New Pilot Grant Program available for Medical School faculty

The Research Committee has announced a new Pilot Grant Program, which is designed to provide full-time Medical School faculty with support necessary to obtain preliminary data that would form the basis for a new extramural grant application.    

“This will give faculty some funds to pursue new research ideas and therefore help them accumulate pilot (preliminary) data that can form the basis for a subsequent grant application to the NIH,” said Dr. John Byrne, assistant dean for research affairs.
 
One-year funding of up to $25,000 will be made for these seed grant-type projects, and applications will be accepted several times a year.  Requests for support of collaborative projects are encouraged.

“The aim of this program is to grown new research at the Medical School. We know that we have excellent investigators who might just need some resources to get started on a prolific path,” Dean Giuseppe Colasurdo said.

Awards will be made with the understanding that investigators will submit an R01 or its equivalent by the end of the pilot period.  Completed applications must be submitted electronically in PDF format to msresearchcommittee@uth.tmc.edu for review and received by April 15, 2008 for consideration. 

Two awards will be made this cycle.  

For additional information and a copy of the guidelines, please access http://med.uth.tmc.edu/administration/research-affairs/funding_opps.html

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Wang named to endowed chair

Dr. Run Wang

Dr. Run Wang, associate professor of urology, has been named the holder of the Cecil M. Crigler, M.D. Chair in Urology.

Nominated by Dr. Richard Andrassy, chair of the Department of Surgery, Wang’s appointment to an endowed position recognizes his research, clinical, and academic accomplishments.

Wang’s research and clinical interests are male sexual function and fertility. He graduated from Southeast University Medical College in China and did residencies at Southeast University Medical College, China, and the Medical College of Georgia. He completed fellowships at Nijmegen University, The Netherlands, and at Tulane University. Dr. Wang is the Executive Chair of the World Society of Chinese Urologists, Board of Directors of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.  He is an editorial board member for Current Urology, Journal of Andrology and the Asian Journal of Andrology.

Wang joined the Medical School in 2002 as an assistant professor in the Division of Urology. He also is an associate professor and director of Sexual Medicine at M. D. Anderson’s Department of Urology.

The endowment was created in 1991 as a tribute to Crigler, who was the first Chief of Urology at both Hermann Hospital and The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The first holder of the chair was Dr. Joseph Corriere Jr., who held the position from 1992 to 2003. He was the President of American Urological Association from 2005 to 2006. 

“Dr. Corriere Jr. has been my most esteemed mentor and friend since I joined The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. It is a great honor to follow in his steps as the guardian of the Cecil M. Crigler, M.D. Chair funds,” Wang said.

“These funds will support me and our division to augment our clinical and basic research program, particularly the research program of penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment. It will also strengthen our well-established international exchange program,” said Wang, the holder of honorary/concurrent/visiting professorships in numerous international universities.

-Darla Brown

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MSB to host clinical nurse coordinator program

The Clinical Nurse Coordinator Education Program provides a model of practice in conducting clinical research based on the principles of Good Clinical Practice; focusing on research compliance, protecting the safety and well-being of research subjects and ensuring the integrity of the research.  Topics will include: research ethics, consent process, budget development, and more.  
 
This course will be held March 25-27 &and April 1-3 in the Medical School Building. Times vary per session.  Please visit the Web site at http://www.uth.tmc.edu/research/events/crevents.htm for additional information and to register, or contact Catey Carter at Catharine.V.Carter@uth.tmc.edu or 713.500.3524.