UTMB School of Public & Population Health

Graphic with the headline: Carmen Haynes Asks What Happens When Emerging Technology Meets an Imperfect System. Three questions are listed: Where could this technology be taken, and what is our role in guiding its use? What about this technology is beneficial to society, humanity, and medical innovation? Should there be limits on who has access to this technology, who determines this access, and why? Background shows abstract fluid art in pink and teal suggesting a cell.

Carmen Haynes's first peer-reviewed paper asks what happens when artificial womb technology meets a child welfare system with no safeguards to protect vulnerable mothers. Published in the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 2025. utmb.us/fe4

The eye doesn't do arithmetic very well so if you're interested in how things differ, it often makes sense to do the arithmetic yourself and plot the difference. This paper does that well.

Glad to see this work from Neil Mehta featured by UTMB! It’s a strong example of population health research that looks beyond immediate headlines and helps clarify the longer patterns shaping health in the U.S.

New: “Alarmingly, cohorts born after 1970 exhibited deteriorating patterns in all major cause groups at young and middle-adult ages… portends an unprecedented longer-run stagnation, or even sustained decline, in US life expectancy.” www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #publichealth #lifeexpectancy

Insights into US life expectancy stagnation from birth cohort mortality dynamics | PNAS US life expectancy remained essentially flat in the 2010s. This trend has occurred in the presence of advancing innovations in medical care, especi...

So excited to see this fantastic cohort take on US mortality trends in @pnas.org, with some amazing Lexis diagrams that I may print out and frame for my wall. Great work from @leahrabrams.bsky.social @octaviobramajo.bsky.social @alysonvanraalte.bsky.social 👏👏
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... #demography

A screenshot of the first page of the research article

Neil Mehta, inaugural chair of Epidemiology, coauthored a new PNAS paper on US life expectancy stagnation. The study finds the pattern is broader than any single cause, with worsening trends across cohorts and a marked deterioration beginning around 2010.

Link: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Dr. Wei-Chen Lee and Dr. Oscar David Almaraz posing for a photo by their poster presentation

Oscar David Almaraz, one of SPPH’s ConTex fellows and an MPH candidate, presented at the recent National Student Research Forum at UTMB. David credited Hanaa Sallam, Wei-Chen Lee, and Hani Serag for mentorship that made the experience especially rewarding.

From the Dean: Alumni Excellence Series. Amie Hufton, PhD. Clinical Associate Professor The Ohio State University College of Public Health Division of Epidemiology

Our Excellence Series has highlighted faculty, staff, and students. Now it begins recognizing alumni, starting with Amie Hufton, PhD, whose path from Hurricane Ike response work to doctoral study at UTMB led to disaster-related aging research. utmb.us/fdi

UTMB Launches Blue Zones Project in Galveston UTMB launched the Blue Zones Project in Galveston with a nine-month foundation phase focused on community input. Local leaders highlighted the health infrastructure already in place across the island.

Read more: www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

Congratulations honorees!

A photo of a slide on a projector screen that reads Blue Zones Project Galveston Launch Event

Students, faculty, and staff of the UTMB School of Public and Population Health gathered for a group photo

The Blue Zones Project launched in Galveston tonight. A nine-month foundation phase begins now, with a local team listening to residents and building a community blueprint. We're excited to be part of it.

Dr. Vibhuti Gupta presenting at a podium

Dr. Vibhuti Gupta presented a framework for combining clinical, imaging, and genomic data with pre-trained foundation models to improve cancer risk prediction at a Center for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research seminar. utmb.us/fc6

A selfie of UTMB faculty members in a conference room

Peer observation is a supportive process where faculty observe teaching and share feedback to strengthen learning and engagement. Recently, SPPH faculty participated in peer observation training led by the UTMB Academy of Master Teachers. Grateful for UTMB’s commitment to educational excellence!

A graphic that reads "Deadline Extended, submit your abstract, new deadline, march 6, 5 pm, public health symposium"

Deadline extended for the UTMB Public Health Symposium (Apr 8, 2026): abstracts are now due Fri, Mar 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT. Research, community/practice, and research-in-progress submissions welcome (300 words).
Submit: utmb.us/ezs
Guidelines: utmb.us/f97
Questions: austaylo@utmb.edu

Cover graphic for the carousel which lists the program name and some key details like 43 credits, 20 months, small cohorts, and CEPH accredited.

Additional details like what is covered in the curriculum including study design, linear modeling, sample size, power analysis, survival analysis, categorical data, EHR and claims data management.

Information about some of the key skills learned during training including statistical programming, data management, modeling and inference, and consulting and collaboration.

Some example roles students can apply for after graduation including clinical data analyst, statistical programmer, healthcare analyst, and policy analyst.

UTMB's online Master of Public Health in Biostatistics: 43 credits, 20 months, 100% online. Real data skills for public health careers in health systems, government, pharma, and consulting. utmb.us/f63

A graphic showing Dr. Pappadis from her vlog interview along with the title of the video "Developing a screening tool for elder mistreatment"

A new Get to Know Us video features Dr. Monique Pappadis discussing a project to develop a brief elder mistreatment screening tool for primary care. The work combines Medicare claims with perspectives from providers, caregivers, and people living with cognitive impairment.

Watch: utmb.us/exo

A simple graphic that features UTMB's shield and text "Final Examination"

Today at 4:00 p.m. Central Time: Maryam R. Hussain’s Doctor of Philosophy dissertation defense on sarcopenic obesity, cardiometabolic diseases, and physical function among American older adults. Event page (Zoom link included): utmb.us/fb7

A collage of photos representative of epidemiology and public health practice careers

Epidemiology or public health practice for your Master of Public Health? Compare day-to-day work, skill stacks, and common job screens so you can choose without boxing yourself in.
www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

Abstract submissions for the UTMB Public Health Symposium are due today, Monday March 2, 2026!
Submit an abstract: utmb.us/ezs
View abstract guidelines: utmb.us/f97

Screenshots of faculty members speaking

Institutional Review Board review matters, but ethics shouldn’t wait until the end. UTMB faculty Elise Smith and Stephen Molldrem share ways to build ethics into study design—from the Research Ethics Consultation Service to grant partnerships. www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

A group photo of UTMB student volunteers at their Narcan booth for Mardi Gras 2026

The UTMB SPPH Student Association hosted a Marmo Plaza booth during Galveston’s Mardi Gras, distributing 72 free Narcan (naloxone) boxes and teaching overdose response. The full story includes survey results and what helped people engage. utmb.us/f9p

New publication with Dr. Kyriakos Markides, PhD: Using 2017–2021 American Community Survey data, Vietnamese-origin older adults had the highest disability prevalence among major Asian-origin subgroups studied.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

A stylized graphic of the Public Health Symposium logo

Final reminder: Abstracts for the UTMB Public Health Symposium (Apr 8, 2026) close Mon, Mar 2, 2026 at 5 p.m. CT. Research and community/practice submissions welcome (300 words).

Submit: utmb.us/ezs
Guidelines: utmb.us/f97
Questions: austaylo@utmb.edu

UTMB SPPH hosted Dr. Leila Brammer (University of Chicago) for hands-on sessions with staff, students, and faculty on constructive communication—engaged listening, practical meeting tools, and moving from reactive debate to inquiry.
www.utmb.edu/spph/about-u...

Four icons that represent the different SOPHAS statuses: received, complete, verified, and undelivered

SOPHAS applicants: "Received" ≠ your file is ready. Transcripts take up to 5 days to post; verification takes up to 10 more. Full status breakdown + timeline planning guide: utmb.edu/spph/about-us/news/article/news/2026/02/23/sophas-statuses-received-complete-verified

Today at Central Middle School: St. Vincent’s 2026 Winter Family Health Fest, Delta Nu shared wound care kits, and our Student Association ran a community-needs activity to gather input on local priorities.

A stylized photo of Dr. Vibhuti Gupta

Meet the Experts recap: Dr. Vibhuti Gupta on using ML and deep learning with healthcare data—images, audio, wearables, EHR—and responsible deployment, including how to check for bias. utmb.edu/spph/about-us/news/article/news/2026/02/20/meet-the-experts-dr-vibhuti-gupta-on-ai-in-healthcare

Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine (PASM). Subheading: Four-week introduction to Aerospace Medicine. Bullets: Dates: July 1–24, 2026; in-person/virtual. Eligible: Physicians plus nurses, PAs, PTs, more. Deadline: Apply by April 16, 2026. Fees: Pay by May 15, 2026.

Principles of Aviation and Space Medicine PASM: app open.

Four-week introduction to Aerospace Medicine
Dates Jul 1–24, 2026 (in-person/virtual)
Open to physicians + nurses/PAs/PTs
Apply by Apr 16, 2026
Fees due May 15, 2026
utmb.edu/spph/aerospace-medicine/principles-of-ASM

UTMB SPPH welcomed Timothy Reistetter and Sanghun Nam (UT Health San Antonio) to advance our AHRQ-funded study on how community factors shape access to and outcomes of post-acute care after stroke, hip fracture, and joint replacement—comparing rural and urban communities. 10+ years together.

An iPhone lock screen displaying notifications related to fee waivers, scholarships, and GA positions

Applying to UTMB SPPH? We offer several financial support options: SOPHAS fee waivers, Dean’s Scholar Awards (16 one-time awards of $1,250; $20,000 total), and paid graduate assistantships offered on a rolling basis. utmb.edu/spph/prospective-students | spphadmissions@utmb.edu