Research Labs and Practice Sites
Practice Sites
Texas Tech University Health Science Center - Department of Family and Community Medicine
Practice-Site Lead: Amanda M. Loya, PharmD, BCPS
Location: Hospital Site - University Medical Center of El Paso, 4815 Alameda Ave; Clinic Site - Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso at Kenworthy, 9849 St.
Email: amloya1@utep.edu
Phone: (915)747-8534
Research Focus: My current pharmacy practice site is located in an academic family medicine clinic and hospital affiliated with Texas Tech Health Sciences Center of El Paso Department of Family and Community Medicine. My current research goals/interests include: 1) assessing medication literacy and medication use practices and perceptions of patients in our community; 2) performing outcomes evaluation of clinical pharmacy services.
Current projects and directions: Outcomes of clinical pharmacy services: "Assessing the impact of pharmacist-led comprehensive medication reviews (CMR) on medication-related problems in older adults with polypharmacy"; Medication literacy: "Evaluating the effectiveness of a Spanish-language curriculum for patients in improving medication literacy and adherence to medications".
Members: n/a
Equipment and Techniques: Qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing social/behavioral aspects of medication use (e.g. surveys, focus groups, utilization of instruments for assessing medication literacy and adherence)
Practice-Site Lead: Margie Padilla, PharmD, CDE, BCACP
Location: 9849 Kenworthy St.
Email: meperez@utep.edu
Phone: (915)747-8532
Research Focus: My current pharmacy practice site is located in an academic family medicine clinic affiliated with Texas Tech Health Sciences Center of El Paso. My current research goals/interests include: 1) assessing attitudes, barriers, and perceptions toward immunizations, 2) performing outcomes evaluation of clinical pharmacy services, 3) evaluating outcomes for population health, and 4) investigating Interprofessional Practice and Education attitudes and perceptions.
Current projects and directions: Immunizations: 1) assessing attitudes, barriers, and perceptions of towards immunization in the LGBT, Hispanic, Healthcare provider, underserved, minority communities, and 2) Assessing attitudes and perceptions of students in interprofessional experiences.
Members: Dr. Michelle Aguirre, PGY2 Pharmacotherapy Resident
Equipment and Techniques: Qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing social/behavioral (e.g. surveys)
El Paso Children's Hospital; Texas Tech University Health Science Center - Department of Pediatrics
Practice-Site Lead: Denise Pinal
Location: 4845 Alameda Ave
Email: denisepi@utep.edu
Phone: (915)747-5884
Research Focus: 1. Research goals aim to understand, evaluate, and address important medication safety concerns in pediatric patients in inpatient and outpatient settings in efforts to improve the way medications are utilized in children and improve health/safety outcomes. 2. Research goals aim to understand and assess how the curricular integration of study abroad/away into a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum impacts pharmacy student outcomes and development.
Current projects and directions: 1. Evaluating pediatric medication selection and utilization through surveys aimed at parents/caregivers. 2. Understanding how curricular integration of study abroad/away into a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum impacts student outcomes/development
Texas Tech University Health Science Center - Department of Internaal Medicine & Department of Family and Community Medicine
Practice-Site Lead: Emily Christenberry
Location: 4815 Alameda Ave
Email: ejchristenberry@utep.edu
Phone: (915)747-5675
Research Focus: Dr. Christenberry's area of practice is General Medicine which focuses on the acute care pharmacotherapy. The goal of her research is to advance the pharmacy practice model of the community and improve patient outcomes through transitions of care.
Current projects and directions: Increasing Uptake of Tdap and Herpes zoster Immunizations in Hispanic Patients Co-Curricular Assessment Plan for Developing Pharmacy Professionals.
Members: Siena Meador, PharmD Candidate 2018, UTEP/UT Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program; Gabriel Frietze, PhD Candidate 2018, UTEP College of Liberal Arts, Dept. of Psychology
Research Labs
The Mendez Laboratory
Principle Investigator: Ian Mendez
Location: Psychology Building, Room #225F
Email: iamendez2@utep.edu
Phone: (915) 747-8216
Research Focus: The primary aim of the Mendez Laboratory is to elucidate the signals and circuits of the brain that become dysregulated following repeated exposure to rewards and how these changes ultimately contribute to changes in motivational, hedonic, and cognitive processes.
Current projects and directions: Current experiments are investigating aberrant reward seeking and taking behaviors, impaired economic cost-benefit decision making, and how brain reward systems interact with metabolic mechanisms to promote feeding disorders and obesity.
Members: Omar Lira, Laboratory Technician; Michelle Martinez, Graduate Student; Priscilla Giner, Undergraduate Student; Liliana Maynez-Anchondo, Undergraduate Student; Ana Polar, Undergraduate Student
Equipment and Techniques: Behavioral pharmacology, Neuropharmacology.
Website: www.utep.edu/mendezlab
The FRIETZE Laboratory / health communication and risk perception (HCRP)
Principle Investigator: Gabriel Frietze
Location: Campbell Building, Room 207
Email: gafrietze@utep.edu
Phone: (915) 747-8344
Research Focus: The Health Communication and Risk Perception (HCRP) Laboratory within the School of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at El Paso primarily focuses on three research areas: 1) Hispanic health disparities, 2) health communication, and 3) risk perceptions. Research topics include diabetes (prevention, early detection, and management), cancer prevention, infectious diseases, vaccine acceptance/uptake, and drug use. To understand the multi-faceted nature of health disparities in Hispanics (primarily of Mexican Origin), we use the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Research Framework, the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) model, and the Health Belief Model (HBM). Studies in the HCRP lab seek to contribute to the development and testing of culturally-tailored behavioral interventions and mass-media public health messages to reduce Hispanic health disparities.
Website: https://www.utep.edu/pharmacy/frietzelab/
Website: https://www.utep.edu/pharmacy/frietzelab/