UTMB News

Five University of Texas Medical Branch primary investigators received competitive grant awards totaling $1,722,433 from the Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative for six research projects.

There are an estimated one to four million cases of cholera worldwide annually and as many as 143,000 people die of the disease each year, write Drs. Richard Rupp and Megan Berman in this week’s Vaccine Smarts column. There is a vaccine approved in the U.S., Vaxchora, but it can be hard to find.

In this week’s column, Dr. Hasan Yasin shares insights from a recent medical conference where the topics of marijuana and psychedelics use in medicine garnered lots of attention.

Integrating radiology and pathology could produce hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and improve patient care UTMB’s Dr. Eric Walser and Dr. Christopher Zahner explained at a meeting of the Radiology Business Management Association. “We need to put diagnostics first. Right now, we are the backseat drivers. We need to become the front-seat drivers,” Walser said at the meeting.

There are many reasons why measles has made a comeback in the U.S. but one thing is certain: COVID-19 is not to blame. “There’s no evidence that covid—or the vaccine—is adversely affecting people’s immune systems,” UTMB’s Dr. Richard Rupp told Gizmodo.

Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, neurologist and professor in the Department of Neurology

Dr. Hashem Shaltoni, a neurologist and professor with the University of Texas Medical Branch Department of Neurology, was one of three local clinicians honored with a Patient’s Choice Award during the 2024 Joe Niekro Foundation’s 2024 Knuckle Ball Gala.

“I'm aware it doesn't look good, and I would get it treated if I got it," UTMB’s Dr. Harold Pine says. "But if I got a little bit of cauliflower ear, I absolutely would wear it as a badge of honor." Pine and Dr. Nicholas Rossi, a resident at UTMB, spoke to ESPN about cauliflower ear – a deformity of the ear that usually comes with wrestling, boxing and other martial arts.

UTMB’s Dr. Gregory Gray spoke to the New York Times about the unusual outbreak of bird flu among dairy cows. These infections represent the first time that a highly pathogenic bird flu virus, which is often fatal in birds, has been detected in U.S. cattle, the Times reported. The disease seems to be spreading from cow-to-cow, scientists speculate.

The University of Texas Medical Branch marks a significant breakthrough in the field of thoracic surgery as Dr. Roman Petrov, professor of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, successfully performed the first robotic lobectomies in the United States with a single port of entry.

image of caucasian male wearing a light green polo sitting next to a caucasian female wearing a navy dress with a floral pattern. they have a pink background behind them

When Billy Plite had an aneurysm in 2019, UTMB Neurologist Dr. Hashem Shaltoni jumped in to action to save his life & helped ensure he made a full recovery. Today, Billy is happy & healthy & recently had the chance to honor Dr. Shaltoni for all he's done.

A picture of Hannah Luk in a white coat next to text that says Hannah Luk medical student in the John Sealy Schol of Medicine at YTMB

Hannah Luk, a medical school student at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston John Sealy School of Medicine, has been selected to be a student researcher for the 2023-2024 All of Us Research Scholar Program.

To prepare graduating medical students for residency, a new type of “bootcamp” has popped up across the country. UTMB’s Dr. Sidra Qureshi and Dr. Amy Gonzalez codirect a transition to residency course at UTMB and spoke to AAMC about some of the skills covered.

image of brain scans on a screen displayed with operating room lates in the background

UTMB Health neurologist Dr. Brent Masel shares important information about both mild and severe brain injuries, including what to do if you or a loved one experience one and signs and symptoms there may be something more serious developing.

headshot image of utmb pediatric surgeon dr. Maria Carmen mora alongside a headshot of meagan clanahan from houston moms, both featured in round frames above a standard play button on a dark teal background

During this chat with Houston Moms, learn how Dr. Maria Carmen Mora is helping grow the pediatric robotic surgery program at UTMB Health and why the practice is so beneficial to patients.