SAN ANTONIO, June 25, 2026 – Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, a cancer researcher at UT Health San Antonio , the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio , is receiving a two-year, $400,000 leadership grant from Susan G. Komen to study cancer survivorship.
She aims to enhance recovery for breast cancer survivors through the study of therapeutic yoga.
With a group of Hispanic breast cancer survivors in South Texas, Ramirez will compare two rehabilitation approaches – standard physical therapy and therapeutic yoga – to see how they impact health-related quality of life, fatigue and physical function over 16 weeks.
Therapeutic yoga involves controlled movement, breath regulation and meditative practices.
"By focusing on the whole person and listening to survivor experiences, we hope to find more effective, culturally responsive ways to support recovery," said Ramirez, with the Institute for Health Promotion Research and the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
Ramirez's grant is part of $15.4 million in breast cancer research grants to 35 researchers across the country from Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization. The investment includes support for well-established researchers, like Ramirez, who have made a profound impact in the field, and early-career investigators.
"The researchers receiving grants from Susan G. Komen are making lasting contributions to our understanding of breast cancer and bringing the innovation and technology that’s needed to this disease so that all patients can receive the best care possible and enjoy a high quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis,” said Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, chief scientific advisor for Komen.
Ramirez will begin her project on July 1.
Her team includes co-principal investigators Gustavo J. Almeida, PhD, PT, associate professor of physical therapy and assistant professor of orthopaedics at UT Health San Antonio, and Nydia Tijerina Darby, owner of Nydia’s Yoga Therapy Studio in San Antonio and author of Therapeutic Yoga Works: The Whole Mind, Body, Spirit Practice for Optimum Spine Health .
Almeida has spent over a decade improving physical function and quality of life in older adults with musculoskeletal conditions and developing exercise as a tool to mitigate muscle loss, enhance mobility and elevate well-being.
"We are so grateful to Komen for this award, which could help us improve life for cancer survivors who need support beyond traditional rehabilitation," Almeida said.
Health promotion research
Ramirez is an internationally recognized health researcher at UT Health San Antonio.
She is professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center.
She directs the Salud America! national multimedia health program. The program creates stories and tools that empower its network of over 400,000 community leaders to drive healthy changes for families.
Through Salud America! , Ramirez is also helping the communication efforts of the San Antonio Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS) at UT San Antonio.
In addition, Ramirez is a part of the COmmuNity eNgagEment for building Capacity, Trust, and Ownership of Research (CONNECTOR) . The project, funded by the American Heart Association, serves as a community engagement resource center to support other organizations to promote health across the nation.
Cancer research
Ramirez also conducts research to reduce cancer among Latinos and all people.
On breast cancer, Ramirez is a Susan G. Komen Scholar . Her work has helped increase cancer screening rates and early detection. She has proven how tailored patient navigation can help patients get more timely diagnosis and treatment after an abnormal mammogram and improve the survivorship journey .
Ramirez also launched the Avanzando Salud Center , supported by a four-year, $4.08 million grant from the American Cancer Society. The center is a response to the cancer burden and non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH) facing South Texas.
Another of her efforts is to improve participation in clinical trials.
Ramirez is enabling people to volunteer for cancer and Alzheimer’s clinical trials. She is highlighting open clinical trials, conducting webinars and sharing stories of real clinical trial participants . This work has been supported by Genentech , a member of the Roche Group.
She also leads the South Texas site of the Avanzando Caminos study . The research study aims to enroll 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in South Texas and 1,500 more in Miami to help unpack the behavioral, mental, biological and medical influences on post-cancer life.
And she aims to reduce lung cancer with Quitxt . This bilingual text-message service helps young adults quit smoking, funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Ramirez also has trained/mentored more than 250 people in health fields. She leads the National Cancer Institute-funded Éxito! training program. This helps master’s-level students and professionals pursue a doctoral degree and cancer research career. Of 226 Éxito! trainees since 2011, over 27% have enrolled in or graduated from a doctoral program.
“We work hard to enable people take the next steps from a master’s degree to get their doctoral degree and focus on careers in cancer research and prevention,” Ramirez said.
Service and recognition
Ramirez is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
She also is on the prize jury for the Fries Prize for Improving Health Award and the Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award.
In Texas, she is on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and is past board president of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST).
Additional recognition includes:
Ramirez also created the ACRLP biennial conference series.
Launched in 2018 and continued in 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2026, the ACRLP conference welcomes international researchers, physicians, community leaders, patient leaders and more to tackle cancer from prevention to treatment to survivorship among Latinos and all people.
“We share research, experience and action to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions and professional training programs to eliminate cancer issues,” Ramirez said.
In 2022, TV personality Oprah Winfrey selected Ramirez as a “ Cycle Breaker ” for her groundbreaking work to build public health. Watch the episode featuring Ramirez .
Ramirez earned her DrPH and MPH degrees from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She is a native of Laredo, Texas.
UT Health San Antonio is the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), offering a comprehensive network of inpatient and outpatient care facilities staffed by medical, dental, nursing and allied health professionals who provide more than 2.5 million patient visits each year. It is the region’s only academic health center and one of the nation’s leading health sciences institutions, supported by the schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, graduate biomedical sciences and public health that are leading change and advancing health-related fields throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org .
The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio investigates the causes of and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer, chronic disease and obesity among Latinos in San Antonio, South Texas and the nation. The IHPR was founded in 2006. UT Health San Antonio is the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio).
Stay connected with UT Health San Antonio on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and YouTube .
The Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio is one of only four National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers in Texas. The Mays Cancer Center provides leading-edge cancer care, propels innovative cancer research, and educates the next generation of leaders to end cancer in South Texas. Mays Cancer Center has a clinical partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, expanding access to cancer treatments that are among the most advanced in the nation – close to home. UT Health San Antonio is the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio). To learn more, visit https://cancer.uthscsa.edu .
Stay connected with the Mays Cancer Center on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram and YouTube .