Building a Culture of Research Excellence: Insights from Dr. Antonio Bianco & Dr. Alan Landay
In this episode of The Pulse, Dr. Charles P. Mouton engages in a lively conversation with Dr. Antonio Bianco, UTMB’s Vice President and Vice Provost of Research and Chief Research Officer, and Dr. Alan Landay, Vice President for Team Science. Both esteemed scientists recently joined UTMB and share their experiences adjusting to life on Galveston Island, embracing its welcoming community and engaging culture.
Dr. Bianco, a leading expert in thyroid health, discusses his research on hypothyroidism and the nuances of treatment efficacy for millions of affected Americans. His work explores why standard care falls short for some patients, underscoring his dedication to improving patient outcomes.
Dr. Landay, an immunologist with a distinguished career in HIV and aging research, talks about his vision for advancing UTMB’s mission across multiple disciplines. In his role, he fosters collaboration across UTMB’s schools and departments, building a foundation for innovative research and clinical excellence.
Together, they reflect on the importance of a strong, adaptable research infrastructure that can keep pace with scientific advances, ensuring UTMB continues to lead in health sciences.
- 100:00:00,840 --> 00:00:09,600Welcome to The Pulse UTMB Health's podcast, your gateway to the latest insights, ideas and innovations shaping our community and beyond.200:00:10,230 --> 00:00:16,530Stay tuned for engaging discussions, compelling stories, and the information you need to stay informed and connected.300:00:16,830 --> 00:00:22,370Right here on The Pulse. Welcome.400:00:23,470 --> 00:00:30,700This time on The Pulse. I'm your host, Dr. Charles Mouton, executive vice president, provost and dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine.500:00:31,360 --> 00:00:37,090As we continue to bring you compelling conversations about education, health care, research and innovation,600:00:37,450 --> 00:00:44,110you will occasionally hear from various hosts, each bringing you their own unique perspectives and expertise to the conversation.700:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,430Together, we'll dive into topics shaping the future of medicine.800:00:48,940 --> 00:00:53,800We will also discuss the impact UTMB is making, both locally and globally.900:00:54,640 --> 00:01:00,100Today I'm joined by Dr. Antonio Bianco, vice president and vice provost,1000:01:00,100 --> 00:01:07,810research and chief research officer, and Dr. Alan Landay, vice president for team science.1100:01:08,790 --> 00:01:12,240Dr. Bianco. Dr. Landy, welcome to the pulse.1200:01:12,510 --> 00:01:16,049Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you, Dr. Mouton.1300:01:16,050 --> 00:01:19,170This is really a sincere pleasure to be here on The Pulse today.1400:01:19,620 --> 00:01:24,690We're great. We're glad you're both here. And welcome to UTMB. We're so happy that you're part of our UTMB family.1500:01:25,500 --> 00:01:30,420So let me ask you both, um, what are your impressions of Galveston so far?1600:01:31,380 --> 00:01:34,830Well, I love the island. It's sunny, it's warm.1700:01:35,370 --> 00:01:38,700It's quite different from Chicago, where I just moved from.1800:01:39,160 --> 00:01:44,309Uh, I walk my dog every day, and in Chicago, you just can't just go walk1900:01:44,310 --> 00:01:48,030your dog, will... No one will ever look at you or your dog. Here,2000:01:48,030 --> 00:01:54,299I can hardly give a, you know, a few, you know, short distances and people will stop me.2100:01:54,300 --> 00:01:57,480Pet Brownie, my dog. You know, she loves it.2200:01:57,480 --> 00:02:04,010So, me and brownie, we both love the island. I really have found the island to be very engaging.2300:02:04,030 --> 00:02:09,310You really... It gives me a sense of community, having come from Chicago as well.2400:02:09,430 --> 00:02:14,380Living in the downtown area, you really never knew your neighbors, so you really never met people.2500:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,580And, when you walked along the street, everybody looked to the side and never looked at you.2600:02:18,820 --> 00:02:26,410Here in Galveston, I can't go a matter of a foot in my neighborhood, in Avia, on the west side of the island, and everybody says, hello.2700:02:26,410 --> 00:02:31,550Good morning. How are you? What's new? And, living in those kind of communities are wonderful.2800:02:31,570 --> 00:02:35,440I've really felt that. I felt a community effort across the island.2900:02:35,740 --> 00:02:44,080I joined the community center. I took up pickleball for the first time and play every Saturday morning now, and pickleball at the community center.3000:02:44,200 --> 00:02:53,710And, it's a great place to meet people. I also know... on the on our campus alone, we have the OLLI Center, the Osher Center of ...of Lifelong Living.3100:02:53,830 --> 00:03:02,020And, in that center, there's lots of opportunity to meet with the community and and engage on new areas and learn new things every day.3200:03:02,350 --> 00:03:11,050Yeah. No, just the other day, I was walking down on strand and someone came to me and said, hi, my name is so-and-so, and I know where you live.3300:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,260You live right in that door, right? I say, yeah, you're right.3400:03:14,260 --> 00:03:17,559Well, I, you know, I own the store here, so I know you're my neighbor.3500:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,010So, it's just to me that that's the kind of conversation will never happen.3600:03:21,070 --> 00:03:24,640And yeah, you walk in a restaurant, the owner knows you now when you've been there.3700:03:24,730 --> 00:03:30,600That's right. Yes. The owner of that restaurant comes up, says, hello, how are you, doctor so-and-so?3800:03:30,610 --> 00:03:34,960And it's amazing how people remember who you are. And you come back... anytime.3900:03:34,970 --> 00:03:39,310It's very nice. Well, one of the things we like to think of, UTMB being a family,4000:03:39,550 --> 00:03:43,420and we're glad that you're both here in Galveston and sharing those experiences.4100:03:43,430 --> 00:03:49,690I know that we're trying to really live up to our reputation of making you feel welcome here in the wonderful state of Texas.4200:03:50,170 --> 00:03:55,990Can you share a little bit about your background and your clinical expertise, and why this led you to you UTMB?4300:03:56,410 --> 00:03:59,379Right. So I'm a I'm a physician-scientist.4400:03:59,380 --> 00:04:07,180It means I see patients, but most of my time I spend the running a research laboratory that's funded by the NIH.4500:04:07,570 --> 00:04:14,890The focus of my activity, both as a physician and as a scientist is the thyroid gland.4600:04:15,070 --> 00:04:16,950So, I work with thyroid hormones.4700:04:16,960 --> 00:04:24,520I try to understand what the thyroid hormones do and what are the implications for patients that suffer from hypothyroidism.4800:04:24,520 --> 00:04:30,580As you know, hypothyroidism is a very common disease, affects about 20 to 30 million Americans.4900:04:30,970 --> 00:04:35,010And, uh, sometimes treatment is suboptimal.5000:04:35,020 --> 00:04:42,490And, I try to understand why some patients do very well with the standard of care and.. the why a small number of patients that,5100:04:42,730 --> 00:04:46,299you know, percentage wise is small, about 10..., 20%.5200:04:46,300 --> 00:04:53,620But if you calculate it's about several two to 3 to 4 million people that feel unhappy while they have hypothyroidism.5300:04:53,710 --> 00:05:05,680So, that has been the focus of my activity. I saw at UTMB be an opportunity to work with a phenomenal team of scientists and physicians here at UTMB,5400:05:06,190 --> 00:05:12,070and share a little bit of the experience I have accumulated over my, uh, a few decades of my career.5500:05:12,700 --> 00:05:16,900And back to Dr. Landay. Can you tell us a little bit about your research interests and how that fits into UTMB?5600:05:17,230 --> 00:05:25,840Well, I'm an immunologist by training, and I've worked in the field of HIV immunology predominantly for 44 years.5700:05:26,110 --> 00:05:35,350So I've taken that, learned what I've learned in HIV, and now applied it in aging research in the field of geriatrics and gerontology.5800:05:35,620 --> 00:05:41,530And, I've been doing research across the world in the areas of aging, HIV.5900:05:41,920 --> 00:05:47,409What I saw when I was... had the opportunity to move here to Galveston was really to take what6000:05:47,410 --> 00:05:52,570I've learned over 44 years of my training and apply it across the whole health system.6100:05:52,780 --> 00:06:00,189In my role as vice president of Team Science, I really work across all of the missions of the university,6200:06:00,190 --> 00:06:09,250whether it be in the clinical research education or in the newest pill or innovation that President Reiser had put into our mission at UTMB.6300:06:09,520 --> 00:06:15,009I also work across all the schools the School of Nursing, Health Professions,6400:06:15,010 --> 00:06:18,850the Graduate College, the School of Public Health, the School of Medicine.6500:06:19,090 --> 00:06:25,270It's a great opportunity to take what I've learned and integrated across all the areas of science and medicine.6600:06:26,420 --> 00:06:27,110Well, that's great,6700:06:27,350 --> 00:06:35,419and thank you both for bringing your research expertise here to you to be helping us develop our culture of research and clinical excellence.6800:06:35,420 --> 00:06:44,180So, we thank you for that, that. Dr. Bianco, can you explain a little bit about why it's so critical for UTMB to conduct an an assessment6900:06:44,180 --> 00:06:48,920of its current research infrastructure and how that leads to better research productivity?7000:06:48,980 --> 00:06:51,980Sure. Well, science moves very fast.7100:06:52,220 --> 00:06:58,040Uh, that is just amazing. The things that we, uh, were started to get used a couple of years ago.7200:06:58,040 --> 00:07:06,590Now, they're just we don't use them anymore. So, uh, and it's hard for institutions to keep up with the speed that science evolves.7300:07:06,800 --> 00:07:13,370And, I see that happening, uh, in a number of places across the United States.7400:07:13,580 --> 00:07:23,239So, it is very important for us to assess our infrastructure, make sure our scientists have what they need to be at the top of the wave,7500:07:23,240 --> 00:07:32,660really at, uh, uh, on par with the other, uh, excellent centers in the United States so that they can be successful.7600:07:32,660 --> 00:07:40,520And, at the end of the day, my job is make sure that the scientists that are here can be successful to top of their potential.7700:07:41,530 --> 00:07:42,310Well, thank you for that.7800:07:42,320 --> 00:07:49,490I know that you're spending a lot of time making sure we have the infrastructure in place to be the best research unit we can be.7900:07:49,790 --> 00:07:58,310And, Dr. Landay, I know you spent some time looking across very various research, uh, areas helping us think about partnerships,8000:07:58,790 --> 00:08:03,650but and UTMB, as you know, has been known for in infectious disease research for many years.8100:08:04,040 --> 00:08:10,130What are some of the other areas of research where you think UTMB excels now that you've had a chance to explore this more broadly?8200:08:10,640 --> 00:08:19,370Well, I think there's many other areas, uh, Dr. Mouton, that we're now considering certainly the, uh, initiation of the new Brain Health Institute.8300:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,550I think brain health is going to be a tremendous area.8400:08:22,790 --> 00:08:29,690I know the state of Texas is also interested in this and developing new potential programs for funding brain health.8500:08:29,870 --> 00:08:36,860And, I think what we have in that institute is the ability to look all the way from creating basic organoids,8600:08:37,130 --> 00:08:47,540or small brains in the test tube to all to going into novel therapeutics such as nasal therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease,8700:08:47,540 --> 00:08:54,470as this is very unique and and very much, uh, here and UTMB and... a unique approach to doing that.8800:08:54,770 --> 00:09:01,489We're also looking at the role of maternal health, and that's being done through our ob gyn department.8900:09:01,490 --> 00:09:05,930And again, there we're developing new ways of studying, uh,9000:09:06,170 --> 00:09:12,590the role of pregnancy and how we study pregnancy and therapeutics in pregnancy by creating9100:09:12,740 --> 00:09:19,340a novel approach of creating the whole of the reproductive track on a glass slide in the,9200:09:19,610 --> 00:09:24,799in the, in the laboratory, what we call organ on a chip approach.9300:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,530And that's a really very again, very unique to UTMB.9400:09:27,530 --> 00:09:37,250And this has caught the interest of the FDA and the NIH, because they're now interested in looking at alternatives to animal models, now,9500:09:37,400 --> 00:09:41,780to studying new drugs and new drug therapies, especially in pregnancy,9600:09:41,870 --> 00:09:47,330where we don't have, uh, the ability to do that in either animal or human systems.9700:09:47,570 --> 00:09:50,300We're also really developing in the aging world.9800:09:50,420 --> 00:09:57,080We've had a long history of aging here at UTMB, but now we're developing this on a much greater scale.9900:09:57,290 --> 00:10:05,360Uh, in our Pepper center applications, we work in the Regional Center of Aging and Minority Health in our Hispanic communities.10000:10:05,630 --> 00:10:12,050And, we're also doing this in a global sense as a Pan American health collaborating center.10100:10:12,390 --> 00:10:17,540Um, we're able to integrate all of these pieces together to really be leaders in the10200:10:17,540 --> 00:10:22,160field of aging and aging research across the state of Texas and across the world.10300:10:22,520 --> 00:10:29,480And finally, in aerospace medicine, we've had a, uh, residency program here at UTMB for 30 years,10400:10:29,690 --> 00:10:38,780but now there's tremendous interest in research in aerospace medicine and the state of Texas, which is known as the space, uh, research state.10500:10:38,990 --> 00:10:43,880There's lots of interest and funding from the state of Texas to promote more work in that.10600:10:44,030 --> 00:10:47,870And we're really going to be leaders in that field as well. Thank you.10700:10:48,030 --> 00:10:58,700Glenn, I know you've done a lot of, um, time meeting all of the people around to understand how research really fits here at UTB.10800:10:59,090 --> 00:11:05,810So could you explain a little bit about your vision for what Team Science is and how you're going to pull all of these various groups together?10900:11:06,500 --> 00:11:09,730Well, thank you, Dr. Mouton. Yes, we we do this every day.11000:11:09,740 --> 00:11:18,140We've now, uh, started having small group meetings like for tomorrow, we're doing an inaugural, uh, HIV symposium.11100:11:18,380 --> 00:11:25,130And in that symposium, we intentionally asked for speakers from each of our five schools, the graduate college.11200:11:25,290 --> 00:11:28,410The College of Medicine, the School of Public Health.11300:11:28,620 --> 00:11:35,970The School of Health Professions. The School of Nursing. When we do something at UTM B now we integrate all of our various entities.11400:11:36,000 --> 00:11:41,610We're also setting up journal clubs between our basic scientists and our clinical scientists.11500:11:41,990 --> 00:11:45,210Uh, we're also looking at opportunities for funding together.11600:11:45,420 --> 00:11:54,090And we now have a new mechanism with, uh, Doctor Bianco's support to try to bring together and look for new funding opportunities11700:11:54,090 --> 00:12:00,390that bring together folks across the basic clinical and population health areas.11800:12:00,660 --> 00:12:04,530Uh, and we're looking at this not only within our UT and B campus,11900:12:04,530 --> 00:12:13,950but also working within the UT system and being leaders in that and showing how we can lead in terms of team science across all of Utmb, Be.12000:12:14,130 --> 00:12:16,860And also for our clinics, we can reach up, uh,12100:12:16,860 --> 00:12:25,580to our Clear Lake or League City campuses and work there as well within the clinic setting to study new diseases.12200:12:25,590 --> 00:12:31,319Look at things like vaccines. How do we roll out new vaccine opportunities out into the community?12300:12:31,320 --> 00:12:39,000And that's a big part of Utmb mission, is really working with the community and bringing research discoveries made at the bench at UT,12400:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,150TMB into practice in our community today.12500:12:42,660 --> 00:12:50,670So in other words, you're going to be the glue that brings our clinical and research interest together in a way that helps health,12600:12:51,030 --> 00:12:58,319both here in Galveston and beyond. And so we thank you for your willingness to engage in your ability of bringing those parties together.12700:12:58,320 --> 00:13:04,140So we thank you for that. Uh, Doctor Bianco, you've joined UTB September 1st.12800:13:05,130 --> 00:13:11,470What has been your impression of the institution thus far, and what do you hope to achieve in your role as vice president?12900:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,730Vice provost for research and chief research officer.13000:13:15,180 --> 00:13:24,060Well, yeah. It's been a pleasure to be here. I have to say, I've met with a number of chairs and leaders of this organization, and I was,13100:13:24,090 --> 00:13:29,400uh, uh, impressed by the caliber of the scientists and the physicians that I have met.13200:13:29,550 --> 00:13:34,770So it's clear that we have islands of excellence here at this university.13300:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,909And my role is to support them, as I said.13400:13:38,910 --> 00:13:48,240I mean, you know, my job, as I see it, is to ensure that the institution is behind them and making sure that they are successful.13500:13:48,390 --> 00:13:52,320Now, uh, it's clear that there are areas of opportunity as well.13600:13:52,320 --> 00:13:59,250I mean, no place, uh, today in the U.S. or in the world, it can be free of areas of opportunity.13700:13:59,430 --> 00:14:07,710And again, this is it's fun as well. Work with those leaders in those areas and understand what the issues are,13800:14:07,800 --> 00:14:13,860and try to break down some barriers or to break down some of the difficulties and challenges that they have,13900:14:14,130 --> 00:14:18,630and make sure that they can join the team of the areas of excellence as well.14000:14:19,670 --> 00:14:27,260Well, again, thank you both for being here. We're certainly excited to have you here in Utmb be joining the family.14100:14:27,560 --> 00:14:34,310I think our research innovation missions are going to take off now that we have both of you here.14200:14:34,730 --> 00:14:38,330Um, we're excited to see what Team Science is going to bring back the land,14300:14:38,330 --> 00:14:47,809to see what Infrastructure Support in Chief Research Officer is going to do to really propel us onto the next wave of innovation and research.14400:14:47,810 --> 00:14:51,140Here. You can be. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for being here.14500:14:51,230 --> 00:14:54,920We're excited to have you. And welcome to UTB and the Galveston family.14600:14:55,190 --> 00:14:59,749It's a pleasure. Thank you very much. Thank you, Doctor Mouton, for taking the time to speak with us.14700:14:59,750 --> 00:15:05,300And we're also very excited and look forward to the future and the challenges that they'll present.14800:15:05,330 --> 00:15:08,480Thank you. Thank you for tuning in to the polls.14900:15:08,960 --> 00:15:14,210We hope you've gained valuable insights, discover new perspectives, and feel inspired by the stories shared today.15000:15:15,500 --> 00:15:20,330Please join us for future episodes to stay informed and connected right here on The Pulse.
More Information
Dr. Antonio Bianco, MD, PhD
Dr. Antonio Bianco joined UTMB as Vice President and Vice Provost of Research and Chief Research Officer in September 2024. A distinguished physician-scientist, Dr. Bianco has made significant contributions to thyroid disease research and is committed to advancing education and mentorship. He earned his MD from the Santa Casa Medical School and his PhD in human physiology from the University of São Paulo. His career includes roles as Chief of the Thyroid Section at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Director of the Thyroid Study Unit at the University of Chicago, and Professor in the Department of Medicine. His groundbreaking research on thyroid hormone metabolism has had a lasting impact on clinical treatments for hypothyroidism. Dr. Bianco has received numerous awards and served as the president of the American Thyroid Association. At UTMB, he continues to lead innovative research in endocrinology and is committed to propelling the institution’s research enterprise to new heights.
Dr. Alan Landay, PhD
Dr. Alan Landay, Vice President of Team Science at UTMB, brings over 42 years of research expertise, particularly in HIV and aging-related studies. Before joining UTMB, Dr. Landay served as Vice Chair of Research and Division Chief of Translational and Precision Medicine at Rush University. He has played a pivotal role in HIV research, including the development of the first FDA-approved HIV antibody test and important studies on immune activation in aging populations. Dr. Landay has led studies within the Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Network and has focused on the human microbiome and metabolome in recent years. He has also directed global COVID-19 research efforts and the creation of a biorepository for COVID-19 at Rush. Dr. Landay’s wealth of experience and leadership will drive innovation, collaboration, and scientific breakthroughs in UTMB’s Research Enterprise.