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The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
The Methodist Hospital System
Open labs feature plug-and-play casework. The labs use a combination of fixed and movable furnishings to create a flexible and adaptable environment to support interdisciplinary science.
Photo by Aker Imaging, courtesy of WHR Architects.
Informal seating and breakout areas provide plenty of space for collaboration, interdisciplinary communication and networking.
Open-plan surgery training stations are featured on level five of the new Methodist Hospital Research Institute.
The most recent research facility added to the Texas Medical Center (TMC) is designed to advance the Methodist Hospital's mission of curing diseases through innovative translational research. The Methodist Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI), which opened in October 2010, is equipped with the most sophisticated technology to help research scientists, physicians, and engineers develop cures and treatments for patients.
"Our approach is genuinely multidisciplinary," says Mauro Ferrari, president and CEO of TMHRI. "It's fueled by unrestrained creativity, driven by new technology, aggressively focused on human disease, and it's being done both literally and figuratively just steps from the patient's bedside."
The bench-to-bedside research approach is intended to speed the translation of promising laboratory discoveries into new medical treatments. The new building's design provides an environment to facilitate multidisciplinary research and encourage the collaboration that is needed between scientists and clinicians. For example, six floors of open research space, housing a variety of laboratories and support areas, create an ideal setting to promote collaboration as researchers study new treatments for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and other conditions.
Open laboratories include both fixed and movable furnishings to create an adaptable environment to support the interdisciplinary science of today and tomorrow. The laboratory benches are vertically adjustable and connect to utilities mounted on overhead ceiling service panels. Mechanical, electrical, and piping utilities are distributed in a modular manner to allow for easy modification or extension as the research needs change. Electrical panels located immediately outside each laboratory also allow for future change. Critical service rooms, accessible pipe chases, and ceiling zones are designed to accommodate changing research needs, as well.
The institute contains a full complement of advanced core facilities, including an imaging and molecular suite, state-of-the-art equipment, and even its own cyclotron. Additional core and shared facilities include a data-immersive visualization environment, vivaria with interstitial space to support pre-clinical models, a surgery training facility, a full array of nuclear medicine equipment, and current Good Manufacturing Practices, including a cleanroom and production labs for on-site production of molecules, medications, and vaccines.
The location of the 12-story, 440,000-sf TMHRI adjacent to the main building of the Methodist Hospital further enhances the bench-to-bedside methodology by providing a physical link between the researchers and clinicians. Situated on the east side of the 1,000-bed hospital with several connections to the facility's public and private areas, the institute brings researchers in direct contact with the patients they are trying to help.
"Working with the visionary team at The Methodist Hospital, the focus was clearly on collaboration," says Peter Lotz, a principal at WHR Architects, the project's executive architect. "As we designed the next generation of lab spaces for multidisciplinary teams that include medical doctors, PhDs, engineers, chemists, and biomedical and nanomedical researchers, our own team approach was inclusive and integrated in order to deliver the best possible design solutions."
The flexible design provides labs, offices, and amenities for 90 principal investigators along with 800 post-docs, trainees, and staff members. Common breakout areas connect the labs vertically, encouraging interdisciplinary communication and providing opportunities for informal gatherings.
Three open-area stairways connect various laboratory floors to provide the vertical linkage to enhance collaboration. The common areas include nine coffee bars and lounges where scientists can gather and discuss their work. In addition, the location of TMHRI on the North Campus of the Texas Medical Center makes its auditorium a popular destination for meetings and presentations that extend beyond The Methodist Hospital to other institutions in the TMC system, as well as national organizations like the National Institutes of Health.
"We sought to provide well designed, flexible labs, along with a range of gathering spaces for the hospital and research community," notes Jill Lerner, a principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, which served as the design architect. "The architecture creates a dramatic presence with its curved façade, presenting a welcoming entry to the institute at the heart of the Texas Medical Center."
$230,000,000USD
Cost per SqFt:
Academic Medical Center
CO Architects
Architect - Design
Kohn Pederson Fox Associates
WHR Architects Inc.
Architect - Executive
Harvey Builders
Genesis Planning
Cleanroom Planner
Sebesta Blomberg & Associates Inc.
Commissioning Agent
Jack Evans & Associates
Consultant - Accoustic/Vibration
Curtain Wall Design and Consulting
Consultant - Curtain Wall
Persohn/Hahn Associates Inc.
Consultant - Elevator
Jacobs Consultancy
Consultant - Laboratory Planner
Consultant - Laboratory/Medical Equipment Planner
Walter P Moore and Associates, Inc.
Consultant - Parking
Jacobs Engineering
Consultant - Program Manager
Consultant - Wind Tunnel Testing
Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI)
Engineer - MEP
Haynes Whaley Associates
Engineer - Structural
Armstrong World Industries
Supplier - Accoustical Ceiling Tile
Biomedical Solutions
Supplier - Biosafety Cabinets
Supplier - Building Automation Controls
Environmental Growth Chambers (EGC)
Supplier - Cold Rooms
Supplier - Environmental Enclosures
Hamilton Scientific
Supplier - Fume Hoods
Haworth Inc.
Supplier - Furniture
Getinge USA Inc.
Supplier - Laboratory Equipment
Supplier - Laboratory Furniture


We know that deciding and acting to end smoking shisha is not easy, especially if it has been a part of your lifestyle. In the start, you think and imagine what would be outcome; what would you do with that empty feeling left when you stop smoking? When one tries to quit smoking and find it difficult, he may seek the assistance of a doctor. This is to prepare yourself and your body to whatever may happen when you finally decide to act on quitting the habit of smoking shisha.
When you're ready to get serious in your decision of quitting shisha smoking, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor. If you haven't had a physical recently, now is the time to have one. Your doctor can help you develop a helpful plan for quitting and will ask you to pick a final quit date. Your doctor may give you medication and prepare your environment for quitting. This includes preparing your home for your effort by getting rid of smoking temptation such as remaining water pipes and other paraphernalia for shisha smoking. Your doctor may ask you to change your daily routine. For example, if you always smoke after you drink your morning coffee, you may want to drink something else such as water, juice, or tea.
Talk with your doctor which is the best method appropriate for your shisha quitting plan, depending on what other medical conditions you may have and what other medications you are currently taking. If you are ready to start a healthy lifestyle, try also to improve your diet. Besides weight management, eating right will help you refresh and regain antioxidant, vitamins and minerals. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to help flush toxins from your system. Keep healthy foods handy in your refrigerator such as fruits and vegetables, for you to take in when you are tempted to smoke.
We know that there are also effects when you quit smoking shisha such as mental health, as it is linked with anxiety and depression. Deciding to quit smoking shisha is a quick and easy thing; it may take a month or even a year or more to truly succeed.
Patience and perseverance are keys to achieve success in the movement to quit smoking shisha. And with the doctors' help and medical advice, anyone can stop now before illness and other health issues ensue in one's life.
In recent years, shisha smoking has become popular in many places, from Pakistan to London. Smoking shisha involves inhaling the smoke of a fruit-scented tobacco mixture from a water pipe. Many people view it as an alternative to hard drugs and believe it is a harmless way to smoke and socialize, according to an article by the United Nations' Humanitarian News and Analysis (IRIN). Doctors warn, however, that shisha smoking is worse than smoking cigarettes.


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Aphiwe Dyantyi in 2018. Photo: AFP
MUST-READ: Dyantyi moves to Durban, linked with Sharks after ban ends
Banned Bok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi has reportedly settled in Durban and could find himself on the Sharks' radar once his suspension ends.
by Craig Lewis
in Rugby
Bok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi, who is currently serving a suspension related to banned substances, recently said he is focused on getting back to the game. In 2019, and on the eve of the Rugby World Cup, Dyantyi was banned from all forms of the game after his mandatory B sample came back testing positive for three banned substances following a national training camp.
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According to the ruling handed down to Dyantyi, he was effectively 'banned from participating in sport from the date of 13th August 2019 [when he was provisionally suspended] to 12th August 2023'.
Now, according to Sunday newspaper Rapport, Dyantyi has moved to Durban where he is working and training in hopes of making a successful transition back to the game once his suspension is lifted.
Apparently he can start training with a team six months before his ban ends, and his move to Durban could open the door for an opportunity at the Sharks, where S'bu Nkosi is reported to be heading away from Kings Park to join the Bulls.
A group of concerned people are said to have been assisting Dyantyi after the hardship he endured following the shock suspension, and it's now hoped that he could make a successful comeback to professional rugby.
Dyantyi previously earned 13 caps for the Springboks
At the beginning of last year, the Bok wing was advised by World Rugby that he had the right to lodge an appeal directly with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland instead of going through the national appeal process.
This followed in the wake of another announcement when an independent panel handed down the suspension to the Springbok wing after finding that he had 'failed to satisfy the burden of proof to establish that his positive dope test was not intentional'.
The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) later released a statement to confirm and accept the decision rendered by the panel.
However, it was ultimately confirmed that Dyantyi would not go the route of approaching Court of Arbitration for Sport, instead accepting that he would wait out the length of the ban.
The 27-year-old is entering his third year away from rugby, but he took to social media to suggest he will aim to get back on the field.
"This year marks three years out of the game," Dyantyi wrote a few months ago. "A very challenging three years coupled with tears, rebuilding, love and laughter.
"A trial and error period in my life, but two business projects down the line, I wouldn't change anything about my life journey. The support has been both heartwarming and humbling (Thank You).
"I find myself in a privileged position of building beyond rugby and focusing on getting back on the field, and get back I will …
"I'm only getting started …"
READ | EDDIE JONES SUGGESTS IT'S HIS TURN TO PRODUCE A RASSIE REF VIDEO
A more recent social media post also shows him hard at work in training.
A post shared by ????????hiwe Odwa Dyantyi (@aphiwe_q04)
Aphiwe Dyantyi gives an update on his situation on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/TMNEAoXcBl
— Dylan Jack (@dylmjack) February 7, 2022
Aphiwe Dyantyi
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My first sale was a series of TV commercial spots to an Amish furniture maker named Amos for $10,000. He didn't even own a TV! That's when I first tasted the power of persuasion. Using a cheesy "coffee-is-for-closers" style, I became the top new business salesperson for FOX Television nationwide. Back in those days, cold calls, Power Points and pushy salesperson tactics were still highly effective.
As you may have noticed, things have changed a smidge since then. Today's modern buyer is 24/7 mobile, social and digitally empowered. The way we all make decisions has changed more in the last 10 years than the last 100! Blocked by social, mobile and digital screens, we are unable to rely on that 90% of nonverbal communication to persuade and influence others to give us an opportunity. Whether you're a sales pro, marketer or entrepreneur- it's easier than ever for today's digitally empowered buyers, employers and colleagues to simply ignore your outreach. Most of our messages go unanswered or deleted. But some people get through. Some people are heard. Some people persuade others via social, email or text to give them a chance, a meeting, a call. What do they do differently? They are using principles of digital persuasion- and so can you.
With less than 2% of cold calls resulting in an appointment, and 84% of C-level executives using social media to support purchasing decisions- it's no wonder that Forrester Research predicts 1 billion salespeople will be obsolete by 2020.
My mission is to ensure you aren't one of them.
As a business owner for the last decade, I exist at the intersection of buying products and services for my company and selling our products and services to others. As a buyer and a seller, my unique experience from both sides of the table revealed something extraordinary to me just a few years ago.
As a CEO, I was (and still am!) hammered with horrendous sales messaging on a daily basis. I'm ashamed to admit that I was guilty of sending similar self-serving, promotional messages to cold prospects myself. Since cold calling had long ago stopped working, I turned to social media messaging and email to try and persuade prospects to meet with me. On average, buyers would respond to my messaging about 2% of the time. I was so frustrated, stressed out and over it- until two things happened.
The first thing that happened was a friend shared Dr. Robert Cialdini's Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion with me- this triggered my interest in the scientific psychology behind why we decide to get on board and comply with others.
The second thing that happened was monumental. It was around 5pm on Friday in the dead heat of summer. I had just spent all week hammering out carefully crafted LinkedIn messages and emails about my business and hadn't gotten ONE SINGLE RESPONSE back. Not one. This was way worse than my standard 2% response rate. This was a disaster. I poured myself a flute of cold champagne to the very top and decided it was time to swallow not just my bubbly but also my pride and take a hard look at what I was doing wrong.
I spent the entire rest of that night doing an audit of my own email and social media inboxes. I looked at the language, sentence structure, word choice, positioning, tone, subject lines, even punctuation of all the incoming messages I had ignored, deleted, or responded to over the last year. I went through my calendar from the last year to see who I had met with and what they had sent me that persuaded me to give them an opportunity. I went through Quickbooks to see what I had signed off on from whom. I wanted to understand my own buying behavior to try and figure out how I could become a more persuasive digital communicator- like the people who had influenced me to buy.
It turned out that as a buyer, I also only answered about 2% of the sales messages that were sent my way- the same response rate I was getting from my own outbound messages. Of those 2% that I answered, I met with 65% of them in person or via video conference. Of those 65% I met with, I signed a contract or referred them to someone 40% of the time- almost 1 out of every 2 people. Talk about persuasive! I was envious and intrigued. How had these digital ninjas persuaded me- from behind a SCREEN- to meet with them over the other 98% of salespeople whose messages I had ignored?
This was where I discovered the pattern that improved my ability to influence from behind a screen forever. Each persuasive digital message possessed the same three commonalities- every time. The senders had effectively modified basic principles of offline persuasion to be more effective in the online communication world.
Analyzing this pattern and referring back to my notes on Dr. Cialdini's book- I white-boarded a rough messaging formula to try. First thing Monday morning, I began testing this new approach to see what would happen. Week by week, I began optimizing my formula based on what was and was not able to persuade others to give me an opportunity to meet with them.
Within a year, using this method, my small agency attracted the attention of huge clients that were WAY out of our league. We were small potatoes compared to some of the fancy global agencies, and yet somehow we managed to persuade The Academy Awards, VISA, ABC/Disney, Nelson Mandela's Legacy of Hope foundation, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Hitachi Healthcare, and other huge global brands (that had their pick of international agencies) to meet with us- all from behind the social media screen.
The freaking Oscars hired my small Orange County agency over all the fanciest power agencies in Hollywood and beyond! My mind was blown that just modifying my digital communication approach opened the door to such an impactful opportunity.
Scoring all of these incredibly huge contracts was fiscally awesome, but even better was the fact that I was spending my sales time in a SMARTER, more effective WAY. I was connecting with buyers that were a better match for me to work with from the start. My response rate from messages went from 2% to 65%. My brand looked better, my network became vibrant, my rejection rate went way down, my inbound leads went way up- and life became a whole lot more fun.
My digital persuasion formula will empower you to create the same success in your daily sales, marketing or entrepreneurial life. You will earn attention for your ideas, responses to your messages and grow your business a smarter way.
My presentations, book and workshop are all designed to help you improve your digital persuasion power for more influential communication to succeed in the modern marketplace.
"Erin Gargan King is a high energy, engaging speaker that we were lucky to have present at World Fitness Expo 2018. She was well embraced by the audience who found her expertise in social media very helpful. Her presentation has had a positive impact in their professional lives. I would highly recommend Erin as a speaker."