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Meet the Director

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, is principal investigator (PI) of the ACS Avanzando Center and is a health promotion pioneer who has achieved local, state, national, presidential, and international recognition for her successes in improving cancer outcomes and championing changes that promote health.

As Chair and Full Professor of the Department of Population Health Sciences and Director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, a Hispanic-Serving Institute, Dr. Ramirez leads a multidisciplinary team of public health researchers, data scientists, and communication specialists in addressing people’s cancer experience, from prevention to early detection and treatment to survivorship.

As leader of the Cancer Outreach and Engagement (COE) team at the NCI-designated Mays Cancer Center (MCC), Dr. Ramirez has implemented system changes that have enhanced surveillance of the South Texas cancer burden, improved clinical trial recruitment, and engaged the community directly in outreach, clinical research, and preventive cancer care. She also led the development of the MCC’s South Texas Health Status Review, which collected and analyzed data from the catchment area, identified region-specific issues with the non-medical drivers of health, and has guided MCC in responsive research, training, and action for many years. The MCC and Dr. Ramirez have a rich history of strong partnerships and collaborations with the American Cancer Society (ACS), such as advancing the ACS mission through medical and research achievements, event planning and participation, and engagement in cancer control priorities. Dr. Ramirez served on the ACS South Texas Colorectal Cancer Taskforce and has participated as an invited speaker on several ACS sessions on health issues and clinical trials. The ACS is part of the MCC’s Community Advisory Board of the Community Outreach and Engagement team, led by Dr. Ramirez.

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Ramirez has directed over 100 research programs focused on human and organizational communication to improve health, reduce cancer risk factors, improve clinical trial recruitment, test patient navigation and prevent tobacco, obesity, diabetes, and more. In patient navigation, Dr. Ramirez has led multiple national, regional, and local studies that proved the efficacy of navigation in removing patient barriers to cancer screening, promoting timely diagnosis and treatment, and improving outcomes for patients. She founded a national health communication network, Salud America!, in 2007. Salud America! is advancing health by communicating educational and action-oriented content to its national digital network of 400,000 community leaders in South Texas and across the United States. Salud America! also has a Health Report Card data tool that generates location-specific maps and data visualizations on the non-medical drivers of health, with easy capacity for sharing with local leaders and colleagues to speak up about local health concerns.

Across her career, Dr. Ramirez has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, is an editorial board member on several prestigious journals, including Health Education Research, and is frequently invited to speak at scientific meetings. She has been recognized for her work in medicine, public health, and behavioral sciences across the U.S., including: 2023 induction into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame; 2023 Cancer Health Award from the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI); 2020 Change Maker by Cancer Health Magazine; 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine; 2014 Everett M. Rogers Public Health Communication Award from APHA; 2011 White House “Champion of Change”; 2007 election to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine); and 2007 Professor of Survivorship from Susan G. Komen For the Cure. In 2022, TV personality Oprah Winfrey selected Dr. Ramirez as a “Cycle Breaker” for her groundbreaking work to build health among all people.

Dr. Ramirez is a Susan G. Komen Scholar and a member of the CDC Foundation. In Texas, she is on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and is Past Board President of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas. Dr. Ramirez is a native of Laredo, Texas. She received a B.S. from The University of Houston and M.P.H. and Dr.P.H. degrees from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.