Our UTRGV School of Medicine has been busy this month working on several projects that contribute to our ongoing efforts to transform the health of the Rio Grande Valley.
Our UTRGV Institute of Neuroscience is scheduled to open with a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for October 26.
The comprehensive neuroscience facility has been in development for about three years and will act as a hub for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research, education, clinical care and community partnership facility with a central goal: advancing brain health in the Valley and beyond.
In addition, our School of Medicine has also been awarded a grant for an education and training program focused on increasing the number of behavioral health professionals in the Valley.
Also worth noting for the month of September, UTRGV and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were announced as a new National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).
The South Texas partners are joining 32 other centers in the national network, established by the NIA in 1984 to promote research collaboration, encourage data sharing and open science, and offer information and clinical trials for patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Our School of Medicine also recognized and celebrated Women in Medicine month, created to recognize the growing number of women in the profession.
On behalf of the UTRGV family, we want to acknowledge all of our UT Health RGV and UTRGV School of Medicine women in medicine and science. Thank you for your continued dedication in fulfilling our school’s mission and serving our community.
As we continue to make progress on our goals of transforming the health of the RGV and through improved access to healthcare and educational opportunities and life changing research in our region, I invite you to learn more about what our School of Medicine has been working on by reading our stories within this newsletter.
Sincerely,
Michael B. Hocker, MD, MHS
Dean, School of Medicine
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UTRGV’s Institute of Neuroscience poised to provide innovative medical services for South Texas |
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The UTRGV School of Medicine is expanding crucial medical services for the Rio Grande Valley with its Institute of Neuroscience (ION), set to open Oct. 26 in Harlingen.
ION will act as a hub for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary clinical care, research, education and community partnership with a central goal: to transform brain health in the Valley and beyond.
Dr. Michael R. Dobbs, MHCM, is chair of the Department of Neurology and chief medical officer for UT Health Rio Grande Valley, the clinical arm of the UTRGV School of Medicine. He said ION’s equipment, specialists and educational programs will fill a healthcare gap in the RGV that will have a lasting impact.
“We want to give the people of South Texas access to advanced neurology care,” Dobbs said, “and our Institute of Neuroscience will make that happen.”
An expert in neurological health and research, Dobbs is known internationally for his pioneering work in clinical neurotoxicology. He came to UTRGV in 2019 from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he led efforts to open four-year medical schools at three locations throughout the state. His experience in growing university-healthcare networks was instrumental in guiding the plans for ION.
He said UTRGV’s new state-of-the-art facility provides dedicated space to the treatment and research of brain, spinal and nerve diseases – like epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and multiple sclerosis – for individuals of all ages.
Additionally, UTRGV is positioning ION to provide medical services and research that will serve as critical learning experiences for the university’s medical students, with plans to start a residency program to train, in the Rio Grande Valley, the next generation of neurologists at ION.
“We want those who want to train to be leaders in neurological care to be able to do that here at ION,” Dobbs said.
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New UTRGV Early Assurance programs provide pathways for future physicians |
UTRGV’s new pre-med Early Assurance Programs are now accepting applications for the next cohort of the Vaqueros MD and PACT programs – dedicated pathways from high school to health professions for students in 13 South Texas counties.
The Early Assurance Programs at UTRGV, which accepted 11 students in its first cohort in Fall 2020, provide freshmen with conditional acceptance into the UTRGV School of Medicine or the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree in the College of Health Professions after earning their undergraduate degree at UTRGV.
The application period is open for the next cohort of high school seniors who rank at the top of their graduating class and commit to staying close to home to serve in a healthcare field.
Dr. Michael B. Hocker, dean of the UTRGV School of Medicine, said the students participating in this program have positioned themselves for career success.
“We are honored to provide them the opportunity to continue their education as we grow this critical pipeline for healthcare professionals in South Texas,” he said.
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UTRGV SOM awarded federal grant to train behavioral health consultants
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Dr. John Ronnau, PhD, senior associate dean for Community Health Partnerships with the UTRGV School of Medicine, has been awarded a grant for an education and training program focused on increasing the number of behavioral health professionals in the Valley.
The grant will allow the School of Medicine to train 24 mental health graduates annually, Ronnau said, to serve as Behavioral Health Consultants (BHC) and deliver high-quality Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) clinical services – such as assessment, evaluation, and intervention planning and implementation – to high-need communities.
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Celebrating Women in Medicine Month |
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Dr. Rachel Giese receives multi-institutional R21 NIH research grant by Rice University
Help us congratulate Dr. Rachel Giese, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Assistant Professor.
Dr. Giese is a sub-awardee of a multi-institutional R21 NIH research grant by Rice University, entitled:
“The Mobile Imagining for Oral Cancer Screening Programs in Rural US Settings.”
This grant aims to improve the early detection of oral cancer in rural areas of the United States by studying and introducing new tools for the detection of oral and oropharyngeal cancer.
Congratulations Dr. Giese on this important award!
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Dr. Denise De Los Santos participates in Cefalo
Fellowship Program
Dr. De Los Santos is an OB/GYN who takes care of women in all stages of life. She teaches medical students in their pre-clinical years as the director of the female reproductive module and in their clinical years at various clinical sites.
She was recently nominated to represent her profession in the Cefalo Fellowship Program, a week-long retreat with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
During the retreat, Dr. De Los Santos participated in media, leadership, and team management trainings.
Congratulations Dr. De Los Santos, and thank you for your dedication to teaching the physicians of tomorrow!
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UTRGV and UT Health Science Center San Antonio selected as NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center |
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The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, working in close collaboration, were announced today as a new National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).
The South Texas partners are joining 32 other centers in the national network, established by the NIA in 1984 to promote research collaboration, encourage data sharing and open science, and offer information and clinical trials for patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
The NIA is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and ADRCs are NIH Centers of Excellence. No other Texas institution or consortium is currently an ADRC.
“Texas is the third-most populous state in the country, has the second-highest number of deaths related to Alzheimer’s disease, and is home to a Mexican American and Hispanic population that is among the fastest-growing U.S. demographic segments,” said Dr. Sudha Seshadri, MD, professor of neurology at UT Health Science Center San Antonio and founding director of its Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases. “This federal designation by NIA will be transformational as we seek cures and provide the best possible care, based on the most up-to-date knowledge and technology, to the families of South Texas and throughout our state.”
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Student Government Association Vice President, Alexandria Gonzalez discusses passion for helping people |
Meet second year medical student and Student Government Association Vice President, Alexandria Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, originally from Mission, Texas, attended The University of Texas at Austin and majored in Human Development and Family Sciences before joining the UTRGV School of Medicine.
Gonzalez, who is slated to graduate in 2024, tells us what personally inspired her to pursue a career in medicine.
"My interest in medicine stems not merely from the sciences, but also from my interest in people. A career in medicine allows for interdisciplinary exploration, human interaction, and the chance to enact lasting positive change," Gonzalez said. "My personal experiences with disease, volunteering in hospitals, serving my community, shadowing, and conducting research all pointed me toward a career in medicine, where I would be a lifelong learner and continually challenged to be the best provider I can be. I ultimately hope to practice while providing mentorship to underrepresented groups in medicine."
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Your gift to the School of Medicine supports our mission to educate a diverse group of medical students and future scientists to benefit the Rio Grande Valley and the world.
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The University of Texas
Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Phone: (956) 296-1900
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