Special Series on the Non-Medical Drivers of Health

The Special Series on the Non-Medical Drivers of Health is part of the ACS Avanzando Center at UT Health San Antonio. The Center, launched in 2023 with support from the American Cancer Society, is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez and a team with a passion to address key non-medical drivers of health and improve cancer care across the cancer care continuum for South Texans and beyond.

The first video of the series features Joanne Elena, PhD, MPH.

Dr. Elena, who presented her information on March 25, 2025, oversees the Extramural Discovery Science Clinical and Population Sciences program at the American Cancer Society. In this role, she’s responsible for the research program’s development, peer review, and grant management for studies in humans related to the areas of cancer prevention, screening and early detection, cancer care and delivery, treatment, palliative care, and survivorship.