The PBRN Resource Center provides infrastructure development, training, research development and consultation to investigators and PBRN members.
Our Team PBRNs
Leadership
Inez Cruz, PhD, LMSW
Director for the Practice-Based Research Network Center and Residency Research Network of Texas (RRNET)
Dr. Cruz has served as the Director of the IIMS Practice-Based Research Network Resource Center and the Director of the Residency Research Network of Texas (RRNeT) since 2018. Under her leadership, RRNeT’s Family Medicine faculty and residents have collaboratively developed new multi-site research projects addressing PBRN member priorities such as social determinants of health and quality of life, comfort with uncertainty among trainees, physician burnout, and demonstrating accountability to payers and regulators. Additionally, Dr. Cruz is an Assistant Professor of Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, where she primarily conducts qualitative health services research. She is also the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships for the Kate Marmion School of Public Health.
Elisabeth de la Rosa, MS, CHW
Community Engagement Research Operations Manager
Elisabeth serves as the point of contact for the IIMS Community Engagement Team. She works with the Community Engagement Team leaders to develop and implement programs that facilitate the continuation and formation of community and academic research partnerships. For 20 years, she has coordinated different projects and research studies within the UT System. She has been a part of the IIMS Community Engagement Team since 2009 and has worked alongside various partners to help develop, implement, and evaluate various projects that address community health concerns including diabetes, environmental health, teen pregnancy, and suicide.
Team Members
Rahma Mungia, BDS, MSc, DDPHRCS
Director of the South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN)
Dr. Mungia is co-director of the South Texas Oral Health Network, as well as Clinical Coordinator for the South Central Area Health Education Center and Associate Professor/Research at the UT Health SA Department of Periodontics. She oversees all STOHN research and infrastructure activities. Her primary interest is in dental public health, especially tobacco cessation. She has also completed research on the effects of lead exposure in young children.
Kathleen Stevens, EdD, FAAN, RN, ANEF
Director of the Improvement Science Research Network
The Improvement Science Research Network (ISRN) aims to advance the scientific foundation for quality improvement, safety and efficiency through transdisciplinary research in healthcare systems, patient-centeredness, and integration of evidence into practice. Dr. Stevens was the founding director of ACE-Center for Advancing Clinical Excellence 2000-2015, leading inter-professional efforts to advance evidence-based quality improvement and patient safety. Her federally funded activities emphasize healthcare transformation through scholarly work on the national Improvement Science Research Network, AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange, Institute of Medicine’s report Preventing Medication Errors, and team performance improvement. Dr. Stevens is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Nurse Educators and is the UT System Chancellor’s Health Fellow for healthcare delivery science. E-mail: stevensk@uthscsa.edu
Vidya Sharma, PhD, RD, LD, CDCES
Director of Supporting Older Adults through Research Network (SOARNet)
Vidya Sharma is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Texas, San Antonio. She is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist (CDCES). Her expertise is in community dietetics, with a research focus on chronic disease prevention, community nutrition, and improving health outcomes for older adults. Vidya can be reached HERE for any questions.
Walter L. Calmbach, MD, MPH
Founder and Director of STARNet
Dr. Calmbach is a professor in the Dept. of Family & Community Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. He is the founder and director of the South Texas Ambulatory Research Network (STARNet), and is actively involved in local and national research projects with this research network. He currently serves as chair of the steering cmte of the Federation of Practice Based Research Networks, a national organization representing PBRN’s around the country. Dr. Calmbach also directs the Primary Care Research Methods & Statistics Conference, a meeting funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) aimed at presenting new and emerging methods of primary care research. He is board certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, and his primary clinical interest is in primary care sports medicine. His primary research interests include physical activity promotion and methods related to practice-based research networks.
Caitlin Sangdahl, BS
Coordinator for STOHN, SOARNet, and the NDPBRN
Caitlin serves as the Research Coordinator for three practice-based research networks: South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN), Supporting Older Adults through Research Network (SOARNet), and the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (NDPBRN). She graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS in Biomedical Sciences in May 2023. During her studies, she acquired experience in quantitative research, specifically in maintaining live specimen and data collection. Her research interests include microbiology, surgical advancements, and cancer research.