UTMB Population Health & Health Disparities

Hear from inaugural chair Dr. Mandy Hill on UTMB’s Department of Population Health and Health Disparities and our focus on improving the health of populations through research and education. Visit the department page to learn more utmb.us/exs

New Get to Know Us video: Monique Pappadis, MEd, PhD, on how early work in rehab and trauma care led her to brain injury research, and how an institutional collaboration with Dr. Leila Wood launched her elder mistreatment work. Watch: utmb.us/exp

New Get to Know Us video: Dr. Monique Pappadis on building a brief primary care screening tool for elder mistreatment, informed by Medicare data and perspectives from providers, caregivers, and people living with cognitive impairment. Watch: utmb.us/exo

Another new paper compares older adults in Mexico vs the U.S.: Mexican & U.S. Hispanic participants reported higher vision/hearing difficulties than U.S. non-Hispanic participants, yet lower social isolation—suggesting cultural/social context matters. academic.oup.com/psychsocgeront…

New publication with UTMB SPPH’s Kyriakos Markides, PhD: Using 2017–2021 American Community Survey data, Vietnamese-origin older adults had the highest disability prevalence among major Asian-origin subgroups studied. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/30…

Student spotlight: UTMB IM/Aerospace Medicine resident Vasilis Mavratsas on prevention, risk assessment, and translating clinical needs into vehicle design—plus lessons from his Vast rotation. Read the student spotlight: utmb.us/f72

Missed our Feb 16 graduate info session? Recording is up: MPH, MA Bioethics & Health Humanities, MS Biostatistics & Data Science + live Q&A (incl. Online MPH in Biostatistics, Fall 2026). youtu.be/QBuCqyTozNc

UTMB SPPH Zoom info session Mon Feb 16, 6 PM CST! Meet program directors, talk with recruiters & hear from students + alumni. Programs include MPH, online MPH Biostatistics, MA Bioethics & HH, MS Biostatistics & DS. Add to calendar utmb.us/f4u

Get to Know Us starts a new faculty feature with Dr. Monique R. Pappadis, Associate Professor and Vice Chair in PHHD. In video 1, she shares the roles she holds across UTMB. Watch: utmb.us/exm

Congratulations, Dr. Hill!

Tomorrow (Jan. 14, 12–1 p.m.) webinar hosted through UTMB’s HSS course series, open to all. HIV Routine Screening as a Standard Care featuring Isabel Clark, MA, RD. zoomgov.com/webinar/regist… Learn more about the HSS course utmb.us/ezl

For more than 130 years, UTMB has educated, discovered, and cared for generations of Texans and beyond. Today, a new day begins with a new logo, a new tagline, and the same unwavering purpose. We are UTMB. Where purpose meets passion. #WeAreUTMB #WherePurposeMeetsPassion

Following International Men’s Day yesterday, Dr. Michael Goodman writes about how men in rural Kenya are redefining strength through the Kuja Pamoja kwa Jamii (KPJ) men’s groups and a photovoice project centered on everyday acts of care. Read more here: utmb.us/etl

Get to Know Us continues with Brian Downer, PhD. He links Alzheimer’s epidemiology, Hispanic health and aging, and health services research, plus new work on nursing home preparedness for hurricanes. New videos every two weeks. Watch: utmb.us/es8

SPPH students, join the Faculty-Student Research & Scholarship Mixer. Wed, Dec. 3 | 12–1 p.m. | HEC 2.200 Learn about faculty projects, meet mentors, and explore collaboration. Food will be served. Open to SPPH students only.

We’re proud of Dr. @MoniquePappadis for representing at the Texas DFPS Adult Protective Services 42nd Annual Conference. Thank you to Ms. Christina Rector for her kindness and continued partnership. #APSConference #TexasDFPS #PublicHealth

At the Professors Dinner hosted by @UTMBProvost, I shared remarks on Dr. Mandy Hill’s appointment as inaugural Chair of the Department of Population Health & Health Disparities. Grateful for her leadership in the School of Public and Population Health. @UTMBPresident @utmbhealth

Where ideas become practice. A one-page view of PHHD, BDS, Epidemiology, and Bioethics & Health Humanities at UTMB. Built for quick reference by colleagues across schools and programs. Methods, ethics, and fieldwork in action. Thanks to our teams. @UTMBPresident @UTMBProvost

Part 2 with Dr. Brian Downer. Highlights UTMB’s Rehabilitation Sciences PhD (now Rehabilitation and Health Services Research), small cohorts with Population Health Sciences, and a social epi lens. Watch: utmb.us/epz

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