UTMB Announcements for 12/12/2025

Roberto Logroño, MD Award
for Professionalism in Healthcare

CALL FOR FACULTY NOMINATIONS

Award
We seek nominations for the annual Roberto Logroño, MD Award for Professionalism in Healthcare for meritorious faculty of UTMB’s five schools: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Professions, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Public and Population Health. This lectureship and award are given annually in memory of Roberto Logroño, M.D., a Tenured Professor and Director of Cytopathology in the Department of Pathology from 1997 until his unexpected death in 2006. Dr. Logroño exemplified many of the attributes of professionalism, including altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, honor and integrity, and respect for others.

This year’s award ceremony will celebrate UTMB exemplars of professionalism from the past (Dr. Logrono), the present (a faculty member), and the future (a trainee). The Logrono award recipients will be honored at a ceremony to be held in Spring 2026. Awardees will be asked to present their insight about professionalism.

Award Criteria
The nominee should be a UTMB faculty member noted for a high level of professionalism in teaching, research, patient care, or service. Nominees must clearly manifest their commitment to professionalism and nominations should be based on these qualities rather than length of UTMB service or professional achievements. Desired features include but are not limited to:

• Evidence of altruistic activities that benefit others (e.g., putting the needs of patients, trainees, or others above their own, volunteer or pro bono service, advocacy)
• Demonstration of going above and beyond in service of patients, peers, and/or students of UTMB (e.g., mentorship)
• Commitment to accountability, duty, and integrity (e.g., transparent communication, self-identifying mistakes or challenges and correcting them, actively seeking feedback to improve personally and professionally)
• Commitment to excellence (e.g., exemplary clinical/teaching/research practice, recognizing and promoting ethical innovation, ethical attitude and response in interactions, particularly in challenging situations).

Nominations
Students, faculty and staff may nominate a candidate. Nominations should include a nomination letter (maximum 500 words) describing in detail, with specific examples, how the candidate exemplifies the principles of professionalism in daily interactions with colleagues, students, patients, and community partners. The nomination should also include the candidate’s curriculum vitae (CV) and up to two (2) additional letters of support (maximum 500 words each) from colleagues (including mentees and learners) who are well acquainted with the candidate. Nomination packets that exceed the word or letter counts will not be reviewed.

The deadline for nominations is January 2, 2026.Supporting documents should be sent together to Ms. Angela Culler at anculler@utmb.edu, with subject heading “Roberto Logroño Lectureship”. Documents should be sent as one single PDF file for each nomination. All nominees will need to be available to attend the ceremony on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 4:00pm.

Roberto Logroño, MD Award and Lectureship
for Professionalism in Healthcare

CALL FOR STUDENT/FELLOW/TRAINEE NOMINATIONS

Award
We seek nominations for the annual Roberto Logroño, MD Award and Lectureship for Professionalism in Healthcare for meritorious trainees (students, fellows, residents) of any of UTMB’s five schools: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Professions, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and School of Public and Population Health. This lectureship and award is given annually in memory of Roberto Logroño, M.D., a Tenured Professor and Director of Cytopathology in the Department of Pathology from 1997 until his unexpected death in 2006. Dr. Logroño exemplified many of the attributes of professionalism, including altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, honor and integrity, and respect for others.

This year’s award ceremony will celebrate UTMB exemplars of professionalism from the past (Dr. Logrono), the present (a faculty member), and the future (a trainee). The recipients of the Logrono award will be honored at a ceremony to be held in Spring 2025. Awardees will be asked to present their insight about professionalism.

Award Criteria
The nominee should be a UTMB student, resident, post-doctoral fellow or other trainee who is recognized for a high level of professionalism in their daily interactions and daily work. Desired features include but are not limited to

• Evidence of altruistic activities that benefit others (e.g., volunteer or pro bono service, advocacy)
• Demonstration of going above and beyond in service of patients, peers, and/or UTMB students (e.g., mentorship)
• Commitment to accountability, duty, and integrity (e.g., transparent communication, self-identifying mistakes or challenges and correcting them, actively seeking feedback to improve personally and professionally)
• Commitment to excellence (e.g., exemplary clinical/teaching/research practice, recognizing and promoting ethical innovation, ethical attitude and response in interactions, particularly in challenging situations).

Nominations
Students, faculty and staff may nominate a student/fellow/trainee candidate. Nominations should include a nomination letter (maximum 500 words) describing in detail, with specific examples, how the candidate exemplifies the principles of professionalism in daily interactions with members of the UTMB and/or surrounding community. The nomination packet should also include the candidate’s curriculum vitae (CV) and up to two (2) additional letters of support (maximum 500 words each) from peers, mentors, faculty members, or staff members who are well acquainted with the candidate. Nomination packets that exceed the word or letter counts will not be reviewed.

The deadline for nominations is January 2, 2026. Supporting documents should be sent together to Ms. Angela Culler at anculler@utmb.edu, with subject heading “Roberto Logroño Lectureship”. Documents should be sent as one single PDF file for each nomination. All nominees will need to be available to attend the ceremony on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 4:00pm.

The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology

Proudly Presents

Lauren S. Richardson, PhD

Assistant Professor

Director of the Tissue Engineering and Microphysiology Lab

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston,

Galveston, TX, USA

"Novel Approach Methods for Investigating Environmental and Infectious Pathologies at the Feto-Maternal Interface"

Friday, December 12^th, 2025

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

BSB 2.212

Hosted by: Noelle Anastasio, PhD

This seminar will be held in person only

Contact Rodrigo Salinas at risalina@utmb.edu for further information.

Please join us for our next Schwartz Rounds on the topic of Tragic Optimism: Finding meaning and maintaining hope.  

The holiday season offers us a time to reflect on the year and cycles of life and work. Amid emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges caring for others, where are the sources of hope that keep us going? What are the moments of meaning that remind us of why we work in caring professions?  How can we look to the light of optimism in spite of the tragic parts of being human?

Join us in discussion as a panel of our colleagues share stories of Tragic optimism and how these experiences impact our relationships, our own wellbeing, and our work at UTMB.

Schwartz Rounds: Tragic Optimism: Finding meaning and maintaining hope

Date: December 12, 2025

Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Location: Jennie Sealy 2.506B

The Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program Presents

“Characterizing the interaction of the tRNA-derived RNA-fragment tRF5-GlyCCC and myeloid nuclear differentiation antigen (MNDA) in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)”

By

Meagan Rippee-Brooks

PhD Candidate

Mentor:Xiaoyong Bao, PhD

Research Interests:

Neuroimmunology, Neuroinflammation, Innate immunology, Virology, Noncoding RNA, and

Neuroinfectious diseases

Friday, December 19, 2025

12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

HEC 3.206

PLEASE COME OUT AND WELCOME

OUR NEWEST VENDOR TO UTMB!

GALVESTON CAMPUS

The Gourmet Cupboard sells dry ingredients that, when mixed with wet ingredients,

make full meals, entrees, sides, soups, breads, dips, beverages, crock pot meals, etc.

Easily plan your weekly meals!!!

Handmade Creations by Judy sells beachy resin art, resin night lights, bible tassels, crosses,

and wood art.  For those early Christmas shoppers, Judy also has Christmas ornaments and gifts for sale!  

Stop by Judy’s booth to say “hello” on the following date.

     FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12^TH     

9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

JENNIE SEALY HOSPITAL – 2^ND FLOOR

BETWEEN P.J.’s COFFEE AND THE CSW

Cash, Debit Cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover,

and American Express are all accepted.

Proceeds benefit patient and volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

LAST DAY – CLEAR LAKE!!!

The Gourmet Cupboard sells dry ingredients that, when mixed with wet ingredients,

make full meals, entrees, sides, soups, breads, dips, beverages, crock pot meals, etc. 

They also sell salsas, pickles, and spreads from Crosby, TX.

Easily plan your weekly meals!!!

  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12^TH

 8:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

1^ST FLOOR – MAIN LOBBY

Cash, Debit Cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover,

and American Express are all accepted.

Proceeds benefit patient and volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

Department of Psychiatry Grand Rounds

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Tuesday December 16, 2025

10:00 – 11:00 AM

TEAMS Attendance Only

Join the meeting now

 Rajesh R Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA, DFAAGP

Professor (Tenured) and Chairman, Department of Psychiatry

Inaugural Bhatia Family Endowed Chair in Psychiatry

Creighton University School of Medicine

Medical Director, Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) Health Behavioral Health Services

Professor of Psychiatry (Adjunct), Yale School of Medicine

Past President, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Inaugural Historian, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry

Assessment and Management of Psychotic Disorders Among Older Adults

Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants should be able to:

1. To describe the epidemiology of psychotic disorders among older adults

2. To discuss the assessment of older adults with psychotic disorders

3. To enumerate the evidence based management of psychotic disorders among older adults

Target Audience and Needs: Physicians, fellows, residents, medical students, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

Accreditation: The University of Texas Medical Branch is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit: The University of Texas Medical Branch designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Educational Method: Lecture

Disclosure: Rajesh R Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA, DFAAGP has no relevant relationships with commercial interests to disclose/OR list appropriate disclosures.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of a non-invasive, low-intensity brain stimulation, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on locomotor skill learning and training. We wish to look at how tDCS impacts learning and overall motor function in people with chronic stroke.

We are looking for adults who had a stroke at least 6 months and can walk safely with or without an assistive device (ex. cane) for more than 100 feet.

All participants will be compensated for their time!

PI: Shih-Chiao Tseng, PT, PhD shtseng@utmb.edu 409-772-9555

📢 Angleton Danbury Auxiliary Blood Drive is coming up!
Donate blood and get a FREE hoodie as a thank-you from the Blood Center!

Click on the link below to schedule your appointment online.

Need help? Call the Wellness Center at 979-848-9120—we’re here to help!

NOW TAKING APPOINTMENTS!

 Need help designing your research study? Assistance in generating or retrieving data?

Guidance with the analysis of your collected data? Other biostatistics, bioinformatics, or health informatics assistance?

 Highly qualified experts in these areas are available for consultation at NO COST* during the

 Institute for Translational Sciences

Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Studio

* Additional services are available; fees may apply.

 3rd Monday of each month

1:00pm-2:00pm

6.110 Research Building 6

Consultations are by appointment only.

To schedule: https://utmb.us/8e2

(FY2026)

Short-term Seed Funds targeting DPRIT

Submission date has been extended

Background:

The purpose of the IHII Short-term Seed Funds Program is to support innovative research projects for team building and proposal development targeting the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT). Modeled on the successful CPRIT program, DPRIT aims to position Texas as a leader in dementia-related research and innovation.  The initiative is backed by a proposed $3 billion from state general revenue over 10 years, with up to $300 million allocated annually. Texas voters have approved the constitutional amendment (Proposition 14) in the November 2025 election for DPRIT.  

It is expected that when needed, core facilities at the UTMB will be used. Requests for equipment and travel must be highly justified and should be part of the work plan (i.e., not to attend scientific conferences). Funding research taking place outside of the UTMB campus must be well justified. Funds may not be used for tenure-track faculty salary or for indirect costs.

This IHII initiative will support UTMB faculty in constructing competitive proposals for the state’s DPRIT initiative to accelerate dementia research and prevention. Proposals must address the role of infection and/or immunity on dementia, neuroscience and/or brain function.The purpose of each grant is to support refining of the proposal, which fosters innovative approaches to address the growing dementia crisis that affects many Texans. 

Funds available:

$30,000, primarily to be used for data acquisition. All funds must be spent before August 15, 2026. 

Important dates:

• Announcement date:                                December 2, 2025
• Application due date:                              December 15, 2025
• Anticipated review date:                         December 22, 2025
• Anticipated funding period:                  January 1, 2026, to August 15, 2026

Eligibility:

All UTMB employees with a faculty title are eligible.

Special consideration will be given to applicants who will develop collaborative, inter-disciplinary/inter-departmental projects.

Principal investigator (PI) must not have already received funding for the proposed project from other intramural or extramural resources; all related, pending proposals must be disclosed in your application.

Application instructions: Two pages maximum for sections 1-5

1. Title
2. Names, affiliation, and expertise of the PI and collaborators as relevant to proposal.
3. Specific aims of the project that are planned.
4. A description of how the proposed research will strengthen the DPRIT research application and benefit the infectious disease and immunology research program.
5. Requested budget and proposed use of funds.
6. Literature cited: Please keep it brief and relevant.
7. Bio sketch(es). Follow NIH format and include ‘Other Support’ (active and pending grants) and address any overlap.
8. If applicant has been funded by IHII grant programs in last three years, attach the progress report(s).

Grant Submission:  Please submit the proposal in a single pdf file by email to mclaughlin.ihii@utmb.edu. Please name your file as Last Name-DPRIT (e.g., Smith-DPRIT).

Important Considerations

• The proposed grants will not supplement or replace externally funded research projects. It is incumbent upon the PI to address the relationship between the proposed research and ongoing projects, and to convince the reviewers that successful completion of the proposed experiments will have a reasonable likelihood of attracting new grant support/collaborations. Reviewers will critically evaluate proposals for scientific merit and the potential to attract new funding.
• If you have received a grant from IHII in the past, then progress reports will be reviewed to assess your past productivity.
• A condition of the award is the submission of a DPRIT grant. An abstract of a submitted grant can be used as this final report.

For information or answers to specific questions, please contact Ms. Marcela Lopez (mblopez@utmb.edu) or Dr. Nisha J Garg (E: nigarg@utmb.edu).

Taking care of your health is easier when you have the right support. The UT Benefits program includes a variety of specialty medical services that make it easier to access care, manage your health needs, and get trusted guidance when it matters most.

• UT SELECT Concierge: Personalized support navigating the health care system, including assistance coordinating care, finding providers, and resolving coverage or billing concerns.
• MDLIVE Virtual Visits: 24/7 access to licensed physicians for common, non-emergency medical issues without leaving home.
• Ovia Health Family Planning and Parenting Resources: Digital tools, education, and one-on-one support to guide you through fertility journeys, pregnancy, postpartum needs, and early childhood development.
• Accredo Specialty Pharmacy: Access to pharmacists who can help you understand complex medications, manage long-term treatment plans, and coordinate with your providers.
• UT SELECT Cancer Services and Support Program: Expert guidance, educational resources, and emotional support for you or a loved one during cancer treatment and recovery.

These services are available at no additional cost as a UT SELECT medical plan member to ensure you have the tools, care, and support you and your family need.

Dear Colleagues,

We are developing a new online resource designed to support clinicians and trainees with essential statistical needs in research, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice. Our goal is to provide easy-to-use, practical tools and guidance for those without formal statistical training.

To ensure this resource truly meets the needs of our clinical community, we are conducting a brief survey to gather your insights. Your feedback will help us shape a user-friendly website that includes:

• Clear explanations of common statistical concepts
• Step-by-step guidance for study design, data analysis, and interpretation
• Curated links to trustworthy statistical tools and tutorials
• Practical examples relevant to clinical and translational research

The survey takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. Your perspective is valuable and will directly inform the type of support we develop for clinicians across our institution.

Survey Link: https://redcap.ahc.umn.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=EAXFTY7R4PM7MC7A

Thank you in advance for helping us build a resource that enhances research rigor and supports evidence-based clinical practice.

Caregiver Connection final meeting for 2025 is on Friday, December 12 from 12 – 1. 

This will be a Hybrid meeting so you may join in-person at OLLI (1200 Market St., Galveston) by Zoom or phone. 

In-person Hybrid meeting link   https://alz-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/TXkKDov8SrODqvf6FqOPQA

The Caregiver Connection is a support group for family members and friends of people with Alzheimer's or other dementia.  The group is a safe, welcoming place to ask questions, learn about caring for someone with dementia and get tips for caregiver self-care. 

Meetings are held on 2^nd and 4^th Friday monthly from 12 – 1 pm

2^nd Friday is Hybrid meeting – In-person* at OLLI @ UTMB (1200 Market St. Galveston) or Zoom/phone

4^th Friday  -  Zoom /phone only 

Meeting on December 12, 2025 is a Hybrid/Zoom/Phone Meeting.  

SIGN IN FOR THIS MEETING   at  https://alz-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/TXkKDov8SrODqvf6FqOPQA

OR Call the Alzheimer's Association HelpLine to register at 800-272-3900

FIRST TIME ATTENDEES -SIGN IN with ALL requested information.  

PREVIOUS ATTENDEES – SIGN IN ONLY with name, email, zip code and preference on receiving Alz. Association emails.   
After sign in, check your email for a link to join the meeting.  

Meeting facilitators:  Alice Williams, MS, LBSW  UTMB Sealy Center on Aging  and Virginia Pixley, LMSW, UTMB Social Worker

Caregiver support group meetings are sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter

LEAGUE CITY - ONLY FRIDAY!

Drop by and visit with the nice folks from K’s Creations and you’ll find an easy and

  convenient way to shop for great gifts or something uplifting for yourself.

 Discover a fun assortment including women’s clothing and accessories, scarves,

fashion jewelry, a large selection of new merchandise, and clearance items to

 choose from for yourself, your family, and all of your friends.

    FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12^TH   

9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.

LEAGUE CITY CAMPUS (CLINIC SIDE) – 1^ST FLOOR

Cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express are all accepted.

Proceeds benefit patient and volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

 LEAGUE CITY CAMPUS

Beyond Bling Boutique offers a lot of bling fashion jewelry

ranging from $3.00 - $25.00, including bracelets, charm

necklaces, rings, earrings, fashion headbands, bows,

 freshies, diffusers (for your car), and wristlets.

     MONDAY, DECEMBER 15^TH      

AND

    TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16^TH      

9:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.   

LEAGUE CITY CAMPUS (CLINIC SIDE) - 1^ST FLOOR

Credit cards, Debit cards, Cash App, and Venmo are accepted.

Proceeds benefit Patient and Volunteer programs.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!