Scholars

The UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center

The UTMB Health Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) supports the development of future leaders in geriatrics and gerontology through financial support, mentoring, interdisciplinary conferences, training, and networking. Scholars gain access to infrastructure from the Research Education Component (REC), Institute for Translational Sciences (ITS) / Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA), and other OAICs.

Current Scholars

Myrna Katalina Serna, MD

Myrna Katalina Serna, MD

Myrna Katalina Serna, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
Research Areas: Optimizing end-of-life care in the inpatient setting

Mentor: Drs. Raji, Pappadis, and Kuo
Funding:
NIH/NIA P30-AG024832 Morrow Goodwin (PIs); Role: UTMB OAIC RL5 Scholar; Mentors: Raji, Mukaila; Pappadis 07/2024-7/2027 Optimizing Serious Illness Communication with Hospitalized Hispanic Patients
NIH/NIA P30AG059301 – Pilot project Markides (PI); Role: Pilot PI; Mentors: Raji, Pappadis, Berenson, Riosmena 7/2022-6/2025A Mixed Methods Study to Assess Sex Differences in Inpatient Care Among Hispanic Elders
UTMB Center for Health-System Improvement (CHI) Pilot Project Zhong, Rocksheng (Pilot PI); Serna, Myrna K. (Pilot Co-PI) 7/2024-7/2025 Epidemiology of Mental Illness and Cognitive Disorders in Correctional Healthcare
Dr. Serna's Dept Bio Dr. Serna's Research Bio
Dr. Serna is an Assistant Professor and one of our Physician Research Scientists in the Division of General Medicine . She completed medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in 2016 followed by Internal Medicine residency and a chief year at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in 2020. Dr. Serna went on to complete the Harvard-Brigham Research Fellowship in Hospital Medicine and earn a master’s in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2022. Her research is focused on advance care planning and better understanding and optimizing end-of-life care in the inpatient setting.

Letitia Graves, PhD, MSN, RN

Letitia Graves, PhD, MSN, RN

Letitia Graves, PhD, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Research Areas: Accelerated aging in spinal cord injury, epigenetics

Mentors: Drs. Morrow, Landay, Yang, and Wang
Funding: NIA P30 AG024832 Morrow and Goodwin (MPI); Role: RL5 Scholar; 06/01/2004 – 06/30/2025; Aging and SCI: Toward an Understanding of Epigenetic Mechanisms Impacting Accelerated Aging Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Dr. Graves's Dept Bio Dr. Graves's Research Bio
Letitia Y. Graves, PhD, MSN, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing's Graduate Studies and PhD Program at UTMB. She earned her PhD in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, an MSN in Nursing Education from Capella University, and a BSN from Grambling State University. Dr. Graves is a fellow in the Sealy Center on Aging and holds a certificate in Personalized and Genomic Medicine from the University of Colorado. Her accolades include the 2024 Excellence in Nursing Bronze Medal, the 2023 RWJF FNS Travel Award, and multiple honors recognizing her contributions to nursing. She is an active member of professional organizations such as Sigma Theta Tau, the International Society of Nurses in Genetics, and the Wound Healing Society.

Alberto Aparicio, PhD

Alberto Aparicio, PhD

Alberto Aparicio, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities, School of Public and Population Health
Research Areas: Ethical and social considerations of longevity research, governance of emerging biotechnology, technoscience

Mentors: Drs. Downer, Mehta and Pappadis
Funding: NIH/NIA P30-AG024832 Morrow Goodwin (PIs); Role: UTMB OAIC RL5 Scholar; 07/2024-7/2027; Self-perception of aging in older individuals with longstanding disability
Dr. Aparicio's Dept Bio Dr. Aparicio's Research Bio
Alberto Aparicio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Global Observatory for Genome Editing, Harvard University, and the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute in Colombia. Dr. Aparicio received his PhD in Science and Technology Studies from University College London, and his MPhil in Technology Policy from Cambridge University. He has held various policy and management roles, in academic, consultancy and government institutions. His research interests include the governance of emerging biotechnology and societal responses to shifting meanings and attitudes about life in contemporary bioscience, as well as the framing and social relevance of technoscience.
Yunfeng Chen, PhD

Yunfeng Chen, PhD

Yunfeng Chen, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Pathology
Research Areas: Mechanobiology, vascular biology, hemostasis, thrombosis, protein dynamics

Mentor: Dr. Menachery
Funding: NHLBI R00 HL153678; Role: PI; Inhibiting biomechanical platelet aggregation to prevent arterial thrombosis without compromising hemostasis; 04/2022-03/2025
Dr. Chen's Dept Bio Dr. Chen's Research Bio
Dr. Yunfeng Chen received his PhD degree in Bioengineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and received postdoctoral training at Scripps Research Institute. His research is mainly focused on molecular and cellular mechanobiology and its association with human physiology and disease pathology, especially in the vascular system. His previous studies unraveled the molecular mechanisms of platelet mechano-activation, discovered novel mechanobiological strategies for treating arterial thrombosis and auto-immune diseases, and provided single-molecule level characterization of force-regulated protein binding and conformational changes. Dr. Chen’s current research uses molecular biology and mechanobiology approaches to study how aging and diabetes affect the glycosylation of proteins in the vascular system, and how that contributes to the increased risk of arterial thrombosis in the elderly population. He will also explore a new strategy for preventing arterial thrombosis abiding by the emerging concept of ‘mechano-medicine’. Dr. Chen has received many (inter)national awards including Mary Rodes Gibson Memorial Award, Yuan-Cheng Fung Best Paper Award, and ICBME Young Scholars Award.

Phil Cantu, PhD

Phil Cantu, PhD

Phil Cantu, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics
Research Areas: Racial and social disparities in healthy life expectancy, caregiving and social relationships of older Mexican Americans with dementia
Mentor: Dr. Markides
Funding: NIA K01AG086589; Role: PI; Informant Assessments of Cognitive Impairment in Mexico; 7/15/2024-6/30/2029
Dr. Cantu's Dept Bio Dr. Cantu's Research Bio
Dr. Cantu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics. He is responsible for administration, data preparation, data analysis, manuscript preparation, submitting research papers for publication, and presenting results at professional conferences for a pilot project to identify classes of informant reported cognitive and functional decline in a representative study of older US adults. These classes could be used as evidence for tailored approaches to caregiving interventions.

Elizabeth Lorenzo, RN, PhD

Elizabeth Lorenzo, RN, PhD

Elizabeth Lorenzo, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Research Areas: Aging-related health and endocrine changes of midlife women, physical activity interventions
Mentor: Dr. Lyons
Funding: NIA 1K23AG08323101A1; Role: PI; No time to pause: Physical activity to improve health and well-being of midlife Hispanic women during the menopausal transition; 6/1/24 - 5/31/29
Dr. Lorenzo's Dept Bio Dr. Lorenzo's Research Bio
Dr. Lorenzo is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at UTMB. She has experience in secondary analysis of physical activity data, correlational methodologies, studying adult Hispanic women, physical activity, and cardiometabolic health, and assessing physical activity levels.

Contact Us

The UTMB Health Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC)
301 University Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77555-0177
Directions and Maps
Phone: (409) 747-0008
Email: aging.research@utmb.edu

Mentors

Name & Affiliation	Research Focus & Funding
Omoloa E. Adepoju, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, UH College of Medicine	Access to care in underserved populations.Has mentored 10 faculty and multiple pre- and postdoctoral trainees.
Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD*, Professor, Dept. of Population Health & Health Disparities, SPPH	Rheumatology, obesity, (Hispanic) health, physical function.R03 (PI), 1 R01 (PI), 1 R01 (co-I).Has mentored 9 faculty, 10 geriatric fellows, >50 medical students, 6 PhD students.
Jacques Baillargeon, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Epidemiology, SPPH	Men’s health, testosterone & prostate cancer, epidemiology.U01, leader MTT Men’s Health.Mentored 5 MD/PhD students, >20 PhD students, 10 postdocs, 8 faculty.
Abbey Berenson, MD, Professor, OB/GYN, John Sealy School of Medicine	Disparities in gynecologic cancer.PI on 5K12, RP190022, CPRIT K-12, T-32.Mentored >30 medical/PhD students, 21 postdocs, 23 faculty.
Brian Downer, PhD*, Associate Professor, Dept. of Population Health & Health Disparities, SPPH	Cohort studies of older Hispanics, cognitive impairment.R01 (PI), T-32 MPI.Mentored 4 junior faculty.
James S. Goodwin, MD, Professor, Internal Medicine (Geriatrics), John Sealy School of Medicine	Comparative effectiveness research, barriers to care.R01 (PI). PI of T32 (10 years), directed REC (15 years).Mentored >40 faculty.
Michael Kinsky, MD*, Professor, Anesthesiology, Director of UTMB Clinical Research Center, John Sealy School of Medicine	Resuscitation, sleep, hemorrhage, shock.Departmental Vice Chair for Research.Mentored ~10 junior faculty, >30 medical/PhD students, >30 postdocs.
Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Biostatistics & Data Science, SPPH	Biostatistics, comparative effectiveness research.2 R01s (PI), T32 (MPI).Mentored >50 PhD/medical students, >30 postdocs, 17 junior faculty.
Alan Landay, PhD Professor, Division of Geriatrics Medicine, John Sealy School of Medicine; VP for Team Science	Geroscience, HIV and aging.R33 (MPI).Mentored 15 PhD students, 7 postdocs, 10 MD students.
Elizabeth Lyons, PhD, MPH*, Associate Professor & Chair, Nutrition Sciences & Health Behavior, SHP	Technology to improve physical activity, mHealth.R21 (PI), ACS grant (PI), R01 (PI).Mentored 16 faculty, >20 predoctoral, 9 postdocs.
Kyriakos Markides, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Population Health & Health Disparities, SPPH	Aging and health in Mexican American population, Hispanic aging.P30 (PI), R01 (PI), T32 (PI).Mentored >30 faculty, >60 PhD/medical/nursing students, >30 postdocs.
Neil Mehta, PhD, MSc, MA, Professor, Dept. of Epidemiology; Associate Dean for Research, SPPH	Demography, trends in population health of elderly.T32 MPI.Mentored 4 junior faculty.
Melissa Morrow, PhD, Professor, Dept. of PT & Rehabilitation Sciences, SHP	Mobility, rehabilitation, physical function in older adults with disabilities.R01 (PI), R44 (site PI), P30 (MPI).K-12 research director; mentored 10 predoctoral/medical students, 5 postdocs, 28 early career faculty.
Monique Pappadis, PhD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Population Health & Health Disparities, SPPH	Interventions to reduce health disparities in older adults.R61/R33 (PI).Mentored 14 junior faculty, >15 doctoral students, >10 postdocs.
Omonike Olaleye, PhD, MPH, Senior Associate VP for Research & Innovation, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, TSU	Infectious diseases drug discovery, COVID-19.U54, UR6, EQBMED Pharma Foundation.Leads TSU core faculty recruitment, K12 mentor; trained >200 interns/doctoral graduates/fellows.
Mukaila Raji, MD, MS*, Professor, Internal Medicine (Geriatrics), John Sealy School of Medicine	Disparities in cognitive aging, dementia, geriatric pharmacology.R01 (MPI).Mentored >30 faculty, >20 fellows, >20 PhD/MD students and postdocs.
Gulshan Sharma, MD, MPH*, VP, Chief Medical & Clinical Innovation Officer, UTMB Health	Quality improvement, hospital databases, end-of-life care, medical innovation.Mentored >30 medical students, >30 postdocs, 14 junior faculty.
Huey-Ming Tzeng, BSN, PhD, Professor, School of Nursing	Mixed-methods, disparities in dementia care, fall prevention in nursing homes.R01 (MPI).Mentored >15 predoctoral, >10 postdocs, 6 junior faculty.
Randall Urban, MD, Director, CTSA; Professor, Internal Medicine, John Sealy School of Medicine	Androgens & skeletal muscle function, pituitary dysfunction after TBI, stem cells.UL1 (PI), foundation award (PI).Mentored >50 faculty (junior, mid-level, senior).

Former Scholars

Soham Al Snih, MD, PhD - Obesity, frailty, disability, diabetes in older Mexican Americans
Felipe Amador, MD - Social Factors and function ACE Unit
Sylvette Ayala-Peña, PhD - Reactive oxygen mitochondrial function and aging
Jose Barral, MD, PhD - Chaperone function in sarcopenia
Elisabet Borsheim, PhD - Transcapillary Insulin Transport and Aging
Quynh Bui, MD, MPH - Diabetes, and liver function
Rachel Deer, PhD - Interventions (nutrition, exercise, testosterone) for acceleration of functional recovery
Brian Downer, PhD - Cognitive aging, risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline, minority aging
Hans Dreyer, PhD, PT - Nutritional and Regulation of Muscle Growth
Micah Drummond, PhD - MicroRNA’s and sarcopenia
Steve Fisher, PT, PhD - Activity in hospitalized older adults
Christopher Fry, PhD - Skeletal muscle physiology, muscle stem cell biology, skeletal muscle plasticity
Sharma, Gulshan, MD, MPH - Continuity of care
Kimberly Hreha, EdD, OTR/L - Rehabilitation outcomes, stroke, intervention studies, implementation, vision
Elizabeth Jaramillo, MD - Over-diagnosis & treatment, cancer
Lois Killewich, MD, PhD - Peripheral vascular and muscle function
Michael Kinsky, MD - Perioperative fluid management
Elizabeth Lyons, PhD - Video games and energy balance in older women
Addie Middleton, PhD, DPT, PT - Post-acute care outcomes, functional independence
Sadaf Milani, PhD - Post-acute care outcomes, functional independence
Neil Mehta, PhD, MSc, MA - Epidemiology of aging, cognition and dementia, health disparities
Melinda Moore, PhD - Exercise, muscle metabolism
Andrew Murton, PhD -Metabolism, nutritional interventions to improve muscle mass and function
Glenn Ostir, PhD - Positive affect, recovery from illness
Douglas Paddon-Jones, PhD - Muscle protein catabolism during inactivity and stress
Monique Pappadis, PhD - Ethnic minority health and behavioral health disparities, psychosocial adjustment to disability
Kristen Peek, PhD - Strength & disability in older Hispanics
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD - Improving outcomes of hip replacement
Mukaila Raji, MD - Muscle function and cognitive process in the elderly
Timothy Reistetter, PhD, OTR - Recovery from stroke
Rafael Samper-Ternent, MD, PhD - Health disparities, functional and cognitive decline
Bartoz Szczesny, PhD - Age-dependent change in DNA base repair proteins
Elena Volpi, MD, PhD - Nutrition and muscle metabolism
Huiwen Xu, PhD, MHA - Long term care and geriatric oncology

Last Updated: September 2025

301 University Blvd. Galveston, TX 77555-0177 | p 409.747.0008 | f 409.772.8931 The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Award #P30-AG024832 is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Contact Roxann Grover, MA regarding updates to this content.

Current Scholars

Contact Us

Mentors

Name & Affiliation

Research Focus & Funding

Former Scholars