JUNE 16, 2022 — UTSA will host the eighth annual SAMHS and Universities Research Forum (SURF) from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today at the H-E-B Student Union on the Main Campus.
Comprised of the 59th Medical Wing and Brooke Army Medical Center, the San Antonio Military Health System (SAMHS) alongside UTSA and UT Health San Antonio organize and host this annual event.
The forum will highlight the latest research and discoveries of trainees, faculty, staff and students working to improve health outcomes and readiness of the military community. This event will also feature BioMedSA and the San Antonio Medical Foundation, which have joined this year’s planning committee.
Representing academia, military, government and industry, SURF is one of San Antonio’s largest professional development forums focused on health care research. The annual event provides attendees the opportunity to present and share innovations in research practice and policy, connect with scholars and practitioners for future education, and collaboratively develop research and policy. This year’s event features 29 podium and 49 poster presentations.
“We celebrate the return of SURF to our campus as military health and readiness continues to be vital components of this country’s national security portfolio,” said Jaclyn Shaw, interim vice president for research, economic development, and knowledge enterprise at UTSA. “We have seen SURF grow from a regional conference to one with national visibility, serving as a forum where investigations and discoveries can be shared to advance the health and wellness of our services members and their families.”
Deborah Birx will deliver the 2022 SURF keynote address. Photo courtesy of BGR GroupThe keynote address will be given by Deborah Birx, M.D., of the George W. Bush Institute, where she serves as a senior fellow. Having spent her career serving the United States, first as a U.S. Army Colonel and later as an Ambassador and public official, Birx managed some of the most high-profile and influential programs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of State.
As a world-renowned medical expert and leader, Birx has focused her work on clinical and basic immunology, infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, vaccine research and global health. Most recently, Birx served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator.
In 2014, she became an Ambassador-at-Large, when she assumed the role of the Coordinator of the U.S. Government Activities to Combat HIV/ AIDS and U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy. In this role, she oversaw the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history, as well as all U.S. Government engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Plenary speakers feature Elise Huszar, president and CEO of The Geneva Foundation, which advances military medicine through innovative scientific research toward the common goal of advancing military medicine, and Col. Andrew P. Cap, M.D., director of research for the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, where he along with a staff of more than 270 and a budget of over $40 million executes the primary intramural research program in combat casualty care for the Department of Defense.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with exhibitors, including the Air Force Medical Service Library-Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, BioMedSA, CamNtech Inc., The Geneva Foundation, Henry Jackson Foundation (HJF), The Metis Foundation, Summa Bio-Solutions Inc. and the UTSA Brain Health Consortium.
This year’s research themes reflect the current needs of the military community which include:
Platinum sponsors include the San Antonio Medical Foundation, UTSA and UT Health San Antonio. The Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council is this year’s bronze sponsor.
Also supporting the conference are Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA vice president for research, economic development, and knowledge enterprise; Byron C. Hepburn, associate vice president and director of the Military Health Institute at UT Health; Kristen Beals, M.D., vice commander of the 59th Medical Wing; and Col. Sean Joseph Hipp, M.D., M.S., chief medical officer of Brooke Army Medical Center.
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This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
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Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
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Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
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