Office of the Provost Danny O. Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS
Executive Vice President and Provost,
Dean of the School of Medicine
I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve as Executive Vice President and Provost, and Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. I am proud to be part of an institution with such a rich history and diverse community of people who are working to improve the lives of others.
Message from the Provost
Septmember 30, 2013
I am pleased to announce that Dr. K. Sathish Kumar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, has received a $1.9 million grant award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Dr. Kumar is the Principal Investigator of the project entitled, “Sex-specific fetal programming of adult vascular dysfunction and hypertension.” This new five-year award will support Dr. Kumar’s research aimed at understanding the developmental origins of adult cardiovascular dysfunction and improving our knowledge of sex differences in vascular dysfunction to devise sex-specific strategies for prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Dr. Kumar joined the UTMB faculty in 2010. His research activities focus on maternal vascular adaptations to pregnancy, developmental origins of adult health and disease and sex-specific differences in the hypertensive and metabolic signaling mechanisms. An exceptional young scientist, he is the recipient of the Excellence in Basic Science Research Award from the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women’s Health at UTMB, the Perinatal Research Society NIH Young Investigator Award, and the Society for Gynecologic Investigation President’s Presenter Award.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Kumar on his grant award.
Sincerely yours,
Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS
Executive Vice President, Provost and
Dean of the School of Medicine
Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair
September 23, 2013
I pleased to announce that Giulio Taglialatela, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, has received a $1.5 million grant award from the NIH/National Institute on Aging for his project entitled, "Mechanisms of resistance to cognitive decline in AD." This new five-year award will support Dr. Taglialatela’s research on Alzheimer’s Disease, focusing on understanding the neuromolecular determinants mediating the ability of certain individuals to escape the cognitive decline normally associated with this terminal disorder. Co-investigators of the project are Dr. Susan Carlton, Professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Dr. Kelly Dineley, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology, and Dr. John Wiktorowicz, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.
A member of the UTMB faculty since 1993, Dr. Taglialatela is a highly-respected neuroscientist, who has contributed significantly to research in the fields of aging, apoptotic neuronal cell death and Alzheimer’s Disease. He has received numerous grant support from a variety of sources, including the NIH, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative, Texas Advanced Research Program and John Sealy Memorial Endowment Fund for Biomedical Research.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Taglialatela on his grant award.
Sincerely yours,
Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS
Executive Vice President, Provost and
Dean of the School of Medicine
Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair
September 4, 2013
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Marxa Figueiredo has received a $364,000 grant award from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Figueiredo, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and a member of the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, is the Principal Investigator of the project entitled, “Pro-peptide Gene Delivery for Treating Prostate Cancer Bone Metastases.” This new two-year award will support Dr. Figueiredo’s research on reducing morbidity in prostate cancer patients who have bony metastases, thereby improving their quality of life. The project is a collaborative effort with Dr. Miriam Falzon, Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, who will provide expertise in prostate cancer and bone cell signaling.
Dr. Figueiredo began her professional career at Louisiana State University in 2008 and joined the UTMB faculty in 2010. Her research activities focus on developing and use of genetic manipulations to treat cancer.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Figueiredo on her grant award.
Sincerely yours,
Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS
Executive Vice President, Provost and
Dean of the School of Medicine
Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair
September 4, 2013
It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Nicola Abate, the Charles C. Sprague, M.D. Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, has been appointed as a member of the NIH Clinical and Integrative Diabetes and Obesity Study Section, Center for Scientific Review. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors.
Dr. Abate joined the UTMB faculty in 2008. An internationally recognized clinical investigator in the field of obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and lipid metabolism, he is the author of numerous highly-cited articles and a reviewer for more than 15 leading journals. Since 2006, he has served as Associate Editor of the journal Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders and as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. During this past year, he has served as a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Diabetes Care, Journal of Diabetes Research and Clinical Metabolism, Journal of Metabolomics and Metabolites, and the journal Global Epidemic Obesity.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Abate on his appointment.
Sincerely yours,
Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS
Executive Vice President, Provost and
Dean of the School of Medicine
Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair
August 30, 2013
I am deeply saddened to share that UTMB faculty member, Dr. Silvia Pierangeli, passed away on Wednesday. Dr. Pierangeli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, son-in-law and mother.
An internationally recognized researcher in the field of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), Dr. Pierangeli joined UTMB in 2006 as Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology. She held joint appointments in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Pathology. Dr. Pierangeli was certified by the College of American Pathologists to direct the antiphospholipid standardization laboratory, a reference center for testing on antiphospholipid antibodies not only at UTMB, but nationally and internationally as well. In addition, she was Chair of the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Alliance for Clinical Trials and International Networking (APS ACTION) International Clinical Database and Repository located at UTMB.
Dr. Pierangeli received her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina and subsequently her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Louisville, KY. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from 1985-1987. She received grants from the NIH, the U.S.-Israeli Binational Science Foundation and the Arthritis Research Campaign (UK).
Dr. Pierangeli presented her work at many congresses and symposia around the world. She was a member of the NIH Arthritis, Connective Tissue and Skin Study Section, an editorial board member of the journal Lupus and a reviewer for numerous scientific journals. She published more than 145 scientific papers in the field of APS and contributed to numerous book chapters.
Dr. Pierangeli was a gifted scientist and her death is a loss to UTMB and the scientific community. We offer our deepest sympathy to her family, colleagues and friends.
Sincerely yours,
Danny O. Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS
Executive Vice President, Provost and
Dean of the School of Medicine
Thomas N. & Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair
POWER
