Concept to Clinic Series

Friday, Mar. 6, 2026 | 12 pm – 1:00 pm

Dunn Tower – Comal Room

MAPTA's Concept-to-Clinic seminar series focuses on the translational journey from innovative research concepts to clinical applications, bringing together leading researchers to show how discoveries become patient-impacting solutions and fostering collaboration across Houston Methodist and the broader Texas Medical Center community.

This session features John Leach, PhD, Head of R&D at Medley Therapeutics. Dr. Leach is a molecular physiologist focused on the genetic control of tissue regeneration, with particular emphasis on enabling repair in organs with limited regenerative capacity such as the heart. His work centers on activating endogenous repair programs to restore functional cardiac tissue after injury. Through modulation of Hippo pathway signaling, his research has demonstrated induction of a reparative genetic response associated with enhanced vascular support at the injury border, reduced fibrotic remodeling, and improved cardiac function. In this seminar, Dr. Leach will discuss the path from mechanistic discovery to therapeutic development and the challenges of advancing regenerative strategies toward clinical translation.