Clinical and Translational Science
Our research in clinical and translational science takes observations of interventions, treatments and takes that knowledge toward improving patient outcomes and improving quality of life for people living with the disease or a chronic condition. The newly acquired knowledge from our research is disseminated through our publications and evidence-based practice.
Our School of Nursing is a leader and innovator in the area of evidence-based practice with copyrighted resources, such as the STAR Model that impart methods for putting knowledge into practice. This model, among other evidence-based safety and quality rating systems, are resources that the School of Nursing has developed and shared with nursing education across the country, systems of care and health care providers.
Topics addressed in our research include:
- Exercise training in cancer survivors
- Effects of exercise on prostate cancer
- Maternal feeding perceptions and symptoms in infants with prenatal opioid exposure
- Social determinants of health in a rural area after a natural disaster
- Expansion of implementation research in Texas
- Adoption of Star Model of Knowledge Transformation
- Evidence-Based Practice and Extension to Interprofessional Practice and Education
A chemo-periodized exercise intervention to improve chemotherapy tolerance in men with prostate cancer
Primary Investigator, Darpan I. Patel PhD
Goal: The objective of this study is to test the effects of adjuvant high-intensity exercise in improving chemotherapy effectiveness and reduce treatment-related side effects.
Sponsor: Owens Foundation

Maternal Perceptions of Feeding Behaviors in Infants
Primary Investigator, Kelly McGlothen-Bell PhD, RN, IBCLC
Goal: The purpose of this pilot study is to describe maternal feeding perceptions and symptoms of problematic feeding in infants who have experienced prenatal opioid exposure.
Sponsor: National Association of Neonatal Nurses

Acute Stroke Symptom Descriptors and Neuroimaging Congruence: Retrospective EHR Data Analysis.
Primary Investigator, Gretchel A. Gealogo Brown PhD, RN, MHR, MSN, CMSRN
Goal: The purpose of this study is to explore the congruence of acute symptom descriptors as reported by stakeholders (patients, families, health care providers) and documented in the medical records with neuroimaging patterns of stroke.
Sponsor: UT Health San Antonio, Nursing Advisory Council

Changes in family caregivers social support and associations with depression and cardiovascular disease risk
Primary Investigator, Kylie Meyer PhD
Goal: To receive mentored training in translational science towards the goal of conducting basic clinical behavioral research on caregiver social support that can be applied towards developing behavioral interventions to support caregiver health and health-related quality of life.
Sponsor: NIH Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences’ IIMS Translational Science Training TL1 Award

Examining individual response to restricted sodium diet in hypertensive patients
Primary Investigator, Jisook Ko PhD, RN
Goal: This KL2 pilot study is focused on investigating the metabolites changes associated with lowering blood pressure in response to the sodium-restricted diet intervention and examines the moderation effect of the salt sensitivity candidate genes among 40 hypertensive patients.
Sponsor: Integration of Medicine and Science KL2 Scholar in Clinical and Translational Science Award

Response to Individualized and Digital Enhanced Lifestyle Intervention in Diabetes Patients with and without Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Precision Health Approach
Primary Investigator, Yan Du PhD, MPH, RN
Goal: Pilot feasibility study of a randomized clinical trial to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an individualized lifestyle intervention, enhanced by self-monitoring and daily feedback through health technology, on renal function in overweight/obese T2D patients with early-stage DKD or without DKD.
Sponsor: NIH Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences’ IIMS Translational Science Training TL1 Award
