IHPR Fact Sheet
About Us
The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) investigates the causes and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer and other chronic diseases among certain populations, including Hispanics/Latinos, in San Antonio, South Texas and the nation. The IHPR, founded in 2006 as a unit of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, seeks to use new approaches to evidence-guided research, training and community outreach to improve the health of those who are at a disadvantage due to race/ethnicity or social determinants, such as education, income or proximity to medical care.
Goals
- Assess the causes, nature and magnitude of health disparities
- Test and disseminate disparity-reducing behavioral/psychological/policy interventions
- Educate the community to improve health outcomes
- Train health care workers in scientific advances and practical strategies
Areas of Expertise
- Health promotion, psychology, communication and policy research
- Hispanic/Latino health disparity research, education and training
- Community-based interventions and patient navigator programs
- Cancer control, prevention, genetics and risk factors
- Tobacco control and prevention
- Childhood obesity
Functions
Conduct or develop research, education, intervention and outreach projects.
Train scientists and mentor students. A variety of medical and graduate students have interned at the IHPR and several pre-doctoral Latino researchers received supervision or mentorship.
Communicate with research, health, policy, community and public groups using IHPRdeveloped avenues, including Web sites, press releases, public service announcements, newsletters, E-Alerts, educational publications and campaigns, national reports, impact statements, media interviews and an online directory of bilingual cancer experts.
Funding
The IHPR and its programs are supported by the Health Science Center (and its Cancer Therapy & Research Center and the Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen, Texas), the NCI/NIH, and several privately funded grants.
Funded Projects
- Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network, funded by NCI, combats cancer disparities among Hispanics/Latinos with a national network of researchers, community and health leaders, and the public, headquartered at the IHPR with five regional centers in California, Florida, New York and Texas (www.redesenaccion.org)
- Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children seeks to unite and increase the number of scientists engaged in reseach on obesity prevention among Latino children to find policy and environmental solutions to the epidemic (www.salud-america.org)
- CDC-funded program to reduce tobacco use among young Latino workers
- Susan G. Komen for the Cure-funded program for genetic evaluation of breast cancer susceptibility in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in South Texas
- A pilot patient navigator program, funded by Pfizer, Inc., and a national patient navigator program, set up through Redes, to help female Hispanics use cancer care services to reduce disparities and improve breast cancer outcomes
Leadership
- Director: Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, Dielmann Chair of Health Disparities Research and Community Research, and Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Endowed Chair in Outreach and Health Care Disparities at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center, all at the Health Science Center
- Deputy Director: Kipling J. Gallion, MA, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Health Science Center
- Faculty: Patricia Chalela, DrPH, Deborah Parra-Medina, PhD, MPH, Luis Velez, MD, PhD, and Kimberly Wildes, DrPH, MA, assistant professors; and Sandra San Miguel de Majors, MS, research instructor
- Staff: Sandra V. Covarrubias, BS, patient navigator; Courtney Denton, social science research assistant III; Cliff Despres, BJ, writer/editor; Nancy Loriana Espinel, BA, research coordinator I; Sandra J. Griffith, BS, and Kay Haverlah, BA, project coordinators; Emma Mancha, MA, research coordinator; Edgar Munoz, MA, statistician; Karen P. Stamm, BA, faculty associate; and Celia Thompson and Sylvie Whitehead, administrative assistants II
Dr. Ramirez
Future Direction
Expand faculty membership, research, support services, training/mentoring programs and community-based research and outreach in hopes of creating beneficial behavioral interventions and practices into Hispanic/Latino patient care as quickly as possible.