Overview Paragraphs – Research Centers & Institutes
The UTMB Animal Resources Center (ARC) encompasses 98,126 sq ft in 9 facilities across campus and is
AAALAC (Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International)
accredited. The ARC follows all standards for AAALAC and international IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee) compliance and is staffed by full-time veterinarians and staff overseeing all program aspects.
A soon-to-be-dedicated rodent barrier facility of 14,685 sq ft provides space for procedure rooms and sterile
housing of rodents in a positive air flow environment. More
The UTMB Cancer Center was established in 2005 with the merger of the Sealy Center for Cancer Cell
Biology, the Educational Cancer Center and the clinical components of cancer care at UTMB. The formation of
the center fused the university’s separate resources into a cohesive and integrated enterprise dedicated to
cancer diagnosis and treatment, research, education and outreach. In its initial years, the center added five
faculty members, established a mentoring committee for junior faculty, initiated the cancer cell biology track
and added two new courses to the graduate school curriculum. In 2006, the center received a $4 million gift
from The Sealy & Smith Foundation that provided for establishment of a tumor tissue bank, an imaging facility,
a centralized operation for oncology clinical trials, as well as recruitment of translational cancer researchers
and an endowed chair. With a major comprehensive cancer center but 50 miles away, the UTMB center carved
out a niche of clinical expertise in gastrointestinal (GI), liver, prostate, breast, brain, and head and neck
cancers. Another major component comes in the form of education and outreach, not only to patients, but to a
new generation of medical faculty and physicians. The center’s programs in preventive medicine and
community outreach are second to none in the state of Texas and are atop the list of national efforts, as well.
Center for Addiction Research (CAR) was formed in January 2004, and is comprised of ~60 faculty and
health care staff from all four schools of UTMB. Administered by a director (Kathryn A. Cunningham, PhD),
associate director (Kenneth M. Johnson, PhD) and staff of four, it functions as a coordinating force for
translational, multidisciplinary research in addiction, based on a strategy of developing and nurturing
opportunities for interdisciplinary investigations and training new investigators in translational approaches. The
center brings to bear cutting edge technologies in molecular biology, biochemistry, behavior, pharmacology,
genetics, proteomics, bioengineering and drug design to discover novel approaches to diagnose, cure or
alleviate addiction and its medical complications. CAR occupies ~2800 sq ft of office and laboratory space on
the third floor of Research Building 17. This new research space includes a Rodent In Vivo Assessment Core,
equipped for various rat and mouse behavioral models, and designated facilities for tissue culture, microscopy
and small animal surgery.
The Center for Biomedical Engineering (CBME), with significant funding from the NIH, NSF, DOD, NASA
and industry and directed by Masoud Motamedi, PhD, provides an effective organization for research and
training. In a strong multi-disciplinary environment, the CBME combines engineering, imaging and computer
sciences with molecular and cellular biology and clinical sciences in order to develop new diagnostic and
therapeutic approaches and to foster research in the rapidly growing discipline of biomedical engineering. The
staff of the CBME laboratories has significant capability and research experience in optical imaging, high
resolution microscopy, molecular engineering and biosensors, spectroscopic analysis, optical monitoring and
sensing, nanotechnology and their biomedical applications. The center has major laboratories for advanced
optical imaging including confocal, multi-photons, second harmonic generation microscopy, optical coherence
tomography, optoacoustic and high throughput imaging, as well as a wide range of spectroscopic capabilities.
Center to Eliminate Health Disparities (CEHD), established in September 2003, is under the direction of
Barbara E. Breier, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. CEHD promotes UTMB’s mission to
improve the health status of the medically underserved and to reduce the cost of providing care to these
patients, who include African Americans, Hispanics, and other racial and ethnic minorities, the poor, the
elderly, rural inhabitants, and other traditionally underserved populations. The center occupies 340 sq ft in a
suite in the Marvin Graves Building, with offices for the director and three staff members, as well as additional
office space in the Office of the President, which houses the director and another staff member. Center
activities are focused in five areas: health access, health information technology, population based studies,
global health disparities and information sharing. Specific initiatives include the Galveston 3-Share Plan, a
106737310
1
health benefits association that enables the business community to provide affordable primary care and
hospitalization coverage for the working uninsured; the Texas Telehealth Disparities Network, whose purpose
is to reduce or eliminate disparities in health care through a telehealth network in three distinct and
geographically distant areas of Texas—Galveston County, Cameron County, and Smith County; a Hepatitis C
research a project to investigate the transmission of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) among Mexican American
men and women; and the Health Disparities Lecture Series, which provides opportunities to gain knowledge
related to health disparities and to hear different perspectives on these issues as they affect Americans today.
The Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women’s Health (CIRWH), inaugurated in February 2002,
promotes, stimulates and supports interdisciplinary research related to the health of women across the life
span. This center 1) designs and seeks funding for collaborative research, 2) partners with existing programs
to encourage investigations of sex/gender differences in health and disease, and 3) provides structured
mentoring to motivated junior investigators committed to women's health. CIRWH has >75 affiliated faculty and
investigators from throughout the institution and interfaces with other centers, including the GCRC. Housed
within the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the center occupies a suite of 3 offices with 1 conference
room, and has access to 3 patient examination and interview rooms and a DXA bone mineral density scanner
in the adjacent building.
The Center for Rehabilitation Sciences, established in 2001 and approved for funding through August 2009,
addresses the challenges of Healthy People 2010. The Center is committed to creating relationships between
basic scientists and clinicians who have a common interest in rehabilitation and disability. To that end, it
sponsors a variety of activities directed toward strengthening and expanding efforts in disability research and
education at UTMB. Research foci are: Applied Physiology and Biomechanics of Rehabilitation, in which
faculty from the Departments of Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation examine the
biomechanics and pathophysiology of impairment and disability; Neurological/Cognitive Rehabilitation, in which
collaborators from UTMB and the Transitional Learning Center, a residential facility for persons with acquired
brain injury, examine basic and applied mechanisms of cognitive and neurological rehabilitation; Aging and
Rehabilitation Outcomes, in collaboration with investigators in the Sealy Center on Aging, engaging in an
examination of social, environmental, and medical interventions associated with successful aging and
evaluation of functional outcomes and the impact of minority status on health and disability in older adults.
The East Texas Area Health Education Center (AHEC) was established at UTMB in 1991 to connect
students to careers, professionals to communities, and communities to better health. Each year, the East
Texas AHEC attracts >34,000 under-represented and disadvantaged individuals to health career promotions
and prepares >4,000 individuals for entry into health profession education programs. This program maintains
>600 regional community-based training sites and, every year, facilitates the placement of >900 health
professions students in those training sites throughout UTMB’s service area. AHEC also establishes and
supports programs that recruit and retain health professionals for underserved populations and, to date, has
identified >900 health professionals who have been added to underserved regions. One of three area health
education centers in Texas and part of the national network, UTMB’s East Texas AHEC serves 111 counties of
east Texas through nine community-based regional centers. Partners include local colleges and universities,
health related organizations, community hospitals, and governmental agencies that support each of these nine
regional centers. The program facilitates community evaluation, discussion and decision-making processes
that address issues pertaining to access to primary health care.
The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) is part of a national network of centers located primarily
within hospitals of academic medical centers. The GCRC provides a research infrastructure for clinical
investigators who receive grant support from other NIH components or from other federal agencies. The center
is equipped to handle many types of studies involving research with human subjects. The GCRC provides an
optimal setting for controlled studies by basic and clinical investigators; bi-directional and multidisciplinary
interactions among those involved in basic and clinical research on children and adults; environment and
resources for developing future physician-scientists conducting clinical research; technological and therapeutic
approaches to ensure rapid translation of new, basic scientific knowledge into effective patient care.
106737310
2
The George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases aims to support
world-class research that combines cutting-edge basic science with drug discovery and development, and
provides dedicated care for patients suffering from brain diseases. Originally the Mitchell Center for
Alzheimer's Disease Research (established in 2004), with an affiliated Drug Discovery and Development
Program (2005), the center broadened its research in 2007 to include all neurogenerative diseases with a $5
million gift from the Mitchells. More than 20 UTMB research groups totaling more than 100 scientists are using
NIH funding to actively study different aspects of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, as well as cerebral ataxias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's
disease) and mad cow disease.
The Institute for Human Infections and Immunity (IHII) was established in October 2004 to facilitate and
enhance program development and coordinate research activities in existing centers and programs at UTMB
that focus on infection and immunity. These include the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious
Diseases, the Center for Hepatitis Research, the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, the World Health
Organization Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, and the World Health Organization Collaborating
Center for Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses. This institute also is the university’s locus for
administration of the Galveston National Laboratory (GNL), a $172-million, state-of-the-art, high-containment
biomedical research facility now under construction with major grant support from the NIH. IHII is working with
Facilities Operations and Management to manage the GNL construction and will administer future GNL
research operations. Led by director, Stanley M. Lemon, MD, the IHII currently manages UTMB’s existing
BSL3 and BSL4 biocontainment laboratory resources, oversees programs for UTMB’s select agent program,
and administers the McLaughlin Endowment, which supports training in the fields of infection and immunity.
The Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CBEID), like the Institute for Human Infections
and Immunity of which it is a part, is a multi-disciplinary organization that builds on the strengths and work of
more than 60 researchers in UTMB’s the Department of Pathology, Center for Tropical Diseases and various
departments on campus. Administered by an executive director (David H. Walker, MD), three directors and an
administrative officer, the center aims to reduce vulnerability of the US and other nations to the use of
biological weapons for warfare and terrorism and to alleviate suffering from emerging and tropical infectious
diseases through application of basic, applied, and field research, and through education. Fields of research
include basic molecular and structural biology, animal models of infectious disease pathogenesis, and aspects
of vaccine and anti-viral drug development and evaluation.
BSL4 Laboratory (John Sealy Pavilion). The Robert E. Shope, MD, Laboratory in the John Sealy Pavilion for
Infectious Disease Research is the only full-sized biosafety level 4 facility on a university campus in the United
States. The 2,000 sq ft laboratory accommodates research on highly infectious, potentially lethal agents, such
as the highly pathogenic hemorrhagic fever viruses. The suited laboratory requires entrance and egress of
personnel through a chemical shower. Equipment and samples move through double-door autoclaves, an air
lock, and an immersion tank. A high intensity Cobalt-60 irradiator inactivates infectious samples for study at
lower containment levels on certain types of assays, such as antibody testing and proteomics. All operating
and safety protocols are in place and approved by the Institutional Biological Safety Committee, as is a training
program. The laboratory, housed in a limited-access support building, is divided into two approximately equal
parts. One half is equipped as a classical and molecular virology laboratory. This area has all the equipment
needed for virological studies, including incubators, biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, balances, microscopes,
and freezers. A small section houses centrifuges and a reference collection of BSL4 virus strains. The other
half is an area for animal holding, mostly rodents. Laminar flow isolators for each cage separate the animals,
allowing for study of multiple agents. The animal space can be re-configured for use as a separate BSL4
module or an augmented BSL3 laboratory.
National Biocontainment Laboratory at Galveston (The Galveston National Laboratory; GNL). Currently under
construction with support of a $115 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases/National Institutes of Health (NIAID/NIH), the GNL (Dr. Stanley M. Lemon, PI) will provide laboratory
space for research on new therapies, vaccines and diagnostic tests for naturally occurring emerging diseases
such as influenza and West Nile encephalitis, as well as protective measures against viral and bacterial agents
that could potentially be spread as a result of bioterrorism. The new $172 million structure with approximately
106737310
3
174,000 gross sq ft, 63,000 of which is dedicated to laboratory space for BSL2, BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories, is
projected to open by the end of 2008. It will be a seven-story research building with 12,362 net sq ft of BSL4
laboratory space; 18,223 net sq ft of BSL3 laboratory space; 13,368 net sq ft BSL-2 laboratory space, and
8,733 net sq ft of animal support space. The distribution of space was based on the NIAID’s projected critical
requirements to develop therapies, vaccines and diagnostic tests.
In the Hepatitis C Research Center (HCRC), directed by Dr. Stanley M. Lemon, a multidisciplinary coalition of
researchers examines the acute and chronic infections caused by hepatitis C virus. The center's $5-million, 5year cooperative agreement with the NIH allows investigators to develop strong ties with investigators from the
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, the Johns Hopkins University and the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. As part of these research efforts, the center is screening,
through a major, 7-year contract from the NIH (Dr. Nigel Bourne, P.I.), up to 4,000 antiviral compounds per
year to determine which have activity against HCV using a cell culture system developed by HCRC scientists.
The Sealy Center for Vaccine Development (SCVD), inaugurated in December 2001, has 69 faculty members
and incorporates the expertise of more than 100 cutting edge research programs currently underway at UTMB.
The center fosters the highest quality collaborative and programmatic research and facilitates the translation of
laboratory findings to prevention of infectious diseases in the community. Members of the center also examine
influences on vaccine acceptance and uptake, and address issues relevant to the development of public
policies governing health care. In addition, the center facilitates education and training in vaccinology for
graduate students and physicians. The facility has dedicated sections for performing state-of-the-art
techniques including: cell culture, cell sorting and molecular biology. Shared equipment rooms, cold rooms,
and a darkroom are adjacent to laboratories. Specific examples of diseases and pathogens for which vaccine
development research and/or clinical trials are being conducted include malaria, respiratory viruses (including
influenza and respiratory syncytial virus), flaviviruses (including Hepatitis C), sexually transmitted diseases
(including genital herpes, papillomavirus, and gonorrhea), rickettsial organisms (including Rickettsia and
Ehrlichia spp.), Rift Valley Fever, and enteric bacteria such as H. pylori. Its community outreach program
develops and implements model programs which foster increased rates of vaccination in the local community
and can be exported to other communities.
The World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses (WRCEVA) at UTMB, directed by Dr.
Robert Tesh, Professor of Pathology, is a virus reference center for the world. Any zoonotic virus suspected of
being biologically transmitted by arthropods or vertebrates is accepted for identification and characterization. A
collection of more than 640 already characterized type viruses is maintained with complementary sera and
diagnostic antigens. In addition to arthropod-transmitted viruses, a number of other vertebrate viruses (i.e.
poxviruses, paramyxoviruses, orthomyxoviruses, herpesviruses, coronaviruses, hantaviruses, arenaviruses,
picornaviruses and rhabdoviruses) together with their respective antigens and antisera are included in the
reference collection. Many of the latter viruses were initially isolated and characterized by arbovirologists, as
these agents have occasionally been isolated from clinical samples taken from wild animals or people during
arbovirus field studies. Training is another important part of the Reference Center’s activities. In addition to
UTMB graduate students and fellows, a number of visiting scientists each year spend time in the Reference
Center, learning classical virologic and serologic techniques, as well as newer molecular methods for arbovirus
assay and identification. Members of the Reference Center staff also participate in workshops and conferences
on arbovirus techniques and arboviral diseases.
The Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research
(WRCE) responds to NIAID’s call for creating strong infrastructure, multifaceted research, and product
development activities applying the best basic, translational, and clinical science. UTMB leads more than 30
institutions in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana who combine their energy, creativity,
and resources to develop new diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine countermeasures for Category A, B, and C
pathogens posing threats as agents of bioterrorism. Five scientific cores provide access to standardized small
animal and nonhuman primate models of infectious diseases, BSL4 laboratory facilities, computational biology
resources, and small molecule screening.
106737310
4
Animal Model Capabilities. Through UTMB’s biodefense and emerging infectious disease research, animal
models were developed to study the pathogenesis of several infectious disease agents and to evaluate
candidate therapeutics and vaccines for Category A-C agents. Selected agents associated with viral
encephalitis and hemorrhagic diseases in the genera Arenavirus, Alphavirus, Flavivirus, Orthobunyavirus,
Phlebovirus, and for anthrax are represented. An NIAID emerging infectious diseases contract supports
developing models for several other agents, and internal funding evaluates transgenic mice bearing the human
coronavirus receptor (AC2), an animal model for SARS Coronavirus. These achievements demonstrate that
UTMB has the facilities and expertise to carry out research services, to develop animal models, and to employ
such models in state-of-the-art preclinical studies on relevant agents at the BSL2/3/4. Expertise and equipment
also are available to assist and train investigators and their staffs to conduct their own research in developing
models, diagnostics, and candidate therapeutics and vaccines.
UTMB’s Animal Resources Center (ARC) encompasses 98,126 sq ft in 9 facilities across campus and is
AAALAC (Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory and Care International) accredited.
UTMB operates to comply with the USDA Animal Welfare Act (Public Law 89-544) as amended by PL91-579
(1970), PL94-279 (1976), and 45 CFR37618 (6-30-80); Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (Public Law
99-158); follows the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (revised
September 1986); and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals DHEW (NIH) 85-23 revised
1985. UTMB is a registered Research Facility under the Animal Welfare Act. It has a current assurance on file
with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), in compliance with NIH Policy. The ARC follows all
standards for AAALAC and institutional IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) compliance and
is staffed by full-time veterinarians and professional staff overseeing all program aspects. The ARC provides
animal care and holding space to support a wide range of animal models, surgery, and research. Rooms are
available to provide barrier- and virus antibody free- (VAF-) housing for rodents. Facilities up to animal
biosafety level 4 (ABSL4) are available. New facilities for a rodent barrier and for large animal holding were
added in 2007. Trained animal care staff members serve the BSL3 and BSL4 facilities. They have access to
the experimental rooms, are approved by the Department of Justice, and all of the experiments with select
agents are planned and coordinated along with the animal care staff.
Biosafety and Animal BioSafety Level 2, 3 and 4 laboratory facilities. Renovated in 1995, the laboratory space
available to UTMB investigators involved in biodefense projects includes 49 standard BSL2 laboratories (total
space approximately 95,000 sq ft), plus special BSL3 laboratories (3,412 sq ft) for work with hazardous viral
agents. The BSL3 laboratories have been inspected by HHS/CDC and USDA/APHIS and are registered with
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Select Agent Program. Core facilities include 6,550
sq ft animal biosafety level 2 and 3 labs; a 750 sq ft level 2 arthropod containment insectary; a fully equipped
electron microscopy laboratory; and a darkroom equipped to develop X-ray film.
Core Facilities. UTMB has several core facilities that provide essential interdisciplinary coordination of efforts in
research activities. These fully staffed core laboratories supply oligonucleotides, synthetic peptides, HPLC
separation and analysis, proteomics and microarray analyses, monoclonal antibodies, and transgenic mouse
models. For example, the Infectious Diseases and Toxicology Optical Imaging Core (OIC) provides highresolution imaging and analysis of specimens, including those exposed to BSL2 infectious agents and/or
treated with toxic substances. The OIC is equipped with a Zeiss LSM 510 UV META laser scanning confocal
microscope, a large format fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiophot 2) with attached high-resolution digital
camera, and a SLM 4800S life-time spectrofluorometer. An experienced instrumentation specialist guides
operation of the confocal microscope and assists in image analysis and presentation.
Electron Microscopy. The electron microscopy laboratory of the Department of Pathology has three
transmission electron microscopes (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energydispersive x-ray microanalysis (EDAX) system to determine elemental composition of samples. The lab is
equipped with ultramicrotomes and has all necessary facilities to prepare biological samples for EM
examination and producing high quality EM prints. The staff of the lab also has expertise in immunoelectron
microscopy and is well published in peer-reviewed journals.
The W. M. Keck Center for Virus Imaging was established through a $1.7M gift from the W. M. Keck
106737310
5
Foundation and matching funds from a HRSA grant and the Kleburg Foundation. The specialized research
center is designed for high containment virus imaging. The center includes two major instruments for studying
the structure, replication and pathogenesis of viruses: 1) An Olympus FV1000 Spectral Confocal microscope
system and 2) a JEOL JEM-2200FS high voltage (200 kV), high resolution transmission cryoelectron
microscope with energy filtering, including a cryotransfer system, cooling control unit, CCD camera, remote
control operating system and operation computer. Dr. Michael Sherman, recruited from Purdue University,
manages the virus imaging facility. He is highly experienced in operating and maintaining cryoelectron
microscopes, as well as in software development and other technical and theoretical aspects of electron
microscopy.
The Institute for the Medical Humanities, home of the graduate program in medical humanities, was
established in 1988. Its curriculum represents the field’s first and only PhD program in the United States. It
aims to help train the teachers, clinicians, researchers and administrators who represent the future of medical
humanities. The institute faculty represent expertise in ethics, law, literature, philosophy, religion, humanistic
gerontology and visual studies. Through these disciplines, the Institute addresses many critical issues of
contemporary medical practice and research technology and human values; ethical problems in research and
clinical practice; allocation of scarce resources; the social, historical and cultural contexts within which
medicine confronts illness; images and conceptions informing the relationship between patients and health
care providers; the texture and complexity of the experiences of illness and health care; the relationship of
health and illness to ultimate realms of belief and value; and the legal framework within which health care
decisions are made.
Investigational Drug Service (IDS) was established to support clinical research. Staffing includes a
pharmacist coordinator and a research technologist. Fee-based services provided by IDS include receipt and
storage of experimental medications; drug preparation; dispensing; collection of unused articles; maintenance
of inventory; randomization and patient counseling. The IDS also is able to produce placebo capsules for
blinded studies. The service has managed more than 100 studies, and has successfully worked with NCI, FDA,
NIH and numerous pharmaceutical companies.
The Ophthalmology Clinical Research Center provides the structure and home for faculty to conduct clinical
trials. Principal investigators receive administrative and trial coordination support through the OCRC group,
physicians, nurses, research coordinators, and photographers, who coordinate the resources and efforts
needed to conduct clinical trials from beginning to end. Patient recruitment, study protocol adherence, patient
examination and treatment, analysis of data and trial close-out are all managed centrally. Patients, doctors,
and sponsors of clinical trials benefit from our clinical research facility, allowing research to be conducted
efficiently without disruption of the normal clinical flow.
The Sealy Center on Aging, established in 1995, is an independent, multidisciplinary component of UTMB
that provides a wide range of expertise and resources in clinical care, research, and education related to aging
studies and aging populations. Dr. James Goodwin directs the Center on Aging, supported by endowment
funds from the Sealy and Smith Foundation. The Director, Associate Director (K. Ottenbacher), a volunteer
registry coordinator, administrative coordinator, and two support staff comprise the center administration.
Some 25 Senior Fellows and 52 Fellows affiliated with the Center on Aging represent all four schools and three
institutes at UTMB. Facilities include a suite of 12 offices contiguous to the Geriatrics Division of Internal
Medicine. Clinical geriatric training and research take place in the 12-bed clinical research center, the >50-bed
geriatric inpatient unit, the Geriatric Day Hospital and the Geriatric Clinic, and with the assistance of staff and
faculty in the departments of Internal and Family Medicine. Research strengths of the center’s behavioral
scientists and epidemiologists include population-based studies of aging in minority populations and studies of
medical care outcomes in the elderly using large databases. Long term care studies are among the center’s
developing areas of strength.
The Volunteer Registry of the Sealy Center on Aging contains information on people age 55 and older who
may wish to participate in medical and social research studies. Sociodemographic and health information
obtained by questionnaire is stored in a database managed and analyzed by the General Clinical Research
Center. The registry, available to all UTMB researchers, facilitates research on aging by helping recruit
106737310
6
subjects and disseminate information about research projects through mailing lists, newsletters, and
presentations. Names of some 600 volunteers are in the registry.
The UTMB Office of Senior Services was created to develop a more holistic model of clinical services to the
elderly, particularly to frail elderly. The office also develops educational programs and services to elderly
populations, including those in Galveston County, rural elderly, and others in our potential catchment area. In
addition, the office works closely with the Center on Aging to expand educational activities, especially for
internships and community-based student projects, assessing needs of older residents of Galveston County,
and working with public and private agencies in designing community-based programs to meet identified
needs.
Data Management System for Medical Research. In 1996, a group of statisticians and SAS programmers
developed the Data Management System for Medical Research (DMSMED), which provides support for
database management and data analyses for research. DMSMED was developed as part of the UTMB’s
Center for Population Health and Disparities Project, funded by NCI and NIA, and has provided investigators
with expertise and resources related to database management. The DMSMED enables new investigators who
are without access to sophisticated computing capabilities and/or personnel to devise an efficient, integrated
data management system that allows them to participate in Medicare and other large database research. The
capabilities and availability of the user-friendly DMSMED greatly facilitates data analysis for faculty, doctoral
students and medical fellows. In addition, the data on the data server can be accessed through the UTMB
computer network, which maintains data security, for investigators who have been approved by National
Cancer Institute for work on these data. It is convenient and flexible for investigators and staff members to
work on their projects.
Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE) Hospital Unit, opened in 2000 and managed by the Division of Geriatrics, was
the first hospital unit in Texas designed exclusively to care for acutely ill older adults. It uses an interdisciplinary
team model to help prevent the physical decline and weakness that can occur with hospitalization. The ACE
unit is the largest in the country with a patient service and clinical research mission. Over a 6 month period
July–Dec 2007 the ACE unit cared for 1,349 patients, or about 274 patients per month. During this period 58%
of admissions were women; 61% were non-Hispanic white, 27% non-Hispanic black, 10% Hispanic, average
length of stay in 2007 was 5.1 days.
The Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, has 10 faculty who teach medical
students, pre-doctoral graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in clinical gerontology, epidemiology and
health policy. The division also has a fellowship training program in geriatric medicine for graduates of Internal
Medicine or Family Medicine residencies. The program provides didactic education in gerontology, ethics,
biostatistics and research study design. Clinical training is obtained on an acute care geriatrics inpatient unit, a
geriatric outpatient clinic and a community long-term care center. All fellows complete a clinical research
project. A major clinical focus for the division is providing community-based services for disadvantaged elderly.
Since 2000, the division has opened two clinics for those aged 75 and older in neighborhoods with a high
density of older minorities. The faculty engage in considerable community outreach, including English and
Spanish radio and talks at minority churches.
The Center for Population Health and Health Disparities (CPHHD) studies ways to improve the health and
health care of Mexican Americans through translational and community participatory research projects. This
interdisciplinary, virtual center is based in the Sealy Center on Aging and the Department of Preventive
Medicine & Community Health, where the PI (James S. Goodwin, MD) and many of the dozen project directors
and investigators have offices. Field investigations are conducted in Texas City, a community of 42,000 and
home of the nation’s third-largest petrochemical and refinery complex.
East Texas Geriatric Education Center (ETGEC) is funded by a 3-year grant from the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA). James S. Goodwin, MD, is PI of this project whose mission is to provide
enhanced interdisciplinary geriatric education and clinical training for professionals and students in allopathic
medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and social work in predominantly rural East Texas.
The ETGEC works with the East Texas AHEC and other affiliates in East Texas including Lamar University,
106737310
7
Stephen F. Austin State University, and Baylor University, to provide interdisciplinary geriatric education and
training through didactic conferencing, distance learning, workshops, symposiums, and web-based modules.
Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center was initiated in 2000 with an award from the National
Institute on Aging and renewed in 2005. James S. Goodwin, MD, is PI for the Pepper Center. The cores
include Leadership/ Administration, Research Career Development, Recruitment and Measurement,
Metabolism Research, Pilot/Exploratory Studies, and Proteomics\Genomics. The focus of the Pepper Center
is muscle function in older adults. Investigators are conducting and planning clinical trials and field-based
outcome research to begin transferring fundamental findings in muscle biology discovered in the past 8-9 years
to clinical environments and patient populations.
In the Mass Spectrometry Core analysis takes place for all projects involved with the Pepper Center and, more
generally, in metabolism in aging. Staff assists investigators in all aspects of tracer methodology to study
metabolism in elderly individuals. The lab has all the equipment necessary to perform stable isotope
enrichment measurements, including three quadruple gas chromatograph mass spectrometers with EI/CI/NCI
interface and parallel FID, and a gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometer with a gas
bench for IRMS analysis of breath and blood gasses. The staff has expertise in experimental design,
performance and analysis of tracer studies, and in mathematical modeling.
The Molecular Biology Core faculty and staff provide technical support and services in the areas of
recombinant DNA technology and molecular genetics. Services include plasmid DNA production, phage DNA
(lambda and M13) preparation, competent cell production, plasmid DNA transformation and screening,
oligonucleotide synthesis, DNA sequence analysis, DNA fragment purification, vector and plasmid construction
and RNA/DNA isolation from human tissue. In addition to these services, technical support in the preparation
of cDNA from human total RNA, deletion mutagenesis to create internal control targets to be used in
quantitative PCR analysis and the cloning of the murine myostatin gene and characterization of the myostatin
core promoter is provided. Technical expertise in bacterial expression of protein (lambda and T7 based
systems), site-directed mutagenesis, library construction and DNA transfection of eukaryotic cells is available.
The Minority Health and Aging Research Training Program is a T32 training grant administered by a director
(James S. Goodwin, MD), co-director (Kyriakos Markides, PhD), executive committee, support staff, and an
advisory committee. Previous program self-evaluation and feedback from trainees suggested the benefit of
expanding our success in minority recruitment by designating the coordination of this responsibility to a senior
project faculty member. We have, therefore, added a Hispanic scholar with an established record of research
on aging, which complements the disciplinary and research interests of the existing program mentors and
leadership. Dr. Rebeca Wong, Director of the WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center on Aging and Health will
serve as recruitment coordinator. UTMB has a strong minority aging program, particularly with respect to the
Mexican American population living in the Southwest. All trainees participate in ongoing seminars, professional
conferences, and research programs with a focus on minority and underserved populations. As a result of their
training, fellows develop skills in specific curricula content and methods (pre-doctoral training); integrate social
science and/or medical backgrounds with psychosocial and epidemiological content and methods relevant to
the study of older minorities; and participate in ongoing minority aging and health research with faculty
nationally recognized in minority aging research.
Health Services Research in Under-Served Populations, created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ), Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program, was renewed in 2005. The overall aim of
the grant is to increase the capacity of UTMB faculty to conduct rigorous health services research with a focus
on minority, under-served and disadvantaged populations. Jean Freeman, PhD, is PI for this grant, which has
three major components: recruiting new faculty with expertise in health economics, biostatistics and outcomes
research; developing and implementing an advanced graduate curriculum in Health Services Research; and
developing a mentoring and seed money program for emerging investigators in health services research.
The Hispanic - Established Population Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic-EPESE) is an ongoing
epidemiologic study of older Mexican Americans living in southwestern states – Texas, New Mexico, Colorado,
Arizona, and California. It was initiated in 1992 by the National Institute on Aging to provide basic data on the
106737310
8
health and health care needs of older Mexican Americans. Dr. Kyriakos Markides is PI for this grant. The
Hispanic EPESE has been a very successful study of older Mexican Americans and helped create a better
profile of the health and medical care needs of this understudied population. Moreover, it is helping launch the
research careers of numerous new investigators, many of them from minority backgrounds.
Summer Research Training in Aging for Medical Students (MSTAR) is a collaborative effort between the
University of Pittsburgh and University of Texas Medical Branch that offers a 12 week intensive experience in
aging research for first-year medical students. The program exposes students early in their careers to exciting
opportunities and engaging mentors, and offers support to remain engaged after the experience.
WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center on Aging and Health opened in June 2005 as one of only seven WHO
Collaborating Centers focusing on aging research and education in the world. Four of these are joint centers
with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and UTMB is home to the only collaborating center on
aging and health in North America. Dr. Rebeca Wong was hired in January 2008 as Director of this
collaborating center and Dr. Markides is the associate director for research. Dr. Wong is originally from Mexico,
and has extensive ties to the gerontologic community throughout Latin America. The Mission of the Center is to
foster research on aging and health in the Americas, and collaborate with the WHO and PAHO in identifying
institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean willing to establish formal research collaborations and pursue
opportunities for clinical and scientific training with a focus on older adults. The center has a very successful
visiting scholars program whereby faculty from Latin America spend 3 to 12 months learning and applying
research and scientific methods to the study of older Latino adults. Since January of 2005 the program has
supported five scholars from Mexico and Latin America, three of whom are geriatricians.
Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine (SCEHM), established in 2000, addresses important
issues in environmental health by promoting excellence in research, education, community outreach, and
clinical intervention. Existing as a center without walls and administered by Director Jonathan Ward, PhD, the
center is housed with UTMB’s NIEHS Center (below). Its research base comes from ~40 full time, well
published, funded faculty devoted to study of asthma pathogenesis, bioactivation and transport, CNS and GI
pathophysiology, viral potentiation of toxicant exposure, and environmental carcinogenesis. Galveston’s
proximity to many sources of significant environmental problems, such as oxidant and particulate pollutants,
hazardous chemical releases, toxic waste sites, and old buildings with peeling lead paint, makes UTMB a
compelling site for such a multidisciplinary environmental health sciences center. SCEHM provides support
for gene expression analysis through a Molecular Genomics Service Core and custom synthesis of compounds
for research through a Synthetic Organic Chemistry Core. The center’s Environmental Exposure Facility
provides state-of-the-art capabilities for conducting exposures of experimental animals and in vitro models to
gas phase environmental toxicants. During the last year, much of the effort in translational research has
focused on developing a prototype for an NIEHS-type Integrated Health Sciences Facility Core (IHSFC). This
core’s purpose is to stimulate patient-oriented research by allowing biological marker (biomarker)
identification. The core contains an analytical chemistry component (ACC), and a Bioinformatics component.
ACC provides high quality cost effective services to NIEHS Center and UTMB investigators for small molecule
analysis, while bioinformatics aids these investigators in the identification of biomarkers that are suitable for
measuring environmental exposures associated with diseases. The center’s contributions to UTMB’s
excellence in environmental health research and training were important factors in sustained funding from the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) for our Environmental Toxicology Training Grant
and our NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology (re-funded for five years starting April 1, 2005). Its guiding
principle remains to initiate and develop innovative projects and facilitate their transition to other sources of
funding.
The NIEHS Center in Environmental Toxicology, while maintaining the highest intellectual standards, is
dedicated to the study of environmental health science problems, and to educating the community about
solutions to these problems. Adhering to the overarching theme of examining the role of oxidative stress in
mediating the health effects of exposure to environmental factors, center investigators study the mechanisms
by which reactive oxygen species are produced and detoxified, modulate signaling pathways, damage DNA,
and are involved in the etiology of asthma. A seminar program and state-of-the-art service cores facilitate
collaborative research projects, enhance the scope and quality of individual center investigators’ research, and
106737310
9
provide access to expertise and instrumentation that would not otherwise be cost-effective. These service
cores include the Molecular Genetics Core, Biomolecular Resource Facility Core, Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Core and Cell Biology Core. The center focuses the environmental concerns of and develops useful programs
for communities via the Community Outreach and Education Core, in which a majority of the center
investigators participate. This Center is directed by Dr. Jonathan Ward, Professor, Preventive Medicine &
Community Health.
The Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine (SCMM) focuses on understanding cell stress response pathways
using high-throughput systems-based approaches. The center’s biomarkers program is developing new tools
to study and classify human diseases at a molecular level, allowing researchers to predict individual
susceptibility to disease and to create better diagnostics for such common ailments as asthma, cancer,
diabetes and degenerative diseases. Its scientists are leading investigators in the Departments of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Internal Medicine, Microbiology & Immunology, Pediatrics, Neuroscience & Cell
Biology. Primary pursuits of the SCMM include the discovery and translation of the basic principles governing
the signal transduction and the cellular stress response. In addition, the SCMM focuses on developing
technologies for biomarker identification and molecular systems approaches for developing individualized
treatments for human diseases. Work in the center is supported by cores in molecular genomics/microarray
facility, high throughput sequencing/single nucleotide polymorphisms, thioaptamer screening facility, and
proteomics/biomarker discovery.
The Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics (SCSB) was established in 1995 to
provide UTMB with state-of-the-art resources for structural and functional studies of biological
macromolecules. It was founded on the principle that the success of structural biology in medical research is
predicated on an understanding of how structure is linked to function. Consequently, in addition to traditional
research programs that use X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance, recruitment in SCSB also
includes faculty whose expertise covers experimental and theoretical biophysics, as well as computational
biology. The SCSB consists of 21 core and 16 associate members from 4 departments, and the breadth of
research spans all aspects of molecular biophysics and biochemistry, addressing such fundamental issues as
molecular recognition, signal transduction, allosteric regulation, protein folding, systems biology, and drug
design.
The Sealy Center for Vaccine Development (SCVD) opened in December 2001 and has grown to 69 faculty
members investigating more than 100 cutting edge research programs. Its on- and off-campus relationships
will help translate laboratory findings to the bedside and beyond. More
Stark Diabetes Center was established in 2001 to house a multidiscliplinary team for the treatment of patients
with diabetes. Services include glucose testing, wound care, and an ADA certified diabetes education
program. The goal of the Center is to provide the most up-to-date treatment for diabetes and its
complications. The center contains 9 patient examination rooms, a procedure room, a laboratory to conduct
point of care HbA1c, urine microalbumin, cholesterol and wound care testing, a patient education classroom
and telehealth/distance education equipment.
The Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health (PMCH) maintains the faculty expertise to
address contemporary challenges to the health and well-being of human populations through basic,
translational and clinical research. PMCH faculty expertise encompasses the core disciplines of the population
health sciences, public health sciences and preventive medicine sciences and includes the specific disciplines
of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Health Services, Human Nutrition, Sociomedical
Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, General Preventive Medicine, Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine,
and Clinical Investigative Sciences. Departmental faculty and support personnel collaborate in a wide variety
of programmatic efforts across disciplines within the department, throughout the university and beyond.
106737310
10