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Genetics Team Attends International Meeting in China

Genetics Team Attends International Meeting in China

by | Apr 10, 2018 | Research & Innovation

Staff from Scottish Rite Hospital travel near and far to participate in medical conferences to share their most recent research and learn from other experts in the field. Last week, members from our genetics research team were in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China to attend the International Consortium for Spinal Genetics, Development and Disease (ICSGDD) conference. The ICSGDD includes two groups who combined after last year’s inaugural international conference, “Genomic Approaches to Understanding and Treating Scoliosis.” The hospital led and largely organized this three-day, two-part meeting with the first half in Shenzhen hosted by the University of Hong Kong and the second half in Guangzhou hosted by Sun Yat Sen University Hospital.

The conference included faculty and presenters from across the world who have been selected to provide the latest innovations within scoliosis genetic research. Scottish Rite Hospital’s Director of Molecular Genetics Carol Wise, Ph.D. is one of three conference chairpersons. As a leader and co-founder of ICSGDD, she understands its significance and the impact it could have for patients diagnosed with scoliosis. “This group has made great strides over the past year to bring better treatment for complex forms of scoliosis,” says Wise. “The ICSGDD conference is unique because it brings together experts in scoliosis genetic research from different areas of the world. The diversity of the group cultivates collaboration and in-depth discussions to better understand these conditions.”

This international conference is one of many that the hospital is actively involved with each year. As a research and teaching institution, it is important for staff to learn from fellow medical professionals and share their expertise, both locally and internationally, to ultimately provide the best care possible to our patients.

Learn more about the hospital’s Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Center for Musculoskeletal Research.

A Wise Approach: Frisco Style

A Wise Approach: Frisco Style

by | Nov 1, 2017 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

When Dr. Carol Wise looks at the thousands of specimen tubes that reside in the laboratory she oversees at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, she sees not only vials filled with important DNA samples, but also the patients and families behind them. People who generously and, quite literally, gave of themselves in hopes of helping further advancements in science and medicine that may someday work to cure others. “That tube is a little tube of gold,” says Dr. Wise, 54, who is the hospital’s director of molecular genetics and basic science. “People have heard me say our freezer is Fort Knox, and every time you hold a tube, that is somebody who was kind enough to give us a sample, or somebody who might have been suffering quite a bit.”  

Read the full article here to learn more about Dr. Carol Wise and her groundbreaking research career at Scottish Rite Hospital. 

DNA Samples from Scottish Rite Hospital’s Biobank of AIS Patients Selected for Analysis

DNA Samples from Scottish Rite Hospital’s Biobank of AIS Patients Selected for Analysis

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Research & Innovation

Director of Molecular Genetics and Basic Science Carol Wise, Ph.D. and Assistant Director of Molecular Genetics Jonathan Rios, Ph.D. are in Rockville, Maryland attending the inaugural Kids First Program annual meeting held at Johns Hopkins University- Montgomery County Campus. Rios was awarded a grant through the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program to fund his project, “Genomics of Orthopaedic Disease (GOOD for Kids), which utilizes next-generation genomic technologies to discover the genetic causes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). DNA samples from Scottish Rite Hospital’s biobank of AIS patients and families have recently been selected for analysis.  

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program was established as a resource for researchers everywhere to access a vast amount of genetic data from children diagnosed with cancer and other birth defects. The purpose of this program is to create a large data set of sequenced DNA from thousands of individuals to understand pediatric diseases and ultimately find the cause. In 2014, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act was signed into law authorizing to support a fund specifically for pediatric research.
The Kids First Program is at the forefront of innovation. Along with federal support, our team at Scottish Rite Hospital is an integral part of this national project and is conducting ongoing research to understand the causes of various pediatric diseases. 

Carol Wise, Ph.D., and Jonathan Rios, Ph.D., are professors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). Dr. Wise is a Professor in the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Pediatrics, and Orthopedic Surgery and Dr. Rios is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery.

Scottish Rite Hospital Hosts Inaugural Genomics Conference

Scottish Rite Hospital Hosts Inaugural Genomics Conference

by | Mar 16, 2017 | Research & Innovation

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is hosting an inaugural international conference titled, “Genomic Approaches to Understanding and Treating Scoliosis.” The three-day meeting unites two distinct groups who are dedicated to scoliosis genetics research, the International Consortium for Vertebral Anomalies and Scoliosis (ICVAS) and the International Consortium for Scoliosis Genetics (ICSG).

A primary goal of the conference is to promote interdisciplinary research to solve the underlying basis of scoliosis, a complex and poorly understood disorder that is common in children. The conference has attracted basic science researchers and clinicians at the faculty level, as well as fellows, graduate students, and other trainees who are focused on scoliosis and genomics. Funding for the meeting is provided by grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health, the Scoliosis Research Society, Fondation Yves Cotrel, and the Globus, Medtronic, and Nuvasive companies.

The conference includes paper presentations from various attendees and lectures from seven international keynote speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. These presenters represent distinct specialties including developmental biology, orthopedic surgery, clinical genetics, and human genetics. The topics will provide the audience with a diverse and insightful program. Carol Wise, Ph.D., Director of Molecular Genetics and Basic Research at Scottish Rite Hospital, is an organizer of the conference. She views this meeting as an exciting opportunity to encourage collaborations and to bring new ideas to the treatment of the various complex forms of scoliosis. “It is a privilege to host specialists in scoliosis and scoliosis genetics from around the world here at the hospital,” says Wise. “This conference will generate a roadmap for collaborative research that will create future scientific breakthroughs. Importantly, this meeting also provides a forum for mentoring the next generation of researchers in the field.”

Continuing education for professionals and trainees is a cornerstone of the Scottish Rite Hospital mission. It is an honor to host this and other conferences to promote groundbreaking research and better care for our patients.