Grants

2024-2025 

Funding agency: National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-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: National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH-NINDS) 
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 

2023-2024 

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 

2022-2023 

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 

2021-2022 

Funding agency: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology – Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) Workforce Development Program 
Project Title: The Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) 
Principal Investigators: Dr. Eric Boerwinkle (Dean, UTHealth School of Public Health) and Dr. Jiajie Zhang (Dean, UTHealth School of Biomedical Informatics). UTRGV Principal Investigator: Dr. Tracia Forman, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences 
UTRGV Co-Investigators: Dr. Suad Ghaddar, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences; Dr. Michael Machiorlatti, School of Medicine Department of Population Health and Biostatistics; Dr. Kristina Vatcheva, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences Project Period: September 2021 through September 2025 
Awarded amount: $10,000,000; UTRGV Subaward $369,958 
Purpose/Impact: The Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) Consortium is focused on reducing the nation’s health disparities and inequities by expanding the number of public health professionals trained in public health informatics and technology. Led by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health and School of Biomedical informatics, this consortium includes partnerships with 9 Texas institutions, including UTRGV. 

The goal of the GET PHIT Consortium is to train 500 existing public and clinical health professionals on informatics and health IT, while preparing an additional 1,400 students, primarily from historically underrepresented backgrounds, to fill a variety of public health roles. This will be accomplished using asynchronous professional development courses, summer boot camps, undergraduate curriculum modules, graduate courses for certificates, and graduate degrees. 

Funding agency: NIH-NINDS (National Institute of Health-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke), K01 mechanism. 
Title: Defining the Disease-Causing HRasG12V Mutation as a Link for Defective Myelin and Subnormal Learning 
The brain White Matter (WM) and its characteristic component myelin have emerged as active participants of the brain plasticity necessary for high order functions including learning and memory; consequently, WM/myelin disruption cause multiple neurological issues and it is believed to underly neurodevelopmental conditions including Learning Disabilities (LD). To discover the links between subnormal learning and defective myelin, I use mouse models of Costello Syndrome (CS), a neurodevelopmental disease caused by mutations in a single gene (HRas) in which most patients present with LD in correlation with WM/myelin abnormalities. Preliminary results indicate that myelin defects caused by a CS mutation negatively impact the ability of mice to learn fine motor skills 
Key personnel: PI, Alejandro López-Juárez, Ph.D. 
Awarded amount: $210,312/year for 3 years starting March 1st, 2022. Renewable for 2 more years 

Funding agency: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) 
Title: South Texas Early Prevention Studies Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (STEPS SNAP-Ed) 
Principal Investigator: Dr. Roberto Treviño-Peña, Director, Social & Health Research Center; Adjunct Professor, Department of Health & Human Performance, UTRGV 
Co-Investigators: Dr. Michael Machiorlatti, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, UTRGV; Dr. Zasha Romero, Associate Professor, Department of Health & Human Performance, College of Health Professions, UTRGV; Dr. Lisa MB Salinas, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Health & Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Professions, UTRGV; Dr. Lin Wang, Associate Professor, Department of Health & Human Performance, College of Health Professions, UTRGV 
Amount: $2,800,000 
Dates of funding: October 1, 2021 through September 25, 2025 
Purpose/Impact: The primary purpose of this research is to implement and evaluate the evidence-based school health curriculum—the Bienestar/Neema Coordinated School Health Program (BN CSHP). The objectives of the project are to decrease obesity prevalence, increase fitness levels and improve nutrition of preschool children (4 years of age) from two school districts in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The Project is a Cluster Randomized Trial that will follow these preschool children into first grade. The secondary purpose of this research is to implement and evaluate the BieneStar Healthy Lifestyle Program (BAHLP) in parents of the aforementioned preschool students as well as adult patients from DHR Health. The objective of the BAHLP implementation is to prevent and control obesity and chronic disease in adults. 

Funding agency: Instructional Connections, LLC 
Title: Effective Utilization of Academic Coaches for Instructional Support in the Online Course 
Principal Investigator: Dr. Tracia M. Forman, Assistant Professor, Department of Health & Biomedical Sciences 
Co-Investigator: Ms. Jessica M. Sanchez, Associate Director, Center for Online Learning and Teaching Technology (COLTT) 
Amount: $10,000
Dates of funding: September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022 
Purpose/Impact: The purpose of this research is to examine the attributes, behaviors, preferences, feelings, attitudes, opinions, and knowledge of faculty who use academic coaches for instructional support within the online course. This qualitative study will provide rich data about the varied ways faculty effectively implement academic coaches in their courses. Research results have the potential to provide best practice guidelines for faculty new to the use of academic coaches and to provide a foundation for the future development of a valid and reliable instrument for evaluation of the application and use of academic coaches in online courses. 

Funding agency: Texas Society for Advancement of Health Professions (TSAHP) 
Project Title: Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative (BFRI): Increasing the Retention, Academic Success and Preparation of Potential Underrepresented Allied Healthcare Profession Students by Providing Them Early Research Experience 
PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew 
Co-PI: Dr. Kristina Vatcheva 
Award: $1500 

Funding agency: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program 
Project Title: Building Capacity in Hispanic Serving Institutions for PCOR/CER focused on Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 
Goal: To increase student stakeholder and scientist capacity for engagement in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) at Hispanic Serving Institutions with a focus on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being among Hispanic college students. 
PIs: Ashley Butler and Suad Ghaddar 
Project Period: September 1, 2021-February 28, 2023 
Award Amount: $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 
Project Title: Collaborative Research: Building Educational Theory Through Enacting Reforms in STEM 
PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair; Co-PI: Dr. Timothy Huber 
Project Period: 09/01/2021 – 08/31/2026 ($2.99M) 
UTRGV Award: $619,660 
Goals: 

1. Apply a promising theory of change to institutionalize the effective use of inclusive, research-based instructional strategies in STEM departments and undergraduate courses [i.e., Henderson, Beach, and Finkelstein's (2011) four categories of change strategies]. 
2. Generate new knowledge about the ways in which a novel combination of change strategies enables STEM departments to institutionalize the use of inclusive, research-based instructional strategies in undergraduate STEM courses. 
3. Generate new knowledge about the institutional and departmental factors that support or constrain the effective use of inclusive, research-based instructional strategies in undergraduate STEM courses. 

2020-2021 

Funding Agency: NIH Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program (T34) 
UTRGV PD/PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew, 
UTRGV Co-PD/PI: Dr. Saraswathy Nair 
STC PD/PI: Dr. Shima Chaudhary 
TSC PD/PI: Mr. Ruben Reyes 
Project Title: Bridges to the Baccalaureate Research Training Program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 
Period: 08/01/2020 – 07/31/2025 
Total Costs: $2,087,976 

Funding Agency: Scholarships For Disadvantaged Students provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the CLS program 
Period of Funding: 07/01/2020 – 06/30/2025 
PI: Daniela Gill, MSHS, MLS(ASCP)CM  
Co-PI: Sandra L. Tijerina, MS, MLS(ASCP)cmSBB,SH(ASCP)cm 
Shortened Abstract: The Clinical Laboratory Science Program requests SDS scholarship support for a total of 20 disadvantaged students enrolled in the Clinical Laboratory Science Program. The CLS program facilitates the mission of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley by providing a quality educational experience which prepares medical laboratory scientists students for leadership roles in a multicultural healthcare system. Becoming part of the SDS program will allow disadvantaged students in the Rio Grande Valley to obtain higher education in a rigorous and under-staffed healthcare profession. The high increase of laboratory tests being developed, including novel molecular testing requires trained, specialized medical laboratory scientists to perform, analyze and interpret laboratory data. Providing accurate laboratory results to the physician will decrease healthcare costs as well as increase positive patient outcomes. The UTRGV CLS program remains committed to providing healthcare professionals in medically underserved communities. 

Funding Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH) Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Continuance Award (SC3) 
PI: Dr. Sue Anne Chew 
Collaborators: Dr. Shizue Mito, Dr. Saraswathy Nair and Dr. Kristina Vatcheva from UTRGV and Dr. Bin He from Houston Methodist 
Period: 03/16/2020 to 02/29/2024 
Total costs: $435,900 
Project title: Local dual delivery of a chemotherapy and an anti-angiogenic agent from an injectable functionalized biodegradable biomaterial system for the treatment of glioma 

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

Funding agency: NIH funded RGV AD-RCMAR - Pilot Studies Program 
Project title: The Genetic Basis of Alzheimer Disease (AD) in Hispanic Americans affected by Type-2 Diabetes (T2D) 
PI: Dr. Upal Roy for being 
Project period: 2020-21 
Award: $25000 

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 

2019-2020 

Funding Agency: Instructional Connections 
Project Title: Facilitating Achievement through Instructor-Learner Interaction  
PI/Co-PI: Dr. Tracia Forman 
Project Period: 2019-20, NCE: December 2020 
Award: $8983 

2018-2019 

Funding Agency: SSA Foundation 
PI: Dr. Jameela Banu 
Title: Effects of Salvia hispanica on gene expression in MC3T3 cells. 
Role: Undergraduate Mentor 
Period: July 2019 – May 2020 
Total Costs: $6,000 – Funded  

2017-2018 

Grants/Awards 

Faculty 

HHMI Inclusive Excellence award of $1 million (2017-2022) (PD: S. Nair) 
  
R15 (NIH) $432,729 (2018-2021) award to Upal Roy (PI): Nanodiamond based anti-HIV drug delivery targeted towards the brain (Co-investigators: Drs. Shizue Mito and Vadym Drozd) 
  
Travel grant to Upal Roy from Howard Hughes Medical Institute to attend a Short Course on the Genetics of Addiction September 16-21, 2018 at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. 
  
The 2018 American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Minority and Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar Award in Cancer Research – Sue Anne Chew ($2500) 
  
Internal Seed Research Program (ISRP) Funds, Project title: Local dual delivery of a chemotherapy and an anti-angiogenic agent for the treatment of glioma, Awarding Institution: UTRGV, Role: Sue Anne Chew, Principal Investigator (Co-PI Dr. Karen Martirosyan), Amount: $20,000, Years covered: 2017 - 2018 
  
FASEB MARC Title: N-3 Fatty Acids Prevent Trabecular Bone Loss. Jameela Banu Role: Student Mentor ($1800) Travel award for one graduate student to attend the Experimental Biology Meeting at San Diego in April 2018 
  
COS Research Enhancement Seed grant Program Title: Bone protective properties of Sylvia hispanica in postmenopausal rat model Jameela Banu Role: Principal Investigator Period: 04/2017 – 08/2018 ($25,000) 

SSA Foundation Title: Effects of Salvia hispanica seed extract on MC3T3 cells Dr. Jameela Banu Role: Principal Investigator Period: July 2017 – May 2018 ($4,000) 
  
An Integrative Review of Education and Faculty Development in Nursing Informatics Awarded by the National League for Nursing September 1, 2017 - August 31, 2018 ($12,000) Dr. Tracia Forman (PI), Co-investigator, Dr. Ava Miller