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Texas Children’s Hospital Neuroscientist Dr. Huda Zoghbi Honored at 2009 Biohouston Annual Luncheon

HOUSTON – (Oct. 16, 2009) – Dr. Huda Zoghbi, internationally renowned neurogeneticist and director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, was honored at the 2009 BioHouston Annual Luncheon for her work in the life sciences industry. This year’s event, “Celebrating Women in Science” was held on October 13 at The Crystal Ballroom at The Rice Hotel.

BioHouston, Inc. is a non-profit corporation founded by local academic/ research institutions committed to establishing the Houston region as a global competitor in life science and biotechnology commercialization. Zoghbi, one of four women recognized by BioHouston for extraordinary leadership in the biotech and science industry, is well-known for her pioneering research on Rett syndrome and related autism spectrum disorders.

The other honorees were Melody Boone Meyer, president of Chevron Energy Technology Co.; Jessica Zenker Nasseri, YES Prepatory School; and Dr. Jennifer L. West, Chairman of the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by Houston’s biotechnology community,” said Zoghbi. “I applaud BioHouston’s efforts to promote this city’s leadership in life sciences as it helps to bring attention to the important research being conducted here.”

Zoghbi also cited the importance of on-going collaboration in accelerating scientific advancements, as she urged the city’s academic institutions and Bio Houston to “keep building these critical relationships.”

Seamless collaboration is a cornerstone of Zoghbi’s vision for the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, scheduled to open in 2010. This innovative facility will serve as the crossroads where more than 170 researchers, across over 15 disciplines, will work together to bring promising new treatments to those afflicted with neurological diseases

Zoghbi also holds full professorships in the Departments of Pediatrics, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, and is an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

About the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital Recognizing there was no single institution using multidisciplinary research to guide the study of pediatric cognitive development and neurological disorders, Texas Children’s Hospital created the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute. Scheduled to open in 2010, the institute will be the first dedicated facility to use a multidisciplinary research approach to rapidly accelerate the search for treatments for pediatric neurological disorders. The specially-designed facility will be the crossroads where more than 170 researchers (over 15 principal investigators and their teams) across disciplines collaborate to bring promising new therapies to those afflicted with neurological diseases.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children’s is ranked in the top ten best children’s hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. Texas Children’s also operates the nation’s largest primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas Children’s has embarked on a $1.5 Billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a Neurological Research Institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on high risk births, and a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.