Leaders from The University of Texas at San Antonio, community partners and local officials gathered Monday to celebrate the launch of the Center for Excellence in Diabetes, a new collaborative hub designed to advance clinical care, research and innovation for people living with diabetes in South Texas and beyond.
The celebration took place in the lobby of the Academic and Administration Building on the university’s Health Science Center campus, where guests gathered for remarks, networking and refreshments to mark the center’s official opening.
Established in 2025 within the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, the Center for Excellence in Diabetes brings together multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers to conduct cutting-edge clinical trials, develop innovative treatment strategies and translate discoveries into improved care for patients.
A collaborative hub
“Our mission is simple yet ambitious,” said Carolina Solis-Herrera, MD, founding director of the Center for Excellence in Diabetes. “We bring together outstanding clinicians, scientists, educators and innovators to transform how we prevent, understand and treat diabetes.”
Solis-Herrera, an associate professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Endocrinology at UT San Antonio and medical director of diabetes and endocrinology care programs at UT Health San Antonio, has focused her career on developing new therapies and improving public health outcomes related to diabetes and metabolic disorders.
“For me, diabetes is not a simple professional focus, it’s deeply personal,” she said during the event. “Both of my parents had diabetes, and I saw many of the complications they struggled with during their lifetime.”
Today, diabetes represents one of the most significant health challenges facing the region. According to Solis-Herrera, more than 42 million people live with diabetes in the United States, and in San Antonio, the disease affects approximately one in six residents.
“We’re not standing by and letting it sweep over us,” said Robert A. Hromas, MD, FACP, dean of the Long School of Medicine. “We’re mobilizing all of our forces and all of our specialties against diabetes to stop the epidemic that’s happening right now in South Texas.”
The center is designed to serve as a hub for collaboration among clinicians and researchers across disciplines working to better understand diabetes and its related health conditions and to develop strategies for prevention, management and treatment.
Faculty members involved with the center represent diverse areas of expertise and are fostering partnerships within the Long School of Medicine and across the university to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical practice.
Expanding clinical trials and innovation
Solis-Herrera said the center will also play an important role in expanding clinical research and access to new therapies.
“We have 12 clinical trials right now,” she said. “Many of them are focused on prediabetes, diabetes, renal disease with diabetes and heart failure with diabetes.”
R.C. Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, said the center reflects the kind of personalized care he has experienced firsthand.
“As a Type 1 diabetic for the last 35 years, I have seen care around the world,” Buford said. “I’ve never had anyone care for me like Dr. Solis-Herrera.”
Community support
Local leaders and community partners joined university representatives for the event, including District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez and Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, who offered a blessing for the new center.
“Diabetes touches millions in our country and our community,” García-Siller said. “Behind every diagnosis is a person.”
Meza Gonzalez praised the center as a major step forward for public health in the region.
“This new center represents a transformative engine for community health,” she said, noting its potential to expand prevention, screening and education efforts across South Texas.
Solis-Herrera said the long-term goal is to build a nationally recognized hub for diabetes research and care.
“Our vision extends far beyond the walls of this institution,” she said. “We hope to build here in San Antonio a world-class diabetes and metabolic institute that can serve hundreds of thousands of patients each year.”
To learn more about the Center for Excellence in Diabetes and its mission, visit
https://lsom.uthscsa.edu/center-excellence-diabetes/.