Message from the VP for Research

Location is everything. A truism that applies not only to real estate, but also to biomedical research. Geographically and culturally in sync at the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) provides an early glimpse of what our nation will soon resemble. Over 81 percent of the El Paso community is Mexican-American, and along with others of Latino background, comprise the fastest growing minority group in the country. This broad demographic is the least understood and thus potentially the most at-risk regarding susceptibility to major diseases such as diabetes, breast and colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other disorders. For this reason alone, it is vital to study the genetic, environmental, and other influences on the health of our Latino population. 

Scientists at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM) at TTUHSC El Paso are focused on understanding the fundamentals of diseases that impact Latinos, as well as all members of our community, and on translating the newest research findings into preventive measures and the most effective treatments. Our faculty are also instrumental in training the next generation of biomedical research scientists through the TTUHSC El Paso L. Frederick Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. 

Research at the PLFSOM is organized into four programmatic Centers of Emphasis in cancer, infectious diseases, neurosciences, and diabetes and metabolic disorders. Our scientific programs are complemented by substantial core facilities, and by a unique biostatistics and epidemiology unit that provides expertise in cutting-edge bioinformatics and data analysis.  

As you browse through our website, I hope you will see how we at TTUHSC El Paso are engaged in studying key biomedical research problems through a distinctive demographic lens, and will learn how focusing on the underpinnings of disease in a specific population can have a major positive impact on the health and well-being of our nation as a whole.