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Catherine Stewart

Catherine Stewart is a digital content curator for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She is a graduate of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland College Park, and hopes to utilize her skills to help people find their voices and inspire change in their communities.

Articles by Catherine Stewart

Share Your Bladder, Melanoma, Ovarian, Thyroid, Lymphoma Cancer Story with Avanzando Caminos


Avanzando Caminos Banner

For the last few years, Hispanic/Latinos living in South Texas have been sharing their cancer stories with the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort study team at UT Health San Antonio.  But up until now those stories were limited to survivors of prostate, colorectal, lung, stomach, liver, endometrial, breast, cervical, and kidney cancers.  Now it’s time for the bladder, melanoma, ovarian, thyroid, and lymphoma cancer survivors to share their journeys, too.  The Avanzando Caminos study is now enrolling participants who have completed their primary cancer treatments for one of the designated cancer types within the last 10 years.  share your story with avanzando caminos! What is the Avanzando Caminos Study?  The Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino ...

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Linda Mota: Champion for Cancer Prevention and Research



On a late October night, Linda Mota woke with a start.  While her mind should have been consumed with choosing a family Halloween costume, her thoughts were elsewhere.  “I was laying down and something inside of me told me, check your side,” she said.   What Linda felt wasn’t overwhelming, but it was clear there was a small lump there, resembling the shape of a little ball.    She initially dismissed what she found, but her intuition continued to scream at her that something was amiss.  “Something inside of me told me, ‘No. you need to get checked, you need to get checked,’” she told herself.  It turned out she had breast cancer.  Linda Mota and Her Startling Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment  Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in the ...

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WATCH: Derek Rodriguez Turns Cancer Survivorship into a Career in Research


Dr Derek Rodriguez

For Dr. Derek Rodriguez, helping survivors is more than part of the job.   It’s a calling that began when he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, when he was 8 years old.  Now, Rodriguez is helping others share their survivorship stories through his work with the Avanzando Caminos study, which aims to improve the Latino cancer survivorship journey.  Rodriguez currently serves as the program manager for the study, which is based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.   He is living out his dreams of being a research scientist and helping improve the lives of other survivors in his community.   “I am now serving my community as well as those that are cancer survivors, so it’s pretty much a full ...

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Survey: 1 in 6 Parents Decline Childhood Vaccine Recommendations


Shot of a doctor using a cotton ball on a little girl's arm while administering an injection in a clinic

Since their introduction in the early 1900s, vaccines have helped eradicate diseases.   For this reason, vaccines play a pivotal role in public health, especially for children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.   However, with the invention of the internet and social media, incorrect information is quickly spread and disseminated, sowing seeds of mistrust in vaccine recommendations. This leads to questions over vaccine research, production, and administration.  What's more, the widespread misinformation about vaccines has caused outbreaks of previously eradicated diseases such as measles, making vaccine uncertainty a serious threat to public health.   In fact, in a recent survey conducted by KFF in collaboration with the Washington Post, 1 in 6 US parents have ...

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More Screen Time Linked to Higher Risk for Heart Disease in Children


Child in bed at night with a book and a smartphone in the dark. Concept of problems with mobile addiction at young ages. Child with sleeping problems and insomnia due to the use of electronic devices

There’s a lot of good that’s come out of the digital age, including telehealth, which allows physicians to meet with their patients from a distance.  However, the digital age can also pose health risks, especially for young children.   Excessive screen time in children is linked to a higher risk for heart-related complications, including heart disease, according to a new study by the American Heart Association.  Let’s go over the study’s key findings and find ways to determine what’s a healthy amount of screen time for your loved ones.   Key Study Findings: Screen Time and Heart Disease Risk  The study examined excessive screen use using data from a group of 10-year-olds in 2010 and a group of 18-year-olds in 2000, according to the study news release.  To ...

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National Latino Physician Day: Let’s Improve Health for All!


National Latino Physician Day

Latinos continue to be a growing population in the US.   However, at 19.5% of the population, Latinos only comprise 6% of all physicians, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).  Fewer Latino physicians to meet the growing population can lead to worse health outcomes for Latinos, who rely on physicians that look and sound like them to build trusting patient-doctor relationships.   To shine a light on this issue, National Latino Physician Day occurs every Oct. 1 during Hispanic Heritage Month to honor Latino physicians and share the need for more.  Let’s go over how National Latino Physician Day came to be and why Latino physicians are integral for closing the gap on health differences for Latinos and all people.   How Did National Latino ...

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7 Key Trends Shaping the Future of Cancer Research


Female Doctors Talking In Medical Research Center And Using Desktop Computer To Analyze MRI Scans Of Brain. Surgeon And Neuroscientist Discussing Solutions For Treating Cancer.

Cancer death rates have dropped 34% over the past three decades, saving the lives of more than 4.5 million people.  And it’s all thanks to cancer research.   Research is the foundation of critical public health efforts, including prevention, screenings, and advancements in cancer treatment, according to the latest progress report on cancer from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).   Every year the AACR puts out its progress report to discuss the latest achievements in research while keeping a watchful eye on the future, including the need for ongoing scientific research to one day eradicate cancer.   Here are 7 key takeaways from the report and how it will impact the future of cancer research.  1. The Number of Survivors is Projected to Rise Between ...

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San Antonio: Learn How to Navigate the Intricacies of Cancer Treatment (En Español)!


A young woman is warmly embracing an older woman who wears stylish glasses, showcasing a heartwarming moment filled with affection

Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), is hosting a free Spanish-language event in San Antonio to educate and empower those in the community to learn about cancer types that affect Latinos.   The event, “Aprendiendo Sobre Los Cánceres Que Afectan a Los Latinos y Cómo Enfrentarlos,” is set for 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, at Paesanos Lincoln Heights, located at 555 E. Basse Road, San Antonio, TX 78209.  Dinner is free! Registration is required.  REGISTER FOR THE EVENT! About the Event on Latino Cancer  Latinos are a dynamic, rising population.   But cancer threatens the future health of Latinos and the entire U.S. population.  The Spanish-language cancer event in San Antonio will cover topics about:  ...

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Joaquin Castro: How His Cancer Battle Fuels His Fight for Health Investment


Joaquin Castro Hispanic Heritage Month

Cancer is not a disease that happens overnight.   It often creeps up slowly, silently, and without warning — revealing itself in some of the most unlikely ways.  That’s exactly what happened to U.S. Congress Rep. Joaquin Castro.  Amid a car accident involving a Spanish boar in Spain, Castro received some devastating news — he had neuroendocrine cancer.  While a treatable form of cancer, Castro won’t get to ring the bell signaling the end of his treatment.   For Castro, treatment continues at UT Health San Antonio.  "Unless something changes, I’ll have cancer for the rest of my life, but thankfully, and hopefully, cancer won’t take my life,” he said during an address to the 2024 Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos And All Populations ...

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