The University of Houston (UH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) have been awarded a $44.2 million grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Research. This funding will support the establishment of a regional hub dedicated to advancing clinical and translational research.  Dubbed the Consortium for Translational and Precision Health (CTPH), the new hub will enhance collaboration between the two institutions and other clinical and research groups within the Texas Medical Center. The CTPH aims to expedite the translation of new technologies and discoveries into patient care and real-world impact, provide funding and resources to accelerate pilot projects and research initiatives and connect investigators with local healthcare organizations and government agencies that are dedicated to healthcare, clinical research and policy.  “Research is the engine empowering health care’s life-changing advancements,” said UH President Renu Khator, in a release. “This innovative hub will be a catalyst for groundbreaking discoveries and treatments that improve people’s quality of life. That’s what drives us at UH and we’re ecstatic to cofound a regional hub for change alongside Baylor.”  The hub will be led by BCM’s Christopher Amos, professor and director of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and Dr. Fasiha Kanwal, professor of medicine and chief of the section of gastroenterology and hepatology, alongside UH’s Dr. Bettina M. Beech, clinical professor of population health and chief population health officer.  “The CTPH is a partnership that draws on strengths of both institutions, creating a rich multidisciplinary environment. It will act as the vehicle to enhance the infrastructure and resources needed to effectively conduct research and implement solutions to advance healthcare,” said Dr. Carolyn Smith, interim senior vice president and dean of research at BCM. “It will help implement and create ongoing core research activities that will support the clinical translational science at both institutions.”  This strategic partnership comes at a time when local institutions are intensifying efforts to advance critical research that will deliver vital healthcare solutions. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University recently announced a collaboration to advance fundamental and translational cancer research and develop life-saving technologies. Additionally, a research initiative led by Rice University, in collaboration with MD Anderson, received an $18 million grant to improve tumor removal technology for breast, head and neck cancer.  Learn more about Houston’s Life Sciences industry. 

A research initiative led by Rice University, in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson, has received an $18 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The funding, which will be distributed over five years, will support the development of a new system aimed at enhancing the accuracy of tumor removal in breast, and head and neck cancer.   Rice University was among eight institutions chosen to receive a share of the $150 million in grants announced earlier this week by the Biden-Harris administration. This funding is part of the ongoing Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to halve the cancer death rate by 2047.   The Rice and MD Anderson research team has developed a groundbreaking cancer pathology system called AccessPath, which addresses a significant challenge surgeons face: accurately identifying the margin where a tumor ends, and healthy tissue begins. Leveraging advanced technologies, including a high-resolution microscope and advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, AccessPath enables surgeons to determine in real time whether they have completely removed a tumor during surgery.  “Because of its low cost, high speed, and automated analysis, we believe AccessPath can revolutionize real-time surgical guidance, greatly expanding the range of hospitals able to provide accurate intraoperative tumor margin assessment and improving outcomes for all cancer surgery patients,” Rebecca Richards-Kortum, a lead researcher on the project and director of the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, said in a news release.  According to ARPA-H, nearly two million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year. Given the complexity and high cost of cancer treatment, AccessPath offers a promising solution by “reducing the number of repeat interventions, lowering cancer care costs and improving patient outcomes,” said Dr. Ana Paula Refinetti, an associate professor in the Breast Surgical Oncology department at MD Anderson and one of the lead researchers on the project.  This cutting-edge innovation stems from a strategic partnership established this summer between Rice University and MD Anderson. Through the Cancer Bioengineering Collaborative, the two institutions are working together to develop life-saving technologies and bioengineering strategies to enhance cancer research, diagnosis and treatment.  “AccessPath is exactly the kind of life-changing research and health care innovation we are proud to produce at Rice, where we’re committed to addressing and solving the world’s most pressing medical issues,” said Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Rice’s executive vice president for research. “Partnering with MD Anderson on this vital work underscores the importance of such ongoing collaborations with our neighbors in the world’s largest medical center.”  This award is yet another example showcasing Houston’s leadership in advancing critical, life-saving technologies.  Learn more about Houston’s life sciences industry.