World-Renowned Cell-Therapy Researcher, Doris Taylor, PhD, Joins Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Officials at the Texas Heart Institute
(THI) at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital (St. Luke’s) announced
today that Doris
Taylor, PhD, FAHA, FACC, one of the world’s leading cell
therapy and cardiac regeneration scientists, will join THI
beginning March 1, 2012.

Dr. Taylor’s research includes: Cell and gene therapy for
treatment of cardiovascular disease; tissue
engineering of bioartificial organs and vasculature; cell-based
prevention of disease; stem cells and cancer; and holistic
approaches to using cell therapy for treating chronic disease.

Most recently, Dr. Taylor and her team garnered international
recognition for work involving “whole organ decellularization”
by showing they were able to remove existing cells from hearts
of laboratory animals and even humans leaving a framework to
build new organs. They repopulated the framework with other
adult stem cells then provided a blood supply, and the heart
regenerated with the characteristics and functions of a
revitalized beating heart.

The hope is that this research is an early step toward being
able to grow a fully functional human heart in the laboratory.
Dr. Taylor has demonstrated that the process works for other
organs as well – opening a door in the field of organ
transplantation.

It is significant in that the need for transplants continues to
grow, while the supply of donor organs remains critically low.

“Dr. Taylor is certainly one of the stars in the adult human
stem cell field, and we feel extremely fortunate to have her
join our team,” said Dr. James T. Willerson, THI’s President
and Medical Director. “Her work fits very well with our mission
and goals, and she certainly helps to solidify THI as a leader
in cell therapy, which is one of the most promising hopes for
treating cardiovascular disease.”

“The chance to work with Dr. Willerson and the THI team as
colleagues is very exhilarating. From molecules, to cells, to
organs and tissues, we want to create solutions for people with
disease,” said Dr. Taylor. “I am confident that I am joining a
regenerative medicine program that is unparalleled. And, given
the breadth of innovation and science in Houston, I have every
confidence that building solutions for heart diseases not only
has a long history, but a bright future.”

The move to Houston will also bring her closer to her family,
notes Dr. Taylor.

Dr. Taylor has been serving as director of the Center for
Cardiovascular Repair and Medtronic Bakken Chair in Integrative
Biology and Physiology at the University of Minnesota. Prior to
that she was on the faculty as Associate Professor in
Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center.

A native of Mississippi, Dr. Taylor holds a B.S. in biology
from Mississippi University for Women and a Doctorate in
pharmacology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
School in Dallas.

About the Texas Heart® Institute

The Texas Heart Institute (http://www.texasheart.org ^[1]),
founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A.
Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through
innovative and progressive programs in research, education and
improved patient care. Together with its clinical partner, St.
Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, it has been ranked among the top 10
cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News &
World Report’s annual guide to “America’s Best Hospitals” for
the past 21 years. The Texas Heart Institute is also
affiliated with the University of Texas (UT) System, which
promotes collaboration in cardiovascular research and education
among UT and THI faculty at the Texas Heart Institute and other
UT components.

About St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System

St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System (StLukesTexas.com) includes
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center,
founded in 1954 by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas; St. Luke’s
The Woodlands Hospital; St. Luke’s Sugar Land Hospital; St.
Luke’s Lakeside Hospital; St. Luke’s Patients Medical Center;
St. Luke’s Hospital at The Vintage; and St. Luke’s Episcopal
Health Charities, a charity devoted to assessing and enhancing
community health, especially among the underserved. St. Luke’s
Episcopal Hospital is home to the Texas
Heart^®Institute, which was founded in
1962 by Denton A. Cooley, MD, and is consistently ranked among
the top 10 cardiology and heart surgery centers in the country
by U.S. News & World Report. Affiliated with several
nursing schools and three medical schools, St. Luke’s Episcopal
Hospital was the first hospital in Texas named a Magnet
hospital for nursing excellence, receiving the award three
times.^[2]