UT San Antonio

Structure

The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) formed Oct. 1, 2006, as a unit of the Department of Population Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio.

The IHPR’s mission is to research the causes and solutions to the impact of cancer and chronic disease affecting residents of South Texas and the nation to improve the health of all people while serving as a national model for health promotion research and education.

The IHPR’s four strategic goals are to:

  • Assess the determinants, nature and magnitude of health issues.
  • Test and disseminate the efficacy and large-scale feasibility of potential behavioral, psychological and other interventions to reduce health issues.
  • Educate communities and conduct outreach to improve health outcomes.
  • Train health professionals to reduce health issues.

To achieve these goals, the IHPR has several activities:

Administration consists of a director, deputy director, and appropriate staff to support and promote IHPR infrastructure and operational functions.

Communication consists of expertise in information technology services (websites, graphics, computer programming, etc.), health communication (social media, health promotion methods, development of relevant content, etc.) and evaluation services (qualitative and quantitative data, data management, biostatistics, etc.).

Research consists of work to investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of health issues with studies focused on: genetic, familial, occupational and community factors influencing the burden of cancer and chronic disease; access to and quality of screening and care; and organizational and non-medical drivers of health.

Experimental research consists of studies, from clinical to community-level demonstration projects, to test the efficacy and feasibility of potential behavioral, psychological and other interventions to reduce health issues.

Dissemination and policy consists of efforts to translate basic research into effective interventions and professional training programs that can be replicated and disseminated to generate beneficial, evidence-based programs that reduce the cancer burden and promote health.

IHPR conducts research that is funded by federal, state and local grant funding, as well as support from partnerships and projects with external non-profit and private groups and foundations.