Meet the Team

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH
Professor and Chair, Population Health Sciences, UT Health San Antonio
Director, Institute for Health Promotion Research
Principal Investigator, Avanzando Center

Ramon Cancino, MD
Associate Professor, UT Health San Antonio
Research Scholar

Patricia Chalela, DrPH
Associate Professor, Institute for Health Promotion Research, UT Health San Antonio
Research Scholar

Allison Grimes, MD
Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio
Research Scholar

Rebecca Jones, PhD
Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio
Research Scholar

Derek Rodriguez, PhD
Program Manager, Institute for Health Promotion Research, UT Health San Antonio
Center Coordinator

Cliff Despres, BJ
Director of Communications, Institute for Health Promotion Research, UT Health San Antonio
Center Support for Advocacy, Dissemination, and Communication

John Gelfond, MD, PhD
Professor, Clinical Research Informatics, UT Health San Antonio
Center Support for Biostatistics and Clinical Informatics

Byeong Choi, PhD
Assistant Professor, Clinical Research Informatics, UT Health San Antonio
Center Support for Biostatistics and Clinical Informatics

Ruben Mesa, MD
Professor and Director, Mays Cancer Center
Center Advisor

Donna Rankin, BS
San Antonio Office, American Cancer Society
CAB Member and Center Advisor

Jennifer Puryear, BS
Regional Office, American Cancer Society
CAB Member and Center Advisor

Sandi Sanford
Cancer survivor and Chair, MCC Community Advisory Board
CAB Representative

Amanda Ramirez
Cancer Survivor and Founder of Mandy’s Fight

Sandi Stanford
Patient Survivor and Advocate at the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation

Jennifer Puryear, BS
Cancer Control Strategic Partnerships Manager, American Cancer Society South Region Research Liaison

Donna Rankin, BS
Cancer Control Strategic Partnerships Manager, American Cancer Society San Antonio

Jennifer Knoulton, RN
Vice President of Regional Operations at Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

Erine Ercoline, MBA
Executive Director of ThriveWell

Brenda Hoffman, MA, LPC, CHW
Director of the Southwest Border AHEC

Janna Lesser, PhD, RN, FAAN
Director of the South Texas AHEC

Armando Lopez, MPH
Director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley AHEC

Paula Winkler, Med
Director of the South Central AHEC

Jose Zapata, Jr., MSS
Manager of Academic Programs at UT Health South Texas AHEC

Julie Bazan, MHA, CHW
Director of the Mid Rio Grande Border AHEC

Belinda Flores, RN
Director of the South Coastal AHEC

Fernando Martinez, PhD, CHW
Program Coordinator at Northwest Vista College

Elizabeth Lutz, MBA
Executive Director of the Health Collaborative, Bexar County Community Health Leadership

Carlos V. Rodriguez
Health Equity Manager, City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District

Mary Jimenez, BBA
Vice President of Strategic Account Management at Caris Life Sciences

Dolores Garcia, BS
Project Coordinator for COE, Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio

Susan Padalecki, PhD
Associate Director for Research Administration, Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio