Giving to the UT Health Science Center at Houston

Gratias Dono

There is a time for generous philanthropy and there is a time for humble gratitude and acknowledgment. Wednesday Feb.4, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston held a special evening for its Development Board and contributors called Gratias Dono. Translated from Latin, the phrase means “an offering of thanks for a gift.” With these words of appreciation, the university was able to express its thanks to the myriad friends of the health science center in a room imbued with the spirit of Renaissance Florence where civic philanthropy was born.

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The UT Health Science Center at Houston President Larry R. Kaiser, M.D., delivered a State of the University address to Development Board members at their quarterly meeting on Feb. 4. He emphasized that the depth of talent of faculty, students and staff, coupled with strong support from the local philanthropic community, should allow the university to thrive, despite the downturn of the national economy. He noted that contributions from alumni and the Development Board increased over the past year and that the health science center ended 2008 with a positive financial margin.

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Longtime UT Health Science Center at Houston Development Board member Rodney Margolis accepts a Longhorn statue from Development Board Chair Eugene Vaughan, health science center President Larry R. Kaiser, M.D., and Development Board member Ralph O’Connor look on. The statue commemorates Margolis’ being named a “Life Member” of the UT Development Board, one of only 10 in the health science center’s 37-year history. The presentation was made during Gratias Dono, a donor appreciation event Feb. 4.

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UT Health Science Center at Houston Development Board member Rodney Margolis, second from left, was honored as a “Life Member” during the Gratias Dono donor appreciation dinner held Feb. 4, at the Houston Country Club. Development Board Chair Eugene Vaughan, far left, noted that Margolis has been a steadfast supporter of the university for more than a decade. Margolis served as chair of the Development Board from 1996-98. Also pictured, Rodney’s wife Judy Margolis and health science center President Larry R. Kaiser, M.D.

UT Researchers and Bentsen Family Take First Step
Toward Stroke Treatment and Prevention

Surrounded by photographs of the late American statesman Lloyd M. Bentsen, five researchers who are breaking new ground in stroke prevention, diagnosis and treatment presented their work at a reception to celebrate the opening of the Senator Lloyd and B.A. Bentsen Center for Stroke Research Thursday evening, Jan. 22, at The University of Texas Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM). 

Myriam Fornage, PhD, associate professor of Human Genetics at the IMM, presented her team’s achievement in identifying a gene that predisposes human beings to stroke--research that will be the foundation for studies leading to stroke prevention. 

Cheng Chi Lee, PhD, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the UT Medical School at Houston, has discovered a natural molecule that slows the metabolic rate and allows the body to cool.  It is the basis for critical intervention that protects cells from damage in stroke and heart attack victims. 

Professor and director of Stem Cell Research Paul Simmons, PhD, an international leader in the field, described his work in applying these cells in a range of therapeutic settings, including the treatment of inflammation and degeneration of brain tissue in stroke.

Two of the scientists are working with highly sensitive new imaging technology.  Eva Sevick, PhD, professor and Cullen Chair and director of Molecular Imaging, and her team have developed a technique that uses tissue-penetrating near-infrared light for rapid diagnosis of the presence of disease markers, a vital tool in diagnosing patients in emergency conditions. 

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