FROM THE PRESIDENT

Exciting things are happening in the Texas Medical Center. The area is growing, and each day many new changes take place. I would like to acknowledge a few that recently happened.

The Texas A&M Institute for Biosciences and Technology, a component of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a TMC member institution. The idea was to join America’s largest agricultural university with the world’s largest medical center to improve collaborations among their units. In the past 10 years, scientists from the institute and the Texas Medical Center have undertaken interdisciplinary and collaborative research on molecular, cellular, systemic, and whole-animal biology that bridges the gap between basic science and the application of "new biotechnology" in medicine and agriculture.

Research programs focus on bridging concerns between human health, animal disease and food production. The institute’s research is organized by centers, each with its own research director. The centers focus on animal biotechnology, arthritis and bone diseases, cancer biology and nutrition, genome research, genome informatics, and macromolecular design. Emerging research areas necessitate the development of new centers as the institute continues to grow.

Another celebration recently held at the Texas A&M Institute for Biosciences and Technology was the dedication of its newest research center – the Margaret M. Alkek Center for Environmental and Genetic Medicine. The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation, of which Mrs. Alkek is board chair, has a long history of philanthropic support for Houston’s medical and arts communities. In recognition of their generosity, many local landmarks have been named for both Mr. and Mrs. Alkek, or for Mr. Alkek alone. However, this important new element at the institute is extraordinary, because for the very first time, Mrs. Margaret Alkek has something named just for her. In addition to her support for this new research center, we thank Mrs. Alkek for her kindness and long-standing support over the years to the many institutions that have been substantial beneficiaries.

I would also like to acknowledge a recent safety forum held in the Texas Medical Center. More than 100 engineering, public health, social sciences and law enforcement professionals joined forces at the third annual Forum on Public Health and Transportation Safety to discuss ways to reduce transportation deaths and injuries in the United States. The forum, organized by the Texas Transportation Institute’s Center for Transportation Safety in College Station, focused on transportation safety in the community, enhancing traffic law enforcement, emergency medical services, young and older drivers, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and construction work zones.

Dr. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, noted that seat belt use is the most effective way to reduce injuries and save lives of drivers and passengers. One hundred fifty-five people are killed every day in motor vehicle crashes, and nearly half of the passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2000 were not wearing seat belts or secured in child safety seats. Dr. Runge said buckling up is a national priority, and traffic enforcement is the key to getting people to pay attention. He noted South Carolina’s "Click it or Ticket" campaign, which, due to media exposure and targeted law enforcement, increased seat belt use by nearly nine percent.

This Memorial Day holiday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration will conduct a 12-state demonstration of the campaign, which includes Texas, to evaluate its effectiveness with a larger audience.

Do your part – be smart, be safe, and buckle up.

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/05_15_02/page_21.html