Vol. 40 | March 2026, 5-minute read

Welcome New Dean's Scholars

headshots of the new Dean's Scholars, Esraa Eloseily and Mayank Verma.

We are thrilled to welcome two outstanding early clinical investigators to the Dean's Scholar in Clinical Research Program, which will support their independent research projects over the next two years. Out of a highly competitive applicant pool, the new scholars are (pictured above, from left):

Esraa Eloseily, M.D., an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, focuses on defining the intersection of inflammation and metabolism in pediatric rheumatic disease. Her research will investigate the immunometabolic drivers of disease severity and complications in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Mayank Verma, M.D., Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, aims to launch a study to identify biomarkers for the most common cause of progressive myoclonus epilepsies. His work will create assays to distinguish healthy from disease carriers and establish a robust biomarker panel to monitor disease progressiveness and therapy efficacy.

The Dean’s Scholar in Clinical Research Program strives to enhance the success of UT Southwestern faculty in the Clinical Scholar track. It provides early-career faculty protected research time, support, didactic training, career guidance, and mentorship to facilitate their development as successful clinical investigators. The spring application cycle is open now through May 29.

Free Enterprise AI Tools at UTSW Powered by nebulaONE and Qualified Health

We are pleased to introduce two free enterprise AI tools available to UTSW researchers. These tools provide access to HIPAA-compliant environments, enabling faculty, researchers, and staff to leverage advanced AI capabilities while safeguarding sensitive institutional and patient data.

NebulaONE provides UTSW researchers access to GPT and soon another pathway to Claude models. Whether you are summarizing complex topics, drafting administrative correspondence, or brainstorming grant proposals, you can now do so within a protected UTSW-managed ecosystem.

Qualified Health is being implemented across the UT System as part of the UT-REAL-Health-AI Initiative. The Qualified Health chat feature pulls in critical information from departments across the system to expedite documentation in clinical care, such as chart summaries and referral letters. Other features of this tool will allow UTSW researchers to create models tailored to UTSW clinical needs, helping to optimize inpatient care, identify patients eligible for advanced procedures, and build quality registries to improve operational efficiency. Qualified health will be available this spring and will provide free access to AI features until late spring 2028.

NebulaONE is free to use for all UTSW personnel through May 2026. We are currently evaluating the long-term funding model with the goal of extending free or subsidized access beyond May to ensure equitable AI availability for our entire campus.

Learn more about AI resources and request pricing information through the Information Resources AI Tools site.

Don’t Go Solo: UTSW Innovation Hub Launching DIMS to Guide Research Commercialization

At UT Southwestern, a bold new chapter in research innovation is underway. The newly introduced Discovery Information Management System (DIMS) is designed to help faculty strategically track, strengthen, and translate their discoveries into real-world impact.

Developed through the UTSW Innovation Hub, DIMS provides our researchers with a roadmap to commercializing their discoveries through marking milestones and critical experiments and provides structured guidance through key phases of translational and commercial development.

The DIMS platform also offers potential investors a window into the UTSW discovery engine to foster close alignment between faculty innovation and venture capital interests. This visibility enhances the likelihood of strategic matches that can connect our researchers with development and funding pathways.

In addition, once projects are entered into the system, DIMS can proactively recommend funding opportunities tailored to the scope and stage of each investigator’s work, helping researchers to identify next-step support. Faculty retain ownership of their scientific direction and DIMS provides structure and visibility to support decision making, milestone planning, and partner readiness.

DIMS is built for faculty and research teams who want a clearer plan for translation, whether the end goal is partnering with industry, launching a new venture, or building a durable institutional program. If your work has a strong scientific signal and a plausible path to impact, DIMS can help structure the next steps and reduce friction.

With DIMS, the Innovation Hub is building the infrastructure, partnerships, and strategic support needed to transform UTSW discoveries into impact. Connect with our team to get a personalized demonstration of the beta system. Broad-ranging recruitment for all UTSW researchers will open May 1.

Learn more about the Innovation Hub

Funding Opportunities

Applications Open for the 2026-27 Texas Health Resources Clinical Scholars Program

The Texas Health Resources (THR) Clinical Scholars Program supports the training and development of outstanding clinician-researchers at UT Southwestern. It provides up to 70% protected research time and other resources to promote career development for clinical investigators. Scholars are eligible to receive up to $750,000 for research and salary support for three years.

Cycle 1 applications are due May 8.
Cycle 2 applications are due Sept. 25.
Cycle 3 applications are due Jan. 30, 2027.

UTSW SCCC Clinical Oncology Research Career Development (K12) Program*

The overall goal of this NIH-funded career development program is to prepare early-career clinical investigators to become independent leaders in translational and clinical cancer research. Scholars will receive personalized interdisciplinary mentorship, access to world-class laboratory and clinical research environments, structured coursework, and hands-on experience in clinical trial design and implementation.

Please contact K12 Program Coordinator Julie Ramos with questions.

Applications due Friday, April 17. More information and online application here.

Children's Clinical Research Advisory Committee Grant Funding Cycle Now Open*

Use the opportunity title links below for full details.

Fellow Research Scholar Award

Applications due May 4.

Nursing/Allied Health Research Award

Applications due May 4.

Senior Investigator Bridge Award

Applications due April 1, July 1, and Oct. 1.

Important Dates and Upcoming Events

Apply to the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) Program

The O’Donnell School of Public Health offers the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (M.S.C.I.) degree and the Certificate in Clinical Investigation to equip investigators with the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to succeed in academic or industry careers in clinical and translational research.

Applications due April 1. Apply here.

2026 Celebration of Women in Science & Medicine Poster Session

This celebration seeks to enhance the visibility and recognition of women in science and medicine at UT Southwestern.

April 2, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Event information.

Obstetric Critical Care Symposium

This one-day, live symposium designed for clinicians caring for critically ill obstetric patients will review, address, and update essential management strategies, providing the knowledge, confidence, and resources to improve patient care. The symposium will also foster collaborative learning and strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships to advance the quality of care for this vulnerable patient population.

April 11, 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Register here.

Charles Morris Ginsburg Simulation-Based Quality Improvement and Research Forum

This immersive, daylong hybrid event brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds who share a passion for simulation-based learning, innovation, and collaboration. The forum features poster and oral presentations and offers an Emerging Ideas section where participants can seek mentorship for new projects in development.

April 22, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Register here.

*Sponsored by the UT Southwestern CTSA Program

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