Research Projects

Research Projects

SUMMER 2016: UTHealth-Innovation in Cancer Prevention Research Fellowship: Research Opportunity
(This is a Word table; use Tab to go from one blank to the next)

Faculty Name / Melissa A Valerio
Phone: Office: / 210-276-9017 / Cell:
Faculty E-mail /
School/Campus / UTHealth – SPH: San Antonio Regional Campus / Department: / Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences

Research Projects

Each fellow is expected to spend an average of 40 hours/week on their research project, organized seminars and innovation generation course
Students will click on the titles of projects they are interested in to see the description. Give your project an inviting name!
Projects that are not funded can also be submitted.
1 / Title: / Exploring Cultural Barriers to HPV Uptake in Rural Texas Communities / Funding Source: / Pilot study
Project Description:
(100 words max)
Use this space to entice students to your project. It is meant to be an advertisement. They will select projects they are interested in based off these descriptions. / Relatively few boys and girls in rural South Texas are vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). It is well documented that barriers such as language, culture, religion and community attitudes and believes impact uptake and completion of the 3-series HPV vaccine in adolescents. This project will follow a mixed methods approach todevelop and pilot testa HPV adolescent intervention tailored to rural south Texas communities. The aims of the study are to gain a better understanding of barriers in the community that will allow us to develop and test health messages for the intervention. The intern will have the opportunity to participate in data collection activities including co-moderate adolescent focus groups,review HPV interventions and identify intervention strategies to incorporate into the rural HPV intervention, design health messages for the adolescent population, and participate in community advisory board meetings to review pilot study findings and reporting.
Contact with: / public / x / patients / lab samples / animals / none
Project Status / IRB / Yes / x / No / Laboratory safety protocol / Yes / No / x
IRB Number / Pending / Protocol Number
Will the trainee be added to the protocol? / Yes / x / No
Source of trainee funding: / CPRIT Training grant / x / Preceptor
If preceptor funding, the fellow will take part in innovation course, seminars and cancer prevention related research.
  1. Trainee Activities:

A. All trainees
  1. Dr. Ness’s course: Innovation Generation

  1. Participate in 1 hourweekly group meetings and seminars in Houston and via ITV

  1. Meet with preceptor weekly to discuss training experience and progress (day and time):

  1. Complete CITI training and senda copy of the certificate in to within the first week.

B. Project specific trainee activities
Preceptors, please specify additional trainee activities, e.g., Propose alternative solutions to current project problems
  1. Complete CITI training

  1. Overview of qualitative and quantitative protocols for program

  1. Assist with design of intervention messages for adolescent population

  1. Propose alternative solutions to reaching physicians

  1. Learning Objectives: By the end of the summer experience, trainees will demonstrate that they can

A. All trainees:
  1. Describe the skills to increase innovative thinking

  1. Describe, in the reflection paper, at least 3 instances of applying an innovative thinking skill

  1. Recognize potential conflict(s) of interest in scenarios provided in CITI training

  1. Recognize activities that violate UTHealth’s policy on information technology as part of
CITI training
B. Project specific learning objectives:
Preceptors, please specify additional learning objectives, e.g. Trainee will be able to write instructions for low literacy audiences
  1. Trainee will be able to describe protocols for qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures.

  1. Trainee will be able to write theory based health messages.

  1. Trainee will be able to assist with qualitative data collection.

  1. End Product(s):

  1. All Trainees:

  1. Mid-course review of training experience (trainee and preceptor)

  1. Oral presentation at the end of training with appropriate audio/visual accompaniment

  1. 3-page reflection paper, describing the summer experience, including instances of applying skills for innovative thinking, and in what way, if any, the experience has affected career plans, goals (due one week before his/her last day)

  1. Evaluation of the trainee (preceptor)

  1. Finalreview of training experience (trainee and preceptor)

  1. Project specific end products:
Preceptors’ please specify, e.g., manuscript to be submitted to xxx, abstract to be submitted to yyy
  1. Messages will be used as part of intervention.

  1. Preparation of CPRIT grant application.

Note to preceptors: Any confidentiality agreements regarding the project or data you are using (e.g. unpublished results) should be arranged between you and your trainee.
  1. Are there special trainee characteristics e.g., major, interests, language, culture or other preferences that would be desirable? Please specify:
Interest in health disparities, identification of cultural barriers in rural settings. Spanish language a plus.
V. Preceptor Availability
NB: For adequate trainee exposure, the preceptor should not be away for more than 2 weeks.
Will you be out for more than 2 weeks during the training period? / Yes / x / No
If yes, when would you be gone and for how long? Two weeks

Who would serve as preceptor during your absence (name and credentials, please specify)?

Name: Angela Wittich, PhD
Job title: Research Coordinator
E-mail:
Phone number: office: 210-276-9008 Cell:

NB: Please do not submit more than two projects. Fill out one form per project

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