The Sealy Center on Aging at UTMBLeading Aging Research Since 1995

The Galveston Heart Study, sponsored by the Sealy Heart and Vascular Institute, is a community-based research initiative enrolling over 5,000 participants to understand the various layers of cardiovascular health. Adults age 30 and older are invited to participate. To learn if you qualify and what to expect, contact a study coordinator at Phone: (409) 281-6546, Email: galvestonheart@utmb.edu.

Stories of Aging is a student-led oral history and portrait series supported by the Sealy Center on Aging at UTMB. In the latest interview of the series, Ulli Budelmann, UTMB Professor Emeritus, speaks with medical student Anna Pinchen about accidental scientific discoveries and finding a home in Galveston.

The UTMB Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (P30 AG024832) invites UTMB investigators to apply for its 2026 Pilot Research Awards. These one‑year, NIH‑funded pilot grants support innovative research that advances functional independence in older adults with chronic disabling conditions. Proposals are encouraged from all research areas—basic science, clinical research, population health, patient‑centered outcomes, and translational studies (T1–T4). Priority areas include chronic disabling conditions and recovery, technology to support independence, disparities in aging, geroscience, and community-based approaches to functional independence. Awardees receive funding of up to $50,000 in direct costs and access to Pepper Center research cores, biostatistics support, and mentoring resources. The application process includes a Letter of Intent due April 6, 2026, followed by an invited full proposal due May 15, 2026. All UTMB investigators interested in aging research are encouraged to apply.

Join us for the next RCMAR Lecture on March 24, 2026. “Situating Functional and Cognitive Health Among Older Mexican Americans Within Neighborhood Context," will be presented by Weidi Qin, PhD, MSW, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and, "Beyond Dollars and Hours: Understanding Care Characteristics and Caregiver Strain in Family Caregiving for Hispanic and non-Hispanic Older Americans," will be presented by Stipica Mudrazija, PhD, William L. Dowling Endowed Professor in Health Administration, University of Washington.

Join us for the next Pepper Investigators Lecture on March 25, 2026, “Home Hospice Care: A Journey to Understand Hospice Discharge, Symptom Burden, and Family Caregiving," presented by Veerawat Phongtankuel, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell.