The 2026 IIMS Community Engagement Symposium! Rooted in South Texas: Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders in Community-Engaged Health Research.
Join us for a day filled with insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and community building. This event will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 3014 Rivas St., San Antonio, TX 78228. Get ready to engage with like-minded individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact in our communities.
REGISTER NOW! Spaces are limited.
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Scientific Translation and Community Engagement
Scientific translation is the process of moving knowledge and discoveries across basic science, clinical practice, and community settings to improve health and well-being. Community engagement strengthens this process by bringing community knowledge, priorities, and lived experience into research and helping ensure that research is relevant, practical, and responsive to community needs.
Goal
Our goal is to bring together community members, faculty, students, and other partners to learn from community–academic partnerships, exchange practical strategies and lessons learned, build capacity for community-engaged research, and foster future collaborations.
Objectives
To achieve this goal, the CE Symposium will support the following objectives:
1. Community–Academic Partnerships — Highlight community–academic partnerships addressing community priorities and improving health and well-being, while sharing practical lessons from their work.
2. Leadership Development and Capacity Building — Support the next generation of community and academic leaders through shared learning and capacity-building opportunities in community-engaged research.
3. Collaborative Approaches to Shared Participation — Promote relationship-building, humility, mutual respect, and shared decision-making as foundations for meaningful community–academic partnerships.
4. Networking, Collaboration, and Knowledge Exchange — Create opportunities for community members, students, researchers, community health workers, and organizational partners to connect, exchange practical strategies, and learn from one another’s experiences.
Plenary Speaking Team
- Sara Masoud, PhD – Assistant Professor, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
- Howaida Werfelli, DrPH – Chief Executive Officer, SALVERE
- Juana Escareño, MSHS, CHW-I – Director, Lower Rio Grande Valley Area Health Education Center
Call for Abstracts
We are now accepting abstracts for poster and podium presentations. Submit HERE .
Travel Support
Limited funds are available to support the travel of community members and students/trainees who are traveling from outside the San Antonio. For more information and to apply, go HERE.
Spanish interpretation services available onsite.
See flyer HERE.
Registration fee: $10.00