UTHealth Houston School of Public Health

Congratulation's to Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN, LD, vice chair and professor, on being named a 2026 fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA). Sharma was recognized for her leadership in lifestyle and cardiometabolic health research and its impact on improving public and population health.

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to receive this recognition from the association,” Sharma, director of the Center for Healthy Communities, stated.

Read the full article here: https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/sharma-named-fellow-of-the-american-heart-association

Last month, Ginger Raya, EdD, associate professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, presented at the HPN Spring Conference 2026 in El Paso sharing her expertise on health care leadership. Raya highlighted her leadership journey from frontline healthcare operations to shaping statewide strategy through HB18 and the Rural Hospital Officers Academy.

Congratulations to PharmD/MPH dual degree graduate Amber Johnson on receiving the prestigious United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Award. This award recognizes pharmacy students who go above and beyond to make significant contributions to public health.

Johnson is a 2026 graduate from UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy.

Qian Xiao, PhD, has been named a 2026-2027 U.S. Fulbright Program Scholar, a prestigious honor that supports international collaboration in research and education. Under the Fulbright award, she will expand her expertise beyond boundaries, partnering with the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute and the Healthy Environments and Lives Network in Canberra, Australia.

Read the full article here: https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/xiao-named-2026-us-fulbright-scholar

Congratulations to Kristina D. Mena, PhD, MSPH, on her appointment to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board.

Mena brings more than two decades of experience in environmental health, with research spanning water quality, food safety, infectious disease prevention, and environmental risk assessment. Her work focuses on translating complex scientific data into practical solutions that improve health outcomes in communities.

Read the full article here: https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/kristina-mena-appointed-to-epas-science-advisory-board

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health has been selected to represent The University of Texas System in a new statewide initiative, the Texas Rural Hospital Officers Academy, designed to strengthen financial leadership and long-term stability of rural hospitals across Texas. At UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, the Academy site will be led by Ginger Raya, EdD, MHA, MPA, a nationally recognized healthcare executive who will support 38 East Texas counties.

Read the full article here: https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/statewide-rural-hospital-leadership-initiative

From School of Public Health student to alumni. A journey filled with hard work, growth, memories, and milestones. Proud to celebrate these students as they close one chapter and step into the next.

How do cells change and develop over time? A new study published in Nature Communications, co-authored by Hao Feng, PhD, introduces a computational approach that helps scientists better understand DNA methylation, a key chemical process that regulates gene activity.

Read the full article here: https://sph.uth.edu/news/story/new-study-introduces-advanced-method-to-better-understand-how-cells-change-over-time