About the Academic Institute
The research and education programs at Houston Methodist are coordinated by the Academic Institute, under the leadership of HMAI President Jenny C. Chang, MB.ChirB., MD, MCHM, Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Presidential Distinguished Chair. It is advised by a council of chairs of the academic clinical and research departments.
Houston Methodist's primary academic affiliates are top-ranked Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. We also have affiliations with Texas A&M University and the University of Houston.
Our Annual Report
Facts & Stats
Facts & Stats
Houston Methodist is re-engineering the future of medicine with translational research and education that has demonstrable impact on clinical care. The Academic Institute’s $28.8 million Translational Research Initiative product development fund supports the specialized talent and technology that enables the full cycle of development to efficiently and effectively deliver innovations to the clinic. Integrated into U.S. News & World Report’s No. 1 hospital in Texas and named one of America’s “Best Hospitals,” the Academic Institute aligns our research and education initiatives in service to the clinical mission, providing solutions that answer the call for new technologies and skills our clinicians need for patient care.
Houston Methodist
- 8 hospitals
- 2.23 million patient encounters
- 2.09 million outpatient visits
- 141,811 admissions
- 32,058 employees
- 5,069 affiliated physicians
- 815 faculty
- $299 million research & education investment
- 2,340 credentialed researchers
- 67,000 learners
Research Funding
- $202 million in annual research expenditures
- $71 million in annual education expenditures
- $90 million in total extramural funding
- $41 million in National Institutes of Health funding
- $31 million Translational Research Initiative product development fund
Academic Affiliations & People
- 815 faculty
- 2,340 credentialed researchers
- Affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical School
Research
- 232 licensable technologies
- 22 products in the pipeline
- 1,430 clinical protocols
- 530 active clinical trials
- 212 investigator initiated trials
- 2,000 peer-reviewed publications
- 136 collaborating countries
- 6,690 global collaborations
- 19 Interdisciplinary Departments: Anesthesiology & Critical Care; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Sciences; Cardiovascular Surgery; Medicine; Nanomedicine; Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology; Neurosurgery; Obstetrics & Gynecology; Ophthalmology; Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Orthopedic Surgery; Otolaryngoloy; Pathology & Genomic Medicine; Psychiatry and Behavioral Health; Radiation Oncology; Radiology; Surgery; Urology
- 19 Interdisciplinary Centers: Cellular Therapeutics; Bioenergetics; Cardiovascular Regeneration; Health Data Science and Analytics; Human Performance; Critical Care; Health and Nature; Robotics, Imaging and Navigation; Immunobiology and Transplant Science; Infectious Diseases; Brain and Pituitary Treatment; Musculoskeletal Regeneration; Alzheimer’s Disease; Neuroregeneration; Neural Systems Restoration; Rapid Device Translation; RNA Therapeutics; Liver Disease and Transplantation
Education
- EnMed: Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine at Houston Methodist combined MD and master's in engineering program
- Master's in Clinical Translational Management with University of St. Thomas
- 71 GME programs; 388 residents & fellows
- 67,000 annual learners
- 1,230 trainees in residence for medicine, research, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health
- Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE℠)
Technology
- Ann Kimball & John W. Johnson Center for Cellular Therapeutics to translate laboratory discoveries into cutting-edge cellular therapies for patient care
- Center for RNA Therapeutics provides access to state-of-the-art for RNA manufacturing and technology
- Imaging innovation hub: A Siemens and Houston Methodist led consortium with Rice University, Texas A&M, UT Health Science Center at Houston, UT Medical Branch at Galveston, University of Houston, and Baylor College of Medicine
- 7 Tesla MRI and MAGNETOM Terra, allowing for unprecedented visualization of anatomical details, physiology and biological function
- Cyclotron and 9 ventilated hot cells (chemistry labs in lead boxes) to produce clinical grade and rare custom radiopharmaceuticals for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic imaging
- Inveon dedicated PET system, Inveon multimodality SPECT/CT system, Caliper IVIS-200 system, and Maestro in vivo fluorescence imaging system
- Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) facilities perform risk, safety and efficacy assessment studies in compliance with FDA guidelines in preclinical models
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facilities to produce pharmaceuticals, vaccines and nanoparticles for testing and research
- Cockrell Center for Advanced Therapeutics Clinical Research Phase I Unit to support clinical investigators and sponsors with early phase and proof-of-concept clinical trials
- 21 core facilities for access to pioneering technology and data analysis, including: advanced cellular and tissue microscopy; biorepository; biostatistics and bioinformatics; clinical research services; comparative medicine; digital solutions; electron microscopy; event services; flow cytometry; high performance computing; immunomonitoring; intravital microscopy; machine shop; magnetic stimulation devices; nanoengineering; preclinical catheterization lab; research pathology; RNAcore; translational imaging; translational production & quality
Consortia & Collaborative Centers
- Gulf Coast Consortium
- Center for Translational Neural Systems Restoration, in partnership with Rice University
- Center for Human Performance, in collaboration with Rice University
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital
- Center for Health and Nature, in partnership with Texas A&M University and Texan by Nature
- Center for Rapid Device Translation, in partnership with J&J Innovation Labs
- Siemens Imaging Consortium, based at Houston Methodist with six local universities and medical centers
Our Research Philosophy
Houston Methodist clinicians and investigators all have the same goal, to build research teams that bridge the boundaries between specialties, innovate in health care technology and train current and future clinicians and researchers from around the world in translational medicine and advanced technology. We want to improve global health by streamlining the path discoveries take into the clinic with inventive development practices.
Because most innovation occurs at the intersection of disciplines rather than within a silo, we have structured the research enterprise in a way that allows us to create interdisciplinary points of connection by providing platform technology support to clinical research programs throughout Houston Methodist. This intentional blending of departmental boundaries adds a new level of innovative, collaborative research, conducted by teams of scientists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.
The various medical disciplines intersect at one or all of three broad strategic areas — precision medicine, biotherapeutics and restorative medicine and outcomes, quality and health care performance.
Because most innovation occurs at the intersection of disciplines rather than within a silo, we have structured the research enterprise in a way that allows us to create interdisciplinary points of connection by providing platform technology support to clinical research programs throughout Houston Methodist. This intentional blending of departmental boundaries adds a new level of innovative, collaborative research, conducted by teams of scientists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.
The various medical disciplines intersect at one or all of three broad strategic areas — precision medicine, biotherapeutics and restorative medicine and outcomes, quality and health care performance.
Precision medicine
Precision medicine is a model in which health care — decisions, practices and products — is customized for the individual characteristics of each patient. Houston Methodist defines precision medicine, beyond the well-established ‘molecular signature’ from genetic and proteomic characteristics of a patient, to inclusion of anatomical and temporal information from imaging to provide a more a comprehensive understanding of a patient’s ‘health signature’ at a given encounter. We also take the next step in using this health signature to tailor the efficiency and precision of a treatment regimen for the patient to achieve the best outcome.
Biotherapeutics and Restorative Medicine
Biotherapeutics & restorative medicine - Definitions for restorative medicine tend to focus primarily on stem cell biology and engineering. At Houston Methodist, we take a biotherapeutics approach to restorative medicine by developing medical products for modulation of stem cell plasticity and differentiation, modulators of immune-based degenerative and restorative processes and engineered biomaterials to support restoration. These restorative solutions are addressing challenges in heart tissue restoration, transplant organ preservation and protection and restoration of bone and joint function.
Outcomes, Quality and Health Care Performance
Outcomes, quality and health care performance uses interdisciplinary research to improve outcomes for patients in acute care settings. By improving clinical practice, supporting patient decision-making, evaluating innovative therapeutic procedures and promoting education for health professionals, we ensure that our research discoveries provide the most efficient and effective regimens and practice in clinical settings. Houston Methodist is particularly well positioned to tackle the clinical challenge of delivering high-quality, cost-effective care, as an organization with a broad network of private and employed physicians with notably diverse patient populations.
Donate to Houston Methodist
With your support, Houston Methodist provides exceptional research, education, and care that is truly leading medicine.
Donate Now