Bijal Bala

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About

I am a primary care physician, epidemiologist, and implementation scientist whose research focuses on improving the delivery of evidence-based care in primary care and safety-net health systems. At UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, I am a Professor in Epidemiology, serve as the Rockwell Distinguished Chair in Society and Health, Associate Dean for Research, and founding Co-Director of the UTHealth Houston Institute for Implementation Science. My research program addresses challenges at the intersection of primary care, cancer prevention and control, and chronic disease care. My work has focused on integrating behavioral health into primary care, increasing the delivery of cardiovascular preventive services, improving cancer screening, and strengthening care for cancer survivors. A particular emphasis of my current research is understanding and enhancing the role of safety-net primary care teams in cancer screening and survivorship care, including how primary care and oncology can better coordinate care for survivors. Methodologically, I have expertise in pragmatic and hybrid implementation-effectiveness trials, implementation strategies for practice change, and mixed-methods evaluations conducted in real-world healthcare settings. My research seeks not only to determine what works, but also how effective interventions can be integrated into routine practice and sustained across diverse healthcare settings. My research has been supported by federal and state agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), as well as foundations.

Center Affiliation

• Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research

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Research Interests

• Cancer
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
• Epidemiology
• Health Services / Outcomes Research
• Implementation Science
• Population Health