By Angie Arranz Abreu,
Special to Rice News
The Educational and Research Initiatives for Collaborative Health (ENRICH) at Rice University and The Bookout Center at Houston Methodist recently hosted the first joint faculty engagement event aimed at fostering collaboration focused on The Bookout Center’s research priorities.
Organized by ENRICH, the event brought together over 25 Rice faculty members and researchers from The Bookout Center to explore potential partnerships with a focus on advancing health innovations.
Held at Rice’s graduate student pub, Valhalla, the gathering underscored both institutions’ commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and aligns with the university’s goal to become the leading nonmedical institution to drive innovations in health as part of its recently launched 10-year strategic plan.
“We’re excited about the possibilities this collaboration brings,” said Stuart Corr, associate research professor of bioengineering in cardiovascular surgery at Houston Methodist’s Academic Institute, director of innovation engineering at The Bookout Center and executive director of Pumps & Pipes, part of Houston Methodist’s DeBakey CV Education. “By working together, we can accelerate discoveries that will improve patient experience and outcomes.”
This gathering marked the culmination of a weeklong series of events that began with The Bookout Center “Symposium for Robotics, Imaging and Digital Health,” livestreamed from the DeBakey CV Education Studios. The recording from the conference is now available on DeBakey CV Education’s YouTube channel.
The networking event between ENRICH and The Bookout Center builds on the growing Rice-Houston Methodist relationship, which has resulted in the implementation of several significant collaborations in recent years, including:
● The Center for Neural Systems Restoration (launched in January 2024) — a multidisciplinary center dedicated to discovering how the human brain processes perception, cognition and behavior and to finding novel solutions for brain and spinal cord diseases and injuries.
● The Center for Human Performance (launched in March 2022) — a premier center where physicians, academic researchers and university students work side by side with student athletes, trainers and coaches to advance research and education in human performance.
● $1 million in funding to six groundbreaking research projects through the Rice-Houston Methodist Seed Grant Program in 2024.
As Rice continues to position itself as a leading nonmedical institution in health research and innovation, ENRICH will play a key role in promoting collaboration with partnering institutions in the Texas Medical Center and ensuring that every partnership is built on trust and academic excellence, leveraging the expertise of the partners.
The Bookout Center, which was established in 2024 following a transformational gift from Ann and John F. Bookout III, is an advanced, state-of-the-art medical training and emerging technology facility. Building on the success of the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology Innovation and Education (MITIE), the center aims to further advancements in robotics, imaging and digital surgery enabled through its innovation, education and research programs, all of which will lead to enhanced medical training and patient outcomes worldwide.