Vol. 16 | November 2022 – 5 minute read

To advance the science and knowledge in the broad range of musculoskeletal conditions, UT Southwestern has launched a Musculoskeletal and Sports Research Program (MSRP).

One in 2 adults in the U.S. would be affected by a musculoskeletal condition or injury that hinders their ability to move without pain, according to a 2016 report from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Understanding these conditions and developing new treatments requires expertise from multiple disciplines.

The MSRP will foster collaborations among various departments and centers - including Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Internal Medicine, the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, and the Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research. 

Nitin Jain, M.D., M.S.P.H., Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic Surgery, serves as program director. Under Dr. Jain’s leadership, the MSRP will build new synergies among our investigators, engage trainees as they advance in their careers, and attract additional premier researchers and physician-scientists to our institution. These efforts will enable outstanding basic, translational, and clinical research that will ultimately improve patient care. 

The Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health (OSPH) has opened the applications for its M.P.H. program, which will welcome its first class in the summer 2023. 

As part of the recruitment efforts, UT Southwestern students, faculty, and leaders shared what it is like to be part of our campus community and the impact the OSPH is expected to have in the region.

Applications are accepted now and due no later than April 1, 2023.

William A. Prinz, Ph.D., is the new Chair of the Department of Cell Biology. He joins us from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he serves as Chief of the Lipid Trafficking and Organelle Biogenesis Section of the Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology.

Dr. Prinz has carefully studied organelle biogenesis and how membrane contact sites and lipids affect the ability of a cell to maintain stable internal conditions upon changes in its extracellular environment.

Among his notable scientific accomplishments, he discovered the structure and function of oxysterol-binding protein related-proteins (ORPs) – a large, conserved family of lipid-binding proteins that play a role in keeping lipid balance and reside at membrane contact sites.

The scientific expertise and proven leadership record Dr. Prinz brings will continue the Department of Cell Biology’s tradition for excellence.

Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Center for Inflammation Research, and Lora Hooper, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology, have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

With their election, UT Southwestern now has 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine on its faculty. Drs. Chen and Hooper are also among UT Southwestern’s 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. Read more. 

Beginning Jan. 25, 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will require the submission of Data Management and Sharing (DMS) plans for all new or competing renewal grant applications, for all research that generates scientific data. 

The new policy requires that PIs deposit their scientific data in publicly accessible data repositories at or before publication or at the completion of a research project; and that they explicitly describe their plans for how and where their data will be deposited. 

An informational session for faculty will be held on Dec. 2 at 9 a.m. in NG3.112. More information is available online (VPN required). Send questions to DataSharing@utsouthwestern.edu.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced a new competition to select HHMI Investigators. It is open to basic researchers and physician-scientists who catalyze research in basic and biomedical sciences, plant biology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, chemical biology, biomedical engineering, and computational biology. 

Candidates can apply directly to HHMI by March 21, 2023.

Currently, UT Southwestern has 14 HHMI investigators. 

Fall Faculty Reception

The event features Dr. Jennifer A. Haythornthwaite, Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who will present High-Impact Mentoring: Feedback Feeds Forward.

• Nov. 2, 4-6 p.m., A.W. Harris Faculty Club, E4.400-South Campus. Register to attend.

Promotion & Tenure Workshop

Join this interactive discussion of criteria evaluated for promotion, including research independence, national reputation, and teaching excellence.

• Nov. 10, noon-1 p.m. Join on Zoom.

StandPoint Faculty Engagement Survey

Take the Association of American Medical Colleges’ survey to help us track our progress and keep us accountable as we work toward making UT Southwestern Medical Center a place where all faculty can thrive.

• Survey closes Nov. 11.

2022 State Employee Charitable Campaign

The SECC is the only authorized workplace charitable giving campaign for state agency and higher education employees in Texas. There are several hundred state-vetted charities to select from.

• Donate through Nov. 30.

Student Federal Government Loan Repayment

The National Health Service Corps is accepting applications for the Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP).

• Apply by Dec. 1.

Successfully Obtaining an R (SOAR) Grant Program

The SOAR grantsmanship program provides junior faculty conducting basic, translational, or clinical research the opportunity to work with a coach to craft a fundable proposal.

• Apply by Jan. 17, 2023.