{"id":16767,"date":"2024-11-08T09:34:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T15:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=16767"},"modified":"2024-11-07T13:38:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T19:38:03","slug":"utrgv-opens-its-new-center-for-human-genetics-building-on-the-brownsville-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=16767","title":{"rendered":"UTRGV opens its new Center for Human Genetics Building on the Brownsville Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Center will expand and enhance diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The UTRGV School of Medicine celebrated the Center for Human Genetics opening\u00a0in Brownsville. The new 17,246-square-foot facility expands research capabilities and provides students with state-of-the-art laboratories for hands-on training in human genetics. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Heriberto Perez-Zuniga<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS \u2013 OCT. 28, 2024 \u2013 <\/strong>The UTRGV School of Medicine today celebrated the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Center for Human Genetics, headquartered on the Brownsville Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new facility is dedicated to cutting-edge research that addresses major public health concerns in the Rio Grande Valley, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 17,246-square-foot facility, funded by a Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation grant and support from the UT System Permanent University Fund, will expand research capabilities aimed at delivering life-changing results for the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The facility will conduct research studies focused on the Mexican American population in South Texas, a significant leap forward for a region disproportionately affected by those health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UTRGV President Guy Bailey joined Brownsville Commissioner Bryan Martinez and Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine and senior vice president of UT Health RGV, along with other community leaders, to celebrate the promise the center holds for local families who have struggled with chronic health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur researchers have been working to identify the genetic roots of diabetes and obesity for years, and now, with this incredible facility, we can expand that work in ways we only dreamed of before,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cThis will directly benefit the people of the Valley, whose health and quality of life have long been impacted by these diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ADVANCING RESEARCH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Sarah Williams-Blangero, chief of the UTRGV School of Medicine\u2019s Division of Human Genetics and director of the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, said the Center for Human Genetics is set to become a hub for groundbreaking research focused on the genetic factors that influence diseases all too prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The facility includes a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suite, a genetic sequencing laboratory, as well as office and conference spaces designed to support human genetics research, and will provide researchers with the resources needed to make significant strides in improving health outcomes. And, it will open the door to more complex studies, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur work on imaging genomics is critical for understanding diabetes and obesity, but also brain disorders and liver diseases, which are closely tied to metabolic health,\u201d Williams-Blangero said. \u201cNow we can conduct these studies right here in the Valley, instead of relying on facilities elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers will have access to important tools for studies related to psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder, which has affected almost 35% of adult Mexican Americans in South Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Williams-Blangero said the center not only advances cutting-edge research, but also ramps up training for the next generation of scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur Ph.D. program in human genetics already is training future geneticists right here in the Valley,\u201d she said. \u201cThis new facility provides students with state-of-the-art laboratories, giving them the hands-on experience they need to thrive in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
The UTRGV School of Medicine\u2019s Center for Human Genetics features a dedicated MRI suite. The state-of-the-art facilities will allow researchers to conduct groundbreaking studies on diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GAME-CHANGER FOR THE VALLEY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In South Texas, where one in three adults suffer from diabetes, The Center for Human Genetics will be a game-changer, Williams-Blangero said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis center is here for the people of the Valley. It\u2019s about understanding why these diseases are so prevalent in our community, using that knowledge to find better treatments and, ultimately, to prevent them altogether,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The data gathered from local residents participating in ongoing studies will help researchers develop personalized treatment strategies, ensuring that the discoveries made in the Valley directly apply to those who need solutions the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since arriving at UTRGV a decade ago to establish the South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, Williams-Blangero and researchers in Human Genetics have secured more than $110 million in funding, leading to the publication of more than 450 scientific papers over those 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hocker, dean of the UTRGV medical school, predicts the center\u2019s work will have an impact well beyond the Valley, given its collaborations involving more than 90 institutions around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a world-renowned group of researchers in genetics and diabetes,\u201d he said. \u201cThis facility is state-of-the-art, and there\u2019s some incredible research happening in the Rio Grande Valley that\u2019s going to change lives for people in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Researchers at the Center for Human Genetics will conduct groundbreaking studies on the genetic factors influencing diseases common in the Rio Grande Valley, such as diabetes and obesity. The Center\u2019s work will directly benefit Valley residents’ health and quality of life. (UTRGV Photo by David Pike)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Center will expand and enhance diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular research By Heriberto Perez-Zuniga RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS \u2013 OCT. 28, 2024 \u2013 The UTRGV School of Medicine today celebrated the opening of its new, state-of-the-art Center for Human Genetics, headquartered on the Brownsville Campus. The new facility is dedicated to cutting-edge research that addresses major public health concerns in the Rio Grande Valley, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and depression. The 17,246-square-foot facility, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":16768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[113,120],"class_list":["post-16767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news","tag-local","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16771,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16767\/revisions\/16771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}