• The Villapol Lab has worked intensively this year to continue moving our research projects, both preclinical and clinical, forward and on schedule.
  • This year we decided that we also wanted to contribute something to help combat this pandemic, as we felt our lab’s research could be beneficial in this space. Therefore, we joined an international covid-19 research team (cov-irt.org). The organization focuses on the dissemination of scientific information about treatments, vaccines, or ways of protection that can save lives. We did so, mainly aimed at the Hispanic community who has been one of our country’s most affected groups.
  • We are using our resources and expertise to focus on understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, to understand the role of the gut and oral microbiome in COVID-19 infection and prognosis. Currently, we are studying the long-term effects of COVID-19.
  • Dr. Villapol has participated in numerous national and international TV news, newspapers, radio, or other media. Furthermore, Dr. Villapol gave multiple talks to schools about the pandemic.
  • At the scientific level, we have established an outstanding international collaboration with Indunors and the Hospital Clinic in Buenos Aires (Argentina) to study how COVID-19 can affect long-term neurological problems and how changes to the microbiome could help with recovery. We participate in a collaborative work that is pre-print.
  • At the same time, we established an agreement with Great Basin Scientific to incorporate their pathogen analyzer in our laboratory, new and beneficial equipment for the clinical research at HMRI.
  • We have completed our clinical investigation of concussion in athletes from Rice University. We are soon to present the results that will help identify bacteria as novel biomarkers for traumatic brain injury. Our collaborations have also yielded fruit, both with the Texas Children Hospital and with Baylor, with respect to finishing our projects on probiotics to recover from brain damage.
  • We were awarded a grant by Mission Connect and the TIRR Foundation ($60.000) for developing new technology to administer treatments using nanoparticles after brain damage in collaboration with the Taraballi laboratory at HMRI. We also were awarded a collaborative award from HM for the Orthopedics Pilot Project to work with the Taraballi lab. We have several proposals under review by DoD and NIH on similar projects.
  • This year, Dr. Villapol was named a Standing Member at the “Molecular Neurogenetics Study Section” at NIH for the next 4 years, a very prestigious accomplishment for a scientist.
  • Dr. Villapol becomes Adjunct Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University in February 2020.
  • Dr. Villapol presented the lab microbiome research at the Miami Winter Symposium – Molecular Mechanisms Linking the Microbiome and Human Health on Jan. 26-29, 2020, Miami, FL. 
  • Dr. Hina Aslam, Neurology Resident, rotating at Villapol Lab, was presenting “Role of the microbiome in neurological Diseases” at the Neurology Grand Rounds on Jan 17, 2020.
  • Postdoctoral scientist Dr. Soriano has submitted several applications for Postdoctoral Fellowships and has been awarded the NeuralCODR Fellowship. She is also the director of the Behavioral Core for preclinical research at the Center, in addition to being named the best Postdoctoral Fellow at HMRI.
  • We are very proud of Dr. Saeed Sadrameli, Neurosurgery Resident, who has joined his efforts on the frontlines of fighting COVID-19.
  • We now would like to expand our group to push our promising projects forward and continue our momentum with respect to high productivity and establishing a network of local and international collaborators. This year has been very challenging for our lab due to the pandemic, but we have persevered, and this difficult year made us more motivated and better positioned for future success. 2021 will be a great year.