UTMB News

  • What it’s like to live with a tick-borne disease

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the deadliest tick-borne disease. If left untreated, it will kill roughly 20 percent of those who contract it, said Dr. David Walker, a professor of pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Even when treated with doxycycline, it is fatal in about 4 percent of cases, he said. “You’ve got to treat them before day five if you don’t want death to start occurring,” Walker said. “It’s not an easy diagnosis to make.”

  • Malaria in the U.S.: What virus experts want you to know

    Malaria typically turns up in the U.S. when American residents travel abroad, contract malaria and then return home. On the other hand, when experts say eight new cases were “locally acquired,” that means that the infected individual acquired the virus from a mosquito inside the U.S., said Dr. Scott Weaver, virologist and director of the Institute for Human Infections & Immunity and a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

  • Readers give UTMB Angleton Danbury Campus 3 awards

    The Facts newspaper released its list of Readers’ Choice winners for 2023. The UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus won 1st place in three categories: Favorite Hospital, Favorite ER and Favorite Urgent Care Facility.

  • What are the benefits of MCT oil?

    In his newspaper column, Dr. Samuel Mathis explained that MCTs work by supercharging our utilization of fat stores for energy. “MCT oil is not for everyone, but it may be a helpful additive for those looking for something extra to give them a little boost in their health journey,” he wrote.

  • Keep using your mosquito repellant

    “Because of international travel, population migration and climate change, diseases spread by mosquitos may begin to occur in greater numbers in the United States,” wrote Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in Vaccine Smarts. “Existing vaccines and new ones under development will play a major role in keeping us safe from such diseases. But for now, just keep using your mosquito repellant.”

  • Dancing molecules may restore your spinal cord

    Scientists have developed a new approach using “dancing molecules” to repair the spinal cord and reverse paralysis after a severe spinal cord injury, explained Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in Medical Discovery News.

  • Give children reasons for expectations

    “It is important to clearly communicate parental expectations in an age-appropriate manner and set a good example,” wrote Dr. Sally Robinson in her column. “Sometimes we just have to think about what we are saying.”

  • graphic with yellow background and white sun drawn in sunscreen next to a sunscreen bottle

    Staying safe in the sun

    When shopping for sunscreen, Dr. Raimer-Goodman urges individuals to consider broad-spectrum options that are free of oxybenzone.

  • Norovirus cases are rising on cruises. Here’s how you can stay safe

    Dr. Samuel Mathis, assistant professor in the University of Texas Medical Branch Department of Family Medicine, said the resilient virus can live for days and there are plenty of places for it to linger on cruise ships. Mathis, who works in Galveston, cruise port, has seen passengers with norovirus. He said that while the virus itself is uncomfortable, it isn’t typically dangerous. “The biggest risk for almost everyone — but especially for seniors — is actually the risk of dehydration: losing all that fluid through nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.”

  • Is West Nile virus on your radar? It should be.

    Apart from its erratic effects on humans, forecasting West Nile virus outbreaks remain a challenge. Dr. Scott Weaver, a leading medical entomologist and virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston said the virus is “very widespread, still zoonotic...[and although] it's transmitted more efficiently by Culex mosquitoes when it's hot, it does well both in drought and rainy conditions.”

  • Proposed gun violence dashboard to gather data across Houston

    Health officials, city council members, police officers and trauma doctors gathered Thursday at a Houston City Council meeting to discuss how to prevent both intentional and accidental shootings. “As a pediatric surgeon, I’m tired of seeing these children come in every day to the ER. I’m tired of holding them as they die and as they suffer," said Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria with the University of Texas Medical Branch.

  • Power of mentorship for emotional health

    Dr. Samuel Mathis recently caught up with his mentor. “I was surprised at the emotional response I had when I saw him,” Mathis wrote in his column. He also shared some of the health benefits associated with mentoring for both the mentor and mentee.

  • There’s a new approach to bacteria identification

    In Medical Discovery News, Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel wrote about a new developing technology that will reduce the time it takes to identify and determine the antibiotic resistance of bacteria.

  • black, faceless icons of individual growing from infant to baby to toddler to little kid to adolescent and eventually graduate with a diploma

    Navigating the stress of big transitions at school

    From the first day of kindergarten through departing for college, school is filled with lots of big “firsts” that sometimes bring about big changes. To help parents, guardians and children successfully navigate their feelings surrounding the many unknowns they'll encounter, UTMB Health psychologists offer guidance, support and tips.

  • white plate topped with sliced apples, bananas, peeled oranges and full grapes with crystal glass situated to the right of it

    Healthy summer snacks

    When snacking this summer, consider nutrient dense options like veggies and hummus, fruit and Greek yogurt or homemade smoothies.

  • In the photo, from left to right are: Chief John Ojeisekhoba (President of IACLEA) and UTMB Chief Ken Adcox, Sgt. Kristopher McGill, Dispatcher Alana Dickey, and Officer Travis Gonzalez.

    UTMB police honored with international awards

    The UTMB Police Department was honored recently by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. In a ceremony held last month in Orlando, the department received two of the four international awards given.

  • Seven from UTMB on GCDN 40 Under 40 list

    The University of Texas Medical Branch had seven representatives among the 40 under 40 listing for 2023 in The Galveston County Daily News.