Posts tagged Texas

New Research Discovers Promising Approaches to Prevent Latino Childhood Obesity

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3 months ago
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Guided grocery store trips, menu labeling at restaurants, community gardens, and video-game-based exercise programs are among several promising, culturally appropriate ways to prevent obesity among Latino children, according to a new collection of studies from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children published in a supplement to the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Mother and daughter shopping for produceSalud America! is a national network of researchers, advocates, and policymakers established in 2007 that seeks environmental and policy solutions to Latino childhood obesity, an American epidemic.

The supplement focuses on Salud America! achievements in the past five years and features 19 papers of groundbreaking research on effective approaches for preventing/controlling Latino childhood obesity. The papers focus heavily on Latino culture, health, and policies in Latino communities across the nation.

Research among Latino communities, schools and families include these findings:

  • Education on nutritious food selection and a guided grocery store trip decreased the total number of calories per dollar spent, challenging the idea that buying healthy foods costs more.
  • Owners of small restaurants can improve access to healthy menu options and continue to publish calorie information on their menus.
  • Tending community gardens or attending nutrition/cooking workshops improved or maintained children’s body mass indices and increased the presence of fruits and vegetables in the home.
  • School educators can use active video games to increase cardiorespiratory endurance and math scores over time among students.

gaodancedanceThe supplement also features commentaries by a range of political and medical leaders—such as San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and Harvey V. Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine.

“This Salud America! supplement is the culmination of several years of diligence, passion, and hard work in identifying and examining the most promising policy-relevant strategies to reduce and prevent obesity among Latino children,” say supplement editors Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Guadalupe X. Ayala, PhD, MPH, of San Diego State University. “In addition to fueling new research findings, Salud America! helped to increase the skills and experience of researchers working in the field, and further expand our national research network.”

View the full supplement here.

The supplement also will be highlighted in a research symposium at the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) annual meeting in Phoenix-Scottsdale, Feb. 20-23, 2013.

Who is Èxito!: Roger Figueroa

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3 months ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Roger Figueroa

Roger Figueroa
San Antonio, Texas

Puerto Rico native Roger Figueroa could be called a modern-day pioneer.

With limited resources and limited knowledge of English, he ventured to the U.S. seeking better career opportunities and a better life.

He’s already having great success, completing his master’s degree in health and kinesiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and he working as a research assistant on several studies, including one testing faith-based methods of preventing obesity and another to reduce barriers to physical activity among Latino children.

Through his career networks he learned about Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

His experience, level of education and networks not only qualified as a participant for the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, but also earned him admission to the Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program at the University of Illinois in Fall 2012.

“[Éxito!] made me strongly consider doing cancer research throughout my PhD program and beyond,” Figueroa said.

Who is Èxito!: Steven Lopez

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3 months ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Steven Lopez

Steven Lopez
San Mateo, Calif.

Steven Lopez’s migrant parents beamed with pride as they dropped him off for his first year at Stanford University—in the same region of California which they had picked fruit from years before to make a living.

Appreciating the sacrifices and hard work of his parents to give him a better life and opportunities, Lopez dedicated himself to his studies and earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Stanford University.

In addition, Lopez obtained a master’s degree in public health and public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

With this level of education, Lopez worked as a fellow for the CDC in Laredo, Texas, coordinating the creating and implementation of a citywide obesity prevention initiative in collaboration with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Now Lopez is a community health policy planner for the San Mateo County Health System, evaluating, developing, and planning health policy initiatives. He and his colleagues are looking at public health prevention from a very primary perspective—the way cities are built, the access we have to physical activity/nutrition opportunities, etc.—in order to prevent obesity, diabetes and certain cancers from even occurring.

Knowing his skills and his vast potential to earn a doctoral degree, several Laredo-area faculty members encouraged Lopez to apply for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

“The [2012 Éxito! Summer Institute] played a very important role in guiding my next steps by: exposing me to other Latinos who have overcome barriers and life challenges; showing me various research interest and perspectives worth pursuing in a doctoral program; and providing me a network of students and professionals willing to be serve as mentors,” Lopez said.

He added: “Éxito! has increased my understanding of the opportunities that might be available once I pursue a PhD. I think, for me, that’s been a great gift, because sometimes you get ‘siloed’ into thinking what the opportunities may be, but this has expanded my understanding of what I can do with a PhD.”

Who is Èxito!: Rossy Belle Perales

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3 months ago
by admin in ,

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Rossy Perales

Rossy Belle Perales
Houston, Texas

Rossy Belle Perales pursues opportunities with great confidence and inspiration from the quote, “Shoot for the moon. Even If you miss you will land among the stars.”

Identifying herself with the people of Puerto Rico, her native land, and with the Hispanic community of Houston, Ms. Perales has embraced the culture and traditions of both ethnic groups, which have made her the person she is today.

Perales earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health (epidemiology and biostatistics) from the University of South Florida, and she spent time coordinating research to educate migrant farm workers in Florida.

She has since become the program manager for the RECRUIT project, a multi-site intervention to increase minority participation in clinical trials at The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. Her work involves managing and developing program material for project.

Encouraged by her mentors, Perales applied for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

The program provided her with useful information to help her decide to pursue a doctoral degree and perhaps a career in cancer research.

“I plan to apply to a PHD program,” Perales said, because “Éxito! gave me the motivation I needed to apply.”

Who is Èxito!: Delana Gonzales

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3 months ago
by admin in ,

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Delana Gonzales

Delana Gonzales
San Antonio, Texas

Delana Gonzales, born and raised in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment, did not leave her education to chance.

Through the guidance of her mentor and strong Latino family support, she applied herself diligently and advanced as a scholar in the field of psychology at the University of New Mexico (UNM).

During her time at UNM, Gonzales assisted on various research projects examining breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors among Latinas on campus. She also investigated breast and cervical cancer screening practices among Latino women along the U.S./Mexico border.

Wanting to incorporate her psychology degree into public health, Gonzales applied for and was recently accepted into the UT School of Public Health in San Antonio.

Gonzales, now a master’s degree student who expects to graduate in 2013, was encouraged by a local faculty member to apply to the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

By the end of the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, Gonzales received the necessary tools, information, and mentoring opportunities to successfully apply to a doctoral program when she earns her master’s degree.

“The summer institute has provided me with helpful information in pursuing a PhD,” she said. “I feel that I have established a support system with Éxito! staff.”

Job Opp: Cancer Behavioral Researcher in San Antonio

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3 months ago
by admin in ,

IHPR WebsiteIn a joint recruitment effort, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR; the team behind SaludToday) and the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA) invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in behavioral science at the associate or full professor level, with experience and extramural funding history in cancer prevention and control research, especially health-related quality of life (QoL) research among cancer patients and cancer survivors.

Research activities at the IHPR, CTRC, and their host institution (UTHSCSA) provide varied and exciting opportunities for behavior research studies. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with faculty from other UTHSCSA schools, the UT School of Public Health’s San Antonio Regional Campus, and UTHSCSA’s Regional Academic Health Center campuses in Harlingen and McAllen, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Qualifications:
1) completed doctoral degree (MD or PhD equivalent);
2) track record of independent, peer-reviewed grant funding;
3) record of peer-reviewed publications in the area of cancer and behavioral sciences;
4) ability to serve as principal investigator on externally funded projects and as co-investigator with multi-disciplinary research teams; and
5) contribution to the educational mission through teaching and advising graduate students and/or mentoring early-career scientists.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Candidates should e-mail a letter describing their qualifications and interests along with their curriculum vitae, and contact information for three professional references to Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, Chair, Behavioral Faculty Search Committee, ramirezag@uthscsa.edu.

All Faculty appointments are designated as security sensitive positions. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

New Success in Increasing the Field of Latino Cancer Researchers

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4 months ago
by admin in ,

Exito newsletterCancer just surpassed heart disease as the No. 1 killer of Latinos.

Yet, as the Latino population surges, there aren’t enough Latino researchers who are working to uncover new ways to treat cancer or pave way for novel studies of cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic issues to prevent Latinos from suffering worse cancer outcomes.

But there is good news.

The number of Latino cancer researchers is starting to grow, thanks to Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, a program that encourages master’s-level students and professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and careers studying how cancer affects Latinos differently.

Éxito! participants attend a five-day summer institute that enhances understanding of cancer and research, encourages networking among peers and leaders in the field, and provides tips, tools and templates for successfully applying to a doctoral program. Participants also are eligible to apply for paid internships.

In 2011 and 2012, the program has had 37 participants.

Many have applied to doctoral programs, and eight already have been accepted:

  • Maria Brietzke – PhD in Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Roger Figueroa –Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention PhD/MPH Program, University of Illinois
  • Marivelisse Soto-Salgado – DrPH in Social Determinants of Health, University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health
  • Mary Vanellys Diaz-Santana – PhD in Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Lizette Rangel – DrPH in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston
  • Laura Rubalcava – PhD in Clinical Psychology, George Washington University, DC
  • Donaji Stelzig – DrPH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences, Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health
  • Cynthia Wittenburg – DrPH, University of Texas School of Public Health in El Paso

Several Éxito! alumni also completed internships studying various aspects of Latino cancer.

Go here to learn about interns and their projects and see what other progress Éxito! alumni are making.

Apply here for the 2013 Éxito! program. Applications are due March 15, 2013.

Éxito! is funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Who is Èxito!: Aditi Wahi

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4 months ago
by admin in ,

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Aditi Wahi

Aditi Wahi
Artesia, Calif.

Aditi Wahi practices “empathy”—that is, she tries to put herself into other people’s shoes, whether it’s helping her younger sister cope with a rare disease or recruiting pediatric patients and their parents pre-surgery and observing the children after.

Being in tune with and passionate for the people you are trying to help is a hallmark of being a strong cancer health disparities researcher, in addition to having strong methodological and other research skills.

Wahi has both.

She earned a bachelor’s of psychology and social behavior degree from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and analyzed daily electronic diaries of adolescent activities and compared the results to family history of chronic disease and physical activity behaviors at the Consortium for Integrative Health Studies at UCI.

Wahi now is pursuing her master’s degree and serves as a research assistant for a study on the behavioral interactions between prenatal, health care providers and child behaviors. She recruits pediatric patients and their families before surgery and observes children’s surgery recovery.

In search of direction and information for applying to a doctoral program related to cancer research, Aditi applied and was selected for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

“The [2012 Éxito! Summer Institute] reaffirmed my belief to apply to doctoral programs. It opened up my eyes to additional opportunities in cancer research that I may not have previously thought of,” Wahi said. “It was also a tremendous experience to be surrounded by people with your same interests and that motivated me even more to go into a career in cancer research.”

Video: What Do Latino Students Think about Smoking?

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4 months ago
by admin in ,

A new video highlights Latino students and their views on not smoking.

The videos, available in English and Spanish, were done by a Latino group, Manantial de Salud, a federally funded grassroots health network sponsored by the Latino Healthcare Forum in the Dove Springs neighborhood of Austin, Texas.

Who is Èxito!: Edgar Rodriguez

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4 months ago
by admin in ,

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Edgar Rodriguez

Edgar Rodriguez
Seattle, Wash.

Edgar Rodriguez, uncertain where his education would take him, was encouraged by his family to leave his native Mexico City and pursue the type of higher education that would provide him with the skills to develop a successful career.

Buoyed by his family’s support and his never-give-up attitude, he successfully became a U.S. citizen and then dedicated himself to his educational career.

Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of New Mexico’s School of Medicine and master’s degrees in Latino American studies and public health, both from San Diego State University.

He has gone on to collaborate with scientific researchers and serve as a community health educator. He even developed a health and safety manual for low-wage immigrant workers in California.

“We’re basically trying to get Latinos to increase their rate of colorectal cancer screening,” Rodriguez said. “Right now we’re at the stages of kind of designing different studies and writing up grants.”

Uncertain of which goal to pursue next—continue international travel or pursue a doctoral education—Rodriguez was encouraged by his mentor to apply to Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

He said the program is serving as both a foundation and a guideline for him as he decides whether to pursue a doctoral degree and/or cancer research.

“I think listening to some of the investigators that spoke [at the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute], just to find out about their own journey, with their own experiences, how they got there…to me they seem a little more human. Before I had this picture that these people were like brilliant, they knew exactly what they wanted to do, they were so focused. To me that was kind of refreshing,” Rodriguez said. “And also being with my peers and the other participants here, you get to know them, just to listen about their own journeys, it’s important, too. I think we can learn from each other a lot. That’s what’s got me more interested in becoming a doctoral student.”

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