TMC collaboration: training new kidney,…

Texas Medical Center researchers are working together to strengthen the pipeline for future kidney, urologic and hematologic (KUH) research. Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions will receive $6.25 million over five years from the National Institutes of Health to launch the Houston Area Incubator for Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Research Training (HAI-KUH).

Houston has a significant burden of kidney diseases, hypertension, sickle cell disease and other nonmalignant hematologic conditions. HAI-KUH's mission is to improve the health of these patients by building a strong scientific workforce to address their needs. HAI-KUH will leverage the Texas Medical Center's biomedical research resources to develop research skills of students and trainees and prepare them for sustained and impactful careers in KUH research professions.

The program will fund six predoctoral students and six postdoctoral associates selected through a competitive application process. Trainees will receive support in scientific research, professional development and networking.

HAI-KUH includes 58 investigators from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), the University of Houston (UH), Houston Methodist, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University and Texas A&M University Institute of Biosciences and Technology. This multidisciplinary team is engaged in a breadth of KUH disease, addressing development, prevention, diagnostics and treatment. HAI-KUH will provide trainees the opportunity to collaborate across institutions and fields of study.

Dr. Alison Bertuch, professor of pediatrics - oncology and molecular and human genetics at Baylor and Texas Children's, Dr. Peter Doris, professor and director of the Institute of Molecular Medicine Center for Human Genetics at UT Health Houston, and Dr. Margaret Goodell, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor, will serve as principal investigators. Dr. Chester Koh (Baylor/Texas Children's), Dr. Rachel Miller (UT Health Houston) and Dr. Rayne Rouce (Baylor/Texas Children's) will serve as core leads. Dr. Wolfgang Winkelmeyer (Baylor), Dr. Oleh Pochynyuk (UTHealth Houston), Dr. Jeffrey Rimer (UH), Dr. Rose Khavari (Houston Methodist) and Dr. Pamela Wenzel (UT Health Houston) are co-investigators.

This work is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U2CDK143942 and TL1DK147564).