Kyriakos Markides, a professor in the department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, has received a grant of more than $2.5 million to continue his longitudinal study on aging in Mexican-Americans, begun in 1994. Over the course of his research, interviewing the same group of Hispanic Americans, Markides discovered the “Hispanic Paradox.” The population studied had fewer resources and access to services than other ethnic groups yet had a better overall state of health. Once the data has been gathered it will be available through the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging.
Nima M. Pourrajabi, PA-C, who graduated from UTMB’s PA Program and is employed at College Station Medical Center, is one of only 240 certified physician assistants (PA-Cs) nationally to recently earn a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
Pourrajabi was awarded a CAQ in Emergency Medicine, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing an exam in the specialty. He is one of only 52 certified PAs in Texas and approximately 800 certified PAs nationally to earn a CAQ since the program’s inception in 2011
Jeff Temple, Ph.D., associate professor and director of behavioral health and research in UTMB’s department of obstetrics and gynecology, has been honored by the Texas Council on Family Violence as a finalist for Advocate of the Year. Temple has dedicated his career to promoting healthy teen relationships, focusing his research on adolescent behavior, sexual health and teen dating violence. He recently published a study on the need for school-based teen dating violence prevention programs. Temple currently serves as vice president of the Galveston Independent School District Board of Trustees, as well as the vice chair of the statewide Task Force on Domestic Violence, which aims to inform the Texas legislature about appropriate domestic violence interventions.