Welcome to “Ask the Expert,” a UTHealth Houston news series where our leading experts examine pressing health challenges. In this edition, we look at what 9/11 has taught us about the long-term health of firefighters and why those lessons matter beyond New York.
For students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Aug. 31 will mark more than the start of a new semester. It will usher in a new era as they prepare to learn and connect in a newly constructed state-of-the-art facility designed with their education and future careers in mind.
New research from UTHealth Houston found firefighters experience measurable biological changes in their blood and urine within 24 hours of fighting a fire–changes that may help identify early cancer risk, the leading cause of death among firefighters.
Eric Boerwinkle, PhD, reflects on his career, leadership, and the future of public health at UTHealth Houston. Boerwinkle serves as dean of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, where he is the M. David Low Chair in Public Health and the Kozmetsky Family Chair in Human Genetics.
May 28, 2026
For Jiaming Liang, PhD, the path into dementia research did not begin in a lab, but in a deeply personal place. Witnessing a family member live with the devastating effects of dementia left a lasting impression, one that would ultimately shape his career and drive his commitment to improving care for others facing the same reality.
May 15, 2026
Houston, TX — UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has been selected to represent The University of Texas (UT) System in a new statewide initiative, the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy, designed to strengthen financial leadership and long-term stability of rural hospitals across Texas.
May 13, 2026
LASSO-TX (Lactation and Safe Sleep Opportunities in Texas) is a hospital-based quality improvement initiative of the Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB), in collaboration with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
May 11, 2026
This spring 2026, Mackenzie Senn, MPH, prepares to graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy in epidemiology from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
May 8, 2026
Qian Xiao, PhD, associate professor in Epidemiology, has been named a 2026-2027 U.S. Fulbright Program Scholar, a prestigious honor that supports international collaboration in research and education.
May 8, 2026
As Peyton HerrNeckar, a Master of Public Health student in environmental health, prepares to graduate from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health this spring 2026, his next chapter is already taking shape on the water.
May 7, 2026
Kristina D. Mena, PhD, MSPH, has been selected to serve on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, a national panel that provides independent scientific guidance on environmental and public health issues.
May 6, 2026
MPH in Healthcare Management graduate Sofia Tovar is focused on driving meaningful change across the health system landscape.
May 6, 2026
A recent study published in Nature Communications introduces a new computational approach that helps scientists better understand how cells develop and change over time by examining DNA methylation—a key chemical process that regulates gene activity.
May 5, 2026
Through the Docside Clinics: Connecting Docs to Docks, a mobile clinic that offers health services and resources to commercial fisherman, Guillot-Wright has provided over 2,000 encounters and meets these vulnerable populations where they are.
