Renowned surgeon Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., played a pivotal role in
transforming Houston into a global hub for biomedical research and
education. Through his groundbreaking innovations in cardiovascular
surgery, he impacted the lives of countless patients. A new gift to
Baylor’s future honors his legacy.
For some, the path to a career in medicine is often linear and
logical. JoAnne Richards, Ph.D., professor of Molecular and Cellular
Biology in the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine, took a more circuitous route to her remarkable career in science discovery that stretches more than 50 years.
At the height of midcentury America’s optimism about science,
unexpected progress was quietly unfolding in psychiatry with a
psychedelic “wonder drug” called lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The drug, which induced powerful, transcendental experiences, produced lasting psychological benefits for patients suffering from treatment-resistant conditions like alcoholism and deep-seated emotional trauma. Following a period in which psychedelics were banned due to fears like abuse and irresponsible research, Amy McGuire, Ph.D., J.D., and her team are reexamining the promising science behind their therapeutic potential.
