MBID Research Retreat scheduled for March 7
Registration is open for the 2024 Molecular Basis of Infectious Disease (MBID) Research Retreat. The annual event will be held March 7 at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (1825 Pressler St.). The MBID retreat, which began in 2008,…
Research explores novel therapies for IRI
A four-year, $2.6 million grant to study circadian rhythm and novel therapies to protect the heart during a heart attack or cardiac surgery has been awarded to UTHealth Houston by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the…
Vásquez honored for contributions
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field, Valeria Vásquez, PhD, associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the inaugural Dr. Pete Cala Research Excellence in Physiology Award during the recent Hispanic Heritage Symposium at UC Davis. Vásquez…
Cryo-EM helps to map mitochondrial function
Research led by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology using cryo-electron microscopy has shed light on the importance of phospholipids in mitochondria function, paving further mechanistic understanding of these cell power plants. “Structural insights into cardiolipin replacement by phosphatidylglycerol…
NIH renews Dowhan, Bogdanov’s 50-year grant
The National Institutes of Health(NIH) has granted William Dowhan, PhD, and Mikhail Bogdanov, PhD, professors in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a renewal for their grant titled “Dynamic Lipid and Protein Organization in Cell Membranes.” The renewal is…
Study: SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, can alter genome structure of our cells
People infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may experience genome structure changes that not only may explain our immunological symptoms after infection but also potentially link to long COVID, according to a new study by researchers at McGovern…
New leadership for Pulmonary Center of Excellence
Harry Karmouty-Quintana, PhD, associate professor and fellow of the William S. Kilroy, Sr. Distinguished University Chair in Pulmonary Disease, has been appointed director of the Pulmonary Center of Excellence. With faculty appointments in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology…
Jayaraman awarded $3.5 million grant
A five-year, nearly $3.5 million grant to study the mechanisms of brain receptors involved in neurological disorders such as learning disabilities has been awarded to Vasanthi Jayaraman, PhD, professor and John S. Dunn Chair in the Department of Biochemistry and…
Five McGovern postdocs win President’s research awards
The Postdoctoral Association and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at UTHealth Houston have named five McGovern Medical School postdoctoral research fellows as the winners of the 2022 President’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Research. This year’s winners (and their mentors)…
Researchers discover novel light-gated potassium channel
A key approach to understanding the brain is to observe the behavioral effects of turning on specific populations of neurons. One of the most popular approaches to controlling neuronal activity in model systems is called optogenetics and depends on expressing…