Dr. Amelie Ramirez Featured in ‘The Cancer Health 25: Change Makers’

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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, has been named one of the “The Cancer Health 25: Change Makers” by Cancer Health magazine.

The magazine recognizes individuals who “make a difference every day.”

“They have each experienced cancer, either personally or through someone they love,” according to the magazine. “And it has changed them, made them want to give back and given them a mission to make a difference for others living with cancer.”

Dr. Ramirez & Her Healthy Equity Research

For more than 30 years, Ramirez gained experience developing research and communication models to improve Latino health locally and nationally.

Her studies have increased cancer screening and survivorship. Specifically, her patient navigation programs reduced time to treatment and diagnosis for Latina breast cancer patients. This helped save their lives.

Ramirez currently directs the Salud America! national multimedia program. The program fuels its network of 200,000 community and school leaders to drive healthy policy and system changes. These initiatives promote health equity and support for Latino families.

Ramirez also directs Quitxt, a smartphone quit smoking service for young adults in South Texas.

She has trained/mentored 300+ Latinos in health fields.

She also leads Éxito! training. The education and leadership program helps master’s-level students and professionals pursue a doctoral degree and cancer research career. The 2020 Éxito! cohort is currently recruiting participants.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Service, Recognitions

Ramirez is a Susan G. Komen Scholar and is on the scientific advisory board for LIVESTRONG.

In Texas, she is on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and is Board President of the The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST).

Recognition includes:

• 2007: Election to the National Academy of Medicine
• 2011: White House Champion of Change
• 2014: APHA Everett M. Rogers Public Health Communication Award
• 2018: Icons in Healthcare Award from CentroMed
• 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award in Health Equity from the Society of Behavioral Medicine
• 2019: Bluebonnet Award of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• 2020: Leadership of the 2nd Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference
• 2020: Women in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Ramirez is a native of Laredo, Texas. She earned M.P.H. and Dr.P.H. degrees from UT Health Science Center at the Houston School of Public Health.

Read about Ramirez and the other 25 change makers here.