Dr. Amelie Ramirez Gets $400,000 Komen Grant to Study Therapeutic Yoga for Breast Cancer Survivors

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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a cancer researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research and the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, is receiving a 2-year, $400,000 leadership grant to study cancer survivorship from Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization.

Ramirez aims to enhance recovery for cancer survivors.

In a group of Latina breast cancer survivors in South Texas, Ramirez will compare two rehabilitation approaches — standard physical therapy and therapeutic yoga — to see how they impact health-related quality of life, fatigue, and physical function over 16 weeks.

Therapeutic yoga involves controlled movement, breath regulation, and meditative practices.

“By focusing on the whole person and listening to survivor experiences, we hope to find more effective, culturally responsive ways to support recovery,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez’s grant is part of a larger announcement by Komen of $15.4 million in breast cancer research grants to 35 researchers across the country.

The investment includes support for well-established researchers who have made a profound impact in the field, like Ramirez, and early-career investigators.

“The researchers receiving grants from Susan G. Komen are making lasting contributions to our understanding of breast cancer and bringing the innovation and technology that’s needed to this disease so that all patients can receive the best care possible and enjoy a high quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Dr. Ann Partridge, Chief Scientific Advisor for Komen.

Ramirez will begin her project on July 1, 2026.

Her team includes co-principal investigator Dr. Gustavo J. Almeida, associate professor of physical therapy and assistant professor of orthopaedics at UT Health San Antonio, and Nydia Tijerina Darby, owner of Nydia’s Yoga Therapy Studio in San Antonio and author of Therapeutic Yoga Works: The Whole Mind, Body, Spirit Practice for Optimum Spine Health.

Almeida has spent over a decade improving physical function and quality of life in older adults with musculoskeletal conditions and developing exercise as a tool to mitigate muscle loss, enhance mobility, and elevate well-being.

“We are so grateful to Komen for this award, which could help us improve life for cancer survivors who need support beyond traditional rehabilitation,” Almeida said.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion Research

Ramirez is an internationally recognized health researcher at UT Health San Antonio.

Here, she is professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center.

She directs the Salud America! national multimedia health program. The program creates stories and tools empower its network of over 400,000 community leaders to drive healthy changes for families.

Ramirez also launched the “Avanzando Center,” supported by a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society. The center is a response to the cancer burden and non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH) facing South Texas.

She is also helping the communication efforts of the San Antonio Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS) at UT San Antonio.

In addition, Dr. Ramirez is a part of the COmmuNity eNgagEment for building Capacity, Trust, and Ownership of Research (CONNECTOR). The project, funded by the American Heart Association, serves as a community engagement resource center to support other organizations to promote health across the nation.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Cancer Research

Ramirez also conducts research to reduce cancer among Latinos and all people.

On breast cancer, Ramirez is a Susan G. Komen Scholar. Her work has helped increase cancer screening rates and early detection. She has proven how tailored patient navigation can help patients get more timely diagnosis and treatment after an abnormal mammogram and improve the survivorship journey.

Another of her efforts is to improve participation in clinical trials.

Ramirez is enabling people to volunteer for cancer and Alzheimer’s clinical trials. She is highlighting open clinical trials, conducting webinars, and sharing stories of real clinical trial participants. This work has been supported by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

She also leads the South Texas site of the Avanzando Caminos study. The research study aims to enroll 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in South Texas and 1,500 more in Miami to help unpack the behavioral, mental, biological, and medical influences on post-cancer life.

She also aims to reduce lung cancer with Quitxt. This bilingual text-message service helps young adults quit smoking, funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

Ramirez also has trained/mentored more than 250 people in health fields.

She leads the National Cancer Institute-funded Éxito! training program. This helps master’s-level students and professionals pursue a doctoral degree and cancer research career. Of 226 Éxito! trainees since 2011, over 27% have enrolled in or graduated from a doctoral program.

“We work hard to enable people take the next steps from a master’s degree to get their doctoral degree and focus on careers in cancer research and prevention,” Ramirez said.

Dr. Ramirez & Her Service

Ramirez is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

She also is on the prize jury for the Fries Prize for Improving Health Award and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award.

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

Additional recognition includes:

• 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 from the Society of Behavioral Medicine
• 2019: Bluebonnet Award of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• 2020: CDC Board of Directors
• 2021-2022: Chair of the Women in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
• 2022: Outstanding Support Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc.
• 2023: Inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame
• 2023: Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Cancer Health Award
• 2024: John P. McGovern Lectureship Award in Health Promotion by the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
• 2025: Sedgwick Memorial Medal for Distinguished Service in Public Health from the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Ramirez also created the ACRLP biennial conference series.

Launched in 2018 and continued in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026, the ACRLP conference welcomes international researchers, physicians, community leaders, patient leaders, and more to tackle cancer from prevention to treatment to survivorship among Latinos and all people.

“We share research, experience, and action to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to eliminate cancer issues,” Ramirez said.

In 2022, TV personality Oprah Winfrey selected Ramirez as a “Cycle Breaker” for her groundbreaking work to build public health. Watch the episode featuring Ramirez!

Ramirez earned M.P.H. and Dr.P.H. degrees from UT Health Science Center at the Houston School of Public Health.

She is a native of Laredo, Texas.