Introduction
Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
The Food & Health Alliance within the Houston Methodist Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Immunology Center and the Fondren Inflammation Collaborative
Houston Methodist Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics
Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III
Translational Research Initiative
Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research
Infectious Diseases Research Fund
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Medicine
New Endowed Chairs Positions
EnMed
Center for Bioenergetics
result
Clinical Research
Outcomes, Quality and Healthcare Performances
Restorative Medicine
Precision Medicine
Science in Service
of
Medicineresult
President's letter
2022 Metrics
Cycle of Translation
Visionary Gifts of Hope
Introduction
Ann Kimball and John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics at Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
The Food & Health Alliance within the Houston Methodist Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Immunology Center and the Fondren Inflammation Collaborative
Houston Methodist Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics
Paula and Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III Translational Research Initiative
Jerold B. Katz Academy of Translational Research
Infectious Diseases Research Fund
George and Angelina Kostas Research Center for Cardiovascular Medicine
New Endowed Chairs Positions
EnMed
Center for Bioenergetics
From Discovery to Clinic
What is "Discovery to Clinic"?
Clinical Research
Houston Methodist Conducts First-Ever Study into a Challenging Situation
Can Regulating Cellular Aging Mitigate Both Cancer and Heart Disease?
Innovative Treatment for Chronic Rhinitis is Safe and Effective
Masters of Disguise: Glioblastomas Trick the Immune System by Masquerading as Reproductive Tissue
Improved Options for Patients with Severe Retinal Vascular Disease
A New FDA-Approved Treatment for Sufferers of Chronic Constipation
Houston Methodist joins the Gulf Coast Consortia
Outcomes, Quality and Healthcare Performance
New Findings on RNA Helicases May Yield New Intestinal Disease Therapy
Houston Methodist and Pennsylvania State University Collaborate on a Smartphone App That Could Revolutionize Stroke Diagnosis
New Frontiers to Improve Cardiovascular Medicine and Disease Management
Ongoing Lessons in a Pandemic
Transplants can Boost Survival Rate of Patients with Unresectable Liver Cancers
Telehealth Video Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic – a Glimpse into the Future?
SARS-CoV-2 Induced Chronic Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Cell Inflammation May Increase Likelihood of Cardiovascular Diseases and Respiratory Failure
Restorative Medicine
Lessening Pain After Knee Replacement Surgery
Do Motor Neurons First Die in the Brain? Study Provides Clues about ALS Origins
Bringing Back Hand Function in People with Complete Spinal Cord Injury
Novel Vascular Engineering Platforms Are a Boon for Bioengineering
Ultra-high-Resolution Scanner Reveals if Knee Injury Advances to Osteoarthritis
Houston Methodist Model Demonstrates Reversal from Heart Failure State, Creating the Potential for Innovative Treatment Avenues
Precision Medicine
Rapidly Scalable, All-Inducible Neural Organoids Could Facilitate Drug Screening for Neurological Diseases
Importance of the Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Risk Assessment and Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
COVID-19 Infection in Crucial Brain Regions May Lead To Accelerated Brain Aging
Interleukin 9 Secreting Polarized T Cells Show Potential in Solid and Liquid Tumor Treatment
The NanoLymph: Implantable. Adaptable. Anti-cancer
From The President
Science in Service of Medicine
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The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, is thought to have once said, "Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity." At Houston Methodist, this ancient wisdom is at the heart of its mission to meet the most demanding challenges faced by patients and their physicians. Our culture of science in the service of medicine has furthered our global collaborative network that transitions proof-of-concept medical research to clinical impact and educates healthcare professionals in the latest medical breakthroughs.
I am pleased to share our annual report highlighting some of the notable achievements of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Our Department of Neurosurgery was awarded a highly competitive $1.6M T32 training grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a first-of-its-kind postdoctoral program, Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration, which trains a new generation of scientists in clinically translatable research that bridges the gap between neuroscience and other medical specialties and speeds the development of next-generation therapies.
The clinical mentorship element of our program is rather rare for postdoctoral training programs. The unique environment at Houston Methodist where the Research Institute is merged with the hospital fosters a translational medicine approach to academic bench science. In 2022, we further enriched our connections when Houston Methodist officially became the eighth institutional member of the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC)—one of the largest inter-institutional academic cooperatives in the nation focused on building collaborative, biomedical research groups and interdisciplinary training opportunities for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. Over the years, we’ve greatly valued our collaborations with the GCC and our membership provides a wonderful opportunity to add our many strengths to the consortium.
Our academic community has been very productive in obtaining $87.6M in extramural funding and contributing 1,740 peer-reviewed publications to the academic literature. Although we are moving beyond the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to monitor the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and assess neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory complications that can occur after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. To prepare for future challenges from infectious diseases, we’re actively growing our infectious disease academic programs.
We also continue to make strides in various medical specialties, including testing the safety and efficacy of nerve transfers to restore some of the lost hand function in patients with complete spinal cord injuries and investigating if an antibiotic and opioid cocktail injected directly into the knee joint can reduce postsurgical pain. Recently, we also received FDA approval for a new treatment for chronic constipation.
As we chart a path into the future, I am confident that our teams’ collaborative spirit, creativity and commitment to driving the cycle of translation will serve as the impetus for the next generation of healthcare solutions. None of this work would be possible without the dedication and support of our visionary Houston Methodist Academic Institute board members, generous donors and dedicated faculty and staff. Our work together has established Houston Methodist as a leading academic medical center, and I am honored to be a part of this journey to the future of medicine.
H. Dirk Sostman, MD, FACR
Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair
Houston Methodist
Emeritus Professor of Radiology
Weill Cornell Medicine
Distinguished Member, Houston Methodist Research Institute
President, Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Executive Vice President & Chief Academic Officer
Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board Members
Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr. Senior Chair
Martha S. DeBusk, Chair
W. Benjamin Moreland, Vice Chair
John F. Bookout, Jr., Chairman Emeritus
Edward R. Allen, III, PhD
David C. Baggett, Jr.
Steven Birdwell
Marc L. Boom, MD
P. Embry Canterbury
David Chao
Ernest D. Cockrell, II
Martin S. Craighead
W. Leslie Doggett
Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., MD, D. Phil.
Edward A. Jones
Evan H. Katz
Edwin H. Knight
Francis S. Y. Lee, MD, PhD
Kevin J. Lilly
Steven S. Looke
Ransom C. Lummis
David A. Modesett
Gregory V. Nelson
Joe Bob Perkins
Mary Eliza Shaper
Suzanne H. Smith
H. Dirk Sostman, MD
Douglas E. Swanson, Jr.
David M. Underwood, Jr.
Amy L. Waer, MD
Joseph C. "Rusty" Walter, III
Martha S. Walton
Vision for the Second Century
The Houston Methodist Vision for the Second Century advances the initiatives of utmost importance to the hospital while placing our patients at the center of everything we do. It illustrates the emphasis placed on our academic medicine mission, which includes restorative medicine, precision medicine, outcomes research, clinical research, and innovative education. These elements are supported by the fundamental values and initiatives of Houston Methodist, which define our commitment to advance the practice of medicine and offer our patients leading care.