I am director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. I have spent 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease, cancer, and obesity health disparities affecting Latinos.
With cancer still a top health threat, UT Health San Antonio leaders and national cancer experts have published an online book with innovative recommendations to reduce cancer among Latinos and all people. The book, “Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations: 2026 Conference Proceedings,” highlights results of the same-named conference that brought 350 researchers, advocates, and survivors to San Antonio in February 2026. A follow-up conference is planned for Feb. 23-25, 2028, in San Antonio. Included in the book are promising research findings on Latino cancer and strategies for new research covering the entire cancer continuum. This includes advances in genetics, prevention, screening, detection, treatment, survivorship, and policy, said Dr. Amelie ...
Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these 31 awesome ways.
1. Learn How Hispanic Heritage Month Began
U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. Did you know which U.S. President turned it from Hispanic Heritage Week to Hispanic Heritage Month? Learn more here.
2. Find Out Why Hispanic Heritage Month Starts on Sept. 15
Sept. ...
Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these epic ways.
1. Learn How Hispanic Heritage Month Began
U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. Did you know which U.S. President turned it from Hispanic Heritage Week to Hispanic Heritage Month? Learn more here.
2. Find Out Why Hispanic Heritage Month Starts on Sept. 15
Sept. 15 is ...
Cancer is a big health issue for Latinos and all people. That’s why Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, partnered with the Mays Cancer Center to create the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) biennial conference. Read the proceedings from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 ASCL Conferences. The 2024 ASCL Conference on Feb. 21-23, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, welcomed over 280 prominent researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the globe to address cancer health disparities among Latinos. Conference sponsors included: platinum supporters Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, and Gilead; silver supporters GMaP Region 3, ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Demographics and Public Policy: Implications for Latino Cancer
Dr. Elena V. Rios is President & CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and president of NHMA’s National Hispanic Health Foundation. Unfairness in the healthcare system Dr. Rios’s presentation began by focusing on the changing demographics in the US. By 2035, Latino individuals will make up 1 out of every 4 Americans, meaning that the future of the country is intertwined in the Latino experience. The current 63 million Latino individuals in the US make up 19% of the population; however, only 9% of oncologists are Latino, and only 1/3 of those are women. This is important in light of the high ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Cancer Center Priorities for Addressing Latino Cancer Health Gaps: A Fire-side Chat with Cancer Center Directors
This special session occurred at 9:00 a.m., Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at the 4th biennial Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference. Dr. Yolanda Sanchez is the Maurice and Marguerite Liberman Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, Professor in the University of New Mexico (UNM) Department of Internal Medicine Division of Molecular Medicine, and UNM Cancer Center Director and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Sanchez discussed the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC) and its mission to reduce the cancer burden and overcome the tremendous ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Increasing Participation in Pediatric Cancer Clinical Trials
Dr. Paula Aristizabal is Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Medical Director of the International Outreach Program, and Quality Improvement Lead at the University of California San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital. Differences in pediatric cancer Dr. Aristizabal’s presentation covered the demographic shift in the US, differences in pediatric cancer, gaps in clinical trial participation in pediatric cancer research, challenges to clinical trial participation in Latinos, and strategies to improve recruitment of Latinos to clinical trials. The Latino population ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Obesity and Cancer: What We Know Now About Individual and Other Factors
Dr. Monica C. Serra is Associate Professor and Research Health Scientist in the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Medicine and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Obesity and cancer Dr. Serra began by discussing obesity and severe obesity, which have become more common in the US in recent years. In 2011, 27% of adults 18 years of age or older had obesity or severe obesity, and by 2020, 32% of adults 18 years of age or older had obesity or severe obesity. Furthermore, in ...
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Inclusion in Action: Breaking Open the Leaky Pipeline to Create Pathways & Design Spaces that Improve Representation
Dr. Idalid “Ivy” Franco is works in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School. The effect of oppression on workforce incorporation Dr. Franco’s presentation began by looking at the context and long-standing hurdles to recruitment, retention, and professional success of a workforce that resembles the US population. This historical context started with American slavery, followed by years of segregation, laying a foundation of decades of judgement and mistreatment. This lies ...
