Photo: Center for Health Equity team left to right, Heidi McPherson, MPH, Shreela Sharma, PhD, RD, Jemima John, PhD, Ru-Jye Chuang, DrPH, and Naomi Tice, MPH. |
Center for Health Equity Established to Ensure the Sustainability of Population Health Efforts Across the State of Texas
To accelerate health equity in the state of Texas, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has established the Center for Health Equity.
The mission of the Center is to build core population health and health equity research infrastructure at the School of Public Health. The Center will create, advance, and sustain research opportunities spanning the continuum of care to improve understanding of disease and health disparities, including the structural, behavioral, environmental, social, economic, and health literacy factors related to the prevention and control of chronic disease across the lifespan. EHGES Vice Chair Shreela V. Sharma, PhD, will serve as Center Director.
Please click here to learn more about the latest research center in EHGES.
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EHGES Assistant Professor Publishes Monkeypox Research in Journal of Medical Virology
Assistant Professor at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Fuqing Wu, PhD, has published research about the monkeypox virus in the latest Journal of Medical Virology issue.
Wu discovered wide mismatches between monkeypox virus (MPV) diagnostic assays and 1730 MPV genomes released in the 2022 outbreak worldwide. Further experiments revealed that the CDC-recommended generic assay with mismatches resulted in an 11-fold underestimation of MPV DNA in the reaction and a 4-fold increase in the 95% limit of detection. The results showed that the current MPV real-time generic assay may not be optimal to detect MPV. The mismatch-corrected assay with full complementarity could provide a more sensitive and accurate detection of MPV.
This work is a collaboration with EHGES faculty, Eric Brown, PhD, professor and interim director of the Center for Infectious Diseases, and Kristina Mena, PhD, professor and regional dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health El Paso, along with EHGES student Jeremiah Oghuan, MPH, also participated in this study.
This work is supported by the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI) led by Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, Dean & M. David Low Chair in Public Health & Kozmetsky Family Chair In Human Genetics with UTHealth Houston.
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EHGES Faculty Named Outstanding Reviewer by American Heart Association Journal
Mayra L. Estrella, PhD, assistant professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville, has been named an Outstanding Reviewer for the American Heart Association Journal, Circulation.
Assistant Managing Editor, Nick Murphy, acknowledged Estrella's contributions in a letter sent at the end of 2022. "Advances in cardiology hinge critically on the vital, and often unrecognized, efforts of professionals such as Estrella, who devote time, energy, and expertise to the evaluation of emerging science. We cannot publish outstanding – and reliable – content in Circulation were it not for these efforts. As this important work occurs largely behind the scenes, we are notifying you of our recognition of Estrella's outstanding contribution to the fields of cardiovascular science and medicine."
Complete list of 'Outstanding Reviewers in 2022' by AHA journal Circulation.
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EHGES Associate Professor Appointed
Co-Director of the Human Genetics Center
The Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences congratulate Associate Professor Bing Yu, PhD, who has been appointed co-director of the Human Genetics Center at UTHealth School of Public Health.
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EHGES Assistant Professor Publishes Study in AHA Journal; Twitter Video Shared Widely
Published January 2023 in the Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine AHA Journal, this latest study, co-led by Chloé Sarnowski, PhD, and Aaron Leong, MD, MSc, Massachusetts General Hospital, sought to examine the genetic effect on body mass index (BMI) across three generations of participants from the Framingham Heart Study, which were influenced by different historical events throughout the last century.
By aggregating genetic variants previously associated with BMI from large genetic studies, they confirmed a larger genetic effect on BMI in more recent birth cohorts and showed that it may extend to cardiovascular disease risk. These findings suggest that an obesogenic environment may amplify the impact of genetics on the risk of obesity and possibly its cardiovascular consequences.
After the AHA created an explainer video for Twitter, the video has been viewed over two thousand times in just a few weeks.
Click here to read more about the study published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine AHA Journal.
Watch the Twitter Video here.
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Study Finds Link Between Patient Satisfaction and Likelihood of Bariatric Surgery
Patients who are satisfied with their physicians are more likely to follow through with metabolic or bariatric surgery (MBS) regardless of racial or ethnic group, according to a study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston.
"We wanted to know if patient and physician relationships were associated with why people are not getting a surgery that has the potential to save their life," said Sarah Messiah, PhD, senior author of the study and professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. "The general thinking is, if you like and trust your physician, you will go back and listen to what they have to say, and our findings mirror that idea." The study was published in JAMA Network Open in Dec 2022.
Co-authors from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health include Sunil Mathew, MS; Olivia Kapera, MPH; Sophia Ngenge, MPH; and Elisa Morales Marroquin, PhD, MS. Other authors include Jaime P. Almandoz, MD, MBA; Jeffrey N. Schellinger, MCH, RD, LD; Carrie McAdams, MD, PhD; and Benjamin Schneider, MD, with UT Southwestern Medical Center and Sachin Kukreja, MD, with Minimally Invasive Surgical Associates in Dallas.
Read the complete article here.
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New Faculty Spotlight
Jooyeon Hwang, PhD
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health welcomes Jooyeon Hwang, PhD, to the EHGES faculty as an associate professor.
Hwang earned her MS in animal environment from Seoul National University, an MS in environmental health sciences, and a PhD in industrial hygiene from the University of Minnesota. Hwang also completed her postdoctoral studies at the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Hwang's research interests include studying environmental and occupational exposures to carcinogens and other toxicants and investigating their interactions with the human biological system. She will lead industrial hygiene classes at the School of Public Health.
She enjoys hikes, swimming, bike rides, and singing and playing the piano in her free time.
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New Faculty Spotlight
Karla Mendez, PhD
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health welcomes Karla Mendez, PhD, who has officially joined the EHGES faculty as assistant professor of instruction, non-tenure track, to lead classes in the environmental sciences discipline.
Mendez has been a part of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health since 2017 when she began her MPH with a focus in epidemiology and earned her PhD in environmental disease prevention. She is based at the School of Public Health in El Paso and will teach Risk Analysis: Principles and Practice and Public Health Ecology and the Human Environment.
In her free time, Mendez enjoys oil painting, tennis, comedy and horror films, and time with her dogs, Luna and Pinky.
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Epidemiology Seminar with Ellen Regalado, PhD
February 1
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Via Webex
Ellen Regalado, PhD, a recent graduate of the doctoral epidemiology program at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, will present a research project titled 'Incidence, Mortality, and Direct Medical Costs Associated with Index Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Disease: Findings from a Nationwide Health Insurance Claims Database.'
Please see the SPH Events Calendar for more information.
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TEPHI Talks
Dell Technologies' Workplace Transformation in Response to Covid 19
Live Seminar
February 16
1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom Link
Join the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute (TEPHI) for our first TEPHI Talk of the new year, featuring Dell Technologies. Speaker Emily Dreyer, VP of Workplace Environment for Dell, will share how their lessons learned transformed the way Dell manages their workplace environment.
Register via Zoom here.
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Fellowship Application Now Open
UTHealth Houston Biomedical Informatics, Genomics, and Translational Cancer Research Training Program (BIG-TCR)
is accepting fellowship positions that have been generously funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) for Spring 2023.
The predoctoral and postdoctoral
fellowship application cycle is now open
to all six schools of UTHealth Houston.
Please see the link for details on how to
apply and more.
BIG-TCR Cancer and Artificial Intelligence Research
Want to learn more information about all of our postdoc opportunities?
School of Public Health
Postdoc Positions
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Job Opportunities with the School of Public Health
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health is expanding its environmental and occupational health sciences (EOHS) multidisciplinary program. UTHealth Houston School of Public Health aims to hire a cluster of faculty members to support interdisciplinary scholarship in EOHS-related topics, with a particular interest in developing new areas of inquiry that will place the EOHS program and the School as a whole in a strategic position of strength in this area of science.
We have multiple open rank (tenure-track) faculty positions, including EOHS Founding Chair.
For more information click here.
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The Cupboard
UTHealth Houston
School of Public Health
The Cupboard is the first no-cost food resource for
students and staff who may need it.
Location: UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
Floor: B-04
Email: thecupboard@uth.tmc.edu
Be sure to follow their Instagram for future
updates!
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New UTHealth Houston student-centered mobile app
Win $1,500 award to be used for any social event or party on campus!
UTHealth Houston students who download the app between Monday, Jan. 9, and Monday, Feb. 6, can help their school win a $1,500 award that can be used for a social event or party on campus.
The Office of Academic Affairs is hosting a four-week contest that will award $1,500 to the school that has the most students download the app.
This app allows you to access your class schedule, grades, financial aid, and payment plans while on the go. It is available on both iOS and Android devices by visiting the App Store or Google Play and entering “UTHealth Student” into the search. Take the mobile app tour, add the app to your device for important updates from central student services, and to connect with the campus today!
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The Texas Medical Center Library and the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health library offer many student and faculty services, including Canvas training, navigating the SPH library website, writing services, and much more. Contact Kelsey Koym for assistance and more information. Email Kelsey Koym here or visit the TMC Library website for more details. | |
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The 2023 Annual Pre-Health Professions Conference at McGovern Medical School is your opportunity to meet and learn from deans of admissions and students from the six different UTHealth Houston schools in the Texas Medical Center (McGovern Medical School, MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School, School of Biomedical Informatics, School of Dentistry, School of Nursing, School of Public Health).
The goal of the Pre-Health Professions Conference is to increase awareness of the vast variety of health professions that UTHealth offers. This is achieved by offering a variety of workshops, presentations from the dean of admissions from each school, a diverse student panel, and more. It is a unique experience in which the conference attendees receive an insight perspective on each respective school. The conference is ideal for pre-med students, pre-nursing students, pre-dentistry students, and those who are interested in research and community health.
Information and registration links are available here.
| Reminder: For more information on how to handle media requests, see the UTHealth Houston HOOP policy here. If you are contacted by the media, please call the UTHealth Houston Media Relations team on the hotline, 713-500-3030 - someone is available 24/7. Deb Lake is the designated School of Public Health contact. Always choose to call the hotline for immediate assistance. | |
SUBMISSIONS AND NEWSLETTER DEADLINE | |
All campuses are encouraged to submit items for consideration for the monthly EHGES newsletter. Please feel free to submit your items to sphehges@uth.tmc.edu. | | | | |
