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Dr. Monika Akbar is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at The University of Texas at El Paso, whose research integrates artificial intelligence and data science to address complex health challenges. Her work focuses on developing predictive and data-driven frameworks to understand emerging risks, including disease patterns and population-level health dynamics. She has contributed to interdisciplinary efforts in areas such as human mobility modeling, multi-disease outbreak detection, and stroke recovery analysis, leveraging time-series modeling and machine learning techniques. Dr. Akbar’s research emphasizes the integration of heterogeneous data sources to generate actionable insights that support public health decision-making, particularly for underserved and vulnerable populations.

Dr. Yuhe Cao is an Associate Professor of Research in Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso. He holds a B.E. in Chemical Engineering and an M.E. in Materials Processing Engineering from Tiangong University (China), and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from South Dakota State University (U.S.). Dr. Cao’s prior appointments include Research Engineer in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas. Since 2006, his work has centered on membrane science and technology, spanning bio-inspired carbon nanomaterials, wastewater treatment, gas separation, energy storage devices, novel nanomaterials, and bioseparation. His experience includes polymeric membrane fabrication, oil purification, bioactive compound separations, and hollow-fiber membranes for gas separations, leading to patents and peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Cao’s research aims to develop new, cost-effective technologies for wastewater treatment, desalination, and gas separation through advances in materials design, process optimization, and scalable membrane device fabrication.

Dr. Maria Duarte-Gardea, PhD, RDN, LD is an Affiliate Faculty with the Institute for Health and Lifespan Research (IHLR) and a Professor and Chair in the Department of Public Health Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, with extensive academic and clinical experience. Over the past 25 years, she has worked in both clinical and academic settings to address chronic conditions that disproportionately affect Hispanic populations.

As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Dr. Duarte-Gardea has provided culturally tailored medical nutrition therapy to Hispanic women with gestational diabetes. As a community-engaged scholar, she leads and contributes to interdisciplinary research focused on preventing chronic disease conditions among Hispanic communities.

Her previous NIH-funded work includes a large-scale intervention led by Community Health Workers to improve cardiovascular risk factors in Hispanic adults. More recently, she leads the NIMHD funded center of excellence: “¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Center for Investigator Training and Community Engagement in Transdisciplinary Minority Health Disparities” where she collaborates with community engaged scholars to provide specialized community-engaged research training program whereby academic and community partnerships jointly participate in the design and implementation of collaborative research projects aimed at eliminating health disparities in the Paso del Norte region. El Paso, Texas.

Dr. Veronica Y. Estala-Gutierrez is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso. She received her PhD in Counseling Education and Rehab Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Madison and holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor with certificates from the University of North Texas in Job Skills Training, Job Coaching/Placement, and Supported Employment. Her vocational experience includes working as an adult vocational rehabilitation counselor and a transition vocational rehabilitation youth counselor. Prior to Vocational Rehabilitation, she worked as an Early Intervention Specialist for children with disabilities from ages 0–5 and was Project Coordinator with Aliviane Behavioral Health. As the project coordinator, she was responsible for providing oversight of Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health), to El Paso Council, and delivered program management, administration and community collaboration with child and family serving agencies in the El Paso community. She was CoPI for the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTACQE) grant that provides training and increases the competencies and skills for state vocational rehabilitation agencies and community rehabilitation agencies on the quality of employment outcomes for Hispanics with disabilities. Her active teaching assignments include Professional Issues, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Diversity in Disability Across the Lifespan, Career Placement, and Rehab Counseling Theory. She is also the Practicum and Internship supervisor, advisor for the Student Rehab Counseling Organization and is fluent in English and Spanish. Veronica has been teaching in the Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling program at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ since 2018.

Dr. Shashwati Geed, PT, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Movement Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso and Associate Faculty in Biomedical Engineering. She is a neurorehabilitation scientist and licensed physical therapist whose work focuses on neuroplasticity, stroke recovery, and precision rehabilitation across the lifespan. Her research integrates mechanistic neuroscience, neuromodulation, motor control, and data-driven technologies to advance how recovery after neurologic injury is measured, modeled, and enhanced.

Dr. Geed leads an externally funded, interdisciplinary research program that bridges neuroscience, engineering, and rehabilitation science to develop biologically grounded and clinically actionable approaches to neurorecovery. Her work spans neurophysiological studies of plasticity, lesion-informed computational modeling of brain stimulation, wearable sensor and machine learning approaches to quantify real-world motor performance, and clinical and telerehabilitation trials in stroke designed to improve access and motor outcomes. Her contributions have advanced the measurement of real-world recovery, improved methodological rigor in rehabilitation trials, and provided mechanistic insight into motor impairment and recovery after stroke.

She serves on federal grant review panels including NSF, NIH, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and on editorial boards of Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Scientific Reports. Through her work, Dr. Geed advances precision health and community-engaged translational research aimed at reducing disparities and improving function, participation, and quality of life in underserved and borderland populations, in alignment with the Institute for Health and Lifespan Research mission.

Dr. Kyung-An (Kay) Han is Professor of Biological Sciences and the Orville Edward Egbert, M.D. Endowed Professor in Science at the University of Texas at El Paso (¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ), where she serves as Associate Dean for Faculty Success. A behavioral neuroscientist with over 25 years of NIH- and NSF-funded research, she investigates the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying cognitive and behavioral regulation using Drosophila melanogaster. Her work focuses on neuromodulatory systems governing learning, memory, motivation, and inhibitory control, with implications for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, autism spectrum disorders, and ADHD. Her research integrates fundamental neuroscience with translational approaches, with recent emphasis on gene–environment interactions driving dementia-related cognitive decline.

Dr. Sergio Iñiguez is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso (¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ), where he is a leading scholar in behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology. His research lies at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, and pharmacology, with a particular focus on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying depression, addiction, and stress-related disorders. Dr. Iñiguez is internationally recognized for his contributions to understanding how early-life experiences, environmental stressors, and pharmacological exposures shape brain function and behavior across the lifespan. Dr. Iñiguez’s research program is distinguished by its translational relevance, bridging basic neuroscience with clinically meaningful insights into psychiatric disorders. His work, adopting animal models, has advanced understanding of how chronic stress and drug exposure impact reward systems, emotional regulation, and resilience, offering critical implications for prevention and treatment strategies. His research has been supported by major funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and he has contributed extensively to the scientific community through high-impact publications and mentorship of emerging scholars in neuroscience. Dr. Iñiguez’s leadership reflects a deep commitment to advancing mental health research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.

Dr. Amol Kulkarni is a Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso. He is a medicinal chemist whose research focuses on the design and development of small-molecule therapeutics targeting neuroinflammation throughout the lifespan, at the interface of environmental exposures and neurological disease. His work lies at the intersection of chemical biology, neuropharmacology, and the emerging neuroexposome framework, with an emphasis on understanding how external factors such as drugs of abuse, viral infections, and environmental stressors shape inflammatory signaling in the brain across the lifespan.

Dr. Kulkarni leads an NIH-funded, interdisciplinary research program centered on the rational design of modulators of the NLRP3 inflammasome and related neuroimmune pathways. His research integrates synthetic chemistry, molecular pharmacology, and disease-relevant models to develop therapeutics for conditions such as HIV-associated neuroinflammation, substance use disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. By linking chemical structure to neuroimmune function, his work provides mechanistic insight into how environmental and biological exposures converge to drive neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction, while advancing new strategies for therapeutic intervention.

His contributions span antiviral and neuroinflammation-targeted drug discovery, including the development of inhibitors that modulate host-pathogen interactions and inflammatory signaling pathways. His work has been supported by multiple NIH institutes (NIDA, NINDS, NIMHD) and collaborative programs in translational neuroscience. Through this research, Dr. Kulkarni advances a neuroexposome-informed approach to drug discovery aimed at addressing complex, exposure-driven neurological disorders and improving brain health in vulnerable and underserved populations.

Dr. Kulkarni serves as an Associate Editor for Inflammation and Medicinal Chemistry Research. He has served a member of various NIH and NSF study sections. He is deeply committed to mentoring students from diverse backgrounds and building interdisciplinary research environments that integrate chemistry, neuroscience, and public health.

Dr. Beatrice Lee is an Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso and Director of the Neurological Disorders and Stress Management Lab. Her research examines malleable risk and protective factors that can lead to optimal mental health and quality of life (e.g., health, work, community participation) in individuals with neuropsychiatric disabilities, specifically those with multiple sclerosis. She conceptualizes this line of research through the lens of positive psychology. Furthermore, her findings inform the development of rehabilitation interventions to help people with disabilities identify and bolster their protective factors and enhance their ability to cope with stress related to their disabilities and mental health conditions. Dr. Lee is committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and team science to advance innovative solutions that empower individuals and communities to thrive.

Dr. Camila Leite Madeira joined the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso as an assistant professor in Fall 2023. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow studying the occurrence of emerging contaminants in Southeastern Brazil at the University of Campinas, Brazil. She received her bachelor’s degree (2013) in environmental engineering from the Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil, and her Master’s (2016) and Ph.D. (2020) degrees in environmental engineering from the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on understanding the fate and ecotoxicity of emerging contaminants and designing microbial processes for their removal. She is also interested in the design of sustainable and reliable wastewater treatment processes to achieve equitable access to safe water and sanitation.

Dr. Eric MacDonald is a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering and Murchison Chair at the University of Texas at El Paso and serves as the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Engineering. Dr. MacDonald received his doctoral degree (2002) in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He worked in industry for 12 years at IBM and Motorola and subsequently co-founded a start-up specializing in CAD software and the startup was acquired by a firm in Silicon Valley. Dr. MacDonald held faculty fellowships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, US Navy Research and was awarded a US State Department Fulbright Fellowship in South America. His research interests include 3D printed multi-functional applications and process monitoring in additive manufacturing with instrumentation and computer vision for improved quality and yield. As a co-founding editor of the Elsevier journal Additive Manufacturing, MacDonald has helped direct the academic journal to have highest impact factor among all manufacturing journals worldwide. He has recently been involved in the commissioning of a second partner journal, Additive Manufacturing Letters, upon which he serves as the Editor-in-Chief. Recent projects include 3D printing of structures such as nano satellites with structurally-embedded electronics — one of which was launched into Low Earth Orbit in 2013 and a replica of which was on display at the London Museum of Science. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, dozens of patents, one of which was licensed by Sony and Toshiba from IBM. He is a member of ASME, ASEE, senior member of IEEE and a registered Professional Engineer in the USA state of Texas.

Dr. Abhijit Mandal is a statistician and data scientist whose research focuses on developing robust statistical and machine learning methods for applications in healthcare, engineering, and the social sciences. His work addresses challenges in analyzing complex, high-dimensional, and noisy data, with an emphasis on producing reliable, interpretable, and reproducible results in real-world settings. His methodological expertise includes robust inference, nonparametric modeling, high-dimensional data analysis, complex networks, and statistical signal processing. Dr. Mandal completed postdoctoral training in theoretical statistics, statistical signal processing, and biostatistics (Finland, Japan, and the University of Minnesota), which shaped his interdisciplinary approach to data-driven research. He is Co-Director (Extension) of the Ph.D. Program in Data Science and Director of the Data Analytics Lab, where he collaborates with investigators on interdisciplinary projects to support study design, power and sample size determination, data analysis, and interpretation. He has served as a co-investigator and biostatistician on some federally funded projects, contributing to research in healthcare and related fields. His work is published in leading statistical journals, and he develops open-source software to support reproducible research.

Melissa Melpignano, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Dance in the Department of Theater and Dance at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ. She is the Principal Investigator of the NEA-funded project Somatics and Movement for Healthcare, a lead researcher and practitioner in the Performing Arts for Healthcare initiative, and a certified Theatre for Healthcare Equity trainer. Dr. Melpignano designs and facilitates workshops and training intensives for healthcare professionals to help them tackle burnout, workplace violence, and workplace conflicts. Existing partnerships include Texas Tech, El Paso Children’s, UMC, among others. The research team’s findings have been shared in multiple conferences and symposia (most recently CUGH 2026), and in El Paso Physician Magazine, vol. 48, n. 4, December 2025. Melpignano obtained her PhD in Culture and Performance from UCLA, and her writing appears in top-tier journals such as The Drama Review, Dance Research Journal, and Journal of Dance Education.

Dr. Ian Mendez earned his BA and MA in Psychology at California State University San Marcos, where he investigated behavioral and neuronal plasticity following repeated exposure to opioids. He then went to Texas A&M University where he earned his PhD in Experimental Psychology while investigating the effects of psychostimulants, such as nicotine and cocaine, on motivation, learning, memory, and cognitive function. As a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA’s Department of Psychiatry, he examined the role of endogenous opioid peptides in motivation, learning, memory, and feeding behavior in adult and aged rats. Dr. Mendez is currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso School of Pharmacy. The primary aim of the Mendez Laboratory is to elucidate the signals and circuits of the brain that become dysregulated following repeated exposure to drug and food rewards and how these changes ultimately drive impairments in motivational, hedonic, and cognitive processes, particularly in adolescent rats. The Mendez Laboratory is also dedicated to excellence in teaching and mentorship through the delivery of impactful research training experiences in his laboratory. Dr. Mendez’s contributions extend beyond ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, as he is a founding member of the NOVA Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides educational presentations on the dangers of e-cigarette use to students, teachers, and parents at elementary and high schools in the Paso Del Norte region. Additionally, since 2023, he has also served as a faculty mentor at the Summer Program in Neuroscience Ethics and Success at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA.

Dr. Eva Moya is a professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work, College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. She is an Orville Edward Egbert, M.D. Endowed Professor in Health Sciences and distinguished scholar, educator, and community-engaged researcher specializing in social work, behavioral health, and U.S.–Mexico border health issues. Eva is actively involved in advancing research, teaching, and cross-border collaborations.

Dr. Moya earned her doctoral degree in social work and has developed a robust research agenda focused on health disparities, food security, mental health, migration, and the social determinants of health affecting underserved and border populations. Her work frequently examines the intersection of culture, policy, and health outcomes, with particular attention to Latino communities and transnational contexts.

In addition to her scholarly contributions, Dr. Moya is deeply committed to community engagement and applied research. She has led and collaborated on numerous border and binational initiatives addressing social and public health challenges along the U.S.–Mexico border. Her projects often involve partnerships with community organizations, healthcare providers, and governmental agencies to promote equity and improve access to care.

Dr. Moya has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research at national and international conferences. She is recognized for integrating academic scholarship with real-world impact, mentoring students, and fostering the next generation of health and human service professionals.

Dr. Mahesh Narayan, FRSC, is a biophysicist and Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His current research interests include protein misfolding, neurodegenerative onset, the anthropogenic exposome and human health, and mechanisms of intervention therein. In addition, he has interests in chemical education and drug design and development and is a proponent of back-of-the-envelope calculations for most problems. He enjoys authorship and co-authorship of ∼210 research and review articles, book chapters, and educational works.

Dr. Laura O’Dell is a Professor in the Department of Psychology in the Behavioral Neuroscience concentration. She received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University and then conducted her post-doctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute where she also served as a Staff Scientist. Dr. O’Dell has published +90 papers and 3 book chapters that combine neurochemistry, molecular biology, and behavioral approaches to better understand the underlying neurobiology of substance use disorder. Using rodent models, her recent work has focused largely on the brain mechanisms that promote nicotine use in vulnerable populations, including females, adolescents, and persons with diabetes. Her research program has been continuously funded by the National Institute of Health and private organizations, such as the American Diabetes Association. Dr. O’Dell is also dedicated to promoting the careers young faculty and trainees that are seeking a career in neuroscience and substance use research.

Dr. Amelia M. Rau directs The Bilingual Research and Interdisciplinary Groups for Equity Lab. The BRIDGE Lab focuses on advancing educational, linguistic, and health equity through interdisciplinary innovation with community-based research and small-scale clinical studies. She also serves as the faculty liaison for the Study Away Mentorship Exchange with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and faculty lead for Study Abroad in speech-language pathology. Topics of interest in bilingualism, healthcare communication, and preparing culturally responsive speech language pathologists. Her projects include a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)–funded initiative that uses theater based methods to improve patient provider communication, along with community outreach supporting children and adults with Down syndrome.

Dr. Johana Rocha is an Assistant Professor in the Mental Health Counselor Education program at the University of Texas at El Paso (¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ), a Carnegie R1 institution. She earned her doctoral degree in Education with a concentration in Counselor Education and Supervision. Dr. Rocha brings over nine years of clinical experience delivering mental health services in hospitals, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation centers, and community-based nonprofit organizations serving historically underserved populations. Dr. Rocha has a sustained record of teaching and mentorship in higher education, with over eight years of progressive experience that includes three years of undergraduate instruction during her doctoral training and five and a half years as a counselor educator in her role as Assistant Professor. In her current appointment, she teaches master’s-level counseling courses and provides clinical supervision to master’s students across their year-long practicum and internship experiences, demonstrating a strong record of teaching effectiveness and professional preparation. Dr. Rocha is deeply committed to student mentorship and workforce development, regularly collaborating with students on presentations at regional and state conferences and supporting them through key professional milestones, including licensure, employment, and long-term career planning. Dr. Rocha is the recipient of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s College of Education 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award. At ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, her contributions extend beyond the classroom through sustained service and leadership, including three years as faculty advisor to CSI’s Upsilon Tau Epsilon chapter, three years as the clinical coordinator of the Mental Health Counseling program, and ongoing mentorship of adjunct faculty since 2020.

Dr. Rocha maintains a line of scholarship organized around three interrelated areas: (a) clinical supervision with a special focus on supervisees’ development and best practices; (b) mental health issues in U.S.-Mexico border communities; and (c) the mental health and well-being of minoritized populations. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to culturally responsive and contextually grounded research, addressing critical gaps in the counseling field while attending to the unique sociocultural and structural needs of the U.S.-Mexico border region in which she is situated. Since 2021, and as one of the co-founders, Dr. Rocha has contributed to an ongoing international research-practice collaboration with faculty in Mexico, advancing cross-border scholarship and strengthening binational perspectives on mental health. Dr. Rocha is the co-recipient of competitive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), supporting her research and community-engaged initiatives. Her funded work reflects a strong commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, partnering with professionals across health, education, and community sectors to design and implement programs aimed at improving mental health outcomes in underserved and border communities. She has also received research grants from professional organizations in the counseling field (i.e., ACES, SACES, AARC). Her scholarly work includes co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals in the counseling field (i.e., MECD, CES, TCS, IJAC). Last, Dr. Rocha maintains active membership in leading professional organizations, including ACA, ACES, SACES, TCA, and TACES, underscoring her engagement with the profession at national, regional, and state levels.

Dr. Lauren Kennedy is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering. She leads the Kennedy Water Lab in characterizing microbial community dynamics, occurrence, and persistence in the engineered water cycle and applying these data to protect public health and wellbeing as well as the environment. Her research spans potable reuse, drinking water distribution systems, and wastewater‐based epidemiology. She earned her B.S. in Environmental and Ecological Engineering from Purdue University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She continued her training as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University before joining The University of Texas at El Paso in 2024.

Dr. Stacy Wagovich, PhD, CCC‑SLP, is a Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso. Her scholarly and clinical work spans the lifespan, with a research program that examines language, fluency, and cognitive‑linguistic processes from early childhood through adulthood. Much of her work has focused on understanding language development, word learning, and executive function in preschool‑ and school‑age children, including children who stutter and those with language disorders, as well as discourse and language use in adolescents and adults. Complementing this developmental focus, Dr. Wagovich has a longstanding interest in language and literacy demands in adulthood, including communication and health literacy skills during the college years—particularly as they relate to academic success, engagement, and access to health resources. Across her roles as a researcher, educator, clinician, and academic leader, she is committed to translating evidence‑based insights about language and learning into practices that support individuals across the lifespan.

Dr. Sungmin Youn is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ. His research centers on water systems, with a particular focus on advancing water treatment technologies to provide safe, affordable drinking water. He develops innovative materials and processes to remove harmful contaminants more sustainably and cost-effectively, integrating laboratory research with data-driven modeling to deliver practical, science-based solutions to pressing water quality challenges.

He has led research projects funded by the NSF, EPA, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. He received a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Summer Faculty Fellowship in 2022, the Distinguished Teacher Award from the College of Engineering at Marshall University in 2022, and most recently the U.S.–Mexico Faculty Collaboration Fellowship at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ in 2025.