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

What would you say to students considering public health? Monique Pappadis, PhD, encourages students to look at community needs and consider how public health training can help them improve health locally and beyond. Watch: utmb.us/exr

Closing out this week's announcements from PHHD. Congratulations to Dr. Monique Pappadis, named Assistant Dean for Community-Based Research at SPPH!

Third of four this week. Congratulations to Dr. Dana Wiltz-Beckham, named Assistant Dean for Student Advancement at SPPH!

Second of four this week. Congratulations to Dr. John Prochaska, named Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Development at SPPH!

First of four appointments to share from PHHD this week. Congratulations to Dr. Cara Pennel, named Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at SPPH!

How does the department collaborate? Dr. Pappadis shares how overlapping research interests in UTMB’s Department of Population Health and Health Disparities create opportunities to work together and build partnerships beyond the institution. Watch: utmb.us/exq

PHHD at UTMB's School of Public and Population Health awards its inaugural pilot grant to Dr. Michael Goodman for a 500-participant study on community perceptions of AI-enabled health tools in Galveston County. utmb.us/fkq

SPPH students visited the Galveston County Health District, role-played a real lead poisoning case that uncovered dangerous shelter conditions, and learned how GIS data guides local Narcan distribution. Read more: utmb.us/fhi

Losing 4 to 7 percent of body weight can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by half. This CBS News segment featuring Dr. Hanaa Sallam focuses on practical prevention steps, including simple walks, healthier food choices, and more daily movement. cbs19.tv/video/news/loc…

More than 115 million U.S. adults have prediabetes. Tomorrow for Diabetes Alert Day, CBS News features UTMB's Dr. Hanaa Sallam on the CDC-accredited Diabetes Prevention Program she directs. Look out for the segment tomorrow! @AmDiabetesAssn @UTMBPopHealth

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!