Centers & Institutes

The Center for Airborne Pathogen Research and Tuberculosis Imaging (CAPRI) is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional organization that combines the expertise of researchers who investigate pathogens that are principally transmitted via an aerosol route.

The mission of the Center for Community Health and Aging is to increase the capacity of individuals, institutions and communities to improve population health and aging well across the life course utilizing a community health development approach and multi-level evidenced-based solution.

The mission of the Center for Craniofacial Research & Diagnosis is to increase our understanding of normal and pathological craniofacial biology leading to better patient treatment of the craniofacial region. Organizationally, the center represents a consortium of both internal and external related, but independent research programs that share a common interest in basic craniofacial biology with the translational goal of new treatments.

The mission of the Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention is to identify novel protective agents from natural sources and, via a new “field-to-clinic” paradigm, test for efficacy in human subjects. Epigenetics research is at the frontier of biomedical research, and the epigenome is one of the most promising targets for disease prevention.

The Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research (CHEER) engages in interdisciplinary research and evaluation services to reduce and eliminate health disparities; to identify emerging health needs of underserved and vulnerable populations globally; and to promote quality of life and health outcomes for diverse segments of the population.

Infection can be regarded as a war where the pathogenic microorganism is the attacker and we are the defender. The Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Disease is interested in understanding the molecular details of pathogenic microorganisms to design strategies to block the attack molecules of the microbe and boost the defense systems of the challenged host. The goal is to develop novel strategies and products to prevent and treat infectious diseases.

The mission of the Center for Translational Cancer Research is to promote the translation of discoveries in cancer cell biology into interventions of value in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Established to support people who experience violence across the lifespan, the Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing facilitates interprofessional collaborations to offer unsurpassed research and training opportunities by providing forensic nursing education and outreach for nurses, other medical professionals, law enforcement, attorneys, social workers and advocates.

Established in 2022, the Center of Excellence in Cancer Research supports innovative cancer research across the university, with a focus on gene-environment-lifestyle interactions. Backed by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the center develops early-career investigators, attracts top researchers, and cultivates a collaborative environment for impactful discoveries.

The Southwest Rural Health Research Center is a nationally funded and recognized center established more than a decade ago to address the needs of rural and underserved populations across Texas and the nation. The center comprises a unique combination of faculty expertise in health policy, health economics, aging, long-term care, health law, epidemiology and biostatistics, and chronic disease.

The Center for Worker Health aims to improve worker performance, safety and health by applying ergonomic designs and interventions to existing and emerging technologies. We focus on the impacts of aging, sedentary behavior, obesity and technology design on the health and productivity of the current and future workforce. The center’s research and activities focus on a wide variety of occupational health and safety topics including office ergonomics, effective procedure writing and displays, occupational biomechanics and cognitive workload evaluation.

The USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness strengthens the public health workforce readiness in predominantly rural and underserved areas through implementation of lifelong learning programs. The center also strengthens the capacity at state, regional, local and tribal levels for a rural public health emergency response.