Newswise — DALLAS – Oct. 22, 2014 – UT Southwestern Medical Center has renamed the central drive through the main campus Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Drive in honor of the former senator who has strongly supported UT Southwestern, medical discovery, and higher education in general.

Through her numerous leadership positions in the Senate, Senator Hutchison helped to secure funding for critical research infrastructure and health issues, such as Gulf War Syndrome, which have benefited patients across the country. She also has been instrumental in promoting a better understanding and appreciation for the benefits provided by science and technology, as well as the importance of educating new generations of scientists and caregivers.

“Today, we are here to honor one of the most stalwart legislative champions of UT Southwestern, research, and higher education in Texas and the U.S.,” Dr. Daniel K. Podolsky, President of UT Southwestern, told a crowd gathered during a dedication ceremony on Tuesday. “It is clear that Senator Hutchison – with much foresight – has long appreciated the need to support medical research and discovery, to drive advances in care that have benefited so many, in so many ways.”

Presented to Senator Hutchison at the ceremony was a commemorative photograph of the 15-foot granite monument featuring a Texas Star, which was placed near the main entrance of the UT Southwestern campus. The monument will serve as a reminder to future generations of students, faculty, and visitors of the importance of the Senator’s contributions to research and excellence at the medical center.

Recognition of the Senator’s contributions to our campus also include a 7-foot plaque that will be permanently embedded adjacent to the UT Southwestern walkway at the top of Donald Seldin Plaza with the inscription: “Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Drive, In Honor of Years of Dedicated Service,” and a cast bronze plaque placed on a granite pedestal with the inscription: “Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Drive, In Honor of Her Tireless Dedication To UT Southwestern, Higher Education, and Research in Texas.” A crystal plate inscribed with this message also was presented to Senator Hutchison at the dedication ceremony.

“I will always be grateful to have my role in contributing to UT Southwestern recognized in this way. The work that is done here is so important for the people of Texas. UT Southwestern promotes scientific discovery, provides medical expertise and patient care that is among the best in the nation, and the medical center is educating future caregivers who will continue the institution’s legacy of service,” said Senator Hutchison, who also serves on the Southwestern Medical Foundation Board of Trustees. “The current medical challenges facing our nation underscore the importance of supporting institutes of higher learning and critical research and discoveries that benefit us all.”

Senator Hutchison helped make possible – with approximately $100 million in Congressionally-directed support – such initiatives as the Advanced Imaging Research Center and a nanotechnology/cancer research facility, noted Dr. Podolsky, who holds the Philip O'Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration, and the Doris and Bryan Wildenthal Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.

UT Southwestern’s Advanced Imaging Research Center is home to a 7-Tesla magnet that is the only one of its kind between the East and West coasts. This magnet is exponentially more powerful than a standard clinical 3T MRI, and allows exquisite measurements of not only the structure of organs, but also of function. One example of the groundbreaking work such technology has enabled is the development of the first non-invasive diagnostic technique for brain tumors.

Funds for the nanotechnology research facility support groundbreaking research projects, with the goal of combining nanotechnology and molecular medicine to treat diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune-related ailments. 

In addition, Senator Hutchison generously supported efforts to fund seminal research on strokes. Since then, UT Southwestern has become the only nationally-designated Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center in North Texas, and even more renowned in this important area.

Perhaps the Senator’s most significant contribution to UT Southwestern was her steadfast support for groundbreaking research into Gulf War illness, which played a pivotal role in the military’s recognition of Gulf War Syndrome and its impact on veterans.

As Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Sub-Committee and a member of the Defense Appropriations Sub-Committee, Senator Hutchison helped secure tens of millions of dollars for Gulf War illness research led by Dr. Robert Haley, Professor of Internal Medicine, Chief of Epidemiology at UT Southwestern, and a national leader on Gulf War illness. Dr. Haley holds the U.S. Armed Forces Veterans Distinguished Chair for Medical Research, Honoring Robert Haley, M.D., and America's Gulf War Veterans.

Beyond UT Southwestern, Senator Hutchison’s impact is seen in the creation of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST), a Texas version of the National Academy of Sciences and one of her most important efforts to enhance science in Texas. Senator Hutchison was instrumental in establishing TAMEST, along with UT Southwestern Nobel Laureate and Regental Professor Dr. Michael Brown, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Internal Medicine, Director of the Jonsson Center for Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern, and the holder of the W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Distinguished Chair in Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis Research and the Paul J. Thomas Chair in Medicine. Another TAMEST co-founder was Dr. Richard E. Smalley, Ph.D., of Rice University, who earned a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996.

“Senator Hutchison’s support has been an important catalyst for further research, future scientists and physicians, and our ability to translate basic discovery to clinical and commercial application,” Dr. Podolsky said. “We at UT Southwestern, in Texas, and throughout the nation will be forever grateful as her legacy continues to unfold in the discoveries still to be made.” 

About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. Numbering more than 2,700, the faculty is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to about 92,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.1 million outpatient visits a year.