UTMB School of Public & Population Health
@utmbspph.bsky.social
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A new kind of public health school where global research, student-centered learning, and genuine mentorship shape the next generation of changemakers.
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Recognizing Alex Holland in our From the Dean: Student Excellence Series. PhD student in Population Health Sciences, Archer Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, climate and health researcher focused on older adults. A great example of service, scholarship, and environmental stewardship.
Clinical ethics in action. Georgia Loutrianakis examines how culture and law shape reproductive decision-making, then carries that scholarship into bedside consults after hands-on UTMB training utmb.us/ens
DMAC CERCIT Seminar Series features Dr. Samiran Ghosh, UTHealth Houston DBDS chair, on why non-inferiority trials demand distinct design and analysis choices. Tuesday, Oct 21, 12–1 pm CT. Join at UHC 4.108 or register for Zoom. Lunch provided for in-person attendees. Register: utmb.us/end
UTMB’s Kyriakos Markides, PhD, is elected an External Member of the Cyprus Academy in Sociology. A career advancing immigrant and minority aging, the H-EPESE cohort, and the Texas RCMAR now joins a select fellowship of scholars in Cyprus. Read more: utmb.us/ems
Reposted by UTMB School of Public & Population Health
Meet Dr. Brian Downer, Associate Professor at UTMB PHHD. He studies cognition, dementia, and healthcare use in older adults and directs two PhD programs in Population Health and Rehabilitation & Health Services Research.

Watch the full video: utmb.us/ehz
Proud to welcome Dr. Vibhuti Gupta as Associate Professor in Biostatistics & Data Science. He advances multimodal AI with a focus on reliability, transparency, and fairness in health data. utmb.us/elq
Language choices affect access and dignity after brain injury. UTMB’s Monique Pappadis helped a coalition craft clear, shared wording in “Communicating About Brain Injury.” utmb.us/ell
Dr. Michael Goodman presented The Architecture of Flourishing, outlining the Flourishing Community Model in Kenya and Texas. Community-led steps that build connection, resilience, and well-being. utmb.us/eld utmb.us/dvj
UTMB Psychiatry & Women’s Health Symposium: Dr. Sadaf Milani presented on pain and cognition. Older women had more diagnosed pain; in women, Black women had more undiagnosed pain; pain tied to worse cognition; no sex differences. utmb.us/elb utmb.us/elc
Quiet excellence shows up in everyday moments. Kathryne Dunn models steadiness, mentorship, and trust you can count on. Read her story at SPPH. utmb.us/ejx
Reposted by UTMB School of Public & Population Health
Applause for Dr. Meredith Masel, voted Best Professor in The Daily News Readers’ Choice 2025. Galveston readers recognized a teacher whose courses strengthen communication, care, and collaboration. SPPH is proud to learn with her!
From the Texas Public Health Summit, SPPH voices highlight teamwork across disciplines, clear communication to counter misinformation, and vigilance for emerging risks like New World screwworm. Read the reflections: utmb.us/eiu
Ambitious year ahead from the SPPH Student Association: monthly volunteering, Hablamos Spanish club, harm-reduction outreach at Mardi Gras, and student-driven seminars.
Elections start Sept 20 after nominations close Sept 19.
Details utmb.us/ehh
Congratulations to the UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper OAIC on renewed NIA support. This investment fuels research, training, and real-world solutions that support independence as we age. Proud of our UTMB community.
💡 The NIA has renewed funding for the UTMB Health Pepper OAIC with a five-year, $6.5 million award, continuing support through August 2030. Since 2000, the Center has advanced research and training focused on improving independence for older adults. Read more: utmb.us/eh7
Announcement 

National Institute on Aging renews funding for the UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

Continuously funded since 2000

2025 - 2030 theme
Enhance functional independence in older adults with chronic disabling conditions by reducing health disparities

UTMB Health logo
photo of Galveston Seawall, waves and rocks, at sunset
Utpol Das builds on lab training to pursue real-world impact, studying symptom clusters and cognition in older Mexican Americans with mentorship at UTMB SPPH.
Read more utmb.us/egt
BHH hosted its Welcome Lunch last week, keeping our Fun Facts tradition alive. We heard about a paper-map road trip, a Carnegie Hall performance, remembered-since-4th-grade dreams, and a car named “Guanábana.” Congrats to winners Grayson, Carmen, Vishnu, and Evelyn!
Albert Schweitzer Fellowship info session for SPPH students, Monday, Sept 29 at 1 PM. Join on Zoom us06web.zoom.us/j/8611071899...
or attend in person at SHP 1.442.
SPPH invites students to attend the Student Association’s first town hall of the semester. A chance to connect, share input, and enjoy lunch together.
Welcome to our four ConTex fellows from Mexico beginning the MPH: Paulina Alcocer González Camarena, Valeria B. Galán Trujillo, Andrea Villalobos Montoya, and Oscar David Almaraz Aguilar. Three will focus on Public Health Practice and one on Bioethics.
Congrats to MD/MPH student Shilpa Rajagopal and partner Madeline Steck (UTMB GSBS) on a UTMB President’s Cabinet Award. “Reading Together” provides free book bundles (EN/ES) to new parents with UTMB’s Mother/Baby Unit and community partners.
We are excited to recognize the recent promotions of our faculty. Their contributions in teaching, research, and service make a lasting difference.
Partnership in action: Badya students joined UTMB for an August program spanning research training, observerships, and simulation labs. Strong projects, new skills, and a growing academic bridge.
Read more here utmb.us/efb
In Applied Epidemiology, guests from the Overdose Response Strategy showed how public health and public safety work together on overdose response. A sugar-substitute demo showed fentanyl’s strength in tiny amounts.

Key lesson: “The person before the thing.” See the person, not the addiction.
Proud moment for UTMB: Dr. Caitlin Cotter has earned a Global Virus Network seed grant to pilot aerosol sampling for Lassa virus in Nigeria. Her research connects science, health, and community well-being.
Full story → utmb.us/eek