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UTHSCSA
at its 2016 National Hepatitis Testing Day observance in Washing-
ton, D.C. The White House acknowledged the ReACH Center’s
initiatives to screen, evaluate and cure chronic hepatitis C virus in-
fection in diverse health care settings serving low-income popula-
tions across South Texas.
The Viral Hepatitis Testing Recognition Award given by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recognizes four
ReACH projects that have been conducted since 2012 with funding
from multiple federal and state agencies. Dr. Barbara J. Turner, di-
rector of the ReACH Center, accepted the honor at the Eisenhower
Executive Office Building on the grounds of the White House.
Patient-Centered home Recognition
In January, UT Medicine received Patient-Centered Medical
Home (PCMH) Recognition from the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA). UT Medicine was cited for our use of
evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly co-
ordinated care and long-term, participative relationships. A patient-
centered medical home is a model of health care that places the
patient at the center, served by a primary care physician and a health it plays in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Hye Young Lee’s expertise is in
care team who take into account the totality of the individual’s
needs. This may include the patient’s family and job situation, health
history and spiritual needs. The team can include many other clini-
cians, including physician specialists, nurses, physical therapists,
nurse educators, pharmacists, psychologists and occupational ther-
apists. The NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving health care quality.
New Software Reveals Viral Mechanism
In the February issue of the journal Nature, scientists showed the
structure of a protein complex that enables some viruses (similar to
HIV) insert their genetic information into cells and permanently
infect them. To confirm the discovery, the team of scientists turned
to a UltraScan©, a unique software system developed by Borries
Demeler, Ph.D., Professor of the Department of Biochemistry. The
software delivers sophisticated biological metrics derived from a
time-honored scientific process called analytical ultracentrifugation. deeper insight into how the BRCA1 gene functions in normal breast
Dr. Demeler is a co-author on the paper with researchers from the
Salk Institute and Harvard Medical School.
Cardiac Rhythm Warning
Researcher Marc Feldman, M.D., Director of Research and Pro-
fessor of Cardiology, as well as other UT colleagues, patented a tech-
nology to help pacemakers better measure cardiac performance.
Their invention, which is being commercialized by Admittance
Technologies, will warn patients and doctors of heart problems and
prevent pacemakers from activating prematurely. Early warnings will
enable cardiologists to adjust a patient’s medications to avoid hos-
DEAN’S MESSAGE
pitalizations and ultimately reduce mortality rates from heart failure
and arrhythmias.
Dr. Feldman’s research and other work like his is part of the reason
the UT System was ranked 4th among the Top 100 Worldwide Uni-
versities Granted U.S. Utility Patent Ranking for 2015. The ranking
— published by the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual
Property Owners Association — uses data from the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office to highlight the important role patents play in
advancing university research and innovation.
Brain Research grant
Bess Frost, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cellular and Structural
Biology, and Hye Young Lee, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiol-
ogy, were recently awarded a $150,000 grant for brain research from
the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI). The School of Med-
icine and UT San Antonio (UTSA) are working collaboratively in
the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute, which was established in
2003. Dr. Frost’s expertise is in nucleoplasmic reticulum, the tubular
invaginations of the nuclear envelope at the cellular level and the role
using molecular techniques to study neurodevelopmental disorders.
Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers in the School’s Barshop Institute for aging and
Longevity Studies have described changes in Parkinson’s-affected
cells at various stages of the disease, long before any symptoms are
evident. The changes are the basis of an article in the April issue of
the Journal of Neuroscience. Senior author is Michael Beckstead,
Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Physiology. The ultimate goal of the
research is a drug to arrest the disease and lengthen the time patients
with Parkinson’s can lead healthy, productive lives.
BRCA1 gene Function
In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers
from the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) provide
tissue and how its loss results in breast cancer. BRCA1 is known to
suppress cancer by repairing breaks in DNA.
Lead author Rong Li, Ph.D., a Professor of Molecular Medicine,
found that BRCA1 also serves as a limiter or governor on a gene
called COBRA1 that regulates breast cell growth.
Francisco González-Scarano Dean, School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs University of
Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
John P. Howe, III, MD, Distinguished Chair in Health Policy Pro-
fessor of Neurology
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