Rural Health Interdisciplinary Research Core (RHIRC)

The Rural Health Interdisciplinary Research Core (RHIRC) conducts meaningful, geoculturally sensitive interdisciplinary research to inform rural health policy that translates regionally, nationally and globally to increase access and quality of health care and reduce health risks. Our goals include improving patient and population health outcomes and public health infrastructure for rural priority communities worldwide. The RHIRC team focuses on individual, family, community and policy aspects of rural health disparities spanning local to global priorities that include mental health, cancer, HIV/AIDS and other pandemics, Substance Use Disorder, and cardiovascular disease. Our mission is to collectively reduce disease burden and negative consequences.

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Team Members

Thenral Mangadu, MD, MPH, PhD

Team Leader, Associate Professor

Public Health Sciences

Director, Minority AIDS Research Center

Adrian Billings; MD, PhD, FAAFPT 

Program Director Alpine Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, Associate Professor

Department of Family and Community Medicine

TTUHSC - Permian Basin 

Bharathi Gadad; PhD

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychiatry

Paul Foster School of Medicine

TTUHSC

 

Ramana Chintalapalle; PhD

Professor

Director, Center for Advanced Materials Research

Material Sciences, College of Engineering

UTEP

  

Adriana C Luevanos; MBA

Program Manager

Office of Border Public Health

Nathaniel Robinson; PE

Deputy Director

Minority AIDS Research Center (MARC)

College of Engineering

UTEP

Ogechika Alozie; MD, MPH, FACP, AAHIVS

Chief Executive Officer

Clinician and Researcher Infectious Disease

Southwest Viral Med

 

Manuel Llano; PhD

Associate Professor

Biology, College of Science

UTEP 

Hyeun Ah Kang; BPharm, PhD

Assistant Professor

School of Pharmacy

UTEP

Shrikanth Gadad; PhD

Assistant Professor, CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research

Center of Emphasis in Cancer

Paul Foster School of Medicine

TTUHSC

 

Rachel Sonne; MD, MPH

Regional Medical Director

Region 9/10

TX Department of State Health Services

Steven T. Varela; MA, MEd, MEd in Admin.

Associate Director/Faculty

Center for Faculty Leadership and Development

UTEP