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    The College of Health Professions at UTRGV offers diverse programs in health sciences, research, and community initiatives. Learn more about how we are advancing healthcare education and serving communities across South Texas and beyond.

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    Explore The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s College of Health Professions, offering diverse, high-quality programs in physical therapy, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, nutrition, health sciences, and more. Join innovative faculty and programs committed to empowering students, promoting health equity, and transforming regional and global communities.

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    Explore the Community Initiatives of the UTRGV College of Health Professions, offering a range of services and offices dedicated to supporting and improving the health and well-being of our community. Discover programs, resources, and initiatives designed to make a positive impact.

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    Explore the College of Health Professions and its Research Enhancement and Support Team (CREST) which promotes, encourages, and provides assistance for research, scholarship, and creative activities in all CoHP disciplines. The services cover guidance on all aspects of grant management and research administration, including funding opportunities, proposal development, research design, research compliance, and post-award administration.

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    Discover resources at UTRGV's College of Health Professions to support student success, including academic programs, internships, health insurance information, counseling services, and more. Explore opportunities in healthcare education, research, and leadership with the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions and UTRGV's diverse health services.

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2019

Funding Agency: Instructional Connections
Project Title: Facilitating Achievement through Instructor–Learner Interaction
PI: Dr. Tracia Forman
Project Period: 2019–2020 (NCE: Dec 2020)
Award: $8,983

 

2020

Funding Agency: NIH T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program
UTRGV PD/PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew; Co-PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair
Community College Partners PD/PIs: Dr. Shima Chaudhary (STC), Mr. Ruben Reyes (TSC)
Project Period: 08/01/2020–07/31/2025
Award: $2,087,976

 

Funding Agency: HRSA Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) for CLS program
PI: Daniela Gill; Co-PI: Sandra L. Tijerina
Project Period: 07/01/2020–06/30/2025
Award: Supports 20 disadvantaged CLS students

 

Funding Agency: NIH SC3 SCORE Research Continuance Award
PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew
Collaborators: Dr. Shizue Mito, Dr. Saraswathy Nair, Dr. Kristina Vatcheva, Dr. Bin He
Project Title: Dual delivery of chemotherapy and anti-angiogenic agents from biodegradable biomaterials for glioma
Project Period: 03/16/2020–02/29/2024
Award: $435,900

 

Funding Agency: NIH R01
Grant Number: 1R01AI147731-01A1
Project Title: Targeted anti-HIV drug delivery to the GALT
PI: Dr. Upal Roy
Project Period: 07/16/2020–06/30/2025
Award: $3.3M

 

Funding Agency: NIH RGV AD-RCMAR Pilot Studies Program
Project Title: Genetic Basis of Alzheimer’s Disease in Hispanic Americans with Type-2 Diabetes
PI: Dr. Upal Roy
Project Period: 2020–2021
Award: $25,000

 

Funding Agency: Brownsville Foundation for Health and Education
Project Title: Honors College–BMED Scholarship Program
PI: Dr. Mark Andersen; Co-PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair
Project Period: 09/01/2020–05/31/2021
Award: $15,000

 

2021

Funding Agency: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology – PHIT Workforce Development Program
Project Title: The Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT)
UTRGV PI: Dr. Tracia Forman
UTRGV Co-Is: Dr. Suad Ghaddar, Dr. Michael Machiorlatti, Dr. Kristina Vatcheva
Project Period: Sep 2021–Sep 2025
Award: $10,000,000 (UTRGV Subaward $369,958)

 

Funding Agency: Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Project Title: South Texas Early Prevention Studies SNAP-Ed (STEPS SNAP-Ed)
PI: Dr. Roberto Treviño-Peña
Co-Is (UTRGV): Dr. Michael Machiorlatti, Dr. Zasha Romero, Dr. Lisa MB Salinas, Dr. Lin Wang
Project Period: Oct 1, 2021–Sep 25, 2025
Award: $2,800,000

 

Funding Agency: Instructional Connections, LLC
Project Title: Effective Utilization of Academic Coaches for Instructional Support in the Online Course
PI: Dr. Tracia M. Forman; Co-PI: Ms. Jessica M. Sanchez
Project Period: Sep 1, 2021–Aug 31, 2022
Award: $10,000

 

Funding Agency: Texas Society for Advancement of Health Professions (TSAHP)
Project Title: Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative (BFRI): Increasing Retention, Academic Success, and Preparation of Underrepresented Allied Healthcare Students
PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew; Co-PI: Dr. Kristina Vatcheva
Award: $1,500

 

Funding Agency: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) – Engagement Award Program
Project Title: Building Capacity in HSIs for PCOR/CER Focused on Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19
PIs: Ashley Butler, Dr. Suad Ghaddar
Project Period: Sep 1, 2021–Feb 28, 2023
Award: $200,001 (UTRGV subaward: $91,322)

Funding Agency: Brownsville Foundation for Health and Education
Project Title: Honors College–BMED Scholarship Program
PI: Dr. Mark Andersen; Co-PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair
Project Period: 09/01/2021–05/31/2022
Award: $19,500

 

Funding Agency: NSF IUSE
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Building Educational Theory Through Enacting Reforms in STEM
PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair; Co-PI: Dr. Timothy Huber
Project Period: Sep 1, 2021–Aug 31, 2026
Award: $2.99M total; UTRGV share $619,660

 

2022

Funding Agency: NIH NINDS, K01 Mechanism
Project Title: Defining the Disease-Causing HRasG12V Mutation as a Link for Defective Myelin and Subnormal Learning
PI: Dr. Alejandro López-Juárez
Project Period: 2022–2027
Award: $1,051,560 (separately noted: $210,312/year × 3 years, renewable 2 more years)

 

Funding Agency: Brownsville Foundation for Health and Education
Project Title: Honors College–BMED Scholarship Program
PI: Dr. Mark Andersen; Co-PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair
Project Period: 09/01/2022–08/31/2023
Award: $19,500

 

2023

Funding Agency: NASA
Project Title: Inflammation & Brain Health for Astronauts
PI: Dr. Upal Roy
Project Period: 2023–2024
Award: $50,000

 

Funding Agency: Brownsville Foundation for Health and Education
Project Title: Honors College–BMED Scholarship Program
PI: Dr. Mark Andersen; Co-PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair
Project Period: 03/27/2023–08/31/2024
Award: $19,500

 

Funding Agency: Texas Society for Advancement of Health Professions (TSAHP) – Research and Innovative Practice Grant
Project Title: Virtual Reality Exercising vs. Traditional Exercise Training: A Comparative Study on Biochemical Salivary and Rate of Perceived Exertion Responses among Young Males
PI: Dr. Murat Karabulut
Co-PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew
Project Period: 09/21/2023–08/31/2024
Award: $1,500

 

Funding Agency: NIH AIM-AHEAD Program
Project Title: NIH-AIM-AHEAD travel grant to attend the Conference on Health IT and Analytics (CHITA)
PI: Dr. Chun Xu
Project Focus: Applying AI in healthcare to enhance equity and diversity
Project Period: Maby 5–6, 2023
Award: $2,000 + conference coverage

 

2024

Funding Agency: NIH R16 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Project Title: The Impact of Nf1 Mutation on Oligodendrocyte Development and Fine Motor Learning
PI: Dr. Alejandro López-Juárez
Project Period: 2024–2028
Award: $592,000

 

Funding Agency: NIH Strengthening Research Opportunities for NIH Grants (STRONG)
Grant #: 1UC2AI188568-01
Project Title: Reaching New Heights: Strengthening Health Professions Research at a Majority Hispanic-Serving Institution
PI: Dr. Michael Lehker
HABS Co-Investigators: Dr. Sue Anne Chew, Dr. Suad Ghaddar, Dr. Tracia Forman
Project Period: 08/20/2024–05/31/2027
Award: $1,082,928

 

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF) – Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE:EDU)
Grant #: #2417437
Project Title: Promoting Experiential Learning in STEM through Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences
PI: Dr. Angela Chapman
HABS Co-PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew
Project Period: 10/15/2024–09/30/2027
Award: $400,000

 

Funding Agency: NIH All of Us / Healthy Americas Foundation
Project Title: Integrating GWAS and Proteomics Data to Unravel Genetic
PI: Dr. Chun Xu
Co-PIs: Dr. Bassent Abdelbary, Dr. Kesheng Wang
Project Period: 2024–2025
Award: $10,000

 

2025

Funding Agency: NASA
Project Title: Effect of Space Environment on Neuroinflammation
PI: [Not specified]
Co-PI: Dr. Upal Roy
Project Period: 09/01/2025–08/31/2027
Award: $299,912

 

College of Health Professions


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Health Affairs Building West - EHABW 2.230
Phone: 956-665-2291
Email: cohpinfo@utrgv.edu

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Biomedical Research & Health Building - BBRHB 2.101
Phone: 956-882-5000

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