Medical Technology in Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas has been at the forefront of many medical achievements over the past several decades. Thanks in part to institutions like the Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, the Texas Medical Center (TMC), and the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth), Houston has been a consistent leader in the field of medical advancement. NASA has also contributed to many medical breakthroughs throughout history.

The Baylor College of Medicine is credited with many inventions since its inception. The Dacron graft tube, a synthetic tissue replacement, has been widely successful with limited side effects. Baylor also has an extensive orthopedic department that specializes in spinal injuries and they have been at the forefront of many revolutionary scoliosis treatments. Baylor leads the way in the genome sequencing of rats, mice, fruit flies, monkeys, bees and cows, among other animals. Their cancer research has led to the discovery of multiple chemotherapy drugs, such as Taxol, and they’ve discovered the cause of Rett Syndrome, a neurological condition that mostly affects females.

UTHealth joined with Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center to release the country’s first ever mobilized stroke unit. The biggest life-saving feature is the onboard CT scanner that lets a technician quickly make an assessment about whether a blood clot has formed. If it has, there is a clot-fighting medication that can immediately be administered.

The University of Houston’s Virtual Reality Clinical Research Lab (VRCRL) has developed the technology to help cure veterans who suffer from PTSD by placing them in “virtual war” simulations. The program also has virtual bar scenarios and social settings to help both civilians and veterans deal with drug and alcohol problems.

Bioengineers at Rice University are developing a method of stem cell usage that will regrow bone tissue using a honeycomb-style template. The program was developed to help wounded soldiers recover lost tissue after returning from war. The university has also won an award for their prototype bubble CPAP machine that costs around $400 instead of the typical $6,000.

The future of medicine in Houston is even more exciting. The Texas Medical Center is already the world’s largest medical complex and home to top-ranking heart and cancer centers, but it is now evolving into becoming a global research center by merging with Texas A&M University Health Science Center, the Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This new facility is called TMC3 and will create 30,000 new jobs.

Jasmine Sidhu-NovoGradac is an experienced healthcare professional. She is a registered nurse and the current Clinical Administrative Director of the Brain and Spine Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.