By UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH

Nature Publishing Group and UTMB have launched NPJ Vaccines, an open-access journal that will spotlight the most important scientific advances in vaccine research and development. Dr. Allan D. Barrett, director of UTMB’s Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, is the editor-in-chief of the new publication. Barrett and Nature want to make the journal the prime source of up-to-date information about vaccine development and how vaccines are helping to improve and save the lives of millions of people around the globe.

The ACA in Texas

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the Center for Public Policy studies, will give a presentation about the Affordable Care Act at noon Wednesday in Research Building 6 Auditorium. “The ACA in Texas at Five Years: An Advocate’s Status Report” is a part of UTMB’s Health Policy Dialogues and is presented by the Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs and the Office of the President.

John Leger receives research funding

John Leger, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, recently received $2,000 from the Texas Nurses Association District 9 for his dissertation work, “Exerting capacity: a grounded theory study of the perspectives of bedside registered nurses about patient safety in the adult acute care environment.”

Aerospace medicine participates in space commerce conference

Members of UTMB’s aerospace medicine program recently participated in the Space Commerce Conference and Exposition in Houston. The three-day event fuels business innovation across the aerospace, medical, energy, transportation, maritime, communications and advanced manufacturing industries. SpaceCom is a catalyst for innovation and growth in the commercial development of space.

Lights, lights and more lights

UTMB will kick off the holiday season with a lighting ceremony at the Galveston Campus at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in front of John Sealy Hospital.

Of historical note

Some milestones as UTMB marks its 125th anniversary: In 1892, three men received their medical degrees from the University of Texas Medical Department as UTMB was then named. Two years later, in 1894, the first women were admitted to attend the Medical Department.