2010 Research Awards
Dr. Berger
Associate Professor of the Department of Social Work at the College of Health Sciences has been awarded a $3, 250 grant by the Society for Social Work Leaders in Health Care.
The study titled, "The Impact of a Changing Health Care Environment on Hospital Social Work Practice" will be a follow-up and update of a longitudinal study last conducted in 1998.
Dr. Kathleen Curtis
Dean of the College of Health Sciences has been awarded a $415,575 grant from the 2010-11 Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students funds from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) The grant will fund scholarships for eligible students in the following health professions:
Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Speech Language Pathology
Also, Dean Curtis was awarded a $5000 grant from the National Library of Medicine (NIH) The grant will help develop the infrastructure capacity of the School of Medical Technology in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Universidad Central del Ecuador to improve access to the National Library of Medicine databases.
Dr. Ford
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences has received a 6-month $5,000 award from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to conduct a training workshop for students, researchers, and community members in the use of the Community Parks Audit Tool (CPAT).
The aim of the "Community Parks Audit Tool Training Workshop" is to assess parks and disparities in park availability in El Paso with the goal of increasing physical activity and reducing obesity among residents of the Paso del Norte region.
Dr.Loza
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences was the co-author with Shannon Osborne from UTEP's Women's Resources Center and Amalia E. Dudzienski from the UTEP's Student Health Center of grant funded by the DHHS' Office on Women's Health. The study PI was Ryan C. Holmes, UTEP's Assistant Dean of Students. The grant award is $100,000 per year for the next three years.
The study titled, "HIV Prevention Program for Young Women Attending Minority Institutions", will contribute to increasing women's overall health, preventing HIV/AIDS, and ending violence against women.
Also, Dr. Loza was awarded a $45,000 grant by the University California Berkeley Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) PIMSA program for 2010-2011. The study entitled "Migration and Risk Factors for HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among Mixteco-Zapoteca Men who Migrate within Mexico and the U.S." will be a collaborative effort with Jesús Vaca, Research Professor, Escuela Libre de Psicologia from the Claustro Universitario de Chihuahua in Mexico, and will involve work in El Paso, Chihuahua, and San Diego
Dr. Lusk, Chair, and Faith Lucas and Griselda Villalobos, Assistant Professors of the Department of Social Work at the College of Health Sciences, have been awarded a $119,000 multi-year student support grant by the HOGG Foundation For Mental Health. The grant provides full tuition scholarships to graduate students in the new Master of Social Work Program for the years 2010-12. The MSW program is enrolling its first cohort of students in the Fall 2010
Dr. Padilla,
Clinical Assistant the UTEP/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program, has been awarded $13,904 by the University of Iowa to study mechanisms to improve blood pressure outcomes among minorities.
The study titled, "A Collaborative Model To Improve BP Control And Minimize Racial Disparities" will generate knowledge and evidence-based practices that will improve health outcomes of hypertensive patients
Dr. Pechak
Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy, received a $1,466 grant award from the Texas Physical Therapy Foundation (TPTF) to explore the use of international clinical education in Physical Therapy education in the United States.
The study, entitled "International Clinical Education in Physical Therapist Education: An Exploratory Study", will examine faculty's perceptions of the benefits and barriers of a physical therapist international clinical education experience.
Dr. José Rivera
Clinical Professor of Pharmacy and Director of the UTEP/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program, has been awarded $124,998 by the University Medical Center of El Paso to conduct a study assessing the impact of a clinical pharmacist on the medical outcomes of chronic diseases.
The results of the study will help hospital administrators decide if creating permanent clinical pharmacy positions in clinics will improve medical outcomes.
Dr. Salvatore
Professor and Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, has received a$3,000 award from the Texas Speech and Hearing Foundation (TSHF) to examine bio-markers associated Traumatic Brain Injuries among athletes. The study, entitled "Serum Markers in the Evaluation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Athletes" will examine how the level of trauma suffered during competition can be more easily diagnosed to prevent further damage to the brain.
Dr. Sias
Clinical Associate Professor and Dr. Padilla, Clinical Assistant the UTEP/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program has been awarded $63,387 by the University of Iowa to study mechanisms to improve blood pressure outcomes among minorities.
The study titled, "A Collaborative Model To Improve BP Control And Minimize Racial Disparities" will generate knowledge and evidence-based practices that will improve health outcomes of hypertensive asthma patients.
Dr. Tansey
Associate Professor and Director of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program, has received a 5-year $750,000 award from the U.S. Department of Education to address the critical need for rehabilitation counselors in the states of Texas and New Mexico.
The grant will provide to provide scholarships to rehabilitation counseling students who are willing to seek employment within the state-federal service delivery system. It will also provide further training to employees of the Texas Division of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services and the New Mexico Vocational Rehabilitation Service.
Also, Dr. Tansey received a 5-year $375,000 subcontract from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to translate evidence-based practices into services to Hispanics with significant disabilities
The study, titled "Rehabilitation Research and Training Center for Effective Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Practices" will generate knowledge and evidence-based vocational rehabilitation practices that will improve employment rates and quality of employment for people with disabilities.