Three health science center faculty members honored with STARs awards by UT System

Recently, three faculty members at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio were honored with awards from The University of Texas System’s Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention program (STARs). This program is designed to attract and retain top-tier faculty by providing resources for cutting-edge research equipment and lab renovations. By supporting the recruitment and retention of distinguished research-active faculty, the initiative aims to enhance the quality and competitiveness of University of Texas institutions in scientific and technological fields.

One of the recipients, Tracey E. Barnett, PhD, founding chair of the Department of Quantitative and Qualitative Health Sciences in The UT School of Public Health San Antonio, received a $250,000 award. This funding will enable the new school to acquire and utilize advanced technologies for combining, analyzing, and incorporating machine learning to enhance science.

Another awardee, David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, PhD, MSc, LPsy, professor and founding chair in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health in the School of Public Health, also received $250,000. This support will help provide critical resources for the research endeavors of the school, which will welcome its inaugural cohort this fall.

Yu Luan, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, was awarded $100,000. This funding will contribute to leading breakthrough research in cancer genomics, particularly in the treatment of blood cancers among Hispanic children.