomiasis. He and his team maintain the entire life cycle of schistosomes in the lab and these parasites have unique genetic variations that only exist at Texas Biomed.

Dr. Anderson notes has been front page news throughout the pandemic as the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates to escape vaccines and treatments.

But while the world is currently thinking about one particular infectious disease, he is worried that as the pandemic fades, heightened interest and investment in infectious disease research will too.

“If we go away for a week, everything will be dead and we’ve lost years and years of research,” Dr. Anderson says. “Stopping work during the pandemic was not an option.”

“COVID has really taught us you can make enormous progress in a very short amount of time if, essentially, you throw money and enthusiasm at the problem,” Dr. Anderson says. “There are a host of other infectious diseases that are killing millions of people year in, year out. With the same money and enthusiasm, we can deal with these problems. We could have a world without HIV, TB and malaria.”

That continued effort — while also helping with genetic sequencing for COVID-19 studies at the Institute — has paid off. Over the past two years, the lab made significant progress on the genetic underpinnings of drug resistance in both malaria parasites and schistosomes. A key feature of this work is studying how pathogens evolve, which

Malaria Research

CATCHING MALARIA EVOLUTION IN THE ACT Associate Professor Ian Cheeseman, PhD (right), postdoctoral researcher Aliou Dia, PhD (left), and collaborators are now able to sequence the genomes of individual malaria parasites found in the blood of infected patients and detect brand new mutations in parasite genomes. Notably, they can now do this even when the infection burden is very low, the microbiology equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. Their approach, published in Cell Host & Microbe, combines flow cytometry and single cell sequencing. Gaining this incredibly detailed view of malaria parasite genetics and evolution is expected to give researchers and drug companies ammunition to develop more effective treatments, therapies and vaccines.

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CATALYSTS TB EXPERT JOINS FACULTY Associate Professor Smriti Mehra, PhD, is on the trail of a killer. She is seeking to understand how tuberculosis (TB) evades the body’s immune system, hiding in the lungs often for decades, before becoming active and causing serious illness. She is also studying modified vaccines and new therapies to prevent and treat TB, with a particular interest in the immune signaling “IDO pathway.” In some cancer patients, inhibiting IDO improves the body’s immune response and shrinks tumors. Dr. Mehra and her team are investigating if inhibiting IDO can also help fight active and latent TB. Dr. Mehra officially joined Texas Biomed in August 2021, bringing her experience researching TB in nonhuman primates at Tulane National Primate Research Center.

Macrophages (red) in the lung produce a large amount of IDO (green) in response to TB infection. Dr. Mehra is studying if blocking IDO can help fight off TB.

FROM TRAINEE TO FACULTY Olena Shtanko, PhD, started at Texas Biomed in 2011 as a post-doctoral fellow, and has been an independent Staff Scientist for the past five years. When Texas Biomed began recruiting for a new virology faculty member, Dr. Shtanko successfully competed with external applicants, becoming Texas Biomed’s newest Assistant Professor in April. Her research focuses on Ebola virus, as well as other emerging pathogens of pandemic concern, such as Nipah virus. In 2021, she received more than $1 million in NIH grants to fund her Ebola research, which is carried out in the biosafety level 4 laboratory.

Dr. Shtanko is investigating how Ebola virus (green) sneakily spreads in the body through tunneling nanotubes connecting human macrophages (blue).

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Congratulations to the research, veterinary and pathology faculty who have been promoted

Professor Shelley Cole PhD

Professor Olga Gonzalez DVM

Associate Professor Ian Cheeseman PhD

Associate Professor Elizabeth Clemmons DVM

Associate Professor Jack Dutton DVM

LEAVING A LEGACY OF DISCOVERY, MENTORSHIP Professor Jean Patterson, PhD, retired this spring after more than four decades in scientific research. An expert in emerging viral diseases, Dr. Patterson was recruited to Texas Biomed in 1996 to chair the Institute’s virology department. She did that and much more, spearheading the design and construction of Texas Biomed’s biosafety level (BSL) 4 laboratory, which went hot in 2000 as the first independently operated BSL-4 in the country.

“A BSL-4 had never been built outside of the federal government, or West of the Mississippi for that matter,” Dr. Patterson says. “We said, ‘Okay, we’ll build one.’”

The key to success was simplicity. Every system must have a backup, so the simpler and more streamlined, the safer and better. This approach has continued to work well for more than 20 years, enabling researchers to safely study pathogens for which there are no cures.

During her career, Dr. Patterson discovered a virus that infects Leishmania parasites, which infect 1 million people a year, and she has helped develop and/or test successful vaccines against Ebola virus, Lassa fever virus and Zika virus. (see story pg. 8) A respected leader in the biodefense field, Dr. Patterson has served on national advisory boards and committees for the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and American Society for Microbiology.

Students and researchers whom she mentored appreciated her calm leadership style: nothing was ever a crisis, just a problem to be solved. If an experiment didn’t work, she asked them “What did you learn from it?” And, she imparted the same advice given to her: “You can never give enough credit to someone else.”

One of her mentees was Ricardo Carrion, Jr., PhD, who now directs Texas Biomed’s Maximum Containment Contract Research.

“Jean’s reputation for being a fair mentor spread and often students from other labs would seek her out for advice, encouragement and support,” Dr. Carrion says. “That same approach of providing people what they need to succeed transcended all aspects of her career. Jean stood behind her faculty from very junior scientists to senior staff.”

In her new Emeritus role, Dr. Patterson will remain involved with Texas Biomed and select research projects, and is looking forward to more time for family and travel.

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CATALYSTS

FUELING THE

INNOVATION PIPELINE Texas Biomed’s scientists are unlocking solutions for tough health challenges.

The expanded Business Development and Strategic Alliances team helps launch innovations and establish ever-more strategic partnerships that support the Institute’s growth, mission and impact.

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here is often a long road between the Eureka! moment in the lab and an approved vaccine, medication or technology benefitting human health.

“The innovation process covers all the steps in between identifying the problem and delivering an approved technology,” says Cory Hallam, PhD, Texas Biomed’s Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Alliances (BDSA). “How do we move from discovery to diagnostics, vaccines or cures?

That’s the purpose of our group.”

Dr. Hallam and his team are building two complementary processes to help expand Texas Biomed’s portfolio of high-impact contributions to global health: advancing in-house innovations and strategically partnering on contract research.

The BDSA Team: Tracey Baas, Cory Hallam and Heidi Meisenkothen

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“Our goal is to be in the business of putting great science into the innovation pipeline,” Dr. Hallam says. “With high quality science and strong partners, we are increasing the probability that these successes will drive returns to reinvest in the Institute’s mission.”

How do we move from discovery to diagnostics, vaccines or cures? That’s the purpose of our group.

INWARD LOOKING OUT As Texas Biomed’s Innovations Manager, Tracey Baas, PhD, is leading the effort to identify and protect intellectual property (IP) — such as diagnostics, therapies, vaccines and technologies — generated at the Institute. While some researchers are well versed in IP, others aren’t sure if their interesting findings might qualify, or how to develop them for commercial markets. Many simply don’t have the time to pursue the process themselves.

— Cory Hallam, PhD, VP for Business Development and Strategic Alliances

development might be required before companies might become interested.

“We’re here to help educate and guide researchers through the process and move innovation forward,” Dr. Baas says. “Everybody became a scientist because they wanted to seek discoveries to help someone.

We can bridge the gap in translating them into applications. Let’s get the science that’s so fascinating out there to benefit human health.”

Texas Biomed excels in basic research and preclinical studies, but as a nonprofit, the Institute is not set up to manage the final phases of the innovation process, such as conducting large human clinical trials or producing products at scale.

Every innovation is unique, so the path will vary.

The BDSA team is talking with labs and meeting with researchers in what Dr. Baas describes as the “this might be interesting” phase to discuss options.

That means partnering in one of a few ways: licensing the innovation to an existing company that works to move it to market; partnering with an organization that funds and runs clinical trials, while overseeing the remainder of the process at the Institute; or spinning off a company that raises private funding to advance to market.

As research progresses, the newly established Intellectual Property Advisory Committee evaluates the innovation’s potential and if it should be copyrighted, trademarked or patented. The committee comprises internal and external members, including a representative from a market research firm who assesses the competitive landscape and what additional

“What’s new for Texas Biomed is we’re considering all three of those mechanisms as part of our tactics for success,” Dr. Hallam says.

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Innovation by the Numbers

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

OUTWARD LOOKING IN At the same time, Texas Biomed’s Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Heidi Meisenkothen, is building global partnerships to bring in more contract research and funding.

She is doing this with a keen eye towards ongoing collaborations that could evolve into joint ventures or investment in Texas Biomed innovations.

“We’re thinking about which partners can strategically help the Institute innovate and grow, and how we can bring in new technologies or capabilities that our researchers are interested in working with,” Meisenkothen says. “It’s exciting because there are so many facets and ways we can connect to move healthcare solutions forward.”

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Texas Biomed has a stellar reputation for its high-quality preclinical testing capabilities, and the number of contract research requests from companies to test their diagnostic, therapy, vaccine or technology doubled from 2020 to 2021. For example, Texas Biomed worked on Regeneron’s Ebola treatment and COVID-19 antibody cocktail, as well as COVID-19 vaccines for Pfizer-BioNTech, Novavax and EuBiologics.

2 LICENSED TO ARIDIS PHARMACEUTICALS & PLANTAFORM TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Meisenkothen is also working with teams across the Institute to further streamline the partnering process for contract research. A new Innovation Lab was launched in 2021 specifically designed to handle a high volume of smaller contract projects.

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The synergies between the outward- and inwardlooking business development processes are hard to miss.

PROVISIONAL PATENTS

“The expanding pipeline of what we’re creating and the expanding partnerships of who we are helping fit together very well,” Dr. Hallam says.

“These external relationships provide us with natural partners to help us spin off new companies for discoveries from our labs.”

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COMMUNITY

INSPIRING THE NEXT

student questions via video conference. This format has enabled Texas Biomed to connect with even more students beyond San Antonio.

GENERATION

“I am glad we have organizations such as Texas Biomedical in our backyard! It’s such a great opportunity for our students to see how their STEM education can lead to fulfilling careers!” says Terri Behling, District Director of Public Relations for Harmony Public Schools South Texas District.

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exas Biomed’s commitment to young people and science education has kicked into high gear in 2021 and 2022. Even while in-person campus tours were suspended due to the pandemic, the Education & Outreach team developed virtual campus tours for schools and afterschool clubs. During the virtual visits, Texas Biomed scientists share information about the Institute, their research and bioscience careers, while answering

As in-person events have returned, Texas Biomed has attended numerous career fairs and science nights at elementary, middle and high schools. These provide opportunities for students

Texas Biomed’s DreamWeek Research Hero Expo at the Witte Museum featured a range of science activities for kids and kids-at-heart. Attendees met real scientists, veterinarians and animal experts, and learned about different types of research at Texas Biomed.

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The event really opened my eyes to what it takes to conduct this high-level scientific research that ends up benefitting the entire population.

to talk with scientists and learn how they, too, can become scientists. Students also engage with scientific processes, starting with observations and questions as they, for example, seek to determine how many drops of water can fit on a penny.

— Lucinda Storz, college freshman

The Institute also partnered with the Witte Museum to offer fun science activities for museum visitors.

Microbe Mania was a hit! Kids, teens and adults alike enjoyed putting on gloves, goggles and lab coats and making “pathogens” out of Play-Doh.

Helen Holdsworth, Chief of Engagement for the Witte Museum, appreciated how the activities and events provided timely information for children and families directly from local scientists.

The community also had a chance to learn about parasites, animal care and high-containment research during Texas Biomed’s DreamWeek Research Hero Expo at the museum.

“Having Texas Biomed at the Witte was so powerful for our visitors,” she says. “It is a privilege to be able to share the great work being done at Texas Biomed with the community at the Witte Museum.”

“The event really opened my eyes to what it takes to conduct this high-level scientific research that ends up benefitting the entire population,” says Lucinda Storz, a college freshman who attended the expo.

“Before, I didn’t know what a biosafety lab was, and I didn’t know anything about the great care scientists put into handling the deadly pathogens they’re studying. It made that kind of fascinating work real to me.”

All of this outreach requires an army of Texas Biomed volunteers donating hundreds of hours, with resounding results: Texas Biomed has engaged with more than 2,500 students, parents and community members in just the first quarter of 2022, with much more to come. For example, Texas Biomed is welcoming college interns from across the region and country for in-person training this summer. The sixweek internships span diverse fields from veterinary care to research, to education and communications.

Likewise, 7-year-old Jackson enjoyed learning about research in cells and animals: “I loved it a lot. I want to be a veterinarian so I can help animals.”

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Microbe Mania Kids enjoyed making “pathogens” out of Play-Doh in petri dishes during the Research Hero Expo and on select Tuesday afternoons when admission is free to the Witte Museum.

STEM EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE

Join us and support our pre-K to Postdoc programs. Donate Today!

25 txbiomed.org/support-us/

COMMUNITY

IT’S TIME TO

#STAND4SCIENCE

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This is an extremely important institution, not just for the City of San Antonio, but for the world.

t the beginning of 2022, Texas Biomed launched a new community outreach campaign, #Stand4Science, aimed at raising awareness and support for biomedical research.

The campaign helped provide timely information to citizens and local leaders that resulted in the San Antonio City Council and Bexar County Commissioners Court funding the Institute’s $10 million and $3.5 million requests, respectively, for critical campus infrastructure improvements.

— Mayor Ron Nirenberg

The campaign included storytelling and messaging through public presentations, social media, digital advertising, news coverage and videos. Supporters from across the city shared personal stories, pictures with #Stand4Science signs and videos of how biomedical research, including with laboratory animals, has benefited human health.

The effort attracted enthusiastic participation from partners far and wide, such as Texas Research & Technology Foundation in San Antonio and Dr. Peter Hotez at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. A special thanks to Texas Biomed team members Jackie Ward, Pam Futch and her son and

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2022 Stand4Science Awards

Bexar County

Commissioner Tommy Calvert, Texas Biomed President Larry Schlesinger, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores.

City of San Antonio

Texas Biomed President Larry Schlesinger, Councilpersons Manny Peláez, Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia, John Courage, Phyllis Viagran, Clayton Perry, Melissa Cabello Havrda and Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

Dr. Ricardo Carrion, Jr. and his son for going the extra mile to share powerful video messages. Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, a Texas Biomed trustee and President/ CEO of greater:SATX, also lent her voice to the video campaign. Watch their amazing 1-minute spots at txbiomed.org/stand4science.

In February, the #Stand4Science message came across loud and clear in the San Antonio City Council chambers during its vote to grant Texas Biomed $10 million in federal pandemic emergency funding. The mayor and many councilmembers shared strong sentiments about why they supported the request and Texas Biomed.

“This is an extremely important institution, not just for the City of San Antonio, but for the world,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “It is through research like that that has saved countless lives, and I will be one of those that follows the science. I know we are sensitive and we are seeking to be as humane in that research as possible, which is also why I support this investment.”

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In June, Bexar County followed suit, providing $3.5 million from its federal pandemic response funds. Together, the $13.5 million will support critical infrastructure, reinforcing campus resiliency, safety and security. These funds further leverage the Institute’s ongoing capital campaign, which aims to double the size of the faculty and staff, and construct new facilities and research labs.

Fully realized, the expanded Institute is expected to generate $3.2 billion in regional economic impact.

Throughout the year, the #Stand4Science campaign has continued to grow and evolve. Texas Biomed established the annual #Stand4Science Award.

The inaugural awards were presented to the City of San Antonio and Bexar County in recognition of their strong, evidence-based leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. City and county leaders accepted the awards at Texas Biomed’s 2022 Global Health Symposium in April.

FOCUS

NATIONAL PRIMATE RESEARCH CENTERS

TURN 60 Southwest National Primate Research Center is proud to be part of the success of the national network established in the 1960s.

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he National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs), which are committed to helping people live longer, healthier lives through nonhuman primate research, are celebrating six decades of support from Congress and the National Institutes of Health in 2022.

The Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) at Texas Biomed is the youngest of the seven NPRCs. SNPRC was officially established in 1999 to help support biomedical research across the nation with its breeding colonies. Texas Biomed was well positioned to join the network, having housed a variety of primate species for scientific research since the 1950s.

Deepak Kaushal, PhD, oversees the SNPRC $20+ million-a-year operation, which encompasses about 2,500 primates and 150 staff dedicated to animal health and welfare. He works closely with the NPRC network, synergizing resources and coordinating research.

“Having overlapping but varied areas of expertise, we are able to cover a larger gamut of human diseases and conditions, while being mindful not to waste precious resources,” Dr. Kaushal says.

SNPRC is unique among NPRCs. It the only one hosted by a nonprofit research institute, not a university. It is the only NPRC with a biocontainment safety level 4 lab on campus. It is also the only center with three different breeding colonies: Indian rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, African baboons and New World marmosets.

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SNPRC hosts breeding colonies of (pictured top to bottom) macaques, baboons and marmosets. It is the only NPRC with baboons, and one of only two with marmosets.

SNPRC primates have helped improve understanding of tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis C,

SNPRC Director Deepak Kaushal and Associate Director of Research Corinna Ross

neurodegenerative diseases and more.

“Some people are under the impression that we should be able to only conduct studies in petri dishes or on the computer,” Dr. Ross says.

“We are not at that point yet.”

Macaques are proven models for infectious disease research. Baboons make good models for metabolic studies in areas like diabetes. Marmosets are useful for studying aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The primates at SNPRC have made significant contributions to human health.

“Our focus has been more diversified in species than other centers,” explains Corinna Ross, PhD, who is SNPRC’s Associate Director of Research and colony administrator. “We have the same goal and mission, though, to serve as a resource for nonhuman primates for translational work.”

While many people dream of a future where Artificial Intelligence and organs-on-a-chip can solve health crises, animal models are the best-available example of how an entire body will react to a vaccine or treatment. As our closest relatives, nonhuman primates also help researchers learn crucial details about the earliest stages of diseases, which can unlock new interventions.

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“People might be surprised to know these monkeys helped test the COVID vaccines that have gone into the arms of millions of people around the world,” Dr. Kaushal says. “They have also been instrumental in breakthroughs in artificial reproduction and lung treatments for premature infants.”

With so many global health challenges — diabetes, drug-resistant bacteria, the next pandemic virus — the NPRCs and nonhuman primates will continue to play a central role in finding vaccines, treatments and cures in the decades to come.

FOCUS

SNPRC’S COMMITMENT

TO CARE

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NPRC is committed to not just meeting, but exceeding, the highest standards of research animal care. Recent inspections from federal regulators and external reviewers found that SNPRC has once again passed its checks with flying colors.

“When you get a clean report from USDA like we did this spring, we feel such great pride in our animal care program.”

This follows last fall’s review by AAALAC International, which is a nonprofit organization promoting the humane treatment of animals in science. AAALAC renewed SNPRC’s full accreditation status for three years.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture came for one of its unannounced visits. Officials inspected facilities, checked on animals and reviewed scientific protocols to see if all federal Animal Welfare Act regulations are being followed.

“Being accredited means we are adhering to the highest standards — and in some cases, exceeding the standards — for use and care of research animals,” Dr. Scorpio says. “AAALAC looks at everything related to animal care, from housing to

“We do our absolute best to care for the animals,” says Attending Veterinarian Diana Scorpio, DVM, MPH. 30

These animals are a privilege to work with.

They deserve to have the best of the best.

— Attending Veterinarian Diana Scorpio, DVM, MPH

breeding to the enrollment of nonhuman primates in studies.”

This external validation underscores SNPRC’s efforts to go above and beyond caring for its animals, which are a precious resource. Global companies and research organizations like the National Institutes of Health are also more likely to partner with SNPRC.

“My philosophy is that we are advocates for the nonhuman primates to make sure we are doing right by them and by the science,” Dr. Scorpio says. “They are providing us with information that directly helps the global good.”

“A lot of organizations use the accreditation and inspections to decide who they want to work with,” says Dr. Scorpio, who is also a Professor and Associate Director of Veterinary Resources and Research Support. “If you don’t have those, you don’t have trust.”

If there ever came a point when animal research is no longer necessary, Dr. Scorpio says that would be welcome. In the meantime, animal models remain the gold standard for capturing critical aspects of living physiology and are vital for discovering biomedical breakthroughs.

SNPRC provides creature comforts the nonhuman primates need. The macaques, baboons, marmosets and chimpanzees have plenty of shade, shelter, food and around-the-clock medical care. They have indoor-outdoor housing and are intentionally placed in species-appropriate social groups or pairs.

A trained team of experts in primate biology and behavior design species-specific enrichment activities to ensure the animals are engaged and displaying typical behaviors.

“As veterinarians, respect for animal life is part and parcel of our profession,” Dr. Scorpio says.

“These animals are a privilege to work with. They deserve to have the best of the best. We want to ensure they are given the highest level of care.”

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IMPACT

Animal Care Complex Groundbreaking

Breaking ground on the new Animal Care Complex (from left to right): Cory Hallam, Texas Biomed VP, Business Development and Strategic Alliances; Walter Embrey, Texas Biomed Board of Trustees Member and Facilities Committee Chair; Deepak Kaushal, Director, Southwest National Primate Research Center; Akudo Anyanwu, Texas Biomed VP, Development; Joanne Turner, Texas Biomed Executive VP, Research; Andy Anderson, Texas Biomed Board of Trustees; Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff; Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, District 6, City of San Antonio; Andrew Hunt, 2021 President, Founder’s Council; Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, District 3, City of San Antonio; State Representative Steve Allison, District 121, Texas House of Representatives; Matt Majors, Texas Biomed VP, Operations.

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exas Biomed and the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Animal Care Complex in December 2021. The complex will provide brand new indoor/outdoor housing for up to 800 nonhuman primates and advanced veterinary care capabilities.

The state-of-the-art facilities will enable SNPRC to continue providing exceptional animal care, and expand its breeding colonies to help address the nation’s severe shortage of nonhuman primates for biomedical research. Work has begun on site prep, with construction slated to begin summer 2022 and finish late 2023. The complex is the first major construction project of the Institute’s 10-year strategic plan, and will accelerate Texas Biomed’s growth in infectious disease research.

BUILDING FOR INNOVATION IN

HEALTH A rendering of the new Animal Care Complex

by Flad Architects.

Global Center for Bioscience Texas Biomed is Building for Innovation in Health Our vision for a new central research building has a fresh name and look.

The planned Global Center for Bioscience will represent the epicenter of our campus and provide a home for multi-disciplinary team science that bridges research, community and culture.

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txbiomed.org/support-us/

CONNECTIONS

BUILDING TRUST TO BEAT THE NEXT

PANDEMIC Texas Biomed’s Global Health Symposium 2022 brought together hundreds of participants from around the world online and in person at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

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ongoing pandemic, with more data and opportunity for reflection about the past two years. One theme reverberated throughout: trust.

aunched in 2021, Texas Biomed’s Global Health Symposium aims to bring together leaders from research, healthcare, government, business and philanthropy to tackle global health challenges.

In her keynote address, CDC Foundation President and CEO Judith Monroe, MD, highlighted how previously established relationships with donors and recipients enabled quick resource mobilization in January 2020, well before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. With one phone call to a trusted partner, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the CDC Foundation activated its emergency response fund with $1 million the next day.

“Health and sustainable development are closely intertwined, but the people we need to collaborate with on these grand challenges are not often in the same room — we are seeking to change that with this symposium,” said Akudo Anyanwu, MD, MPH, Texas Biomed’s Vice President for Development.

The inaugural symposium was held online, as the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines were still rolling out. Global Health Corps Co-Founder Barbara Bush headlined the event, which focused on how to better prepare for the next pandemic.

“That, my friends, is moving at the speed of trust,” Monroe said. She encouraged others to work during non-crisis times to establish partnerships and preposition philanthropic funding streams that can be rapidly distributed when emergencies arise.

This year, hundreds of attendees from around the world joined online and in person at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Discussions centered around the

In his keynote, Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank, DVM, PhD, applauded 34

These connections to people and places will determine whether our future innovations achieve the success that we haven’t achieved so far.

The symposium closed with a virtual visit from Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group.

He spoke with Texas Biomed President/CEO Larry Schlesinger about his philosophy of “Screw it, Let’s do it.”

— Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank, DVM, PhD

“My attitude in life is if you don’t try, there’s no way you’re going to succeed,” Branson said. “You may fall flat on your face … 99 out of 100 times, but on that 100th time, you might save a lot of lives.”

He also underscored the power of building relationships, even with people with seemingly diametrically opposite views. Branson shared that he actively looks for and often finds a lot of common ground, enabling him to work with more people for positive change.

the triumph of safe, effective COVID-19 vaccines delivered within a year of the novel pathogen emerging. But failure of widespread uptake in a timely manner due to distrust, misinformation and fear was devastating.

“Most people are thoroughly decent,” Branson said.

“It’s really important to realize that and to embrace people that you might think are so different than you, generally they’re not.”

“We should never allow the success of this vaccine story to be forgotten,” he said. “We can never allow the failure of this vaccine story to be forgotten either.”

To avoid history repeating itself, he encouraged scientists to shift away from only providing solutions and consider the bigger picture. Generations of historical distrust in healthcare and biomedical systems mean that no matter how great a solution, communities across the United States will not embrace it. Trust has to be built first.

“If we look beyond our labs, and past the parking lots where we park and see the communities around us, we can start to see that we’re not very connected to them,” Dr. Frank said. “Once we recognize that problem, we can see a path forward based on trust.”

He noted building trust will take time; it requires listening to communities to understand their needs, concerns and aspirations, and partnering with them to help them achieve their goals. It also requires incorporating community into scientific processes from the very beginning, not at the very end.

THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE IS

BRIGHT

“These connections to people and places will determine whether our future innovations achieve the success that we haven’t achieved so far,” Dr. Frank said.

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One of the most popular sessions featured the perspectives of area high school students about the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROFILE

Meet Veterinarian

SHANNAN HALL-URSONE

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science degree with a minor in chemistry and biology at Delaware State University in Dover, then headed straight to the Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

rom the time she was a child, Shannan Hall-Ursone, DVM, loved animals.

“My mother was an elementary science teacher,” explains Dr. Hall-Ursone, who grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. “She would bring home a snake or a guinea pig for the holidays and I liked taking care of them. They all behaved differently. I enjoyed feeding them and watching how they reacted to my siblings or just how they acted when they were in their enclosures. I am not a fan of snakes at all, but I was intrigued with watching snakes eat.”

“It was hard,” she says, “with four years of straight studying. I worked in the summers.”

An internship at Johns Hopkins University provided a life-changing opportunity to work with the Baltimore Zoo. “I got to handle so many animals there,” she recalls. “Once, I had a duck with gout. One of my co-workers had a cheetah. I shadowed staff in the Comparative Medicine Department and watched a hernia repair on a nonhuman primate. This one surgery completely changed my career path. Before this, I was focused on being a surgeon in a small animal clinic. After witnessing this surgery, I knew I wanted to be a laboratory animal veterinarian.”

While Dr. Hall-Ursone set her sights early on becoming a veterinarian, she didn’t know that she’d ultimately choose to not work with pets, but rather an important biomedical resource: nonhuman primates.

She is one of seven veterinarians who care for the 2,500 research animals of the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed. Recently, Dr. Hall-Ursone was named Assistant Director for Veterinary Resources.

As a newly minted veterinarian, Dr. Hall-Ursone got a job at the University of Maryland in College Park. She cared for about 20 different species, including parakeets, canaries, barn owls, bats, ferrets, rodents, sheep, horses and cows, doing everything from cleaning cages to diagnosing and treating the animals.

“I love that I get to work with so many different species,” says Dr. Hall-Ursone, who is also a Texas Biomed Associate Professor. “I love being a part of the science. There is so much variety here. I like being able to learn about all of the different projects going on here. There is never a dull moment!”

However, she was still drawn to monkeys.

“I came to Texas Biomed and the SNPRC in 2015 after two other jobs on the East Coast,” she says.

“The dream for specialists in nonhuman primates

Becoming a veterinarian required passion, focus and hard work. Dr. Hall-Ursone earned a pre-veterinary 36

I love being a part of the science.

There is so much variety here. I like being able to learn about all of the different projects going on here.

There is never a dull moment!

— Shannan Hall-Ursone, DVM

In some protocols, my team is required to give the animals treatments. Then we monitor if the treatment is working to stop or slow down the illness.”

is to work for a primate center. Working as a vet for monkeys is exciting, but has its challenges. Creating bonds with different animals or even just learning their different personalities amazes me on a regular basis.”

As a veterinarian for marmosets, macaques and baboons, Dr. Hall-Ursone performs complex procedures people might assume are reserved for human patients.

Dr. Hall-Ursone and her colleagues are critical members of the scientific research team, helping primary investigators develop study protocols. One of her main responsibilities is making certain the animals are given the best care. Just like people, primates need regular checkups, and sometimes they need to receive treatment for illnesses or injuries.

“I have a great team,” she says. “It’s a good group of people and we all enjoy what we do, putting our hearts into it.”

Dr. Hall-Ursone and her husband have three children ages 13, 10 and 5. Having a job that helps create a healthier world for them is part of what drives her.

“I love what I do,” she says. “My goal is to help future animals and people live better and longer lives. I am grateful for the animals that play such a crucial role in the scientific discoveries made by our research staff.”

“We perform CT scans and PET scans,” she explains. “We use bronchoscopes with cameras down the trachea and into the lungs, and perform bronchoalveolar lavages. The images and samples we collect help determine disease progression and severity.

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GRATITUDE

NETWORK OF SUPPORT

Global science benefits from incredible local support.

Kevin Chiem, a fifth-year PhD student at UT Health San Antonio, is conducting research in the lab of Texas Biomed Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido. Chiem received the 2022 Texas Biomed Graduate Fellowship supported by the Douglass Foundation.

The Forum and Founder’s Council teamed up to host a Skeet Shoot fundraising event for Texas Biomed in the spring.

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diseases and human health issues, including COVID19, influenza, HIV, tuberculosis, aging and even braineating amoebas. Founder’s Council provided funding to support new shared research equipment, including HALO software, a powerful tool to quantitatively analyze tissue samples, and a GloMax machine that automatically detects luminescence, fluorescence and absorbance across multiple samples at the same time.

Both tools enable faster, more efficient data collection for researchers throughout the Institute.

exas Biomed has some of the most unique and gracious groups of supporters contributing time, talent and treasure to advance the Institute’s mission. The Texas Biomedical Forum, Founder’s Council and The Argyle members are steadfast champions for local biomedical research.

Their dedication and hard work to host fundraising events and grow membership results in critical funding for scholarships, equipment and research seed grants, along with general support for the Institute. The Cowles Family and the Douglass Foundation provide fellowships for talented and diverse scientists launching their biomedical research careers in San Antonio. And, thousands of individuals donate annually to support the lifesaving research happening here.

“We are so proud that our fundraising efforts enabled us to provide 10 seed grants to Texas Biomed post-doctoral fellows, staff scientists and faculty this year,” says Amelita Mauzé, President of the Forum. “We are especially pleased to support such bright, up-and-coming researchers who are making significant contributions to human health right here in San Antonio.”

2022 Forum grants were announced in January and will support research about a wide range of infectious 38

BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Henry Cisneros

Dr. James (Jamo) Rubin, Chairman

Ashley Hixon

Craig Boyan, Vice Chairman

Abigail Kampmann

James B. (Jamie) Smith, Secretary

John C. Kerr

Dr. C. Collins (Andy) Anderson III

Marsha M. Shields

Chairman and CO-CIO,American Triple I Capital

CEO, RightSite Health

CEO, Xeras MedicalTechnologies

President & COO, H-E-B

CEO, Principle Auto

Vice Chairman – Texas, Dykema Cox Smith

Dr. Jamo Rubin

Managing Partner, Windgate Partners, LLC

TRUSTEES Rex Amini

Managing Director, Sage Energy Co.

Richard N. Azar II

General Partner, Sezar Energy, L.P.

David Q. Bates, Jr.

CEO, DQB International

Robert M. (Bobby) Cavender

President, Cavender Auto Group

Phyllis Slick Cowell

President, Slick Enterprises

Barbara B. Dreeben Community Leader

Walter Embrey

Founder & Chairman, Embrey Partners, Ltd.

Dr. Craig D. Frances

Managing Director, Summit Partners

Jenna Saucedo-Herrera

President & CEO, greater:SATX

Richard Kardys

(Retired) Group Executive Vice President, Frost Bank

William R. (Bill) Klesse

(Retired) Valero Energy Corporation

Carolyn H. Labatt

CEO, Computer Solutions

Mark P. Mays

Principal, Rocking M Capital

Principal, Moorman Kerr Interests Manager, McCombs Family Partners, Ltd.

EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEES

Joe C. McKinney

(Retired) Broadway National Bank

Lewis J. (Lew) Moorman IV Founder, Scaleworks

Dr. Dacia Napier

Aaron Asel

President, Founder’s Council

Jeffrey A. Rochelle

President, The Argyle

Radiologist

Dr. George Peoples, Jr.

CEO, Cancer Insight, LLC

Al Rajwani

(Retired) Procter & Gamble

Amelita Mauzé

President, Texas Biomedical Forum

TRUSTEES EMERITUS Edward H. Austin, Jr.

Principal, Austin Family Investments

Corinna Richter

President & CAO, Holt Cat

John W. Feik

CEO, Feik Enterprises, LLC

Sheryl Sculley

Consultant, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Charles (Chuck) Urschel Slick Partner, Slick Enterprises

William E. Greehey

Chairman, NuStar Energy, L.P.

John R. (J.R.) Hurd

Chair, Hurd Enterprises, Ltd.

Joe Straus III

Principal, La Cima Partners, LLC

Milton B. Lee

(Retired) CEO, CPS Energy

John B. Zachry

Chairman & CEO, Zachry Group

SPECIAL TRUSTEES Dr. Taylor Eighmy

President, University of Texas at San Antonio

Adam L. Hamilton, PE

President & CEO, Southwest Research Institute

Dr. William L. Henrich

President & Professor of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio

B. J. McCombs

Chairman, McCombs Enterprises

William G. (Bill) Moll

(Retired) CEO, KLRN (Retired) Chairman & CEO, Clear Channel Television

Richard T. (Dick) Schlosberg III

(Retired) Publisher & CEO, Los Angeles Times

Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.

Chairman Emeritus, AT&T

HONORARY TRUSTEE Dr. John P. Howe III

(Retired) President & CEO, Project HOPE

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Officers of the Institution Larry Schlesinger, MD President and Chief Executive Officer

Bruce Edwards Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, Chief Financial Officer

Senior Administrators Joanne Turner, PhD Executive Vice President, Research Akudo Anyanwu, MD, MPH Vice President, Development Lisa Cruz Vice President, Corporate Communications

Cory Hallam, PhD Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Alliances

Deepak Kaushal, PhD Director, Southwest National Primate Research Center

John Heaner, Jr. Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Technology Officer

Rebecca Madere Vice President, Human Resources Matthew Majors Vice President, Operations

Senior Scientific Leadership Team Ian Cheeseman, PhD Lead, Host Pathogen Interactions Program

Tim Anderson, PhD Lead, Disease Intervention & Prevention Program

Binhua “Julie” Ling, PhD Co-Lead, Host Pathogen Interactions Program

Ricardo Carrion, Jr., PhD Co-Lead, Disease Intervention & Prevention Program

Jordi B. Torrelles, PhD Lead, Population Health Program Shelley Cole, PhD Co-Lead, Population Health Program

Texas Biomed External Scientific Advisory Board Judith Campisi, PhD Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Mitchell Kronenberg, PhD La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Mary K. Estes, PhD Baylor College of Medicine

Harmit Malik, PhD Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Phil Newmark, PhD Morgridge Institute for Research

SNPRC National Scientific Advisory Board Rudolf P. Bohm, Jr., DVM, DACLAM Tulane National Primate Research Center JoAnne L. Flynn, PhD University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Konstantin Kousoulas, PhD Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Robert Seder, MD National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Jeffrey Rogers, PhD Baylor College of Medicine

Afonso C. Silva, PhD Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh

TxBiomed Magazine Editorial Team Lisa Cruz VP, Corporate Communications

Madeleine Dionne Executive Assistant to the President/CEO

Nicole Foy Director, Public Relations

Wendy Rigby Contributing Writer

Laura Petersen Science Writer

Jeffrey Heinke Designer

Ruby Reyes-Hinojosa Senior Marketing Communications Specialist

Photographers: Josh Huskin David Teran Katie Clementson Microscopy images courtesy of: Xavier Alvarez Smriti Mehra

Copyright ©2022 Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas 78245 40

Under the microscope Researchers can capture cell activity during infection by staining razor-thin tissue samples with different dyes that bond to different cell features and viewing them under a powerful fluorescent microscope. Here, the nuclei of cells from the bronchial lymph node are stained in blue. Immune cells responding to TB infection, called CD8+ T cells, are in red. Staining by Ruby Escobedo. Image taken with a Leica Stellaris confocal microscope.

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to protect you, your families and our global community from the threat of infectious diseases.

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