January 2022
Message from the Dean
As we kick things off in 2022, I would like to begin by welcoming our students, faculty, and staff back to campus.

We have a lot of work to do, but rest assured our projects designed to help our Rio Grande Valley community in terms of education, research, clinical, and entrepreneurship opportunities will be fulfilled.

This month we began the new year with our State of the School. The hybrid event was an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to learn more about the school's goals for the new year and our new strategic plan that supports our key mission areas as we transform the Health of the RGV:

  • Innovative educational programs where the SOM will train the next generation of physicians and biomedical scientists;
  • Life-changing research and discoveries;
  • High-quality patient-centered primary and specialty care;
  • Serving the Rio Grande Valley community;
  • Sustainability and a Culture of Entrepreneurship to help the SOM excel in its mission.

During the event, we also featured the projects that are currently at work to help achieve our vision to be a leader in the creation of a diverse and representative workforce, the stimulation of biomedical innovation, and the delivery of patient-centered healthcare for the Valley and beyond.

We are confident that our new strategic plan will set us on the right path towards success.

In other inspiring news, eight of our School of Medicine researchers have been identified among the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide, according to a recent Stanford University study. Congratulations to Dr. Blanca I. Restrepo, Dr. Frank Gilliam, Dr. Helen Krouse, Dr. John Blangero, Dr.Murali M. Yallapu Dr. John Krouse, Dr. Robert A. Forse, and Dr. Subhash C. Chauhan for this monumental accomplishment.

Additionally, Dr. Deepu George was named incoming president with the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association and we wish him great success in this role.

Our School of Medicine supports and encourages our hard-working students, faculty, and staff in their commitment to medicine.

As we begin this new year, I look forward to sharing the impactful projects and goals our School of Medicine team is working towards.

Sincerely,
 
Michael B. Hocker, MD, MHS
Dean, School of Medicine
Senior Vice President, UT Health RGV
News and Events
Dr. Hocker discusses new Strategic Plan at State of the School
Conducted as a hybrid event, the UTRGV School of Medicine (SOM), hosted its annual State of the School. It was an opportunity for SOM faculty, staff, and students to learn more about the school's goals for the new year and its new strategic plan to transform the health of the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.

This was the first State of the School address for Dr. Michael B. Hocker, Dean of the UTRGV SOM and Senior Vice President for UT Health RGV. He highlighted the importance of the school's mission to serve our Rio Grande Valley community and how medical students, residents, faculty, and staff working together with one voice, can drive success in achieving our vision.

"Great vision without great people is irrelevant," said Dr. Hocker. "We have great people here. If we continue as one united voice, I know we will transform the health of the Rio Grande Valley and beyond."

UTRGV Researchers Named in the Worlds Top Scientist List
Eighteen UTRGV researchers have been identified among the top 2% most-cited scientists worldwide, according to a recent Stanford University study. This recognition places the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on the global map of excellence across various disciplines including medical, business, engineering, chemistry, and physics.

The study, “Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators,” was originally published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, PLOS Biology (Public Library of Science Biology journal) in 2019.

Stanford University has released the latest version,
(https://doi.org/10.17632/btchxktzyw.3) based on the Aug 01, 2021, snapshot from Scopus and is updated to the citation year 2020.

The classification method is based on citation metrics developed by a group of researchers led by John P.A. Ioannidis, a statistician at Stanford University.

Faculty Spotlight
Researcher at UTRGV investigating connection between diabetes, COVID-19 and tuberculosis
At UTRGV, Dr. Blanca I. Restrepo, Ph.D., is researching how tuberculosis in South Texas and adjacent border communities – where the disease itself and underlying conditions like diabetes are endemic – are complicated by COVID-19. 

Both COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB) are infectious diseases that target the lungs, so healthcare personnel for TB essentially have had to act as first responders for their COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic.   

“We’re fairly early in trying to understand how the pandemic is going to impact tuberculosis control,” said Restrepo, who has a cross-appointment as an adjunct associate professor of Epidemiology for the UTRGV School of Medicine, its South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, and has a primary affiliation with the UT Health Science Center at Houston’s School of Public Health in Brownsville. " 

Dr. Murali Yallapu inducted as Coach for NRMN SETH Grant Writing Coaching Institute
Murali Yallapu PhD - Associate Professor at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the UTRGV School of Medicine, has been inducted as a coach into the fourth cohort of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)-Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity (SETH) Investigators Grant Writing Research Study (2021-2022).

The mission of NRMN-SETH is to provide researchers across all career stages in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programs that emphasize the benefits and challenges of diversity, inclusivity, and culture.

"I am honored to be selected as a grant-writing coach with NRMN SETH program," said Yallapu. "This program will provide me with an opportunity to train fellows, researchers, and faculty on diversity and inclusivity in the biomedical research workforce. I believe that this program will support the training needed to provide the next generation of health equity scholars with the tools needed to succeed."

The fourth cohort of the NRMN-SETH program will be led by the Morehouse School of Medicine. Over 80 early-career scientists from across the U.S. will be participating.

Congratulations to Dr. Yallapu for being selected for this program.
Dr. Deepu George named incoming president for CFHA
Congratulations to Dr. Deepu George for his new role as incoming president with the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association.

The vision of CFHA is that all healthcare teams provide patients and families with optimal and fully integrated experiences in their pursuit of health and healing.

Dr. George, an associate professor of Family and Community Medicine, and the Director of Integrated Behavioral Health will begin his term in 2023.

"My goal as incoming president is to really spend time supporting our current president as well as meeting with each of the board members to build a collective vision moving forward," said George. "As a member-driven organization, my primary role is to serve our membership and engage the Board of Directors in meaningful ways."

Congratulations to Dr. George on his new role.
Student Spotlight
Second Year medical student, Valentine Sampson Alia, transitioning from Nurse to Physician
Meet UTRGV second-year medical student, Valentine Sampson Alia.

Alia, originally from Houston, Texas attended the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing (now Cizik School of Nursing) for his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Alia explains what his career as a nurse consisted of and what inspired him to become a doctor.

"Prior to medical school I was working as a nurse in a county hospital with low socioeconomic status patients," said Alia. " Their situations encapsulated them in lifestyles that increased their risk for preventable diseases and chronic issues."

Alia was determined to do more for patients in these same situations. He decided to pursue a medical degree with the UTRGV School of Medicine to further his knowledge and make a bigger impact. 

"I was then given the opportunity to work with professionals in medical specialties and disciplines, providing me with the exposure that guided my decision to pursue medicine as a career," said Avila. "I plan on seeking a deeper understanding in the pathophysiology behind diseases, as well as obtaining the skill set to treat and manage patients at the highest level."

We thank Alia for his dedication to improving the patient experience and commend him on his commitment to medicine.
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The University of Texas
Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
Phone: (956) 296-1900