Jennifer Garcia-Davalos: Aspiring Doctor Works to Improve Population Health


Jennifer Garcia-Davalos cancer physician researcher

Laredo native Jennifer Garcia-Davalos grew up on the Texas-Mexico border, where the population suffers high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. She has always wanted to help reduce those health issues. That’s why Garcia-Davalos, an aspiring physician and a master’s-degree student in public health at The UT School of Public Health, interned at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. Over the past year, she helped the IHPR conduct research, mobilize community outreach, and inform, educate, and health in South Texas communities. “My internship at the IHPR gave me tools needed to succeed in my graduate studies and my future plans in the health and medical fields,” Garcia-Davalos said. “As a future physician, I want to ...

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‘Breast Friends Forever’: A Unique Support Group for Young Women with Breast Cancer


BFFs breast cancer survivor suppport group

Amy Cleveland, fresh out of college and just starting a career in marketing, discovered a coarse lump in her breast while putting on some tanning oil. Only age 22, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “It was a struggle for me because I was young and there was no one my own age I could relate to or confide in about having cancer. People always say, ‘My mom had that,’ or, ‘My grandma had that.’ But it’s tough for young people,” Cleveland said. Fortunately, Cleveland—now age 28 and free of cancer—found some “Breast Friends Forever,” thanks to a unique support group for young breast cancer survivors in San Antonio (63% Latino) developed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health San Antonio and Susan G. Komen San Antonio. The ...

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