Teresa M. Evans
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Pharmacology (Neuroscience Track)
UT Health San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Office: 210-567-3718
Email: evanstm@uthscsa.edu
Research Interests
| • Graduate Trainee Mental Health | • Research Commercialization |
| • Research Trainee Professional Development | • K-12 STEM Education |
Research Activities
Graduate Trainee Mental health:
The prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in the graduate trainee population is not well understood. In order to address this gap in knowledge, an international survey of graduate trainees in both humanities and life sciences that systematically assessed the prevalence of mental health symptomatology was conducted. The results from over three thousand respondents indicated rates of anxiety and depression six times that of the general population.
Media:
K-12 STEM Education and Research Trainee Development:
My research and academic efforts in the areas of K-12 teacher professional development are supported by a NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA). Through this award we have engaged research trainees in activities with K-12 teachers in order to foster their communication and teaching skills. Additionally, our team works to develop novel programs through the Teacher Enrichment Initiatives (TEI) that foster STEM Teacher professional development. I have also published a book that addresses the steps that science trainees should take to prepare for success in their career of choice. Further, I have worked with a multidisciplinary team of graduate trainees to showcase the data collected from a city-wide science outreach effort, Science Fiesta. Collectively these efforts showcase the importance of science communication, outreach, and engagement for the professional development of science trainees and teachers.
TEI Website:https://teachhealthk-12.uthscsa.edu
Accomplishments, Awards and Honors
- Travel Award (ASBMB) – Experimental Biology, Boston, MA – March, 2015
- Leadership Award – Woman’s Faculty Association, UT Health San Antonio – May, 2015
- Travel Award (ASBMB) – Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA – April, 2014
- Seed Grant Awardee – ASBMB Science Outreach – TeenMOB – Oct, 2013
- Abstract Winner – Technology Innovation in Novel Translation [TINT] Program – Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS),UT Health San Antonio – Oct, 2012
- Young Investigator Award – Society for Free Radical Research International Conference, London, England – Sept, 2013
- Pre-Doctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) F31, F31 NS080508, UT Health San Antonio – Aug, 2012
- Student Research Award – 3rd Annual Frontiers of Translational Science Research Day – Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science,UT Health San Antonio – Feb, 2012
- Pre-Doctoral Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) T32 AG021890, UT Health San Antonio – Sep, 2011-Aug, 2012
Appointments, Boards, Committees and Memberships
- Chair – UT System Working Group on Graduate Student Career Development -UT Health San Antonio – 2015
- Member – Quality Enhancement Plan Task Group, Marketplace Success -UT Health San Antonio – 2015
- Board Member – The Health Cell – San Antonio, TX – 2015
- Faculty Advisor – Graduate Student Association (GSA) -UT Health San Antonio – 2014-Present
- Graduate Career Consortium (GCC) – 2014-Present
- GREAT/AAMC – 2014-Present
- Member – Science Committee – Mind Science Foundation – San Antonio, TX – 2014-Present
- American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) – 2013-Present
- Director – Teen Meetings Outside the Box (TeenMOB) – UT Health San Antonio – 2013-Present
- Member – Public Outreach Committee – American Society for Biochemisty and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) – 2013-Present
- Representative – Student Advisory Council (SAC) – University of Texas System – 2012-2013
- Sigma Xi – The Scientific Research Society – 2012-Present
- Student Representative – Associate Dean Search Committee -UT Health San Antonio – 2012
- Mind Science Foundation – San Antonio, Texas – 2011-Present
- Originator and Director – Trainee Meetings Outside the Box (T-MOB) -UT Health San Antonio – 2011-2014
- Pharmacology Graduate Student Symposium Committee -UT Health San Antonio – 2011-2014
- Student Representative – Committee for Communicating Science -UT Health San Antonio – 2011-2014
Grants, Funding and Research Support
- ASBMB Science Outreach Seed Grant for the development of a Teen Science Café that provides an opportunity for UT Health San Antonio trainees to interact with local teens, with a focus on under represented minorities students. (Renewed Yearly/3yrs) – 10/2013-10/2016
- National Research Service Award (NRSA), National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), The Mechanism Linking Traumatic Brain Injury to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, F31NS080508, UTHSCSA, San Antonio, TX – 08/2012-05-2014
- Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA), Biology of Aging, UTHSCSA, T32AG021890, UT Health San Antonio, Texas – 09/2011-08/2012
Selected Publications
- Evans, TM., Bira L, Gastelum J, Weiss T, Vanderford N. Evidence for a Mental Health Crisis in Graduate Education. Nature Biotechnology March:7(37): 2018
- Evans TM., Lundsteen L, Vanderford N. ReSearch: A career guide for scientists. Elsevier. American Press, 31 May 2017
- Block TJ, Marinkovic M, Gray J, Anthony C, Daly R, Evans L, Fordtran C, Hassan E, Holmgren T, Horning A, Martinez-Anz S, Riggs R, Vannasse T, Dowell P, Sifuentes M, Evans TM. “Science Fiesta!”Combining student-led community outreach with local culture. [version 1; referees: awaiting peer review]. F1000Research 2016, 5:2319 (doi:10.12688/
- f1000research.9560.1)
- Evans TM. , Jaramillo CA, Watts L, Sabia M, Qi W, Van Remmen H. The effect of traumatic brain injury on peripheral nervous system pathology and motor neuron disease progression in wild-type and G93A SOD1 mice. Neuroscience. April: 25(298): 410-423: 2015 PMCID:PMC4470701
- Evans TM. , Bhattacharya A, Shi Y, Qi W, Block TJ, Chaudhuri A, Chaudhuri AR, Hawker K, Van Remmen H. Moderate modulation of disease in the G93A model of ALS by the compound 2- (2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzoxazole (HBX). Neurosci Lett. 2016 Jun 15;624:1-7
- Selected Abstracts
- Evans, TM., Blake, N., McManus, L. and Lichtenstein, M. Building Science Communication Skills through a Network of Graduate Level Trainees, Science Teachers, and High School Teens – Experimental Biology 2015 – Teen Meetings Outside the Box (TeenMOB), Boston Massachusetts, April 2015
- Evans, TM. and Blake, N. A program to build skills in science communication through networking of graduate level trainees and high school students – Experimental Biology 2014 – Meetings Outside the Box, San Diego California, April 2014