Maritza Pulido: An Èxito! Grad Who Advocates for Those Facing Racial/Ethnic Bias



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Maritza Pulido San Francisco, Calif. Growing up in California, Maritza Pulido had a strong-willed father who would object to her being placed into English-as-a-second-language classes just because of her last name. Now she is an advocate for those who are mislabeled due to their last name and race. Pulido, who developed a compassion for Latinos through her studies abroad in Chile and her travel throughout Latin America, wants to see educational equity for all people. She also values empowering youth toward education and overall betterment. To that end, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a ...

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Christina Olson: An Èxito! Grad Goes from Neuroscience to Public Health



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Christina Olson San Diego, Calif. With a long-felt desire to study science and encouragement from her family, it was not a shock when Christina Olson earned a neuroscience degree in college. However, her interest in public health came as a surprise. When a close supervisor and mentor encouraged her to “sit at that table” and pursue public health, she did just that, moving to Washington, D.C., to work in international and border health policy and finishing a master’s degree in public health from San Diego State University. To expand her passion for public health and to consider pursuing a doctoral degree, Olson applied ...

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Latina Survivors Savor a Decade of Living in Technicolor



In 2004, 26 Latina breast cancer survivors from South Texas shared their stories to inspire hope, comfort, and resiliency in a bilingual booklet called Nuestras Historias. Today, many of the survivors have new, heart-warming stories to tell about how Latinas can survive cancer and thrive in the workplace, school, home, and family on the 10th anniversary of the booklet, which was produced by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and her Redes En Acción Latino cancer research network funded by the National Cancer Institute. They vivacious survivors have been living in "technicolor," you might say. Indeed, check out a new story, "Latina Survivors Savor a Decade of Living in Technicolor," on Pages 12-15 of the UT Health Science Center's Mission ...

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Tweet with #SaludTues 12/9: Latinos and Health Coverage—Issues + Solutions



Latinos need strong health care coverage, as this population struggles with high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers. But 1 of 4 of the U.S. uninsured population is Latino. How can this change? Let’s use #SaludTues to Tweet strategies and resources on how to increase health care coverage among Latinos through the Affordable Care Act (#ACA) during a Tweetchat at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and Health Coverage: Issues + Solutions” DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014 TIME: Noon-1 p.m. CT (1-2 p.m. ET) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (@HHSGov/@HHSLatino), Enroll America (@GetCoveredUS), and the Nation Council of La Raza ...

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Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez: An Èxito! Grad Gives His Time to Help Others



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez Naranjito, Puerto Rico Despite growing up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez was able to see the sincerity and beauty of the environments, people and culture—and he learned and important lesson: “Great things can be done to help others with only giving your time.” Motivated by his childhood experiences and family support, Santiago-Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, and a master’s degree public health in epidemiology from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences ...

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Latino Health in Focus: Taking Aim vs. Breast Cancer, Obesity, Disparities



Find the latest advances in Latino health—from cancer survival to solving park access to how to improve mental health—in the IHPR Noticias E-newsletter. IHPR Noticias has lots of info on the latest local and national health disparities-related news, resources and events: Story: Latinas—10 Years after Breast Cancer Survival (Pg. 1) Profile: Mentees Promote Healthier Lifestyles in San Antonio (Pg. 2) Story: Latino Researchers among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants to Study Cancer (Pg. 3) Scholarships: How to Fight Health Disparities in Your Area & Get a Scholarship for It! (Pg. 4) Story: How to Solve San Antonio’s Low Park Access Score (Pg. 6) Story: White Students Now a Minority in School; Hispanic Numbers Surge (Pg. 8) Resources: Tackling Mental Health, ...

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Apply Now for the 2015 Éxito! Research Training Program



Apply now for the 2015 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Éxito!, a program of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, will select 20 master’s-level students and health professionals from across the nation to attend a five-day summer institute June 2015, in San Antonio, offering research information, tools, tips, role models and motivation to encourage participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a career studying how cancer affects Latinos differently. Master’s-degree students or master’s-trained health professionals are encouraged to apply. Since launching in 2011, Éxito! has had 78 participants. Nearly 40% of all program graduates have applied to doctoral programs and 27% are ...

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Study: Informative Videos Boost Clinical Trial Awareness in Latina Breast Cancer Patients



Latina breast cancer patients given information about clinical trials in multiple ways, including a culturally sensitive video on breast cancer clinical trials, had much greater awareness of trials than patients who got usual-care information, according to new data. After receiving the extra information—an interactive video about clinical trials, a bilingual booklet, and access to a patient navigator who can help answer their questions—the proportion of Latina breast cancer patients taking steps toward participating in a clinical trial increased from 38% to 75%, according to the study. The study was led by researchers from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday) and presented at an ...

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Here’s How to Help Fight Health Disparities in Your Area (& Get a Scholarship for It!)



A regional health disparities research program has unveiled a new website, membership opportunity, and scholarships under the direction of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Dr. Ramirez’ program is called GMaP Region 4. It is one of six regional GMaPs (or Transdisciplinary Geographic Management Programs) funded by the National Cancer Institute to bring together local networks of investigators to collaboratively identify and address health disparities in regions across the country. GMaP Region 4 is enhancing local communication, recruitment, and evaluation capacity to support health disparities research, training and outreach in Arizona, New Mexico, ...

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