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Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health

Meet the Team

Leadership

Sarah A. Felknor, DrPH

Professor
Center Director
[email protected]

Faculty

Juan Aguilera, MD, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Faiyaz Bhojani, MD, DrPH

Professor
[email protected]

George-Delclos circle headhsot.png

George Delclos, MD, MPH, PhD

Professor
[email protected]

Robert Emery, DrPH

Professor
[email protected]

Maria Fernández-Esquer, PhD

Associate Professor
[email protected]

Anna Gitter, PhD

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Shannon Guillot-Wright, PhD

Associate Professor
Total Worker Health Program Director
[email protected]

Yun Hang, PhD, MS

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Belinda Hernandez, PhD

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Jooyeon Hwang, PhD, CIH

Associate Professor
Deputy Director NIOSH ERC
Industrial Hygiene Program Director
[email protected]

Kevin Lanza, PhD

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Michael Lemke, PhD

Assistant Professor
[email protected]

Kristina Mena, PhD

Professor
El Paso Regional Dean
Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
[email protected]

Jenil Patel, PhD

Assistant Professor
Occupational Epidemiology Program Director
Pilot Project Research Training Director
[email protected]

William “Brett” Perkison, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Occupational Medicine Residency Program Director
[email protected]

Janelle Rios, PhD

Faculty Associate
Principal Investigator, NIEHS P2R Consortium
[email protected]

Lawrence Whitehead, PhD

Associate Professor
[email protected]

The SWCOEH Team

Masoud Afshar

Analytical Chemist
[email protected]

Annette Allett

Center Administrator
[email protected]

Lacy Davis, MA

Continuing Education and Outreach Director
[email protected]

Rebecca Klaff

Research Coordinator II
[email protected]

Michelle Liaw

Instructional Developer
[email protected]

Leah Merrill

Sr. Data Analyst
[email protected]

Matthew Pedersen

Communication Specialist
[email protected]

Silvia Santiago

Continuing Education Coordinator
[email protected]

Peggy Weinshilboum

Occupational Medicine Residency Program Coordinator
[email protected]

Maulik Saraiya

Graduate Research Assistant
[email protected]

Susy Zavala

Graduate Research Assistant
[email protected]

The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health is part of the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health

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News & Events

News
Events

2024 Lookback: Top UTHealth Houston stories

Over the past year, UTHealth Houston achieved significant milestones in innovation, research, community health, and education, reinforcing its position as a leader in both the academic and health care sectors. To highlight these key moments, here are the top stories of 2024.

Read more 2024 Lookback: Top UTHealth Houston stories
From Texas to Guatemala: Lisa Mitchell-Bennett’s Impactful Work with Youth Advocates in El Petén

Lisa Mitchell-Bennett, MPH, a doctoral student and senior project manager at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Brownsville, recently received the Houston Global Health Collaborative grant for international research and service.
Read more From Texas to Guatemala: Lisa Mitchell-Bennett’s Impactful Work with Youth Advocates in El Petén
Department of Biostatistics and Data Science Celebrates 55 Years of Excellence

This fall, the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health proudly marked its 55th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1969 as the Division of Biometry, the department has been a cornerstone of academic innovation and collaboration in the evolution of biostatistics and data science
Read more Department of Biostatistics and Data Science Celebrates 55 Years of Excellence
Researchers identify association between economic disadvantages with diabetes and elevated body weight

The study revealed that despite successful improvements and interventions in EDDC in Mexico, increases in body weight, leading to increased rates of obesity and diabetes are observed among older adults.
Read more Researchers identify association between economic disadvantages with diabetes and elevated body weight
Student Profile: Meenal Cacsella combines her passion for medicine, public health and policy in pursuit of her calling

Meenal Cascella had known for a while that she wanted to pursue a career in medicine, so when she headed off to college at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, she got busy pursuing her biology degree. She didn’t know that during her undergraduate years she would also discover a passion for studying public health and health policy.
Read more Student Profile: Meenal Cacsella combines her passion for medicine, public health and policy in pursuit of her calling
Closed Loop Referral demonstration project: building the technology to improve health outcomes

Food is Medicine (FIM) is a transformative concept that emphasizes the provision of healthy food as a means to prevent, manage, or treat specific clinical conditions and is integrated within the healthcare system.¹ The Center for Health Equity (CHE) has a portfolio of efforts spanning coalition building, research, and policy to accelerate FIM in Texas.
Read more Closed Loop Referral demonstration project: building the technology to improve health outcomes
Food is Medicine: Transforming Healthcare Through Nutritious Food in Texas

Food is Medicine (FIM) is a transformative concept that emphasizes the provision of healthy food as a means to prevent, manage, or treat specific clinical conditions and is integrated within the healthcare system.¹ The Center for Health Equity (CHE) has a portfolio of efforts spanning coalition building, research, and policy to accelerate FIM in Texas.
Read more Food is Medicine: Transforming Healthcare Through Nutritious Food in Texas
Close to 300 students learn how to save lives during ninth annual Mass Casualty Incident Training

The Val Jahnke Fire Training Facility in Houston buzzed with activity as UTHealth Houston students participated in the ninth annual Mass Casualty Incident Training on Nov. 22. The event provided participants with hands-on experience in responding to large-scale disaster scenarios.
Read more Close to 300 students learn how to save lives during ninth annual Mass Casualty Incident Training
Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Alcohol use was the most common predictor of escalating cannabis vaping among youth and young adults, independent of demographic factors, according to research by UTHealth Houston published this month in the journal Social Science & Medicine.

Read more Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas
Meet Aubree Shay, PhD, a faculty member in San Antonio and co-founder of the AYA STAR lab

Aubree Shay, PhD, is an associate professor at the San Antonio location of UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She’s been a faculty member in the department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences since she joined the school in 2016.
Read more Meet Aubree Shay, PhD, a faculty member in San Antonio and co-founder of the AYA STAR lab

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