Ninth Annual Bobby R. Alford, M.D., Grand Rounds Distinguished Lecture

Endowed by the Diana Helis Henry and Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundations
Featuring Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D.

March 28, 2023

Kleberg AuditoriumMichael E. DeBakey CenterBaylor College of MedicineOne Baylor PlazaHouston, Texas 77030

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This Year’s Speaker

Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., is the Hugh Jackson Morgan Professor and chair of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as well as physician-in-chief for Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Clinics. Dr. Rathmell earned her Ph.D. in biophysics and M.D. from Stanford University. Following the completion of her M.D., she completed an internal medicine internship at the University of Chicago before attending the University of Pennsylvania, where she completed an internal medicine residency and medical oncology fellowship. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, working with Dr. Celeste Simon. Dr. Rathmell is a Fellow of the American Society for Clinical Oncology and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

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Dr. Rathmell’s Lecture

“Metabolic Adaptations in the Tumor Microenvironment – Renal Cell Carcinoma” 

Altered nutrient utilization (ANU) is considered a hallmark of cancer, and decades of research have explored cell-intrinsic processes that are inextricably linked to metabolism. This ranges from simple adenosine triphosphate generation and NADH/NADPH production, to signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation of cancer genomes and mitochondrial processes that control cell death and survival. More recently, it has been recognized that the interactions with the cells of the tumor microenvironment must be accounted for in the overall metabolic contribution to tumor behavior. This talk will summarize tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors in cancer, with a focus on renal cell carcinoma, examining possible opportunities for diagnosis or treatment.

About the Lecture

The annual Bobby R. Alford, M.D., Grand Rounds Distinguished Lecture is one of Baylor College of Medicine’s most prestigious lecture series. The Lecture was established in 2014 by the Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation and the Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundation in honor of Dr. Bobby R. Alford, a Baylor luminary. The lecture, attended by Baylor clinicians, scientists and learners, addresses the clinical practice of medicine, including in the fields of otolaryngology, cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Past Lectures

Baylor College of Medicine is grateful for the Lecture and the ongoing support of the Diana Helis Henry Medical Research Foundation and the Adrienne Helis Malvin Medical Research Foundation, which has afforded Baylor the opportunity to feature the following esteemed experts:

2022: “COVID-19 Vaccines: Science vs. Antiscience” – Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine, professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine; co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development

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In Honor of a Baylor Legend

One of Baylor’s most important and influential faculty members, Dr. Alford was recognized as an outstanding physician and educator and served as an exemplar of the College’s mission of excellence.

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