Discoveries ENews: the latest on research and more

March/2016

Gearing up for 2016 Forum Gala

Since 1971, the members of the Forum have been organizing and hosting San Antonio's premier spring formal fundraiser in support of Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

The 2016 Biomedical Forum Gala will be held on May 7, 2016 at The Argyle. The Black and White Masquerade Ball is a tribute to Truman Capote's infamous 1966 soiree held in New York City's Plaza Hotel. The evening will be filled with great food, fabulous raffle and auction opportunities and live entertainment. All of the proceeds raised from this event go to funding pilot studies at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

If you cannot attend the gala, you can still support by buying a raffle ticket for a five night stay at Hacienda Palo Maria in Puerta Vallarta Mexico for 10 people. The package includes a house staff, security, chef and personal concierge. Learn more and buy your ticket today at http://www.txbiomed.org/forum/annual-gala/gala-reservations.

Tables, after party tickets, raffle tickets and matching grant opportunities can be found online at www.txbiomed.org/forum.

2015 Forum Grant Recipients

Through the years, more than $2.8 million dollars has been donated by the Forum to fund pilot studies at Texas Biomed. Scientists who have received seed monies from the Forum have been able to apply for federal grants and to other granting organizations that have resulted in more than $35 million dollars for Texas Biomed. The 2015 Forun Grant awardees are as follows:

Dr. Tim Anderson for Genetic Manipulation of Schistosome Parasites
Dr. Luis Giavedoni for Proof-of-concept studies aimed at curing HIV infection
Dr. Prahlad Rao and Dr. Kimberly Spradling-Reeves for Systems biology analysis of gut biocrobiota in the baboon model of obesity
Dr. Marcel Daadi and Dr. Geoff Clark (UTHSCSA) for Imaging dopaminergic grafts in nonhuman primate model of Parkinson's disease
Dr. Anthony Comuzzie and Dr. Michael Olivier with Dr. Nick Musi (UTHSCSA) for studying Mechanism of appetite control in lean individuals in families with history of obesity
Dr. Ruth Ruprecht and Dr. Davenport Crystal (UTHSCSA) for Structural analysis of a monoclonal antibody that targets a novel region on HIV-1 gp41

In This Issue

Forum Gala

2015 Forum grant recipients

Rapamycin study

Science news!

Rapamycin metabolic study results lead to new NIH-funded efficacy study

R esults from a metabolic safety study of rapamycin were published in the journal Aging in late 2015. These results have led to the Southwest National Primate Research Center and the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio receiving a grant for $2.7 million from the National Institute on Aging.

This new grant funds a study that started in February 2016 to determine the effects of rapamycin lifespan and markers of healthy aging for a cohort of marmosets that have already reached middle age.

A description and link to the news story can be found here.