The UTRGV School of Medicine and the UTRGV School of Nursing participated in a special interprofessional education (IPE) event. Medical and nursing students teamed up to learn advanced burn treatment and management techniques.

Dean Hocker was on hand to provide insights and support, sharing personal stories from his experience as an emergency room doctor.

IPE events bring students, faculty, and practitioners from various health professions together to strengthen interprofessional collaborative practice and team-based care.

Thank you to those who participated and made this event possible!

The UTRGV School of Medicine's Child Psychiatry Access Network (CPAN), Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network (PeriPAN), and Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) teams joined the Medical Alliance's 5th Annual Jump-a-Thon with Texas Senator Morgan LaMantia, who, in collaboration with the City of Brownsville helped organize the event.

The event celebrated the back-to-school season by offering a morning of fitness, fun, and education.

Thank you to those who participated!

Dr. Evan Perez presented to the entire Weslaco ISD athletic trainers and coaching staff.

He spoke about concussions, how to identify them, and what precautions to take.

With football season right around the corner, Dr. Perez provided applicable assessments that can be done on the sidelines.

Thank you, Dr. Perez!

Dr. Alejandro Rios Tovar is an assistant professor of surgery at the UTRGV School of Medicine. He was born and raised in McAllen, TX, and is excited to be back in the Rio Grande Valley to serve the community in which he was raised.

He completed his residency training in general surgery at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) of El Paso. After a fellowship in surgical critical care at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Dr. Rios Tovar returned to El Paso, where he served as the associate trauma medical director of the University Medical Center of El Paso. 

Dr. Rios Tovar was among the many surgeons who responded to the Walmart shooting in El Paso in 2019, and he later testified at the House Judiciary Committee to share his experience and advocate for firearm injury prevention. Although these events shaped him to become the trauma surgeon he is today, his focus has always been education and patient care. 

Welcome, Dr. Rios Tovar!

Dr. Terence Herman joins the UTRGV School of Medicine as a professor of medical oncology in the Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology.

Before joiningUTRGV, he served as the chairman of the Radiation Oncology Department and as a professor of hematology and oncology at UT Health San Antonio (UTHSC-SA) for 11 years and at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) for 14 years.

He graduated from the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, CT. He trained in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ, and in radiation oncology at Stanford Medical Center.  

During his prior academic affiliations, he was awarded several research grants to study the effects of tumor microenvironments on the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation. He served as residency director at both UTHSC-SA and OUHSC, and teaching young physicians has always been important to him.   

Welcome, Dr. Herman!

Dr. Aamir N. Ahmad is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the UTRGV School of Medicine and the head team physician for the UTRGV Vaqueros.

Dr. Ahmad completed his undergraduate and medical school at The University of Arizona. He then completed his five-year Orthopedic Surgery Residency training at The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he served as a team physician for Belen High School and the New Mexico Lobos.

He then completed an additional year of fellowship training in sports medicine and shoulder/elbow surgery at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he served as a team physician for the USC Trojans and the Los Angeles Kings (NHL).

Dr. Ahmad enjoys mentoring and coaching the next generation of students, residents, and fellows. He is also passionate about clinical and basic science research, focusing on surgical outcomes and returning to sports/work.

Welcome, Dr. Ahmad!

UTRGV School of Medicine students Yazeth Gonzalez, Maria Lozano Bonilla, and Maria Camila Gonzalez Tovar founded the Public Health Interest Group.

Through this student organization, they partnered with the Hidalgo County Health Department and Edinburg CISD. They spearheaded a two-day vaccination drive and created an HPV education initiative alongside this.

They passed out educational brochures and flyers to the parents of Edinburg CISD to increase the HPV vaccination rates. Four different schools were covered, and of the 422 vaccines administered, 67 were HPV vaccines, thus successfully increasing the local HPV vaccination rates. 

Thank you to those who participated!

Faculty of the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research (ST-CECR) participated in the UTRGV South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association (STJDA)—Science Day to educate high schoolers about important health issues and the science behind them.

During this event, Dr. Subhash Chauhan, director of the ST-CECR, presented information about the link between obesity and cancer and aimed to raise awareness about the significant health risks associated with obesity and its potential role in cancer development.

Thank you for this outreach!

UTRGV School of Medicine students Chantal Uzoma and Desiree Brewer recently published an article titled "Potential association between arsenic and vitamin D" in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Dr. Mohammed S. Razzaque, faculty of the Department of Medical Education at the UTRGV School of Medicine, guided the students throughout the publication process.

Chronic arsenic toxicity is a deadly but often overlooked public health issue. This article explains how arsenic might interact with vitamin D.

It also showcases the scholarly activities of UTRGV medical students, aligning with the school's commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.

Read more here. 

Dr. Subhash Chauhan and Dr. Sheema Khan, faculty of the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research (ST-CECR), participated in the prestigious Pancreas Club Meeting in Cincinnati, OH.

Since its inception in 1966, the Pancreas Club has been dedicated to fostering a global exchange of ideas among pancreatologists, including leading clinicians, top surgeons, and scientists worldwide.

The 2024 meeting brought together distinguished pancreatic cancer surgeons, researchers, and clinicians for three days of discussions and knowledge sharing.

It showcased the power of collective expertise and commitment to advancing pancreatic cancer care, from pioneering surgical techniques to cutting-edge therapies. It provided opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Dr. Chauhan delivered a talk titled “Tumor-Specific Targeted Approach for the Modulation of Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment.” Dr. Khan presented the “Significance of Exosomes Derived from Tumor-Adjacent Fibroblasts for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy.”

This meeting highlighted the critical role of ongoing dialogue and collaboration in advancing pancreatic cancer research and treatment.

Thank you for your participation!