Take a look back at 2017 at Baylor

Can you believe 2018 is almost here? While you may be finalizing your New Year’s resolutions, it’s important to reflect on the year that was. From persevering through a costly hurricane to celebrating a World Series victory, let’s take a look back at some of Baylor College of Medicine’s most memorable moments, achievements and more.

Harvey Heroes and Giving Back

Hurricane Harvey devastated much of the Texas coast, including Baylor students, faculty and staff. However, many members of the Baylor community stepped up to help others – before, during and after the storm. See stories of Baylor’s Harvey Heroes.

In addition to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, the Baylor community participated in various initiatives and events to promote disease awareness, research and community advancement:

• The BCM Pride student group joined the annual Houston Pride Festival celebrating the LGBT community June 24. See photos.
• Baylor College of Medicine students volunteered across Houston Oct. 7 as part of the Healing from Harvey – Matthew Carter Service Day event.
• Baylor hosted the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K on Nov. 4, benefiting the Colon Cancer Coalition. See photos from the event.
• Members of the Baylor community participated in the March for Science on April 22.
• The BCM Wellness 5K Race/Fun Run was held on Oct. 21 and raised money for numerous projects that promote wellness education of future physicians and activism through community outreach projects.
• Members of the Baylor community visited BCM Biotech Academy at Rusk and Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan to hand out Hess Toy Trucks donated by the Hess Corporation in time for the holidays.

Innovation, Accolades and Research Breakthroughs

This year, Baylor earned a spot on the U.S. News and World Report 2018 Best Global Universities list and was recognized for molecular biology and genetics, clinical medicine, and neuroscience. The College was also ranked as one of the most innovative universities in the world by Reuters.

Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan was named one of the top magnet schools in the country and went on to receive the Magnet Schools of America President’s Award, one of the organization’s top national awards.

In addition to academic recognition, Baylor earned the Gold Workplace Health Achievement from the American Heart Association and was named a 2017 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America. See more awards and honors the College has received.

Numerous research breakthroughs also took place this year, including the uncovering of a medical mystery and the development of a familial test that helps detect disease-causing genes. See more Baylor research initiatives and recognitions below:

• Patient-inspired research uncovers new link to rare disorder
• Human Genome Sequencing Center looks to bring adult whole genome sequencing to clinical space with unprecedented NHLBI grant
• Device accurately identifies cancer in seconds during surgery
• Baylor named site for NCI proteogenomics analysis, research
• Read about the recipients of the 2017 Michael E. DeBakey M.D. Award for Research Excellence

Education Milestones

2017 was a momentous year for Baylor College of Medicine students. Fourth-year students celebrated Match Day with family, friends and the Baylor community on March 17. See the highlights and photos from Match Day 2017 and watch video recap below.

See photos from the School of Medicine graduation, the School of Allied Health commencement, the 2017 Military Commissioning and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Brunch.

Global Outreach and New Partnerships

Community and healthcare service efforts at Baylor often go far beyond U.S. borders. Several initiatives and events took place this year, including:

• Baylor-Malawi partnership expands obstetric services
• Pediatric hematology-oncology initiative launched in Africa
• Baylor Global Initiatives’ 2017 Global Health Hackathon
• Baylor-Uganda team works to advance HIV/AIDS education, treatment

Baylor also took part in groundbreaking healthcare, research and community partnerships in 2017, including teaming up with Genialis for next-generation sequencing, expanding radiology services with Radiology Partners and joining forces with two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Carli Lloyd to demonstrate the importance of informed healthcare decisions.

Astros fever, Houston snow and more!

2017 was a truly unforgettable year for the city of Houston. The Baylor community participated in Super Bowl LIVE, caught a glimpse of the solar eclipse, celebrated a World Series victory, enjoyed a rare Houston snowfall and expressed their holiday spirit.

Additional Resources

Check out the latest news from Baylor.

Read more about research accomplishments in From the Labs.

-By Nicole Blanton