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The College of Health Professions (COHP) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is dedicated to enhancing the institutional capacity to conduct biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and translational research that is aligned with UTRGV’s goal of achieving an emerging research university designation. To that end, the Research Fellows Program is a 3-year program designed to provide participating faculty members with the skills, knowledge, and support to develop and advance their research agendas and to enhance their competitiveness in securing external funding.
The 3-year program supports three faculty cohorts. The first year includes monthly informational sessions that connect faculty with different university resources and with other faculty who have been successful at securing grant funding; the second year provides funding support for pilot projects to generate preliminary data; the third year is dedicated to the submission of a grant.
Each August, a Request for Applications is issued with two program entry points:
Year 1 entry is open to all COHP tenured, tenure-track, and three-year faculty members, including clinical appointments.
Year 2 entry is open to former COHP Research Fellows or COHP tenured, tenure-track, and three-year faculty members, including clinical appointments, with demonstrated grant writing experience.
Program Structure
GOAL: Provide faculty with the resources, guidance, and mentorship to:
- Outline a road map for their research and professional development (individual development plan)
- Navigate the grant writing and submission process at the institutional and funding agency levels
- Introduce fellows to the different teams and colleagues involved in supporting external funding at UTRGV
- Guide grant application components with special focus on the National Institutes of Health
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
- Guest speakers
- UTRGV personnel involved in the grant writing and submission process
- Faculty who have been successful at securing grant funding
- Informational sessions with guidance on select grant application components
- BlackBoard platform: COHP Research Fellows Program, modules on various grant funding resources
- The Grant Application Writer’s Workbook (NIH, NSF, USDA, or any other agency version)
- Grant writing training programs (e.g., Grant Dynamo) – subject to funding availability
GOAL: Provide faculty with the resources, guidance, and mentorship to conduct a pilot project to generate preliminary data and strengthen research dissemination records.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
- Seed funding for a pilot research project
- Informational sessions with guidance on the grant application components
- Writing milestones
- Guest speakers
- Faculty who have been successful at securing grant funding
- BlackBoard platform: COHP Research Fellows Program, modules on various grant funding resource
GOAL: Provide faculty with the resources, guidance, and mentorship to write and submit a grant application
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
- Writing milestones
- Mock review session
- Stipend/honoraria support for internal and external reviewers
- Additional seed funding, subject to availability
- BlackBoard platform: COHP Research Fellows Program, modules on various grant funding resources
COHP RESEARCH FELLOWS
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 1
- Dahlia Cavazos Castillo, Occupational Therapy Program
- Research interests: Scholarship of teaching and learning within the profession of occupational therapy: This includes both simulated learning in occupational therapy and community-engaged teaching and learning.
- Rocio Cavazos, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Research interests: Hearing healthcare approaches, applications, protocols, and successful treatments, including social, psychological, and medical factors affecting active hearing communication in patients of all ages (especially in ethnic groups).
- Nathalie Chacon, Physician Assistant Studies
- Wen-Pin Chang, Occupational Therapy Program
- Research interests: (1) To elucidate the intricate relationship between mental health and autism spectrum disorders (ASD); (2) To enhance ASD’s mental health and well-being; (3) To examine the negative impact of mental health issues in autism on their families and caregivers and develop strategies to ameliorate the adverse effects on them.
- Kim Loan Nguyen Finn, School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling:
- Karla Garza, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Research interests: Child language disorders, cultural competence and responsiveness, bilingual speech and language assessment, and intervention issues.
- Herminio Guajardo, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests:
- Corey Hawes, Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests: Pediatric nutrition with an emphasis on clinical pediatric nutrition, specifically in body composition or cancer in its relationship with pediatric nutrition.
RESEARCH FELLOWS' YEAR 2
- Cherity Ysquierdo, Department of Health & Biomedical Sciences
RESEARCH FELLOWS' YEAR 3
- Hongxing Lu, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests: (1) Effects of psychological stress on body weight, diet habits, and physical activity behavior; (2) Physiological risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 1
Patricia Longoria, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
Lou Rutigliano, Department of Occupational Therapy
Kendra Stine, Department of Health and Human Performance
Cherity Ysquierdo, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 2
Brian Cheslik, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
Daniela Gill, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
Assraa Jassim, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
Hongxing Lu, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
Soo Yoo, Department of Health and Human Performance
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 3
Samuel Buchannan, Health and Human Performance
Rommel Johnson, Rehabilitation Services and Counseling
Lisa Salinas, Health and Biomedical Sciences
Chun Xu, Health and Biomedical Sciences
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 1
- Brian Cheslik, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Research interests: Deaf Studies, including American Sign Language (ASL), ASL Interpreting, Deaf Queer studies, Deaf education, and Deaf performing arts
- Roel Garcia, Department of Occupational Therapy
- Research interests: Investigating student perceptions of their level of competence in using assistive technology service (ATS) in a Doctor of Occupational Therapy program with the goal of informing a new course design dedicated to evidence-based assistive technology (AT) practice.
- Daniela Gill, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests: Early clinical laboratory detection of type 2 diabetes in the asymptomatic Hispanic population with discrepant laboratory results: Investigating whether discrepancies in diabetes screening laboratory methods (e.g., Hb1Ac and fasting plasma glucose) could hinder early intervention in the at-risk asymptomatic Hispanic population.
- Assraa Jassim, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests: Investigating the cross-talk between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration during glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease.
- Hongxing Lu, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Research interests: (1) Effects of psychological stress on body weight, diet habits, and physical activity behavior; (2) Physiological risk factors for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Thelma Ochoa, Department of Occupational Therapy
- Research interests: Understanding how sensory gardens can affect the mental health of students in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) and /or Hospice clients and their families.
- Ralph Schuster, School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling
- Research interests: Primary research interest: Empirical evaluation of the validity of common practices used in clinical mental health and rehabilitation counseling. Secondary research interest: Imaging techniques used in cognitive neuroscience.
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 2
- Juanita Acevedo, School of Nursing
- Eva-Maria Anger, Department of Occupational Therapy
- Samuel Buchanan, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Rommel Johnson, Rehabilitation Services and Counseling Program
- Lisa Salinas, Nutritional Sciences Program
- Chun Xu, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
RESEARCH FELLOWS' YEAR 3
- Ruth Crutchfield, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Tracia Forman, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Susheelabai Srinivasa, School of Social Work
- Jessica Stewart, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 1
- Juanita Acevedo, School of Nursing
- Eva-Maria Anger, Department of Occupational Therapy
- Joy Barros, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Rommel Johnson, School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling
- Melinda Rodriguez, School of Nursing
- Lisa Salinas, Nutritional Sciences Program
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 2
- Ruth Crutchfield, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Tracia Forman, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Susheelabai Srinivasa, School of Social Work
- Jessica Stewart, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 3
- Bassent Abdelbary, Physician Assistant Studies Program
- Jameela Banu, Nutritional Sciences Program
- Sue Anne Chew, Biomedical Sciences Program
- Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Biomedical Sciences Program
- George Ndeta, Clinical Laboratory Sciences
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 1
- Dr. Samuel Buchanan, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Studying the genetic dysregulation of the aging diseases, osteoporosis and sarcopenia. How various modalities of exercise act to attenuate the progression of aging diseases.
- Dr. Ruth Crutchfield, Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Awareness and knowledge of ASD in Hispanic communities and current diagnostic practices
- Mr. Ivan Figueroa, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Obesity prevention, treatment, and maintenance through the reduction of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors in Hispanic males: Mr. Figueroa would like to incorporate theories of behavior to increase self-efficacy, provide social support (using technology).
- Dr. Saara Grizzell, School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling
- Patient-focused research measures within mental health and vocational rehabilitation settings (e.g., the impact of utilizing quality assurance measures throughout the course of treatment upon the symptom distress, social role functioning, mental health, and employment outcomes of individuals who have mental health issues/disabilities). Other areas of interest include group counseling; the International Classification of Functioning; the Outcome Questionnaire-45; and working with adults who have acquired brain injuries.
- Susheelabai Srinivasa, School of Social Work
- Measuring math and science anxiety and stress in school students and providing positive reinforcement interventions.
- Jessica Stewart, Communication Sciences and Disorders Program
- Early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Early childhood language acquisition.
RESEARCH FELLOWS YEAR 2
- Dr. Bassent Abdelbary, Physician Assistant Studies Program
- Dr. Jameela Banu, Nutritional Sciences Program
- Dr. Sue Anne Chew, Biomedical Sciences Program
- Dr. Leyla Feize, School of Social Work
- Dr. Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Biomedical Sciences Program
- Dr. George Ndeta, Clinical Lab Science
RESEARCH FELLOWS 2018-2019
- Mr. Sonio Garcia, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Murat Karabulut, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Ms. Lisa Longoria, Physician Assistant Studies Program
- Dr. Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Dr. John Luna, Department of Occupational Therapy
- Dr. Diana Paz, Physician Assistant Studies Program
- Dr. Yu Lun Tai, Department of Health and Human Performance
RESEARCH FELLOWS 2017-2018
- Dr. Bassent Abdelbary, Physician Assistant Studies Program
- Dr. Leyla Feize, School of Social Work
- Dr. Upal Roy, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Dr. Susheelabai Srinivasa, School of Social Work
- Dr. Jessica Stewart, Communication Disorders Program
RESEARCH FELLOWS 2016-2017
- Dr. Sue Anne Chew, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Dr. Ruth Crutchfield, Department of Communication Disorders
- Dr. Tracia Forman, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences
- Dr. Ulku Karabulut, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Susy Villegas, School of Social Work
- Dr. Veronica Umeasiegbu, School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling
- Dr. Soojin Yoo, Department of Health and Human Performance
- Dr. Chun Xu, Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences