Our Team

Co-director

Dr. Thomas F. Patterson earned his B.A. from Baylor University and his M.D. from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, then completed internship and residency training at Vanderbilt and Yale–New Haven Hospital, followed by an infectious diseases fellowship at Yale, where he also served as an Assistant Professor. He is currently Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Director of the San Antonio Center for Medical Mycology. An expert in opportunistic fungal infections, his clinical and research work focuses on diagnosing and treating fungal diseases in immunocompromised patients, including the development and clinical testing of new antifungal therapies. Dr. Patterson has published and lectured widely, has served on ICAAC and IDSA program committees, is Editor-in-Chief of DoctorFungus.org, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Past President of the Texas Infectious Disease Society.

Clinical Research Project Manager & Administrative Lead

Zelma Delgado serves as Clinical Research Project Manager and Administrative Lead for the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases. With over 20 years of military experience, she brings a strong foundation of leadership, discipline, and commitment to service. Her work has focused on healthcare quality and patient safety, ensuring high standards of care and continuous process improvement across diverse settings. In addition, she has experience with Spanish-language health outreach, interpreter services, and federally funded initiatives that aimed at closing gaps in health disparities among ethnic minority populations. She is driven to support individuals and strengthen the health and well-being of the community she serves.

Family Nurse Practitioner

Cheryl Farner, FNP, joined UT Health San Antonio in 2020 and currently serves as Clinical Research Faculty within the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases. Since transitioning to the Division of Infectious Diseases in 2022, she has contributed significantly to the growth and efficiency of the division’s clinical research portfolio. Cheryl brings expertise in clinic operations, participant-centered research support, protocol implementation, data oversight, and regulatory compliance. She is skilled in developing streamlined workflows, enhancing care coordination for research participants, and supporting multidisciplinary teams in delivering high-quality, evidence-based care. Her work strengthens the Center’s mission to advance research and improve outcomes for individuals affected by chronic infectious diseases.

Vice President of Health Innovation

Dr. Anna Taranova is the Vice President of Health Innovation at University Health System in San Antonio, TX. Her background includes over 15 years of experience in clinical and translational research, including research of blood transplant, hematologic malignancies, eosinophils’ role in allergic pulmonary inflammation and their effect on the development of cancer metastases. In addition, she has a Master of Science degree in regulatory affairs for drugs, biologics and medical devices with extensive expertise in human subject research regulations and clinical trial compliance. Dr. Taranova also provides leadership for the comprehensive coordinated HIV care system, managing Federal and State funding for Ryan White Parts A, B, and D that provide medical and non-medical services for people living with HIV/AIDS. In her role, Dr. Taranova oversees clinical research efforts and grant funded activities, many of which directly address health disparities and quality of healthcare. In addition to educating health care providers on culturally tailored disease screening, Dr. Taranova leads prevention initiatives and patient navigation to treatment for underserved and vulnerable populations of South Texas.

Senior Laboratory Manager

Laura K. Najvar serves as the Senior Laboratory Manager for the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases and the Division of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit. She has worked for UT Health for 37 years. Since joining the division of infectious diseases in 1992 she has led Dr. Tom Patterson’s internationally recognized fungal research laboratory in drug and diagnostic development. During COVID, Laura and her lab team stepped forward to assist with COVID clinical research, supporting the laboratory analysis required for hundreds of participants to receive the first effective COVID treatments and vaccines.

In her role as Senior Laboratory Manager, Laura will continue to lead the Patterson lab and will supervise the laboratory efforts of the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases and the Division of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit. She will also support the development of the biorepository for the new Center and protocols for competitive grant submissions. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the Texas Infectious Diseases Society, currently serving as the Executive Secretary.

Research Coordinator

Alyssa Anderson serves as a Research Coordinator specializing in infectious diseases. Since joining the laboratory, she has contributed to advancing research and clinical support efforts through her expertise in blood processing, sample handling, and maintaining high standards of laboratory organization and safety. Alyssa plays an essential role in ensuring accurate sample preparation, proper documentation, and smooth day-to-day laboratory operations. She is committed to supporting research initiatives and strengthening public health through reliable, high-quality laboratory practice.

Senior Research Assistant

Rosie Bocanegra Jaramillo is a Senior Research Assistant with 36 years of experience in fungal research. She has been involved in developing new antifungal drugs funded by the NIH and industry for grants and contracts on drug and diagnostic development.   Her role for the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases will be to support the laboratory efforts for collecting, processing, storing and shipping the biospecimens for clinical research projects.

Senior Research Assistant

Marcos Olivo Jr. is a Senior Research Assistant with 26 years of experience in fungal research. He has been involved in developing new antifungal drugs funded by the NIH and industry. His role for the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases will be to support the laboratory efforts for collecting, processing, storing, and shipping the biospecimens for clinical research projects. He is an avid Dallas Cowboy and Texas Rangers sports fan.

Research Operations Manager

Melinda (Mindy) Fischer serves as the Research Operations Manager for the Division of Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She has worked in clinical research since 2007 and has contributed to numerous pivotal trials that have advanced the scientific understanding of multiple disease indications. Several of these studies have supported the development and approval of medications and vaccines that are now available to the public. Since joining UT San Antonio in 2022, Ms. Fischer has applied her extensive experience in clinical trial management to the coordination of research initiatives focused on the prevention and treatment of chronic infectious diseases. She remains dedicated to supporting high-quality research that enhances patient care and public health outcomes.

Clinical Research Nurse

Jessica is a Clinical Research Nurse with the Department of Medicine–Infectious Diseases. She has worked in clinical research since 2021 and has supported a wide range of studies by coordinating trial operations, guiding participants through research procedures, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. With a background in both direct patient care and research coordination, Jessica is committed to advancing innovative infectious disease research while providing compassionate support to study participants.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Jessica Hernandez has worked in clinical research since 2006, she is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at UT Health San Antonio, where she has served for more than a decade. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in organizational development and leadership, and she is an active member of the UT Health San Antonio Staff Advisory Council. She is dedicated to advancing patient-centered research, mentorship, and leadership in healthcare. A proud military veteran, Jessica carries her commitment to service into both her professional work and community involvement. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family especially her daughter, Jenna and volunteering with the Bexar County Military and Veteran Support Group.

Research Assistant

Cyrena Coté is a Research Assistant for the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases. She joined the team in 2023 as a research study coordinator and has since been involved in multiple long COVID-19 and HIV studies. In addition to her research experience, she has contributed to data analysis, grant development, and manuscript preparation. Cyrena is passionate about research and community engagement and is committed to advancing the Center’s mission of improving health outcomes for individuals in South Texas. She is also a Master of Public Health candidate and is excited to apply her skills to her work at the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Trials Specialist

Miranda Escobedo is a Clinical Trials Specialist at UT Health San Antonio, where she leads the coordination of complex clinical studies within the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases. She has overseen the conduct of eight clinical studies across two research sites involving Phases II and III trials, bringing prior experience in hepatology research and expertise in managing all aspects of clinical operations to ensure studies run efficiently and meet the highest regulatory and quality standards. Miranda is passionate about advancing innovative clinical research that drives progress in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

Clinical Research Nurse, Senior

Irma Scholler is a Senior Clinical Research Nurse with over 39 years of trial experience in many indications including cardiology, gastrointestinal, renal transplant, oncology, behavioral health and infectious diseases. She transferred from bedside nursing to working at UTHSCSA as a research coordinator in 1987. She gradually advanced into clinical trial monitoring and project management for clinical research and sponsor organizations. In 2013 coming full circle, she rejoined UTHSCSA as a study coordinator. As a result of the COVID pandemic, she transitioned to the Division of Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit, working in early treatment trials for COVID. From that experience, she has moved into a new role of Regulatory Affairs Coordinator for inpatient and outpatient trials. Irma continues to support the CCID by working to activate studies through study feasibility, IRB submissions, and institutional activation processes.

Project Manager, Associate

Julie Santner is part of the Regulatory team at the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases (CCID) and has been in Clinical Research as a Regulatory Specialist for three plus years. Previously, Julie was with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) specializing in Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies in oncological clinical trials. Julie recently joined the CCID in May 2026 and is extremely excited to collaborate with a dedicated team to help develop innovative strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Julie is very enthusiastic about helping others and cannot wait to continue doing so.

Research Coordinator Senior

Patty brings over 35 years of experience at UTHSCSA to the CCID. After graduating from Rice University, she volunteered with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone as a secondary school teacher, where she saw the effects of endemic infectious diseases, such as malaria, Lassa fever, and polio. Before joining the division of Infectious Diseases as a data coordinator and quality control specialist, Patty had 35 years of laboratory experience, focusing on lymphocyte development and function, the clinical aspects of infections in children, especially Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus type 8 and their associated cancers, and as the laboratory manager of the Chromosome 18 Clinical Research Center.

Data Coordinator

Bridgette is a data coordinator, quality control specialist and, by trade, a psychometrician. As a data coordinator, she maintains study timelines and accurate clinical data records, creates participant study binders, designs data capture tools and data entry. As a quality control specialist, she oversees the setup of data collection systems and monitors data for accuracy, consistency and integrity, resolves study queries, performs regular audits and inspections of study procedures, documentation and data collection to identify any non-compliance or deviations and trains research staff on quality control processes, best practices, and the importance of adhering to study protocols. Bridgette also is a trained psychometrist who is skilled in giving and scoring psychological tests and can interpret the results for a wide range of purposes. She also has assisted sponsors in creating databases for data capture.

Bridgette earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology (1998) and Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2003) from McNeese State University (Lake Charles, LA) and a Master of Arts in School Psychology (2010) from Trinity University (San Antonio, TX). She has worked for UT Health San Antonio since March 2004.

Research Project Manager

Michael Sullivan serves as the Research Project Manager for the Center for Chronic Infectious Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. Since joining the Division of Infectious Diseases in 2022, Michael has contributed to advancing the Center’s research mission through expertise in strategic project management, budgeting, and process optimization. Michael played a key role in establishing and managing participant recruitment for the RECOVER COVID 19 study, supporting the enrollment of nearly 1,000 participants. With a background in business administration and a focus on operational efficiency, Michael is dedicated to strengthening research infrastructure and supporting initiatives that improve outcomes for individuals affected by chronic infectious diseases.

Senior Administrative Assistant

Guicelda De La Cruz serves as the Senior Administrative Assistant at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she has supported the Department of Medicine and the Division of Infectious Diseases since September 2024. In her role, she contributes to strategic planning and budgeting, develops and maintains operational procedures, and provides administrative oversight across multiple departments. She also leads digital and in-person communications for faculty and fellows, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and priorities. In addition to her administrative leadership, Guicelda plays an active role in coordinating special projects and events that advance departmental initiatives, demonstrating a strong commitment to collaboration, organization, and operational excellence. Her academic and professional experiences continue to enhance her ability to think strategically, lead effectively, and contribute meaningfully to organizational success.

Program Coordinator Senior

Claudia Güner is the Program Coordinator Senior in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. With over 15 years of experience in academic administration, she provides high-level support to faculty, staff, and leadership. Known for her professionalism, organization, and friendly, positive approach, Claudia helps ensure the division runs smoothly and efficiently. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family exploring the beautiful Texas Hill Country, visiting bat caves, and discovering local dining spots that highlight San Antonio’s vibrant culture.