Visionary Geneticist Celebrated with Emeritus Status for Excellence in Research,

Teaching and Service

Professor Stephen Daiger, PhD, with the Department of Epidemiology, has been awarded the prestigious title of Emeritus Professor by the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. This honor recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of genetic research and his unwavering dedication to teaching and mentoring.

Professor Daiger embarked on his exploration of the genetics of inherited retinal degenerations at a time when the field was largely uncharted. His groundbreaking research has been pivotal in identifying the genetic variants responsible for photoreceptor degeneration. Jacque Duncan, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, regards him as a highly esteemed colleague throughout their professional careers. “Daiger played a critical role in discovering the wide spectrum of genetic variants that cause photoreceptors to degenerate. His efforts expanded awareness of how genetic variants cause photoreceptors to die and enabled numerous clinical trials of treatments for these relentless diseases,” she states.

Beyond his research, Daiger has been a fierce advocate for trainees and young researchers. “He mentored several leaders in the genetic basis of inherited retinal degenerations, who built upon the strong foundation he provided,” says Duncan. His commitment to mentoring has ensured that his legacy continues through the work of his students and colleagues.

Department of Epidemiology Professor James Hixson, PhD, praises Daiger’s contributions, stating, “Stephen Daiger is an outstanding professor who exemplifies the highest standards of Research, Teaching, and Service. His accomplishments have been recognized by a much-deserved award of the title of Emeritus.”

Professor Craig Hanis, PhD, another long-time colleague, reflects on Daiger’s career, “His curiosity, rigor, adaptability, and tenaciousness have led to major successes unraveling the genetics of inherited eye disease. His legacy will only grow as the findings he has made are exploited by a cadre of former students and collaborators.”

Lori Sullivan, PhD, a Faculty Associate in the Department of Epidemiology, has collaborated with Daiger since 1991, initially as a post-doctoral student and later as a research faculty associate in his lab. She remarks, “Professor Daiger is highly respected in the field of retinal genetics, with approximately 200 publications throughout his career. He consistently emphasized in grant proposals that our work aimed to prevent blindness in babies and children. Today, findings from the Daiger lab are being utilized to develop treatments for inherited retinal diseases affecting individuals of all ages.”

Daiger’s influence extends beyond the university. His creation of RetNet, a platform for sharing knowledge about retinal disease genes, has become an invaluable resource for the scientific community. “One of the things he’s most well-known for is a website that he put together back in 1996 called RetNet – the Retinal Information Network. It started as a database of the progress that was being made in the field of retinal genetics – a list of retinal disease genes as they were discovered,” Sullivan explains. “Over the years, it became the go-to reference in practically every paper published in the field.”

Professor and Division Director Hope Northrup, MD, with the Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School, emphasizes Professor Daiger’s transformative impact, stating, “Daiger revolutionized the care of genetic eye diseases. He has discovered numerous genes responsible for these conditions, significantly advancing our understanding and treatment options.”

As Professor Stephen Daiger, PhD, transitions to emeritus status, his legacy of scientific discovery, mentorship, and advocacy will continue to inspire and guide future generations.

EPIDEMIOLOGY FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

NCI Funds New Grant for Project CASCADE

An intervention study to improve outcomes for cancer survivors and enhance primary care capacity, funded with a $4.8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, will be implemented by UTHealth Houston researchers in partnership with eight Texas primary care community health centers that treat under and uninsured patients.

“Project CASCADE focuses on how primary health care teams provide whole-person and coordinated care to underserved patients who have a history of cancer,” said Bijal Balasubramanian, PhD, professor of epidemiology and the Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Health at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, who is a multiple principal investigator of the study.

Project CASCADE stands for Community and Academic Synergy for Cancer Survivorship Care Delivery Enhancement.

You can read more about Project CASADE here.

Professor Sharma Addresses Key Issues on Global Actions on Food Loss in Mexico City

Center for Health Equity director Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN, LD, and doctoral student in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and graduate research assistant with the Center for Health Equity, Lorena Macías Navarro, attended the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste held in Mexico City on Sep 30th, 2024, organized by the Mexican Network of Food Banks (Red BAMX in Spanish).

The goal of this meeting was to bring awareness of the social and environmental impacts of food loss and food waste in Mexico and around the globe. It provided a space to connect and collaborate with different stakeholders to think about strategies to reduce food waste and redistribute healthy food to people who need it the most.

The event featured a panel on “Global Actions on Food Loss and Waste” featuring Sharma and Carolina fernández from WRAP America, and was moderated by Gabriella Rosato from the Red BAMX.

A New Study Finds Unified Global Effort Needed for Effective Physical Activity Policies

A new study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health highlights the need for a unified global commitment to prioritize physical activity.

Co-author Andrea Ramirez Varela, PhD, assistant professor in the department of epidemiology, found the current physical activity policy landscape remains disparate as governments establish new post-COVID-19 pandemic updates.

The study emphasizes that new policies should be well-resourced and integrated with sectors like education, urban planning, transport, and community-level initiatives that can address inequities in physical activity participation.

You can read more details about the study here.

New Study Finds Alcohol and Depression Linked to Cannabis Vaping in Youth

Epidemiology Professor Melissa Harrell, PhD, is a co-author of a new study published in Social Science & Medicine that studied a diverse cohort of youth and young adults to characterize and compare transitions in cannabis (THC) vaping by sociodemographic and other risk factors.

Researchers found that the onset of cannabis vaping is most prevalent among non-Hispanic Black youth compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Alcohol use emerged as a common predictor of cannabis vaping across all groups, while depression was specifically linked to cannabis vaping among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black youth. The study suggests that future research should explore the connections between alcohol use, mental health, and cannabis vaping in young people to better understand these trends.

You can read more details about the study here.

EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS

Narcan Training for SPH Students

The Houston Emergency Opioid Engagement System (HEROES ) and the Student Epidemic Intelligence Society (SEIS ) brought together students for overdose training with Naloxone.

Naloxone may help reverse an opioid overdose while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

You can learn more about the HEROES overdose training available at go.uth.edu/CBEAR.

New Study Finds Common Genetic Markers in CRP and Fibrinogen

Epidemiology doctoral student Julie Hahn, MPH, is first author of a new study published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

The study titled "Bivariate genome-wide association study of circulating fibrinogen and C-reactive protein levels" found new and shared genetic markers linked to both fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (CRP). Researchers detected pleiotropic and novel loci associated with both traits, and the findings confirmed that fibrinogen and CRP share a large portion of their genetic architectures. By utilizing two distinct multitrait analysis approaches, metaUSAT, and N-GWAMA, the researchers demonstrated that these methods are complementary, identifying many overlapping genetic loci between fibrinogen and CRP. You can read the full article here.

Scholarship Spotlight, Mallika Mathur, PhD

Philanthropy enhances the lives of students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, enabling them to pursue their dreams and make a positive impact in our community.

Thanks to generous donor support, Epidemiology graduate Mallika Mathur, PhD ’24, received a scholarship that allowed her to focus on her studies rather than the cost of her education.

Now, she’s conducting postdoctoral research in a joint position with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and the Department of Pediatrics at McGovern Medical School.

CHARGE Conference, Rotterdam

Epidemiology doctoral student Iman Egab, MPH, was awarded both the Travel Award and Early Career Achievement Tiger award for her research work entitled "Unveiling the Hidden Rules: Enhancing NMD Prediction for Protein-Truncating Variants" under the supervision of Assistant Professor Zeynep Coban Akdemir, PhD, during the CHARGE Rotterdam 2024 meeting that took place on October 15-17.

Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium Meeting

Epidemiology postdoctoral fellow Archana Rai, PhD, presented her work entitled "Genomic Rare Variant Mechanisms for Congenital Cardiac Laterality Defect: a Digenic Model Approach" at the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium(PCGC) as a PCGC and CDDRC fellow.

APHA 2024 Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN

Epidemiology doctoral student Ogochukwu Ezeigwe, MPH, received the Epidemiology Student Fellowship award for best abstract. The abstract, "Understanding the Role of Patient-Physician Relationship and Cancer Treatment Option on Trust in Clinical Trial Information: Insights from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey 5 Cycle 4." was co-authored by Ezeigwe, Devesh Malgave, PhD, Epidemiology doctoral students Manali Desai, MD, Iman Egab, MPH and Health Promotion and Behavioural Sciences doctoral student Olajumoke Oladoyin, MPH.

Doctoral Student Leads Study on Occupational Stress in Nurse Aides During COVID-19

Epidemiology doctoral student Anna Holdiman, MA, is the principal investigator for the project "Exploring Occupational Asthma and Stress Among Certified Nurse Aides During the COVID-19 Pandemic."

As part of the study, Holdiman and a team of student, staff, and faculty researchers mailed over 2,000 invitations last week, directing recipients to an online survey.

The project's co-investigators include Professor George Delclos, PhD and Assistant Professor Jenil Patel, PhD, who also serves as her faculty mentor.

Holdiman is a NIOSH ERC Trainee and the NIOSH Pilot Projects award recipient.