The overview
According to a Dec. 30 news release, the IBC Foundation’s donation will be used to purchase a Thermo Altus model mass spectrometer. This state-of-the-art instrument will help advance research into diabetes-related kidney disease.
The mass spectrometer will enable researchers to detect specific metabolites and proteins that serve as early indicators of kidney dysfunction, helping to predict and prevent kidney failure in diabetes patients.
Led by Kumar Sharma, chief of the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, the research focuses on creating a highly precise and scalable test to identify individuals at risk of severe diabetic kidney disease.
“The support of the IBC Foundation will have an enormous impact on our South Texas communities disproportionately affected by diabetes,” said Robert Hromas, acting president of UT Health San Antonio. “By advancing early detection and targeted interventions, we can help predict kidney failure due to diabetes complications to improve lives, reduce suffering and bring hope to the families in our region.”
The backstory
The IBC Foundation is a private foundation affiliated with International Bank of Commerce and its subsidiary banks, and is dedicated to supporting charities that enrich the community and improve the health and wellness of people in Texas and Oklahoma.
The foundation’s year-end gift is in addition to $2 million in endowments made by IBC Foundation earlier this year, and brings the foundation’s total donations in 2024 to $2.4 million
IBC Foundation donations funded:
- Professorship in Health Promotion Research at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio
- Professorship in Nursing Administration and Informatics at the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing
- Professorship in Health, Behavior and Society at the University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio
- Professorship in Health Policy and Health Services Administration at the University of Texas School of Public Health San Antonio
