Meet the Researchers Aiming to Improve Public Health in San Antonio

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The Institute for Integration of Medicine & Science (IIMS) and the UTSA College of Health, Community and Policy announced the winners of the 2026 IIMS Community Engagement Small Project Grants program.

Seven community-academic partnerships from South Texas, focused on topics from men’s health to caregiving, each have been awarded a $5,000 grant.

The aim is to translate research into public health benefits.

Grants are available to newly developed or current partnerships with projects focused on research/assessment, education/training, and/or dissemination/communication of research results, program features, or policy implications.

Dr. Erika Brigmon, Gabrielle Capesius, and Lacy Lichtenhan 

“Arts for Justice: The Story of Firearm-related Violence from a Youth Perspective​.”

Erika Brigmon, MD, representing Trauma and Emergency General Surgery at UT Heath San Antonio, enlisted students, Gabrielle Capesius and Lacy Lichtenhan from the UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine, to focus on firearm violence.

Dr. Kristen Eom, Ariel Gomez, and Juana Escareño

“Pilot Implementation and Evaluation of Self-Care Pods for South Texas Caregivers.”

Kristen Eom, PhD, MPH, of the UT Health San Antonio Kate Marmion School of Public Health, are collaborating with Ariel Gomez, MPH, CHES, of the South Central Area Health Education Center and Juana Escareño, MS, CHW-I, to focus on caregivers.

Dr. Moshtagh Farokhi and Rebecca Smith

“Bridging Nutrition and Oral Health: An Interprofesional Hands-on Partnership of UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry and the San Antonio Food Bank in Edgewood ISD.”

Moshtagh Farokhi, DDS, MPH, from the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry, alongside Rebecca Smith, MS, RD, of the San Antonio Food Bank are working together to focus on oral health and nutrition in Edgewood ISD in San Antonio.

Dr. Emmanuel Iyiegbuniwe, Ibukun Awolusi, Kristin Brown, and Leanne Fawkes 

“AI-Driven Environmental Assessment and Spatial Data Analysis to Predict and Prevent Childhood Lead (Pb) Poisoning in San Antonio.”

Emmanuel Iyiegbuniwe, PhD, MPH, of UT Health San Antonio’s Kate Marmion School of Public Health, is working with Drs. Ibukun Awolusi and Kristin Brown of the UTSA Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Management and Dr. Leanne Fawkes of the  UT Health San Antonio Kate Marmion School of Public Health to shed light on childhood lead poisoning.

Ana Pineda Reyes, Araceli Herrera, Dr. David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, and Dr. Marvin González Quiroz

“The Lived Experience of Occupational Exposure Among Latina Domestic Workers in San Antonio.”

Ana Pineda Reyes, MPH, a student/trainee at the UT Health San Antonio Kate Marmion School of Public Health, along with Araceli Herrera of Domesticas Unidas and Drs.
David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras and Marvin González Quiroz from the UT Health San Antonio Kate Marmion School of Public Health, are collaborating to focus on the health of Latina domestic workers.

Terri Murphy-Sanchez, Nima Shariatzadeh, Dang Nguyen, Ananya Gupta, and Kathleen Ready

“Wound Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance in People Who Inject Drugs in Bexar County: A Prospective Community-Based Study.”

Terri Murphy-Sanchez, MS, MLS, of the UT Health San Antiono Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nima Shariatzadeh, BS, from the Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition, Dang Nguyen, BS, Ananya Gupta, BS, and Kathleen Ready, BS, at UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine, are focusing on the Bexar County community.

Martha Castilla, Dr. Eduardo Gandara Garcia, and Dr. Danet Lapiz Bluhm

“Hombres West: A Community-Academic Partnership Towards Health Engagement and Empowerment of Men in South Texas.”

Martha Castilla, CHW-I, of the South Texas AHEC Programs, is collaborating with Eduardo Gandara Garcia, DrPH, of the UTSA College for Health, Community, and Policy, and Danet Lapiz Bluhm, PhD, of the  UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing, to highlight men’s health in South Texas.

Find Out What’s Driving the Health of Your Community

You don’t have to be a researcher to make a difference for health in your community.

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Share the data with local leaders and organizations to advocate for change and start important conversations about health in your area.

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