SAN ANTONIO (January 17, 2012) – Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr. P.H., director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has been elected to the 2012 board of directors for The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST), which is chaired by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
TAMEST was founded in 2004 to provide broader recognition of the state’s top achievers in medicine, engineering and science, and to build a stronger identity for Texas as an important destination and center of achievement in these fields.
The TAMEST board aims to achieve these goals:
- Establish contacts and foster interchange among recognized scientists, engineers and health professionals in Texas;
- Promote excellence in the areas of science, engineering and medicine, and to enhance recognition of that excellence within and beyond Texas; and
- Provide an organization that is available to serve as an intellectual resource for governmental and private entities regarding issues in the areas of medicine, engineering or science relevant to Texas.
“It is a tremendous honor to be elected by my peers to the TAMEST board of directors,” Dr. Ramirez said. “I’m very excited to be able to bring to the group my focus on the health and quality of life of Texas’ disadvantaged populations, including underserved Latinos.”
Dr. Ramirez, who also is associate director of health disparities at the Health Science Center’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center and a board member for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women, has directed many research programs focused on human and organizational communication to reduce Latino cancer health disparities in cancer risk factors, clinical trial recruitment and healthy lifestyles. Her projects have led to unique health communication models and interventions that have contributed to the reduction of Latino cancer rates and the increase of cancer screening among Latinos.
See a list of all TAMEST board members here.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country’s leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving federal funding. Research and other sponsored program activity totaled $228 million in fiscal year 2010. The university’s schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced approximately 26,000 graduates. The $744 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.
The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio investigates the causes and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer and chronic disease among certain populations, including Latinos, in San Antonio, South Texas and the nation. The IHPR, founded in 2006, uses evidence-guided research, training and community outreach to improve the health of those at a disadvantage due to race/ethnicity or social determinants, such as education or income. Visit the IHPR online at http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu or follow its blog at ,a href=http://www.saludtoday.com/blog>http://www.saludtoday.com/blog.