Health and Resilience Research Programs

THRC researcher inspecting the health of soil

RESEARCH WE LEAD

We cross disciplinary boundaries to conduct research in five core areas that address health and resilience from every angle.

OUR CORE AREAS

CORE RESEARCH AREAS

An icon of a road with a leaf cluster as the middle pavement marking, meant to represent the Infrastructure and Envrionment pillar.

Infrastructure & Environment

A briefcase icon with a Red Cross symbol, meant to represent the STEM and Healthcare Workforce pillar.

STEM & Healthcare Workforce

A head icon with a heart in place of a brain, meant to represent the Personal Health and Wellbeing pillar.

Personal Health & Wellbeing

Digital Healthcare Transformation

Emergency Preparedness

RESEARCH PROJECTS

An elderly woman with cancer sits on a hospital bed.

Cancer Patient Narratives

THRC aims to understand how current and former cancer patients narrate, frame, and discuss their experiences with the disease while building a narrative repository that future scholars can access for cancer-related research.

An icon of a road with a leaf cluster as the middle pavement marking.

A briefcase icon with a Red Cross symbol, meant to represent the STEM and Healthcare Workforce priority.

Conceptualizing Resilience

As a team with multidisciplinary resilience researchers, we aim to find a shared meaning and understanding of resilience across scientific fields to help researchers form more meaningful and impactful collaborations.

COPEWELL Dissemination and Implementation in Texas

We partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security to disseminate the COPEWELL model for community resilience and identified partners to implement the model in Texas.

Firefighters walking up a stadium staircase.

Firefighter Health and Safety

This research project aimed to improve the health and performance of professional firefighters by using biomarker analysis to investigate the relationship between markers of stress and cardiovascular diseases.

Engineered fire drone and rover sit on top of a metal lab table.

Firefighting Technology for Safer Communities

By leveraging machine learning and AI, this research aims to increase rescue efficiency, ensure firefighter safety, and support better decision-making during emergency responses.

Two linear graphs of Chronic Disease Projections data.

Forecasting Solutions for Public Health Preparedness

Simulation models and decision theory analysis evaluate resource allocation, interventions, and policies that enhance public health preparedness after a natural disaster.

A side-by side-image of a Texas map with GIS data.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Health

GIS research explores critical topics impacting health and resilience in Texas communities by considering local patterns, geographic context, specific populations, and social determinants.

Librarians as Conveners for Community Resilience

A collaboration between researchers, librarians, and communities to identify local needs for resilience and emergency preparedness using Johns Hopkins University's COPEWELL model.

Nutrition for Underserved Elders Via Application (NUEVA)

NUEVA enhances the nutrition capacity among underserved older adults through a food delivery application, improving food security, reducing loneliness, and promoting health.

Personalized Nutrition for Metabolic Disorders

This project researches how genetics affect nutrient intake on the risk of developing metabolic syndrome to create personalized nutritional interventions.

Two little girls with face masks getting on the school bus.

Resilience in Texas Public Schools

A data science and machine learning approach to understanding short and long-term resilience in Texas public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greenery and a sidewalk can be seen on either side of a river.

Resilient Streets and Greenways

The development of safe and resilient streets by defining parameters of successful and resilient transportation projects, highlighting best practices for urban development.

A scientist kneels down and runs her hands through soil, examining the quality of it.

Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture Systems

The application of biochar at scale to improve soil health, plant microbial diversity, water retention, and the nutritional density of crops.

Substance Use and Psychopathology in Adolescents

An exploration of the development of substance misuse and psychopathology, along with the interaction between these conditions, in adolescents.

Texas Rural Health Survey

This project aims to understand how individuals in rural Texas manage health issues, particularly in those living in medically underserved areas and counties without hospitals.