President Kibbe explores research innovation at IMM

UTHealth Houston President Melina R. Kibbe, MD, got an up-close look at the research shaping the future of the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases during a recent visit to the institute.

Kibbe met with faculty and leaders from across the IMM, hearing presentations from seven research centers spanning genetics, cardiovascular disease, metabolism, molecular imaging, neuroimmunology, cancer research, and drug discovery. The visit also gave researchers an opportunity to discuss their plans for growth, opportunities for collaboration, and the resources needed to expand their work.

John Hancock, MA, MB, BChir, PhD, ScD, senior vice president for research strategy and innovation at UTHealth Houston and senior executive director of the IMM, opened the visit with an overview of the institute and its evolution.

“Our success is dependent on scientific talent and, most importantly, our will to discover and apply new knowledge and technologies to better the human condition,” Hancock said. “We’ve tried to hold fast to that philosophy throughout the various iterations of the IMM, and, as a consequence of that, we have evolved into a translational research powerhouse.”

For Kibbe, the visit underscored both the breadth of that work and the potential she sees for the institute’s future.

“What stood out to me during my visit to the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine was the ambition and innovation behind the work and the tremendous potential across its research centers,” Kibbe said. “I heard directly from our teams about where they are heading and the opportunities ahead, and it reinforced just how important their work is to the future of UTHealth Houston and the communities we serve. There is incredible momentum here, and I’m excited to see how these ideas and discoveries continue to grow and make an impact.”

A look across the IMM

The presentations offered Kibbe a snapshot of both the breadth of research underway at the IMM and where its scientists see opportunities for further growth.

Unlocking the genetics of disease

Peter Doris, PhD, director of the Center for Human Genetics, discussed the center’s work to better understand the genetic foundations of common diseases.

Doris highlighted how advances in genomic technology have transformed population genetics, allowing researchers to move from studies involving relatively small populations and limited genetic markers to analyses involving hundreds of thousands of individuals. He also discussed emerging technologies, including long-read DNA sequencing, that are allowing scientists to study regions of the human genome that previously were difficult to analyze.

At the Center for Cardiovascular Genetics, center director Ali J. Marian, MD, discussed research aimed at understanding the genetic, genomic, and molecular mechanisms underlying heart failure.

Marian and his colleagues are studying how genetic variants lead to disease, why some inherited conditions do not manifest until later in life, and how those pathways might ultimately be targeted therapeutically. He also identified opportunities to build the scientific capacity and shared resources needed to pursue larger collaborative research programs.

Connecting metabolism, aging, and disease

Mikhail Kolonin, PhD, director of the Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases, highlighted research into the connections among metabolism, aging, obesity, cancer, and degenerative diseases. The center brings together investigators studying multiple tissues and organ systems, with increasing collaboration among its laboratories and with clinical researchers across McGovern Medical School. Kolonin said those partnerships are positioning the center to pursue larger collaborative research projects.

Bringing new imaging approaches to patients

Eva Sevick, PhD, director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Imaging, focused on the center’s efforts to move imaging technologies from the laboratory into clinical research. The multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers has pioneered approaches to imaging lymphatic function in humans and continues to develop technologies that can be used in areas ranging from rare lymphatic disorders and cancer to neurological research. Sevick also discussed efforts to expand the center’s faculty and build a broader clinical and research program around lymphatic disease.

Exploring the brain-immune connection

Long-Jun Wu, PhD, director of the Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, shared the progress of one of IMM’s newer research programs. Launched in 2024, the center studies interactions among neurons, glial cells, and the immune system to better understand neurological disease. Wu highlighted recent faculty recruitment, research funding, and collaborations that are helping establish the center, with a long-term goal of translating discoveries about neuroimmune mechanisms into new therapies for brain diseases.

Moving discoveries toward new therapies

Qingyun “Jim” Liu, PhD, director of the Center for Translational Cancer Research, described a multidisciplinary program focused on cancer biology, drug-target discovery, and the development of therapeutic and imaging agents. The center combines expertise in areas including pharmacology, toxicology, proteomics, imaging, and drug discovery while also providing research resources used by investigators across UTHealth Houston.

Zhiqiang An, PhD, director of the Texas Therapeutics Institute, outlined the institute’s work to advance drug discovery and development. Its investigators bring expertise in antibody engineering, chemistry, biologics, and therapeutic development, with research programs designed to move discoveries toward potential treatments. An also discussed plans to continue expanding capabilities in areas including antibody-drug conjugates, small-molecule discovery, and technology-assisted drug design.

Three decades of discovery

Established in 1995, the IMM brings together scientists focused on understanding disease at the genetic, cellular, and molecular levels and translating those discoveries into new approaches to diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

The institute’s Fayez S. and Susan K. Sarofim Research Building opened in 2006, marking its 20th anniversary this year.

Building for what comes next

The visit also highlighted infrastructure and collaborations designed to support research across the IMM and university.

Maria Garcia-Villareal, PhD, senior executive director of research administrative services at the IMM, discussed efforts to strengthen connections among IMM researchers and investigators throughout UTHealth Houston, including collaborations with McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. She highlighted opportunities to expand computational and data infrastructure, shared research resources, and new capabilities within the IMM, including imaging and radiochemistry resources.

Throughout the presentations, Kibbe asked researchers about both their scientific opportunities and the barriers that could limit future growth. A researcher herself, Kibbe emphasized the importance of understanding those challenges as UTHealth Houston considers how best to support and expand its research enterprise. She also encouraged IMM faculty to think ambitiously about what could come next.