Juneteenth holds a profound place in Texas and American history. For many across UTMB Health, the holiday is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a reflection of heritage, a reminder of progress, and a connection to the community that continues to shape our institution.
The University of Texas Medical Branch has been ranked among the top 100 hospitals for cardiac care in the United States as listed in the 2025 edition of Newsweek/Statista’s America’s Best Specialized Hospitals.
Dr. Salim Hayek has always been driven by a fundamental understanding: not everyone has equal access to health and safety, and those who can make a difference have a responsibility to act.
“When a child is interested in an activity or learning something new, he or she will forget their pain, sickness or boredom,” Sheryl Bucsanyi tells the Daily News. Bucsanyi is a pediatric hospital teacher at UTMB and she brings laughter and smiles to her patients and coworkers with her elaborate costumes.
“This distinction reflects the exceptional dedication of our multidisciplinary teams and our unwavering commitment to clinical excellence, innovation and patient-centered care,” UTMB’s Dr. Hani Jneid tells the Daily News. UTMB was ranked among the top 100 U.S. hospitals for cardiac care in the 2025 edition of Newsweek/Statista’s America’s Best Specialized Hospitals.
“Receiving the Marilyn G. Farquhar Lifetime Research Achievement Award is an immense honor — one that symbolizes the decades of work by my team to advance our understanding of podocyte biology and kidney disease,” said Dr. Jochen Reiser president of UTMB and CEO of the UTMB Health System upon receiving the prestigious award.
“Cold water immersion is more than just a wellness trend,” writes Dr. Hasan Yasin. Submerging the body in cold water offers a range of physical and mental benefits, from accelerating recovery to enhancing circulation and boosting mood, Yasin writes.
“Hidden among those microbes in our mouths and guts, are thousands of virus-like entities,” write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel. Scientists have named the entities – flat rod-shaped loops of RNA found in bacteria – obelisks but don’t know if they influence our microbiome, affect our immune system or any other processes in our bodies. “It seems that Mother Nature still can surprise us, and hopefully, more science will enlighten us,” write Herzog and Niesel.
Texas has allocated $50 million to fund clinical trials of a psychedelic reported to help those with PTSD and Galveston County is in a good position to lead the way in that research, writes UTMB’s Dr. Jarrel De Matas. “Galveston stands at a critical intersection of education, public health and innovation,” De Matas writes.
UTMB’s Dr. Scott Weaver spoke to USA Today for this story on NIH budget cuts. UTMB receives about $150 million in NIH grants annually and has already lost about $19.3 million due to cuts, Weaver told USA Today.
Researchers at UTMB have been awarded nearly $5 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to forward their work as well as $2 million to recruit Dr. Xun Sun.
UTMB’s League City and Clear Lake Campuses are highlighted in this news roundup by Community Impact. Updates in Clear Lake include new clinic openings as well as the comprehensive stroke center. In League City, the hospital began seeing oncology patients on the ambulatory side.
Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of the University of Texas Medical Branch and CEO of the UTMB Health System, has been awarded the Marilyn G. Farquhar Lifetime Research Achievement Award at the 15th International Podocyte Conference, held June 10 to 13, 2025, in Hamburg, Germany.
The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing has received full 10-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the maximum term awarded, following a rigorous evaluation process and a multi-day site visit.
The University of Texas Medical Branch has opened a new Care Coordination and Referral Center at the UTMB Health Primary Care Pavilion on Harborside Drive in Galveston, further expanding access to care for patients across the island.
When Dr. Yong-Fang Kuo analyzed Medicare data from more than 2 million older adults, the results revealed a striking pattern: those who received annual wellness visits were significantly more likely to receive early diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment—catching memory problems before they progressed to full dementia.
“I just always thought that was intriguing to work with viruses that were that deadly and try to come up with ways to stop them,” Dr. Thomas Geisbert tells The Scientist for an article about how scientists prepare to fight new and emerging pathogens.
UTMB’s Dr. Scott Weaver spoke to the Daily News about the millions in federal research funding that have been cut and the impacts to the university. UTMB has appealed some of the grant cuts and is working with elected officials to reverse the losses.
Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch have been awarded a total of nearly $5 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to forward their work.
Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel explore the possibility that unique genes are responsible for our complex vocal communication in their latest Medical Discovery News column.