Welcome to the new TxBiomed magazine
Usually, around this time, we send out our Annual Report, which focuses on the prior calendar year. Science at Texas Biomed is happening around the clock at an unprecedented pace. A year is too long to wait to share our most exciting news with you. So, to bring you the latest research and Institute updates, we are launching a new publication: TxBiomed. This new magazine will be published in print annually and online throughout the year.
This summer’s cover story is one I am especially excited about. Texas Biomed stepped up to tackle COVID-19, and that research continues. Simultaneously, experts in TB, HIV and malaria have picked up the work they paused when it was all-hands-on-deck to fight the pandemic. We can’t let history repeat itself by losing momentum on these ongoing global health threats.
Throughout the magazine, you will read SPOTLIGHTS about the research happening right now and about CATALYSTS who are driving science forward faster. In this issue, we FOCUS on the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas Biomed, which is part of a national network celebrating 60 years in nonhuman primate research. All of this work takes funding, so this edition features our 2021 financial report.
Our success is thanks, in large part, to the exceptional support team at Texas Biomed. Our research administration team, led by Executive Vice President Dr. Joanne Turner, makes sure our scientists have the resources, tools and learning opportunities they need to conduct world-class science. Across the Institute, from facilities, HR and IT to finance, security and veterinary care, everyone pulls together to support the science mission.
This past year, in addition to the ongoing pandemic, the Institute navigated another unexpected challenge. In late 2021, I received some daunting personal news. I was diagnosed with oral cancer. Both Dr. Turner and our Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President for Administration Bruce Edwards, alongside the entire senior leadership team, helped steer the ship while I underwent months of treatments in Houston. I am so proud of the Texas Biomed team and the work it did, allowing me to focus on recovery. The encouragement our Texas Biomed family shared with me throughout was invaluable, and I am grateful to report a clean bill of health!
My doctor told me that my cancer was likely caused by a viral infection. I am now a walking example alongside tens of thousands of people every year diagnosed with a viral-induced cancer. For me, this experience underscores the interconnectedness of infectious disease research with all of human health and how critical our mission is to protect people from the threats of infection. Health starts with science. Health starts at Texas Biomed!
–Larry Schlesinger, MD
President/CEO, Texas Biomed