Explore your alter ego: What drives personal happiness can fuel professional success
Learn what inspires some of your colleagues to make lives better, both on and off campus
Clark Kent and Superman. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Beyoncé and Sasha Fierce.
Alter egos aren’t only for superheroes and superstars. In a quest to discover the multifaceted personas around UT Health San Antonio, we recently invited our university community to reveal their alter egos. The responses poured in, and we were not disappointed. We were amazed.
Which raises the question: How well do you know the people you chat with in the breakroom or see in the lecture hall? Each of us is more than our particular focus at work or in the classroom or lab, and often what we do in our off-hours energizes the passion we bring to our work and studies.
In this compilation of alter egos, learn what inspires some of your colleagues to make lives better, both on and off campus.
Brian Purcell: Texas Highway Man

By day, Brian Purcell is an IT security systems architect in the Department of Information Technology Security Engineering who navigates the complexities of its ever-changing technology. But outside the office, he’s better known as the “Texas Highway Man,” a local legend when it comes to all things transportation.
With a lifelong passion for roads, highways and urban planning, Purcell has spent decades curating his website, TexasHighwayMan.com, where he shares comprehensive insights into local roadways. His deep knowledge even earned him the prestigious Road Hand Award from the Texas Department of Transportation in 2020 for his contributions to preserving San Antonio’s transportation history.
“Typically, this award is given to local politicians and community leaders who help champion projects or otherwise have supported TxDOT’s efforts in their communities, so as someone who is neither in the road construction business nor politics, it was quite a surprise and honor to receive this recognition,” Purcell said.
His interest in transportation was enriched by time spent in Germany, where he gained an appreciation for trains and public transit, a subject he continues to explore through his companion website.
With a busy family life and a full-time career, Brian’s alter ego shines as a quiet community resource, helping San Antonians navigate their roads with precision and passion. His knack for directions and his ability to simplify complex transportation issues have made him an unsung hero of the roadways.
Kelley M. K. Hitchman, PhD, MS, F(ACHI): Top organ donor
At work, Kelley M. K. Hitchman, PhD, MS, F(ACHI), pairs kidney donors with recipients, helping to save lives one transplant at a time. But her commitment to the cause goes beyond her professional life.

In 2021, Hitchman made the remarkable decision to donate one of her own kidneys to a stranger, a life-changing experience that ignited a new personal mission — scaling the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro as part of an international Kidney Donor Athletes team. Her goal? To raise awareness for the need of kidney donation and to inspire others to become donors.
“Fear holds a lot of people back from donating a kidney, or a portion of their liver,” Hitchman said. “One of the most vocalized myths is that most folks don’t have the same quality of life and health after living donation. What better way to prove that this myth is just a myth than to climb the tallest freestanding mountain in the world — with one healthy kidney.”
She reached the top of the iconic mountain on World Kidney Day, March 14, 2024, in honor of her work and the many lives touched by kidney transplantation.
“Living organ donors can continue to live full and active lives in every way,” she said. “I am fortunate to know many donors who participate in marathons, triathlons, weightlifting, cycling — you name it! Donors continue to live normal lives following donation with no restrictions.”
Hitchman said that most donors are advised to refrain from vigorous activity or heavy lifting for about eight weeks following donation, but after that, “life moves on. I walked around the hospital the day after my donation without assistance,” she said.
“I did not require any pain medication by the third day after my donation, and I could walk four miles within a week of donation. I continue to work full time, exercise and parent my two children without at all physically noticing that I only have a single kidney. The donation was a wonderful experience for me — one that I wish everyone could experience.”
Hitchman is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and the Malú and Carlos Alvarez Center for Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Innovation. She is also the section chief and director of the Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (HLA) Laboratory at University Health.
“Normal people can do extraordinary things and can keep living full and active lives,” she said.
Macie Randol, BSN, RN: Heart Healer

Macie Randol, BSN, RN, is the dedicated primary care nurse at the School of Nursing’s Wellness 360 pediatric clinic, located at Respite Care of San Antonio, a foster home for children with developmental disabilities and their
neurotypical siblings. During the workday, she provides primary care services to the children in residence, though her care extends beyond just meeting their physical health needs.
“My heart really grew towards these kids,” Randol said. “I kept thinking, ‘I don’t have any control over where they came from or where they’re going next, but maybe I can teach them to have faith.’”
Every other Sunday, she shifts from devoted nurse to faithful guide by leading a voluntary-attendance children’s church program at the foster home in her free time. On those days, toddlers to teens gather in the group home’s large dining room.
“We watch a video Bible story and then do a craft or activity together, allowing time for the kids to ask questions or just enjoy some time together. Sometimes, I have three kids join, other times I have 15 kids,” she said.
Her leadership has built a sense of community and belonging among the children, creating strong, lasting bonds that go beyond traditional caregiving. Through this experience, the children now see Randol as more than just a nurse. By knowing that time with her isn’t always about a clinic visit, it has helped them feel more comfortable and cared for, both in body and in spirit.
Carlos Hernandez: First-gen overcomer
First-generation graduate and first-year dental student Carlos Hernandez has faced a challenging path to be where he is now, including the experience of his childhood home burning to the ground. Raised alongside his seven siblings by a single mother, first in Mexico and then immigrating to the U.S. as a boy, Hernandez learned early on the value of hard work.

Every summer, he and his brothers worked on fields in Indiana to earn money for school clothes, guided by their mother’s wisdom that anything worth having must be earned. His grandfather pushed him to pursue his education by reminding him that without a focus on his future, he could spend his life in those fields.
Hernandez credits his family and Mexican-American heritage for teaching him resilience, the importance of community and a deep sense of responsibility.
“I grew up in a household where taking the first step was the hardest part,” he said. “As a first-generation Latino student, we often don’t have guidance and are afraid to take risks. My mother always told me, ‘Vergüenza es que te pesquen robando, no por andar pidiendo ayuda,’ which means, ‘Shame is getting caught stealing, not asking for help.’ This reminder has helped me overcome fear and push forward.”
These lessons influence how he approaches life, and now, patient care. For those who, like him, face barriers to accessing health care, Hernandez’s goal as a future dentist is to ensure that all his patients receive the care they deserve, regardless of their background.
Matthew Schott: Volunteer master

Matthew Schott, a radiation safety specialist in the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, has found a way to live out his values through meaningful volunteer work with the San Antonio Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and other organizations. Currently a master’s student studying philosophy, Schott’s academic focus on ethics and human values has led him to explore practical ways to make a difference, and volunteering has provided him with real-world insight into concepts like duty, responsibility and the greater good.
“So, for me, this was an easy decision,” Schott said after learning that the food bank also services the region of Southwest Texas. “Not only could I help my community, but I could also help smaller communities surrounding San Antonio. The San Antonio Food Bank also works with another nonprofit called DaisyCares that provides for pets. It is incredible what these two organizations can do with the money, food and time that have been donated.”
Schott has sorted food, organized food drives and served meals. Through Habitat for Humanity, he has worked to build affordable housing, witnessing firsthand the appreciation and hard work of families.
“It is an incredible feeling to work side-by-side with the future owner of the house you are working in,” Schott said. “The homeowners and their families are always so grateful for whatever help is there for them.”
He sees this work as an opportunity to live out his principles through community involvement.
“Food and shelter are basic essentials, and they are critically important for our survival and well-being. Ultimately, volunteering requires so little on my end, but it offers so much to those in need,” he said.
Schott’s goal is to inspire others to join him in giving back, knowing that even small actions can have a lasting impact on the lives of those in need.
Samantha Gonzalez-Davis: Foosball maven
Samantha Gonzalez-Davis, office manager for the School of Health Professions, is very clear about her goal as a competitive amateur foosball player: She wants to win a national championship title.
“There’s no stopping me right now,” she said.

Gonzalez-Davis started playing foosball in 1987 when she met the man who would become her first husband.
“A year later, we started traveling together. We won our first title. It was mixed doubles. I was just glued. I wanted to do it more.”
But Gonzalez-Davis stepped away from the sport after her husband died in 1994. “It was just a constant reminder,” she said.
After a 25-year break, Gonzalez-Davis returned to foosball at the urging of a friend. She now plays goalie and has won awards for her skill in that position.
“I went back on Feb. 19, 2019, and I have been playing ever since,” she said, estimating that she has competed in at least 2,000 tournaments — more than three dozen in 2024 alone.
“I travel. I’ve gone to 17 states,” she said. “I’ve played against Canadians, I’ve played against Romanians, I’ve played against Italians. Everybody from everywhere comes. You become family; you become friends.”
Beyond the camaraderie and the opportunity to learn new techniques, Gonzalez-Davis enjoys the thrill of competition and the pursuit of victory. To get there, she p
ractices two to three hours a day at home.
“I want to win,” she said. “I want people to know who I am on the table. I just want to be able to get on the table and say, ‘I’ve done it.’ Period.”
Jorgie Ann Contreras, PhD, MSN, RN, CPN: Cover band star
By day, Jorgie Ann Contreras, PhD, MSN, RN, CPN, is an associate professor/clinical in the School of Nursing. But in her off-hours, Contreras strikes a different chord. She has been singing since she was five years old, performing everywhere from church and school choirs to talent shows.
“Currently, my husband and I are in an acoustic cover band called Wasted Talent. We perform together in and around San Antonio,” she said.

Her love for music extends beyond the stage, shaping her life as a form of self-care and family bonding. For the past decade, Contreras has had the honor of singing the National Anthem at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Cattle Sales, and this year she performed at a San Antonio Missions baseball game.
“My son plays baseball, and we are huge fans of the sport, so being able to sing at the Missions game was such an honor and so much fun,” she said.
Some of Contreras’ most cherished memories include her children joining her to sing and play instruments on stage or at home.
“My daughter sings and plays the piano, and my son plays the drums and guitar every now and then,” she said. “During COVID, we used to do live shows on social media from our living room to help entertain anyone who was stuck in quarantine. Music truly bonds us as a family.”
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of artists, Contreras enjoys engaging with audiences by taking song requests to create an unforgettable experience, which even fueled her own educational endeavors.
“Music actually inspired my dissertation study for my PhD,” she added. “My dissertation title was ‘The Effects of a Music Intervention on Stress, Anxiety and Academic Performance Among New Undergraduate Nursing Students.’”
Her research found that the students who listened to music experienced a significant drop in their anxiety levels after intervention, which was measured by a test called the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, or STAI. The drop in anxiety was very unlikely due to chance based on her statistical results (p < .001). The same was true when examining changes in anxiety levels, demonstrating music’s positive impact on reducing both stress and anxiety.
Zachary Borrego: Martial arts mentor
Zachary Borrego, a web content producer in the Department of Marketing, Communications and Media, comes from a family deeply rooted in martial arts. Growing up in his father’s gym on the south side of San Antonio, he developed a love for it at a young age, eventually competing in tournaments worldwide. As a teenager, Borrego was selected to represent the U.S. in an international taekwondo tournament in South Korea.

“That was really the first time I saw how far martial arts could take me,” he said. “The competition is what I’ve always loved.”
Although he shifted focus to football in high school, which led to a spot on the Angelo State team, his passion for martial arts remained. After graduating and returning to San Antonio, Borrego reignited his martial arts journey. In December 2021, he had his first fight.
“I ended up turning pro a year later and have been at it ever since,” he said. His dedication and love for the competition keep him focused, and the discipline required for training has taught him valuable lessons that extend beyond the mat, such as respect, humility and a willingness to look beyond first impressions.
“I think sometimes people just see the fighting aspect of [mixed martial arts]. It does seem very barbaric, and people may think we are some sort of savages,” he said. “Most MMA fighters are the nicest people on the planet and have the utmost respect for every opponent and everyone outside of the cage. It’s just a passion and a desire to be the best you can be.”
Training to be the best is a challenging process, but one that’s paid off for Borrego. He’s competed on ESPN’s Contender Series, an opportunity to try out for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, and has headlined fights in San Antonio, where he said the local support has been overwhelming.
Borrego also values giving back, especially to fans from the younger generation who look up to him as a role model at his gym. “It’s a role I’ve slowly embraced and grown into,” he said.
Balancing a fighting career with his work in the digital workspace at UT Health San Antonio has been challenging, but his drive to excel in both areas is clear.
“How you do one thing is how you do everything,” he reflected, a philosophy that guides him both in the gym and at the office.
What’s your alter ego? Share your story or story idea at communications@uthscsa.edu.
Hard to swallow: Helping dysphagia patients find hope and function
One researcher’s mission to restore hope to Parkinson’s patients and others with swallowing disorders includes teaching them exercises to build strength and function
The act of swallowing is deceptively complex, a symphony of physiology that relies on the split-second, seamless coordination of 26 muscles and nine cranial nerves. The ability to swallow is essential for eating and drinking, and yet about 20 million adults in the U.S. experience a condition called dysphagia — literally, difficulty swallowing.
Some people’s symptoms are so severe, they are unable to swallow food or even their own saliva.
“Swallowing is probably one of the most complex neuromotor behaviors a human being can do,” said Giselle Carnaby, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP, a professor in the Department of Health Sciences in the School of Health Professions at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“It is connected to one of the cardinal, or most important, things that humans like to do, that gives them comfort, gives them self-identity, gives them reward and socialization — which is eating. Imagine if you couldn’t eat at all or drink anything, and you had to sit and watch everybody else,” said Carnaby. “On the tree of important things that humans do, it’s second to breathing.”
A speech pathologist and public health scientist, Carnaby has spent more than three decades in
clinical practice actively researching swallowing and swallowing-related disorders and developing therapies to treat the most severe cases. She joined the faculty of the School of Health Professions in 2021 and directs the PhD in Health Sciences program, a collaboration with the university’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Carnaby also founded the Swallowing and Upper Aerodigestive Research Laboratory, where she is conducting a study to determine whether an exercise-based dysphagia intervention — the
McNeill Dysphagia Therapy Program that was originally developed to help people recovering from stroke — can be used as a preventative intervention for people with early Parkinson’s disease.
This is not to cure Parkinson’s. It is secondary prevention, said Carnaby.
“If we can show a difference in pre- and postintervention in early Parkinson’s patients who do not have obvious difficulties with swallowing, then the conceptual background is that it should be more beneficial in patients with more significant issues,” she said.
As Carnaby explains, dysphagia in people with Parkinson’s disease increases morbidity and mortality and decreases quality of life; the progressive neuromuscular disorder causes swallowing disorders in about 80% of patients at some period over the disease.
‘We can remediate this’
Carnaby decided to pursue a career in research because she grew frustrated by unanswered
questions early in her career in her home country of Australia.
“After working for a number of years in an acute care hospital, I realized that I didn’t have any answers to any of the questions I wanted to ask, and I couldn’t find answers anywhere,” she said.
So, she chose to focus on swallowing while earning a Master of Public Health degree and then a PhD in public health. Her passion stems from witnessing the strain, serious illness and even death that dysphagia can cause and knowing that something can be done for it.
“Food nourishes the brain,” Carnaby said. Not being able to access that nutrition simply because you can’t eat opens you up to all sorts of health problems, she added.
“And it’s so, so preventable. We can remediate this. We can fix it. We can change it. There are very few cases I have run across in my history that I can’t help in some way,” Carnaby said. “I can’t think of anything more socially isolating than not being able to eat or drink anything.”
Empowering patients to rehabilitate
Carnaby is collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the university, including Assistant Professor Megan Carreon, MA, RRT, in the Department of Respiratory Care; and Associate Professor Okeanis Vaou, MD, FAAN, in the Department of Neurology.
“What’s different here is the level of expertise and the access to the high-end study equipment we have here,” Carnaby said of the specialized imaging, swallow and lingual strength measurement and respiratory equipment that enables researchers to see, hear and measure what is happening during the study participants’ swallowing in therapy.
The program the team is researching forces the participants’ muscles to work fast and hard while progressing through a hierarchy of increasingly hard-to-swallow foods, said Carnaby, who said the process is similar to developing a workout routine.
“The best way to describe it is you go to the gym and start with a simple exercise like walking on the treadmill. Then you introduce weights, and then you are dancing and lifting your legs higher,” she said. “Every next activity is harder and more challenging and pushes your system, so you are not just growing in strength, you are growing in range and coordination and complexity of movement pattern. It layers on.”
It is the same with swallowing.
“It is developmental over a period of time, forcing the mechanism to work in ways it is not normally being used,” she said.
The therapy program combines motor control elements so that motor function is changed as patients build strength. Patients practice at home. They and their families are trained on the intensive therapy so that they can return to the methods as needed after leaving the therapy setting.
“The patient takes it home with them, and it lives with them, and it changes their behavior from the ground up,” Carnaby said.
Changing minds
The conventional thinking in health care regarding swallowing disorders holds that swallowing is a reflex that will return, and that until then, the priority should be keeping patients safe, Carnaby said. The typical treatment for swallowing disorders often is one of managing the swallowing disorder rather than actively seeking to rehabilitate it.
“Years ago, we used to modify diets and keep patients on easy-to-eat, mushy foods,” she said. “This is the reverse of that.”
The exercise-based approach used in the Parkinson’s study is customized to each patient. The decision to work with people with Parkinson’s disease was an intentional choice to flip the original timing of the therapy on its head.
“What we are doing with the Parkinson’s patients is saying, ‘Let’s take this idea of rehabilitation and this intensive rehabilitation program that we know works, and let’s provide it as a preventative,” she said. “Teach it up front and then maybe we will extend the period of time where their swallowing is normal and easy for them.
“If we can make them safer and more effective functional feeders for longer, we save costs, save hospitalizations, save stress, save morbidity. There are lots of benefits.”
Carnaby is treating patients under research protocol, and she continues to hear from people around the world who are seeking help for severe dysphagia that has not been treated successfully. Although stroke, head and neck cancer and Parkinson’s disease are some common conditions that increase the risk of swallowing disorders, age is another risk factor, as are a range of other conditions for which Carnaby sees potential for helping people maintain or regain their swallowing fitness.
“We’re slowly changing people’s minds about how you do this sort of intervention and with different populations,” she said.
Untangling your tongue: A patient’s perspective
Although it has been 18 years since Carlos González was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he only began to experience problems with swallowing about two years ago.
González and his wife, AnnaMaria Ornelas, are always seeking to learn more about treatment options for

Parkinson’s. When they learned that Professor Giselle Carnaby, PhD, MPH, CCC-SLP, was giving a presentation on a swallowing intervention for people with Parkinson’s, they hurried home — from their boxing group for people with Parkinson’s — to freshen up and attend. After hearing Carnaby speak, they were on board.
“We didn’t even think twice,” Ornelas said. “We said, ‘This is what we need to do.’”
“I’m always willing to try something new and different,” González said. “It made a lot of sense to me.”
Carnaby is researching the effectiveness of an exercise-based dysphagia intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease who are experiencing the swallowing disorder called dysphagia. She believes the approach may help prolong their swallowing proficiency before it becomes significantly affected by the progression of their disease.
When González joined the study in 2024, he underwent imaging and other assessments, including the measurement of his swallowing frequency. Over the course of 12 sessions, he learned a specific method for eating that includes paying attention to his breathing and swallowing and employing strategies for clearing food from his throat. He built up his strength and technique by working through a hierarchy of foods that are increasingly difficult to eat, with one of the hardest being a Cobb salad.
“I think my tongue began to untangle itself,” he said of the changes he noticed. He compared the intervention to a workout, but one that is calibrated depending on the food being eaten.
“What Dr. Carnaby is doing is a whole new technique,” he said. “She describes it as doing a pushup.”
Before beginning the program, González carried a folded napkin to wipe his mouth because his slower rate of swallowing caused him to drool. He also would cough frequently to clear food lodged in his throat. Both issues subsided with treatment, he said.
At the end of the program, González took a test of sorts: He had to consume 400 calories of a meal of his choice in 30 minutes. As he worked his way through a pile of breaded chicken strips and fries, Carnaby monitored his progress and offered encouraging reminders.
“Swallow hard and fast,” she said. “Less is more with this kind of stuff. Keep it as simple as possible.”
Work doesn’t have to hurt: A lesson in ergonomics
It wasn’t until after surgery to relieve the pain and spasms in her arm that Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, MPH, began to appreciate the power of ergonomics to help dentists prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
“Nothing could touch my arm because it was so sensitive,” said Lozano-Pineda, associate dean for external affairs and associate professor of comprehensive dentistry in the School of Dentistry. “It was very uncomfortable, and I tried to continue to work through it but found it was very frustrating because of how it was limiting things for me.”
Lozano-Pineda had not been trained in ergonomics when she was in dental school. She didn’t realize how important it is to ensure proper posture and positioning of both the dentist and patient relative to the type of procedure being performed.
“I was unaware of what could potentially be causing the problems until I sought care for my symptoms,” she said.

After her surgery for two herniated cervical disks, Lozano-Pineda started questioning what she could have done to avoid injury. As she researched, she learned that musculoskeletal disorders frequently derail the careers of dentists and dental hygienists, as the very nature of their work puts them at risk for a number of musculoskeletal injuries. For dentists, neck and lower back pain is a prevalent risk, as are repetitive-motion injuries for hygienists and periodontists. Static work, repetition, strained or constrained posture, vibrating instruments and improper seat and body positions contribute to cumulative damage that can lead to pain — and even early retirement.
Common musculoskeletal disorders resulting from prolonged postures include chronic lower back pain, tension neck syndrome, trapezius myalgia and rotator cuff impingement. Repetitive movements can cause disorders including carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy and thoracic outlet syndrome.
Lozano-Pineda wanted to help others avoid pain and career-ending injury, so in 2006, she began lecturing first-year dental students on ergonomics to let them know the risks of their future profession and how to mitigate them. That lecture has since evolved into a three-part interprofessional program that includes faculty and students from the departments of occupational therapy and physical therapy in the School of Health Professions.
An interprofessional approach
Lozano-Pineda began collaborating with Department of Occupational Therapy faculty members Associate Professor Ricky Joseph, PhD, OTR, and Associate Professor Kimatha Grice, OTD, OTR, CHT, to give students more information about how to reduce their chance of injury by creating an optimized work environment. Soon, Associate Professor Michael Geelhoed, DPT, OCS, MTC, director of clinical education in the Department of Physical Therapy, joined the project to provide the PT perspective on exercise to prevent — and rehabilitate — work-related damage.
“The way we designed it is to have the students work alongside each other so they can learn from each other,” Lozano-Pineda said. “This was all didactic material that was being taught separately to these students, and this was an opportunity for us to enhance the learning experience and have them learn from each other as the information was being applied.”
During the project’s first stage, first-year dental students receive an ergonomics lecture from Lozano-Pineda and occupational therapy faculty as they begin their first semester. That is followed by practice in the lab, where dental students practice proper patient and clinician seating and posture while receiving real-time feedback from OT faculty, students and Lozano-Pineda.
In the subsequent stages of the project, second-year occupational therapy students observe and evaluate third-year dental students as they treat patients in the clinic and provide written assessments of how they follow ergonomic principles, with notes for how they can improve. First-year dental students also meet with second-year physical therapy students, who provide evaluations of any existing issues students may have, as well as recommendations.
Responses to pre- and post-program surveys have shown that the program is making a difference for dental students, Joseph said.
“We observed there was a lot of carryover of the skills and knowledge,” he said.
Make the workplace fit you
Occupational therapists aim to help people function and achieve their daily goals.
“As OTs, we look at functioning and what is stopping you from doing things you want or have to do,” Joseph told first-year dental students in his portion of the lecture this summer.
Joseph emphasizes the importance of setting up a workplace that is designed for optimal physical and visual accessibility, as well as smart traffic flow. That same attention to optimized practice is necessary to make sure that the body is positioned correctly for the task at hand. But it’s not enough for dentists to adjust their seats and monitor their body positioning, Joseph tells dental students. Exercise and proper sleep are other important habits that can help reduce the risk for musculoskeletal disorders.
“Sleep-rest cycles are so important when performing physical or repetitive work,” Joseph said. “When you go to bed at night, think about how you prepare yourself to go to sleep.”
Repairing the damage
The cumulative damage of unaddressed musculoskeletal pain can lead to an injury, Lozano-Pineda said. When an injury occurs, physical therapy can repair the damage.
“PT helps you undo what has been done,” she told students in one of her summer lectures, explaining that physical therapy stretches shortened, contracted muscles and strengthens elongated, weak muscles.
Getting proper exercise and remediating damage after work is another important strategy for reducing the risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, Geelhoed said. He gives a guest lecture to first-year dental students on injury prevention.
“It’s primarily exercise advice to prevent neck and back pain since those are more common in dentists than in the general population,” he said.
The role of physical therapy in treating pain is reinforced during the meeting between dental students and second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students in the PT lab. There, the DPT students perform assessments on the dental students to identify issues already occurring and can provide treatment. The activity allows PT students to share their knowledge.
“The benefits for our DPT students are huge,” Geelhoed said. “It really builds their confidence because they realize they truly know how to do this.”
Getting an early start
For second-year Doctor of Occupational Therapy student Roland Martinez, the opportunity to share best practices and to participate in the ergonomics project allowed him to delve into his future profession.
“What we are doing is pretty advanced, especially to be able to do it as a second-year student,” he said. “No one likes to be sore or in pain.”
Martinez helped evaluate dental students as they practiced ergonomic positioning during lab. Dental students in one of his groups said they found the ergonomics lecture and lab practice to be eye-opening and informative — from selecting the correct height of chairs to learning the concept of adjusting their work environment to fit them rather than fitting themselves into the existing environment.
“I didn’t know the meaning of ergonomics” before the lecture, first-year dental student Samantha Perez said after practicing her positioning under Martinez’s watchful eye. As a new dental student, Perez said she appreciated the lecture.
“We want to extend our careers as much as we can,” she said.
Before starting dental school, Elisama Navarro was a dental hygienist. She has had personal experience with the pain a career in the dental field can bring.
“I would feel it in my wrists,” Navarro said.
Joseph told dental students that it’s their responsibility to be proactive as they embark upon their careers.
“You are in charge of your health,” he said.
Hope, based on science: Spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Juan Garcia first noticed the numbness in his feet around Halloween 2021. By the end of Thanksgiving weekend, the father of eight was unable to walk.

Garcia was admitted to the hospital — twice — and was discharged in December 2021 after several tests failed to produce a definitive diagnosis to explain his paralysis. Garcia and his wife, Johanna, left the hospital bewildered by the massive change in their lives and the lack of answers about what to expect in terms of recovery. At that point, Garcia could not sit up unassisted.
“He was essentially issued a wheelchair,” Johanna Garcia said.
Several months later, the Garcias learned about Selina Morgan, PT, DPT, NCS, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health Professions. Board-certified in neurologic physical therapy, Morgan has been researching spinal cord rehabilitation for almost 20 years. Her research focuses on motor control recovery in patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and degenerative disease.
Morgan offers rehabilitation therapy to a small group of adult and pediatric patients with spinal cord injuries as part of an on-campus pro bono clinic she started in 2021. In March 2022, Garcia began seeing Morgan three times a week at the clinic and continued to work on his physical therapy on his own at home between sessions.
His progress has been swift, Morgan said. When Garcia began rehabilitation therapy, he used a wheelchair and needed help to get in and out of bed and to shower and dress. By September 2022 — about six months after beginning sessions in the clinic — Garcia still used a wheelchair at times but was increasingly able to walk with a pair of walking sticks, to dress and shower independently and to walk into the bathroom. In late January, Garcia was working on regaining balance and endurance while walking. He was able to walk on his own power with one walking stick and drive on his own without adaptive equipment.
Garcia explained his gains simply. “I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without this kind of care. It’s hope, based on science.”
Second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students volunteer in the clinic, scheduling patients and attending rehabilitation sessions. This gives them experience, including the chance to work with patients who have neurological injuries, before their third-year clinical rotations.
Because the clinic is considered a student experience, patients must be willing to allow students to be in the room, to ask questions and to work with them, Morgan said. The clinic makes it possible for patients to continue to receive services despite access issues, including a lack of or gap in insurance coverage.
Second-year DPT student Kolby Kolek said he has learned the power of perseverance by observing Morgan’s treatment methods.
“All the patients I’ve worked with, you can see the progress they’ve made,” Kolek said. “They put in the work and they are getting the rewards.”
The spinal cord can learn
Animal studies from as far back as 1911 have shown that the spinal cord can be retrained, Morgan said. From her perspective, people with spinal cord injuries need access to therapy that is based on a recovery approach rather than a compensatory one.
Morgan has been an affiliate of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network’s pediatric network since 2021. UT Health San Antonio is the only NeuroRecovery Network affiliate in Texas, Morgan said. The approach taken by the NeuroRecovery Network aims to stimulate the spinal cord to learn in new ways by providing standardized, activity-based rehabilitation therapy.
In Garcia’s case, the therapy began with activities to help him gain trunk control, with Morgan and at least two DPT students supporting his body weight. Over time, Garcia progressed to sitting with best posture then to reaching, standing, shifting his weight and then to taking supported steps on a treadmill by August 2022.
“The NeuroRecovery Network is designed to provide standardized, activity-based locomotor training that has been successful in enabling voluntary muscle activation regardless of the severity of the spinal cord injury,” Morgan said. “The focus is recovery and not compensating for losses.”
Without this recovery training approach, patients who are capable of walking again would not know of their capability, Morgan said. With the recovery mindset, even patients who do not regain the ability to walk demonstrate other physical gains such as sitting balance, improved control of autonomic, or involuntary, function and improved fitness levels, she added.
“This is a very structured way to activate the central nervous system toward neuroplastic change, which means the spinal cord can learn in a task-specific way,” Morgan said.
Although significant gains have been made in spinal cord injury research and patient outcomes, Morgan said she recognizes that there are limitations. Still, it’s important to attempt rehabilitation through evidence-based therapies that have proven effective, she added.
“There are a lot of people who are not going to get up and walk, but we will not know who they are until we try it,” Morgan said. “People living with spinal cord injury deserve to try.”
In support of her research and rehabilitation work, Morgan has received an impact grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. She plans to use the grant to help pay for equipment used by NeuroRecovery Network members to collect data on their patients’ rehabilitation to add to the research, which spans the globe. In addition to providing the grant support, the foundation lists UT Health San Antonio in its National Paralysis Resource Center.
“This means people in our area with paralysis from any injury or disease will know we are a center for rehabilitation and research,” Morgan said.
Recovery versus compensation
There are two ways to treat patients who have paralysis, said Department of Physical Therapy Chair and Associate Professor Greg Ernst, PT, PhD, ECS.
“One way is to teach them how to compensate for their deficits — how to use a wheelchair correctly or how to transfer [to and from a wheelchair to a bed, chair, etc.],” Ernst said. “Some of that needs to be done, of course, but Dr. Morgan’s approach is more for recovery — so you have this paralysis or partial paralysis, but there is this possibility that you can recover. Her approach is to help facilitate that recovery rather than to adapt to those losses you have.”
A recovery approach gives patients the optimal chance to recover functional mobility, Ernst said.
Morgan’s involvement in the NeuroRecovery Network benefits the department, Ernst noted, including increasing competitiveness for grants and attracting patients seeking rehabilitation for neurological deficits. And Morgan’s pro bono clinic gives students an appreciation for a recovery approach, he said.
“Working on recovery instead of compensation rubs off on the students as well, and that can help multiply that positive approach as our students graduate and become practitioners,” Ernst said.
Morgan’s encouragement has inspired Juan Garcia, who said most people would never understand the effort required to achieve what might seem to be modest progress. Not so for Morgan, he said, who documents — and celebrates — it all.
“[Morgan] says, ‘You were able to raise your knee 2 inches farther than you were before,’” he said. “That’s motivating.”
Garcia scored 4.0 on the 12-point NeuroMuscular Recovery Scale (NRS) when he began working in the clinic with Morgan.
“The NRS is predictive of recovery, and he is now 11.37 out of 12,” she said.
Juan Garcia recently made chicken-and-sausage gumbo for the birthday of one of his sons and has resumed his role as the regular family cook. He helps get the kids ready for school, helps clean and completes small repair jobs around the house.
With so many goals reached, Garcia now dreams of the day he will be able to run and chase his boys.
Meeting the need for imaging specialists
The School of Health Professions will launch a new Master of Science in Imaging Sciences program to train imaging technologists in radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to address the technologist shortages currently stressing the health care system. The program’s first cohort will begin in fall 2023.
“The program will be the only one of its kind in the country — an entry-to-the-profession master’s multimodal program that provides eligibility for three national certifications by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists,” said program director Laura P. Vasquez, PhD, MS, RVT, RT, MRSO.
“This will allow graduates to practice in all states” after obtaining the certifications, Vasquez said. Many area health care systems have numerous open technologist positions, she added.
The program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on June 29, 2022, and received full approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges on Oct. 31, 2022.