From the director
On behalf of the scientists, physicians and staff of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI), it is a pleasure to welcome you to our website.
Read MoreThe Methodist Hospital Research Institute Receives $5 Million Donation to Study Neurodegenerative Diseases, Alzheimer’s
HOUSTON (March. 22, 2010) - Dr. Stephen Wong has received a $5 million gift from the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation to study progressive neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease. The gift will support The Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Bioinformatics Research and Imaging for Neurosciences (BRAIN) at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute.
Neurodegenerative diseases affect one in five Americans. According to a 2010 study by the Alzheimer’s Organization, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s at a cost of approximately $172 billion per year. With a rapidly aging baby boomer population, the organization believes Alzheimer's will continue to impact more lives. From 2000 to 2006, Alzheimer's Disease deaths increased 46.1 percent.
New Drug Reduces Bad Cholesterol and Triglycerides Without Statin Side Effects
Study appears in New England Journal of Medicine March 11, 2010
HOUSTON (March 11, 2010) - A new drug, eprotirome, has been shown to significantly lower bad cholesterol, triglycerides and Lp(A), without the side effects that statins cause in many people. Results of a study were published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Our study has shown a dramatic reduction in the dangerous fats that cause heart disease, the number one killer of Americans,” said Dr. John Baxter, director of the Genomic Medicine Program at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and co-author for the study.
“For patients taking a statin, this drug can further lower LDL cholesterol by 25 percent – on top of what the statin is doing. It is also as potent in lowering triglycerides as any current medication available today,” Baxter added. “It also lowers Lp(a), which is an under recognized factor that also causes atherosclerosis and is a common cause of heart attack in young people. Thus, eprotirome could be a major complement to the only current medication for this condition, niacin, which causes flushing side effects.”
Genome Study Shows How Strep Throat Germ Circumvents Our Immune System
HOUSTON (Feb. 22, 2010) - Investigators at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston examined for the first time the long-term response to strep throat on a genome-wide level, shedding light on how group A streptococcus interacts with the patient’s immune system and attempts to circumvent it. Results were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
In the United States, the human bacterial pathogen group A streptococcus causes an estimated 30 million cases of strep throat annually, and also causes rheumatic fever that damages the heart.
$ 11.5 Million NIH Center Grant Funds Novel Cancer Stem Cell Research at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
HOUSTON (Feb. 18, 2010) - The Methodist Hospital Research Institute was awarded an $11.5 million Center Grant by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) today to study the best way to attack deadly cancer stem cells to enhance treatments for breast cancer. Other members of the team include Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
“Targeting cancer stem cells, rather than cancer cells, is a completely new strategy for treating cancer,” said Dr. Stephen Wong, director of the Center for Bioengineering and Informatics at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and principal investigator for the grant study. “By attacking the cancer stem cell, we hope to eliminate cancer’s ability to grow, recur or metastasize.”
Genome Sequencing Study Finds Clues To Unraveling The Causes Of Deadly Epidemics
HOUSTON (Jan. 25, 2010) - A team of collaborating scientists at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston, the Broad Institute in Boston, Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, and the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) have sequenced almost 100 full genomes from three successive epidemics of flesh-eating bacteria. This has resulted in the first precise explanation of the biological events contributing to deadly epidemics of severe infection. This method can be used to track and help prevent devastating epidemics in the future.
Results of this research, funded by the National Institutes of Health and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, appear in a study published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Moran Foundation Publication Awards in Clinical Research and Translational Research
The Methodist Hospital Research Institute is pleased to announce two awards sponsored by the Moran Foundation. Annually a $1,000 prize will be awarded for the best paper in clinical research published by a TMHRI member in the preceding year. Similarly, a $1,000 prize will be awarded for the best paper in translational research published in the previous year.
Alliance for NanoHealth Investigators Meeting 2010 – February 23, 2010
HOUSTON (Jan. 14, 2009) - As a showcase of ongoing nanomedicine research, the ANH Investigators Meeting will bring together presentations from over 20 leaders in the field. Each of them has received ANH funding support to develop their research, and this event will be used to provide news of their achievements. The event also includes a poster exhibition to provide further details and generate discussion, and is open to a limited number of entrants. The event is free to attend, but since spaces are limited, please register by e-mail with damian.walsh@uth.tmc.edu. See ANH Investigators Meeting 2010 for a schedule of the events.
Mutant Gene Lessens Devastation of Flesh-Eating Bacteria
Study Appears Online This Week In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
HOUSTON (Dec. 29, 2009) - Scientists at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston recently discovered a simple gene mutation that decreases the chance people will get a flesh-eating disease called necrotizing fasciitis. Further, they proved that inactivating this section of the gene lessens the devastating disease in humans.
Results of this research, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association, appear online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“The study of genomics has opened a wealth of information on how disease develops on a molecular level,” said Dr. James Musser, co-director of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute. “When we identify a gene mutation that has a direct effect on a disease – like we have done for the flesh-eating bacteria – this opens up doors to designing drugs that provide treatments and cures.”
Rice and The Methodist Hospital Win Stimulus Funding Team Will Test Emerging Wireless Applications in Houston´s East End
HOUSTON (Oct. 13, 2009) - A team of wireless researchers and doctors from Rice University and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute have won a $2 million federal grant to design and test next-generation wireless platforms and remote patient monitoring devices in Houston´s working-class Pecan Park neighborhood.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the money to a six-person team of researchers from Rice´s Center for Multimedia Communication (CMC) and from the Abramson Center for the Future of Health, a joint effort by Methodist and the University of Houston. The funding was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Renowned Stem Cell Researcher Irving Weissman To Speak at TMHRI
HOUSTON (Sept. 29, 2009) - Irving L. Weissman, M.D., director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, will deliver a seminar titled "Normal and Neoplastic Stem Cells," in honor of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute´s first annual Cockrell Foundation Award in Clinical or Translational Research on Nov 11, 2009.
TMHRI Joins GCC´s John S Dunn Chemical Genomics Research Consortium
HOUSTON (Sept. 3, 2009) - TMHRI has been accepted as an affiliate member of the Gulf Coast Consortium´s John S Dunn Chemical Genomics Research Consortium. Members of this group work together to develop a multi-institutional program for high-throughput imaging-based screenings that will facilitate drug discovery in the Texas Medical Center. Congratulations to Dr. Stephen Wong for his work in this effort.
Dr. John D. Baxter Receives Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Lectureship Award
HOUSTON - (Sept. 1, 2009) - Dr. John D. Baxter, co-director of the Diabetes Research Center and division head of endocrinology at The Methodist Hospital, received the Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Lectureship award for his academic achievements in the field of thyroidology.
This award honors the memory of Dr. Sidney H. Ingbar and recognizes academic achievements in the field of thyroidology, keeping with the innovation and vision that epitomized Dr. Ingbar´s career. As part of the honor, Dr. Baxter will deliver his lecture, "Mechanisms of Thyroid Hormone Action: Perspectives and Applications," on Thursday, September 24, 2009, at the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association in Palm Beach, Florida.
"We are extremely proud we have someone of Dr. Baxter´s caliber doing such advanced thyroid research at Methodist," said Dr. Richard Robbins, chairman of the Department of Medicine at The Methodist Hospital.
Baxter also serves as director of Methodist´s Genomic Medicine Program and is a senior member of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute. Prior to receiving the Sidney H. Ingbar award, Dr. Baxter received numerous other awards, including election to the National Academy of Sciences, the Koch Award from the Endocrine Society, and the Outstanding Investigator Award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
For more information on The Methodist Hospital, see www.methodisthealth.com. For more information on The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, see www.methodistresearch.com.
Carin and Todd Barth Host TMHRI dinner featuring Diabetes Research
David Underwood of the Fondren Foundation, at left, presents the Fondren Award to Jack Blanton, Sr. on April 29. |
At the suggestion of Ms. Barth, Institute Director Dr. Michael Lieberman began the scientific portion of the program with a brief speech about the work of TMHRI. In Dr. Lieberman's words, “What makes TMHRI so attractive to researchers across the country is our commitment to interdisciplinary research and a culture of innovation and discovery.”
Collaborative center aimed at treating, curing retinoblastoma opens
First center of its kind in Southwest; first in nation to offer gene therapy
HOUSTON – (March 25, 2009) – Doctors and researchers from four Texas Medical Center institutions have joined together in the fight against retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer of the eye.
The result of their collaboration is the Retinoblastoma Center of Houston, which includes experts from Texas Children´s Cancer Center, the Children´s Cancer Hospital at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.
Together these specialists will pioneer advancements in treating and curing retinoblastoma through ground-breaking research and the development of innovative therapies.
"By having top clinicians and researchers join forces, the Retinoblastoma Center of Houston will be able to deliver the highest quality patient care and conduct important research related to the diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma," said Dr. Murali Chintagumpala, clinical co-director of the center, pediatric oncologist at Texas Children´s Cancer Center and professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
Retinoblastoma affects about 350 infants and children in the United States each year and is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children. Retinoblastoma is often curable, but may result in the loss of the eye.
Internationally Acclaimed Researcher Joins Methodist and UH
Hormones Expert Gustafsson to Lead Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and UH
HOUSTON – (February 5, 2009) – The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and the University of Houston have recruited a top hormones researcher and his team to carry out laboratory research and to create next-generation pharmaceuticals and medical technologies at a world-class center to be established by UH and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI). Gov. Rick Perry today announced the awarding of a $5.5 million through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) to support the new center.
Jan-Åke Gustafsson, a renowned figure in the study of hormones and a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Assembly, will lead the Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling. 
“The recruitment of Dr. Gustafsson and establishment the center represents a substantial collaboration between UH and Methodist," said Michael Lieberman, M.D., Ph.D., director of TMHRI. “Dr. Gustafsson will join two of the world’s top nuclear receptor researchers, TMHRI’s Drs. Willa Hsueh and John Baxter, in establishing the world’s largest center for nuclear receptor research."
Dr. Stephen Wong named John S. Dunn, Sr. Distinguished Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering
HOUSTON – (February 2, 2009) – Stephen Wong, Ph.D, P.E., was recently awarded the John S. Dunn, Sr. Distinguished Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering at The Methodist Hospital. Wong, who holds more than $6 million in NIH funding, will leverage this chair to pursue more innovative research that combines genomics with advanced imaging and biosensing techniques for more personalized medical care.
In his version of personalized medicine, Wong is coupling high throughput genomics and advanced mathematical algorithms with biological studies to identify the best combination of drugs for specific types of cancer within certain individuals. His goal is to take all of the guess work out of treatment decisions, saving cost and time, both of which are precious commodities for patients with cancer. He is also extending this approach to combat neurodegeneration.
He is also in the process of developing what he calls a "lab in a needle," enabling physicians to make on-the-spot diagnoses and initiate suitable therapies right away. It can also reduce the time it takes for physicians to determine if a certain chemotherapy is toxic to a patient. For example, rather than waiting for blood tests to determine this, the lab in a needle will be inserted directly into the liver, which processes toxins, and results will be immediate. This could help determine if the patient´ medications need to be changed well before debilitating side-effects are felt.
Simmons Family Foundation awards collaborative research grants
Teams from Rice University, Texas Children´s Hospital and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute study breast and childhood cancers, hearing loss, tuberculosis
HOUSTON – (January 21, 2009) – Finding cures for hearing loss, breast cancer and childhood cancer and a way to identify people at risk for tuberculosis are goals of the first recipients of grants from the Virginia and L.E. Simmons Family Foundation Collaborative Research Fund. The fund, a $3 million initiative to discover new ways to diagnose and treat diseases, supports collaboration among researchers at Rice University, Texas Children´s Hospital and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute.
Four projects chosen from 35 proposals have been awarded one-year seed grants. Ideally, organizations like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will fund continuing research. The awards were announced today in a ceremony at The Methodist Hospital.
The Simmons family´s intention is to promote novel solutions to difficult medical problems through the combined expertise of Texas Medical Center scientists, engineers and doctors who might not otherwise collaborate.
The foundation requested proposals for original, innovative work suited to a multidisciplinary approach that would involve researchers from at least two of the three institutions.
"Our family is very pleased with, first and foremost, the collaborations that are taking place among the three institutions," said L.E. Simmons of the first round of recipients.
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