Annual Aging to Perfection Lecture Series highlights advances in Dementia Care and Brain Health | | Nearly 160 members of the UTHealth Houston community and the public gathered at the Junior League of Houston for the fifth annual Aging to Perfection Endowed Lecture Series, which celebrates the legacy of Carmel Bitondo Dyer, MD. | | Assassi earns two NIH scleroderma research grants | | |
Shervin Assassi, MD, MS, director of the Division of Rheumatology, has been awarded two R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) totaling nearly $5 million to tackle systemic sclerosis, or scleroderma, from two angles.
In the first study, Assassi and Tingting W. Mills, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, are investigating why scar tissue builds up in the skin and lungs. They believe low oxygen levels may switch off NUDT21, a key protective mechanism in cells, and trigger excessive fibrosis. In the second study, Assassi and Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD, vice president and head of the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, are characterizing samples obtained in a clinical trial that tests a next-generation immune cell therapy designed to remove harmful B cells and “reset” the immune system in autoimmune diseases using engineered natural killer (NK) cells. Together, these studies aim to uncover the root causes of scleroderma and help develop more effective treatments.
| NIH awards $4M grant to study GLP-1 weight regain | |
Absalon D. Guiterrez, MD, professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, and Joseph B. McCormick, MD, professor of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, have been awarded a five-year, $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify genetic markers that may contribute to weight gain after stopping GLP-1 medications. Read more about the team's research.
| Abrencillo's pulmonary expertise helps a patient breathe easier | |
Rodeo Abrencillo, MD, associate professor and director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, specializes in caring for patients with complex interstitial lung diseases. His personalized approach helped patient Monica Reyes navigate years of serious respiratory complications and ultimately improve her lung capacity and quality of life. Read more about how expert pulmonary care and a committed physician-patient relationship made a life-changing difference.
| | |
Houstonia Magazine recently released its 2026 annual Top Doctors list, recognizing physicians across the Greater Houston area for excellence in clinical care. This year's honorees included several outstanding faculty members from the Department of Internal Medicine. Congratulations to all our awardees for this well-deserved recognition of their dedication to patients and the community. They include:
-
Allergy & Immunology: Ekta Perera, MD
-
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism: Neel L. Shah, MD
-
Gastroenterology: Nirav C. Thosani, MD, MHA
-
Infectious Diseases: Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, MD
-
Nephrology: Dia Waguespack, MD
-
Rheumatology: Gloria A. Salazar, MD, MS
-
Sleep Medicine: Ruckshanda Majid, MBBS
| | |
Dianna M. Milewicz, MD, PhD, President George Bush Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, director of the Division of Medical Genetics, and vice chair of Internal Medicine, was recently named Founder's Award honoree by the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health at the organization's annual gala in Los Angeles.
Milewicz, a world-renowned expert in the genetics of aortic and vascular diseases, established The John Ritter Research Program in Aortic and Vascular Diseases at UTHealth Houston in 2010. Her research aims to identify the genetic factors that cause thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections.
| | |
The Division of Rheumatology teamed up with the National Scleroderma Foundation to host Scleroderma Education Day at the Cooley University Life Center on Sept. 19. Clinicians and area specialists discussed scleroderma-related Interstitial Lung Disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, gastrointestinal complications, myositis, hand challenges, and more.
"Being surrounded by others who truly understand this journey reminded me how powerful our scleroderma community is," said one attendee. "I was especially proud to see some of my own doctors sharing their knowledge and helping patients feel informed, heard, and supported. I left feeling even more grateful to be part of this community and more motivated than ever to advocate, raise awareness, and help work toward a future where no one has to face scleroderma alone."
| |
UTHealth Houston hosted its third annual Sickle Cell Disease Symposium in Sarofim Pavilion at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center on Sept. 18. The event drew a record turnout, with more than 250 attending either in person or virtually. Guest speakers from UTHealth Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Houston shared their expertise on topics such as the pulmonary and cerebrovascular complications of sickle cell disease, pain management, and governmental policy. Texas State Senator and emergency room nurse, Molly Cook, gave the keynote address. Panel discussions included staff and patients from the UT Physicians Comprehensive Adult Sickle Cell Center.
Organized each year by Modupe Idowu, MD, director of the Division of Hematology and medical director of the Center, the symposium continues to grow in both attendance and sponsorship, spotlighting a disease that affects more than 9,000 Texans, 40% of whom live in the Houston area.
| | | | |
