September 2, 2015

9315PulmonaryPaintingGroup640Physicians and staff with Texas Children’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program hosted a tile painting party on August 22 where patients transformed ceramic tiles into colorful pieces of art. The event benefited the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA).

Held in the newly renovated Child Life Zone on the 16th floor of West Tower, pulmonary hypertension patients and their families painted tiles to decorate a garden bench that will be auctioned off at a PHA fundraising gala in October. The theme of the garden bench is “hope” and each tile represents a family’s idea of what hope means to them.

Special guest Dynamo Diesel entertained the children. He signed picture frames for families to keep as a memento. The tile painting party also provided a venue for families to meet and support other Texas Children’s families impacted by pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is a health condition characterized by abnormally high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. As a result, the heart works harder to pump blood through the lungs, which can cause breathlessness, difficulty performing physical activity and heart failure.

Over the years, Texas Children’s pulmonary hypertension team has collaborated with the PHA to sponsor fundraising events to increase awareness, promote research and educate families about this medical condition.

For more information about Texas Children’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program, click here. To visit the PHA website, click here.

September 1, 2015

bench-and-beside-Header2Bench and Bedside is a digest of the previous month’s stories about the clinical and academic activities of our physicians and scientists. We welcome your submissions and feedback.

August 4

Department of Urology to present 12 papers at international conference

The Department of Urology will be well represented at the 26th Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Urology this October in Prague. Twelve of the department’s abstracts were chosen for posters, most with presentations.

August 4

Zoghbi receives seven-year Javits award to advance ataxia research

Dr. Huda Zoghbi, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) at Texas Children’s, has been awarded a Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for her “distinguished record of substantial contributions in the field of neurological science.”

9115tcpanniv300August 4

Texas Children’s Pediatrics celebrates 20 years of providing primary care

Twenty years ago today, Texas Children’s launched what is now the largest pediatric network in the nation with more than 200 board-certified pediatricians and 50 practices throughout the greater Houston community. Each year, the group sees 400,000 patients and completes more than a million visits.

9115chagas300August 4

Grant funds first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans

The Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development have received a $1.8 million grant to accelerate development of the first therapeutic vaccine for Chagas disease in humans. The vaccine is in a development program under the direction of Drs. Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi. Chagas disease impacts people throughout Texas, and Texas Children’s is leading the way in vaccine development.

9115woodlandsurgentcare300August 18

Texas Children’s opens urgent care center in The Woodlands

Texas Children’s has expanded its urgent care network, adding a location in The Woodlands next door to the community’s children’s museum on West Panther Creek Drive.

 

 

August 18

Texas Children’s Hospital is a sponsor for the 2015 Be The Match Walk-Run

Be The Match Walk-Run is a fundraising event that helps patients find a bone marrow, stem cell, or cord donor and receive a life-saving transplant. Each year the Texas Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Program has a group of patients, employees and their families who walk or run in support of this life saving research. You and your family are invited to join us as we support and raise awareness for the Be The Match registry.

9115autismwalk300August 18

Join the NRI, Baylor team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks

Ready to lace up to support a worthy cause? The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine invite you to join their team for the 2015 Walk Now for Autism Speaks.