JUNE 15, 2020 — A professor and researcher from UTSA’s College for Health, Community and Policy has been selected to serve as a member in a scientific review group for the nation’s primary agency for biomedical and public health research.
Zenong Yin, the Loretta J. Lowak Clarke Distinguished Professor in Health and Kinesiology at UTSA, is now a member of the Community-Level Health Promotion Study Section within the Center for Scientific Review at the National Institutes of Health.
“Dr. Yin brings significant expertise in community-based interventions—particularly as they impact the health of minority, low-income and other vulnerable populations,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “The College for Health, Community and Policy was developed, in part, to facilitate faculty engagement in research, outreach and other activity that addresses health-related disparities in our local and global communities, so we are delighted to see Dr. Yin tapped for this important role.”
Membership in this study section will allow Yin to be exposed to the most recent and advanced research ideas in community- and population-based health promotion.
“This appointment to the Community-Level Health Promotion Study Section as a standing member is a recognition of the research accomplishment from our research team and collaborators in community-based health promotion,” Yin said. “It adds to the prestige of UTSA and HCaP, and builds the reputation of research excellence in the Department of Public Health in the national and local scientific community.”
Yin’s research focuses on prevention and management of obesity and diabetes using lifestyle modification approaches. With this new role Yin will have the opportunity as well to learn other research methodologies and approaches used in other diseases and health behaviors.
In the CLHP study section, members review grant applications “that develop and test the efficacy and effectiveness of community-level interventions aimed at preventing or moderating health risks and/or adherence to disease treatments across the lifespan.” After they’re reviewed, the study section makes recommendations to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board.
Many of the study outcomes focus on mental and physical health, illness and disorder, risk and protective behaviors, behavior change, health beliefs and attitudes, and normal development and functioning.
“Each member will be assigned up to 9 applications to evaluate their scientific merits; then all members of the study section will discuss the applications together and provide a comprehensive critique of an application,” Yin said. “I am humbled with this opportunity to serve the biomedical and behavioral health field and contribute to the peer-review process in NIH.”
Members with relevant expertise are invited to the study section as temporary members before being nominated to become a permanent or standing member with the approval of NIH, Yin said.
Yin has served since 2016 as a temporary member in the Community-Level Health Promotion study section and other NIH review panels. He will serve a six-year term starting July 1.
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