News Archive 2020
UTRGV THE NEWSROOM - The day you stop learning is the day you stop living
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Friday, December 11, 2020 - Graduating from UTRGV became a major family affair for a North Texas mother, daughter and father – they promised each other that if they started the educational journey, they would finish together and walk together. They have kept that promise. And because live ceremonies are delayed because of the pandemic, the three hope to walk together in May 2021.
UTPA alumna Norma Ochoa Urban-Palomarez, her daughter Elvia Palomarez, and Norma’s husband, Mario Palomarez, all enrolled in UTRGV accelerated online programs to earn their master’s degrees. Read the article here.
Avoiding COVID complications, health experts urge moderation this holiday season
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (KVEO) November 29, 2020 The holidays are typically a time for a little extra indulgence. But with COVID-19 proving especially dangerous for overweight individuals, moderation is recommended this year. There’s just a lot of celebration, especially in our country with celebration comes food and drinks,” said Registered Dietician Dr. Lisa Salinas.
Dr. Salinas estimates people gain between five and 10 pounds around the holidays which can result in health complications. There’s a change in the hormones running through our body, change in cortisol, also differences in insulin sensitivity, she said. With the threat of COVID-19, Dr. Salinas says it’s especially important to not over do it this year.
Congratulations Dr. Sue Anne Chew and Dr. Saraswathy Nair on being awarded the NIH T34 “Bridges to Baccalaureate” grant in partnership with STC and TSC ($2.1 Million dollars 2020-2025)!
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
Congratulations Dr. Roy!
Grant Number: 1R01AI147731-01A1
Project Title: A targeted anti-HIV drug delivery to the GALT
Project Period: 07/16/2020 – 06/30/2025
Award:$3.3 Million
Sponsor/Agency: NIAID, NIH
UTRGV receives federal grant to provide scholarships for students aspiring to become clinical laboratory scientists
Monday, July 13, 2020 -By Letty Fernandez
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – UTRGV has been awarded a $1.15 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) to help provide scholarships to aspiring students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
UTRGV will receive $230,000 per year for five years from the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) program. The funding will help support the UTRGV Clinical Laboratory Science Program (CLS) in its efforts to actively recruit talented students interested in the CLS profession.
Read the full article about the Health Resources and Services Administration grant.
RGVision Magazine "Balanced Nutrition"
We are happy to announce that Dr. Lisa Salinas was interviewed for RGVision Magazine Health. She was asked for her expertise as a Registered Dietician Nutritionist and UTRGV Lecturer for the article.
Balanced Nutrition
By |
Though there is no perfect way of eating, putting in the effort to eat a balanced diet can lead to more energy and maintaining a healthy body mass index.
Registered Dietician Nutritionist and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Lecturer Dr. Lisa Salinas said the way people should eat is dependent on what outcome they are looking for. She worked in hospitals and private practice before joining UTRGV in 2018 and focuses on “big picture general health,” which generally leans in the direction of a more plant-based diet.
Journeys begin - Valley Morning Star
Travis Whitehead - June 1, 2020 - Harlingen
It’s the life they’ve dreamed of and the reality for which they’ve yearned.
And now, four graduates from the Harlingen School of Health Professions will take ownership of that reality. They’re about to begin their journeys toward medical professions as students in the new biomedical sciences program at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
“I feel pretty excited because I know I’m going to be surrounded by people who can motivate me in different ways and challenge me,” said Diana Silva, 19, who would like to study women’s health.
She and her three classmates, Cesar Ruiz, 18, Adrian Garcia, 18, and Karla Galvan, 17, are the inaugural students in the new medical pipeline between high school and the UTRGV School of Medicine.
Read the full article about the journeys of the students.
UTRGV celebrates Class of 2020 with one-of-a-kind ceremony
Briana Cortez, a Brownsville resident who was chosen to serve as the first Virtual Commencement Bell Ringer, poses in her front yard with special congratulatory signage her parents surprised her with to celebrate earning her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Biology from UTRGV. She celebrated her summa cum laude honors with a morning, socially distanced watch party with her family. (Courtesy Photo)
May 30, 2020- RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – COVID-19 may have crashed the in-person graduation ceremonies for UTRGV, but that did not stop the university from celebrating Saturday morning with its more than 3,000 Spring 2020 graduates, during its first ever Virtual Commencement event.
UTRGV’s Class of 2020 will forever be a one-of-a-kind class that deserves a distinct virtual event to celebrate this major milestone – even if it meant watching from the comfort of their own homes with their family and loved ones.
Read the full article about the unique 2020 graduation ceremony.
Brownsville native fulfills childhood dream to become a medical doctor
Photo credit: David Pike
Ramiro Tovar, from Brownsville, is about to make history as a graduate of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s inaugural Class of 2020.
Friday, May 8, 2020
By Letty Fernandez
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – As a young boy growing up in Brownsville, Ramiro Tovar knew early on that medicine was his future.
He saw his mother’s unfulfilled passion to become a doctor, and he watched a doctor step in to save his beloved aunt, who was on her deathbed.
“She got another 16 years of life.” Tovar said. “As a kid, you see this. I wanted to be like that doctor – and that is one of the things that pushed me toward medicine. That, and the drive my mom had for it.”
Now 26, Tovar is about to make history as a graduate of the UTRGV School of Medicine’s inaugural Class of 2020.
On Saturday, May 9, the School of Medicine will honor 39 graduating medical students in a special virtual ceremony that follows the rules for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will participate from their homes across the country, and hear their names called to receive their degrees virtually.
Read the full article of Ramiro's success here
Congratulations to Dr. Upal Roy for being awarded $25000 for the 2020-21 by the 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).
Hispanics (e.g., Mexicans/Mexican Americans) are the fastest-growing population in the USA. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 12% of the older adults in the Hispanic population are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) which is the highest proportion among different other ethnic groups in the USA. In addition, according to Texas State Health Services, Hispanic in Rio Grande Valley (RGV) are at a 30.7 % higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) compared to the national average of 12.3 %. Despite the large body of epidemiological evidence linking AD with T2D, the precise underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Since the Hispanic population is at significant risk of developing T2D at a younger age, it is crucial to develop a detection method of AD early on in order to provide necessary care to these patients. We propose to study microRNA (miRNA) markers of AD along with T2D in Hispanics, to develop blood biomarkers that would help in detecting AD early in T2D patients.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. CHEW FOR BEING AWARDED A NIH SC3 GRANT! WELL DONE!
Funding Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH) Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Research Continuance Award (SC3)
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
International Woman's Day March 8, 2020
Paola Vidal, a senior BMED student has been awarded the Outstanding female international student scholarship of $1000 in celebration of International Women’s Day
School of Medicine LMHS Research Symposium February 2020
Congratulations to Carlos Arroyo got first place (current Junior) & Alyssa Canales got second place (current sophomore).
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
UTRGV School of Medicine Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
The AHEC Scholars Program will prepare students in health-related professions to work in rural and medically underserved areas. Students who complete the program will be culturally competent, aware of the impacts of health disparities and the social determinants of health. AHEC Scholars will learn how to work effectively in inter-disciplinary collaborative teams on behalf of the community.
The AHEC Scholars program will not provide stipends to undergraduate students, although they may apply to be AHEC volunteers and gain valuable service and interprofessional experiences in rural health settings. Only graduate and undergraduate or technical programs that result in certification/licensing are eligible for the AHEC scholar stipends.
AHEC Scholars Program Application 2020
UTRGV students share science knowledge with children at museum event
January 22, 2020 - RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – While many UTRGV students volunteered Jan. 20 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, community stewardship for many spans the entire year at a variety of events and with service-learning projects.
“UTRGV has been really good about giving so many opportunities here in the community,” said Viviana Quintero, a UTRGV senior biomedical science major from Brownsville and one of the students who presented last semester at the Microbiology Day event at the Children's Museum of Brownsville.
“It’s a way of giving back, so that’s something I truly liked,” she said.
As part of a course led by UTRGV assistant professor Dr. Upal Roy, Quintero’s group spoke to children about bacteria named pseudomonas.
“What we are focusing on is how it affects the population here in Brownsville and in the Rio Grande Valley,” she said.
Other students at the event spoke to families about avoiding germs and cleaning a wound.