Public health is stronger when we build with community. Today, UTMB SPPH leadership and our public health practice team met with Lindsey White, Executive Director of United Way of Galveston, to kick off planning for this year’s shared initiatives. Grateful for partners who help communities thrive.

🟠 Please join us for a DMAC CERCIT seminar, "Multimodal AI in Healthcare," presented by Dr. Vibhuti Gupta, Associate Professor, Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, School of Public & Population Health, UTMB @utmbspph.bsky.social 🔗 www.utmb.edu/dmac

MPH graduate Briana Nguyen’s story highlights community-led public health in action, including an APE in Lima, Peru and student leadership at UTMB SPPH. utmb.us/f0m

Hear from inaugural chair Dr. Mandy Hill on UTMB’s Department of Population Health and Health Disparities and our focus on improving the health of populations through multidisciplinary research and education. Visit the department page to learn more utmb.us/exs

New from the Federation of American Scientists, UTMB SPPH PhD student Alex Holland breaks down how disasters affect health long after the event through sustained physical/mental impacts, disrupted care delivery, and housing instability.

Tomorrow (Jan. 14, 12–1 p.m.) webinar hosted through UTMB’s HSS course series, open to all. HIV Routine Screening as a Standard Care featuring Isabel Clark, MA, RD. www.zoomgov.com/webinar/regi... Learn more about the HSS course utmb.us/ezl

UTMB’s Center for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research (H-COR) launched its Works-in-Progress Seminar Series with Daniel Jupiter, PhD (Neurology) on diabetes, dementia, and lower-extremity amputation—and a Q&A that strengthened the project’s direction. utmb.us/eys

Congrats to Izabella Galindo, 2nd-year MPH (Epi) student, on earning 2nd place in the ICAA 2025 Emerging Scholar Poster Session! 🥈 Her poster explored extreme/dangerous heat exposure & cognitive decline among older Mexican American adults. 🌡️🧠

Congrats to Dr. Michael Goodman on a $612,500 AIM-AHEAD Year 4 P4 award with Galveston County Health District and Flourish. Building an AI/NLP health navigator to connect Galveston County residents to the right clinical + community programs for chronic disease.

Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season from The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Public and Population Health. Looking ahead to a strong new year.

Congratulations to Philip Keiser, MD on being named a Texas Super Doctors® Legacy Member (Hall of Fame). Thank you for your leadership in infectious disease care and public health practice at UTMB!

UTMB SPPH faculty spotlight: Dr. Lisa Campo-Engelstein presented at #SABCS2025 on ethical issues in caring for young breast cancer patients, including patient-centered decision-making and access to fertility preservation options. She also delivered two invited talks at UT San Antonio.

Yesterday, graduate students at SPPH wrapped up a public health planning course with poster presentations at MarMo Plaza, sharing grant-ready plans on substance use, youth mental health, suicide prevention, older adults and lab plastic waste with local leaders.

Students and faculty filled the HEC for this year’s SPPH Research & Scholarship Mixer—a space to share ideas, explore projects, and build mentorship connections. Events like this strengthen the heart of an academic community. Read more: utmb.us/ev0

For more than 130 years, UTMB has educated, discovered, and cared for generations of Texans and beyond. Today, a new day begins with a new logo, a new tagline, and the same unwavering purpose. We are UTMB. Where purpose meets passion. #WeAreUTMB #WherePurposeMeetsPassion

SPPH students, join the Faculty-Student Research & Scholarship Mixer. Wed, Dec. 3 | 12–1 p.m. | HEC 2.200 Learn about faculty projects, meet mentors, and explore collaboration. Food will be served. Open to SPPH students only.

UTMB SPPH faculty gathered for a retreat on what high-quality online public health education should look like as we launch the online MPH in Biostatistics. The workshop focused on engagement, accessibility, Universal Design for Learning, and building real community in virtual classrooms. utmb.us/eug

Zhiwei Hu, a Rehabilitation Sciences PhD student at UTMB, shared two studies at @geronsociety.bsky.social this year. His work examines hospice disparities and advance care planning among older adults with cognitive impairment. utmb.us/et2

We’re still buzzing from all the energy and exciting moments at #APHA2025 last week! A huge thank you to everyone who visited our booth and attended our sessions. We especially loved sharing more about ARIE (ASPPH’s AI Resource for Institutional Excellence) and our Healthy Longevity Report.

On Wed, SPPH students joined Dr. Jarrel De Matas for What’s Your Story? Part 1. Through handouts, prompts, and a “public health superhero” exercise, they drafted personal statement starters and mapped values across past, present, and future. Part 2 in spring applies this work to applications.

Now accepting nominations for the 2026 Roberto Logroño, MD Award and Lectureship for Professionalism in Healthcare at UTMB. One award will recognize a faculty member and one will recognize a student/fellow/trainee across UTMB’s five schools. Packets are due January 2, 2026.

H-COR is recruiting for two roles at @utmbhealth.bsky.social: Healthcare Data Analyst and Research Scientist II. Work with Epic, TriNetX, Medicare. Build cohorts, apply causal methods, publish with cross-campus teams. Details utmb.us/esq utmb.us/esr

Kidney Week takeaways from our ConTex fellows: AI that assists (with guardrails), early-detection wins, the real impact of social conditions, global treatment gaps, and why smoking cessation remains essential. Read more: utmb.us/esv

Wed Nov 19 📸 8:45 AM Group photo at 1900 Storm Memorial (4894–4930 Seawall Blvd). Wear your light blue SPPH shirt. Need one? Contact Kathryne Dunn. 🦃 11:30 AM Thanksgiving potluck in the SPPH kitchen, UHC 4th floor. Bring a signature dish. Sign up: www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0545A5...

SPPH students, join the Faculty-Student Research & Scholarship Mixer. Wed, Dec. 3 | 12–1 p.m. | HEC 2.200 Learn about faculty projects, meet mentors, and explore collaboration. Food will be served. Open to SPPH students only.

Memorial Hermann is hiring an Infection Preventionist I. Lead surveillance, education, NHSN reporting, and readiness efforts across care settings. Bachelor’s required. Master’s and CIC preferred. Apply by November 21, 2025. memorialhermann.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/extern...

Student wins in Rehab Sciences: • Melanie Navos received ACRM 2025’s Best Early Career Poster in Aging Research & Geriatric Rehabilitation for “Gait Speed and Mortality Risk…” • Minal Sonawane is first author in Integrative Cancer Therapies on therapeutic yoga and biomarkers in cancer survivors

We’re sharing our Center for Correctional Health Excellence (CCHE) overview. Led by Dr. Olugbenga Ojo, CCHE connects care, research, training, and ethics to improve health for people in custody.

Screening: The Assessment (2024) — a sci-fi thriller about a seven-day evaluation for would-be parents. Join the Department of Bioethics & Health Humanities for the film and a group discussion after. 📅 Wed, Nov 12 | 🕓 4–7 p.m. 📍 Levin Hall South Auditorium Free entry. Snacks and beverages provided.

Next Wednesday, Dr. Jarrel De Matas leads What’s Your Story? Part 1 focused on the foundations of strong personal statements. Nov 12, 12–1 PM, HEC 5.200. Complimentary food while supplies last. Part 2 planned for Spring 2026.

Continuing Tuesday updates from APHA. MD/MPH student Megan Zachariah shared findings on opioid prescription controls and opioid-related mortality in Texas, 2019–2023. We also caught up at the booth with MPH alumna Faith, MD/MPH students Megan and Shilpa, and program manager Christina Ross. ❤️

APHA update: Yesterday, MD/MPH student Shilpa Rajagopal presented work with Texas DSHS Region 6/5 South on barriers in congenital syphilis care. Texas CS cases rose 148% since 2017. Central Middle School student Laila Serag presented on backpack weight and student health.

New Online MPH in Biostatistics at UTMB SPPH. The 18-month format is fully online and centers on SAS, R, and Python with applied coursework, consulting practicums, and faculty mentorship. Built for working professionals and recent grads. Learn more at utmb.us/e0c

UTMB SPPH welcomed Dr. Gregorio T. Obrador for a working lunch. We caught up on the four ConTex MPH fellows, including two from Universidad Panamericana, and outlined next steps for collaboration in training and research. Thank you for the partnership.

Join us at Conex Coffee on Tue, Nov 18 for an all-day profit share benefiting the UTMB SPPH Student Association. Stop by 7 AM–7 PM and come by 5–7 PM for Game Night with classmates and colleagues. Conex Coffee, 2312 Market St. Thank you for supporting our students.

Today at APHA, Winrose Windsor presented national data showing that moderate leisure-time activity links with lower odds of stroke (57% men, 49% women) and supports the 150–300 minute weekly target. Read more: utmb.us/eqy

APHA began yesterday in D.C. Leslie delivered an oral presentation on collaboration for CEPH and PHAB accreditation. PhD student Said Abdelrhman presented a poster on diabetes, disability, and physical function among Mexican American older adults. More updates ahead! @apha.org @utmbscoa.bsky.social

We’re sharing “SPPH Advancing Public Health,” a one-page overview of our school covering mission, strengths, and current work in teaching, research, and community practice. Save for quick reference. Learn more: www.utmb.edu/spph

New student-written guide on reading research clearly. Where to find facts, what key terms mean, how to spot red flags, and why scientists should share plain-language summaries and widen access. Read more: utmb.us/eqg

Departments in Focus: a one-page briefing on PHHD, BDS, Epidemiology, and Bioethics & Health Humanities. Save for quick reference and share with a colleague. Learn more: www.utmb.edu/spph

APHA Annual Meeting & Expo runs Nov 2–4. UTMB SPPH will present across multiple sessions and staff a recruitment booth in the expo hall. The images list our presenters and times. @apha.org

UTMB co-hosted with INS-Peru a webinar on sequence-based drug-resistance prediction in TB and how to make it work in real labs and clinics. Key takeaways below.

We have a little SPPH roadshow going. Grad fairs, good conversations, and a team that enjoys this work. Sharing a few snapshots of the people carrying the story.

🧠 People with brain injury or chronic conditions bring a lifetime of experiences that shape their recovery. A new fact sheet from Dr. Pappadis @utmbspph.bsky.social & the Moody Galveston Brain Injury Conference helps providers consider these non-medical drivers of health www.utmb.edu/scoa/news-an...

New guest commentary by Dr. Jarrel De Matas in the Galveston County Daily News. Strong call for AI literacy so students can question, navigate, and seek human help when needed. Read: www.galvnews.com/opinion/gues...

Student research in action: Emily Edgar helped screen 433 cattle samples for influenza C and found a single positive, with sequencing that hints at human–bovine segment mixing. Solid lab training and steady surveillance add value even when prevalence is low. utmb.us/epl

▶️ A video is now available online for the Pepper Investigators Lecture on October 22, 2025, "Using Technology to Keep Old People Out of Nursing Homes," presented by James S. Goodwin, MD, Co-Director, Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center; Professor, Geriatrics 🔗 www.utmb.edu/pepper

A quick UTMB SPPH fact sheet. Who we are, what we teach, and where our work reaches across Texas. Details: www.utmb.edu/spph

Thinking about a research doctorate that pairs strong data resources with close faculty support and interdisciplinary learning at UTMB SPPH? This guide explains the two PhD tracks, funding, timelines, and careers. utmb.us/ep9

Texas approved funding for backup power at critical facilities. In The Daily Yonder, Dr. Brian Downer and PhD student Alex Holland explain what this could mean for nursing homes in rural communities and why planning and training still matter. dailyyonder.com/new-texas-en...