Get to Know Us continues with Meredith Masel, PhD. She shares what interviews with patients and care partners are revealing in her audio-recording studies, including a surprising number of older adults with multiple chronic conditions managing their care independently. Watch utmb.us/gdu

Leadership is built long before the difficult decisions arrive. This week’s Open Gates session welcomed Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson for a conversation on building healthy, sustainable teams. Faculty, and staff, explored how shared purpose, trust, and intentional leadership create stronger teams.

Dr. Soham Al Snih’s new five-year professorship recognizes nearly three decades of aging research and mentorship. She plans to use much of its support to help students attend scientific meetings and publish their work. Read the story at utmb.us/gae

The details of a medical visit can be hard to remember once a patient gets home. Dr. Meredith Masel shares how the Oliver Center tests audio recordings and other patient-centered programs, gathers feedback, fixes problems and builds on what works. Watch: utmb.us/g76

How can patient-centered programs work for patients and fit into busy clinics? Dr. Meredith Masel explains how the Oliver Center tests ideas on a small scale, gathers feedback and fixes problems before expanding them. Watch utmb.us/g76

Many of Dr. Soham Al Snih's former trainees now publish as her co-authors. Over two decades at UTMB she's mentored fellows, doctoral and medical students, and international scholars. She's this year's Excellence in Mentoring Award winner. www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

Dr. Kyriakos Markides built the Hispanic EPESE study and founded the Journal of Aging and Health. Cyprus elected him to its national academy last fall. He's this year's Lifetime Achievement in Research winner. www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

How does a growing department know it is moving in the right direction? Dr. Meredith Masel shares how faculty input and lessons from peer population health leaders help PHHD assess its priorities and prepare for growth. Watch utmb.us/g3p

The new issue of UTMB Magazine is here! A PhD student connects moderate leisure-time activity to lower stroke odds, a master's student helps track flu that jumps between animals and people, and a professor's new book revisits 19th-century medical history. Read it at www.utmb.edu/magazine

Get to Know Us begins a new faculty feature with Meredith Masel, PhD, whose work centers patient safety, communication, and self-management. In this video, she shares what newer population health departments can learn from established peers. Watch utmb.us/g0x

Good public health work starts with listening. Our faculty focus on practical approaches that fit daily life, support behavior change, and reflect what people use, need, and value. Explore PHHD research: www.utmb.edu/spph/departm...

Dr. Cara Pennel has been named the 2026 F. Marian Bishop Educator Award recipient by the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research, recognizing her work building prevention education programs and integrating population health into medical training. Congratulations, Dr. Pennel!

What would you say to students considering public health? In this Get to Know Us video, Monique R. Pappadis, PhD, encourages students to listen to community needs and think about how public health training can help them improve health locally and beyond. Watch: utmb.us/exr

Closing out PHHD's week of announcements. Congratulations to Dr. Monique Pappadis, named Assistant Dean for Community-Based Research at the School of Public and Population Health!

More to share from PHHD this week. Congratulations to Dr. Dana Wiltz-Beckham, named Assistant Dean for Student Advancement at the School of Public and Population Health!

Continuing PHHD's week of announcements. Congratulations to Dr. John Prochaska, named Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Development at the School of Public and Population Health!

▶️ You can catch up on recent presentations sponsored by The Sealy Center on Aging and associated programs by visiting our website homepage and navigating to the Recent Lecture Videos heading under News and Events. 🔗 www.utmb.edu/scoa

First of four announcements from PHHD this week. Congratulations to Dr. Cara Pennel, named Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at the School of Public and Population Health!

How does the department collaborate? In this video, Monique Pappadis, MEd, PhD, talks about how overlapping research interests in UTMB’s Department of Population Health and Health Disparities create opportunities for collaboration within the department and with partners beyond. Watch: utmb.us/exq

UTMB's Department of Population Health and Health Disparities just awarded its first pilot grant — $15K to Dr. Michael Goodman for a study on whether Galveston County residents would trust and use AI-enabled community health tools. utmb.us/fkq

Losing 4 to 7 percent of body weight can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by half. This CBS News segment featuring Dr. Hanaa Sallam focuses on practical prevention steps, including simple walks, healthier food choices, and more daily movement. www.cbs19.tv/video/news/l...

Diabetes Alert Day highlights prevention and lifestyle changes

A CDC-backed program helps people with prediabetes cut their risk by up to 71% through small diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

cbs19.tv

More than 1 in 8 Americans have diabetes, and many don't know it. Tomorrow for Diabetes Alert Day, CBS News features UTMB's Dr. Hanaa Sallam on the CDC-accredited Diabetes Prevention Program she directs — the first in Greater Houston to earn full CDC recognition. Look out for the segment tomorrow!

New Get to Know Us video: Monique Pappadis, MEd, PhD, on how early work in rehab and trauma care led her to brain injury research, and how an institutional collaboration with Dr. Leila Wood launched her elder mistreatment work. Watch the video: utmb.us/exp

A new Get to Know Us video features Dr. Monique Pappadis discussing a project to develop a brief elder mistreatment screening tool for primary care. The work combines Medicare claims with perspectives from providers, caregivers, and people living with cognitive impairment. Watch: utmb.us/exo

New publication with Dr. Kyriakos Markides, PhD: Using 2017–2021 American Community Survey data, Vietnamese-origin older adults had the highest disability prevalence among major Asian-origin subgroups studied. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Final reminder: Abstracts for the UTMB Public Health Symposium (Apr 8, 2026) close Mon, Mar 2, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT. Research and community/practice submissions welcome (300 words). Submit: utmb.us/ezs Guidelines: utmb.us/f97 Questions: austaylo@utmb.edu

Get to Know Us begins a new faculty feature with Dr. Monique R. Pappadis. In this first video, she introduces her roles at UTMB, including Vice Chair in PHHD, work with the Sealy Center on Aging, and service with the Institute for Translational Sciences. Watch: utmb.us/exm

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.

Long-term effects of disasters: an ongoing threat to public health

Hurricanes cause around 24 deaths per storm – but the longer-term consequences kill thousands more. With extreme weather events becoming ever-more common, there is a national and moral imperative to r...

fas.org

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

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