Studies In-Progress:
2026-present:
Food is Medicine Study
This study will implement a culturally tailored Food is Medicine (FIM) nutrition education program designed for older Latino adults experiencing food insecurity. The intervention consists of three in-person group sessions delivered at a partnering food pantry utilizing interactive Learning Maps. This project is a collaboration with Baptist Health Science University and Hill Country Family Services.
Status: Data entry completed, focus groups will soon be held.
P.I. – Vidya Sharma Research Coordinator – Caitlin Sangdahl
Completed Studies:
2024-2025:
Project ECHO Nutrition & Brain Health Training for Primary Care Providers: A Stakeholder-Engaged SOARNet Study
Click HERE for Resources produced from the study!
IIMS Community Engagement Small Project Grants Program.
P.I. – Vidya Sharma Co-I – Sara Masoud and Angelica Davila
Research Coordinator – Caitlin Sangdahl
Posters:
2025:
Sharma V, Masoud S, Sangdahl C, Davila A, Avery R, De La Garza-Parker C. Building Confidence in Nutrition-Centered Dementia Care: Developing a Project ECHO® Training for Primary Care Clinicians. Texas Academy of Family Physicians Annual Session and Primary Care Summit. Addison, TX. November 2025.
Sangdahl C, Masoud S, Sharma V, Sierra C, Stensland M, Zilli E, LaCoss J, Davila A. SOARNet: Establishing an Older Adult Practice Based Research Network. Presented at the 2025 IIMS Community Engagement Symposium. University of Texas San Antonio. San Antonio, TX. November 2025.
2024:
Sharma V, Sangdahl C, Davila A, Ali F, Avery R, De La Garza C, Masoud S. Project ECHO Nutrition & Brain Health Training for Primary Care Providers: A Stakeholder-Engaged SOARNet Study. Presented at the 2024 IIMS Community Engagement Symposium. University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA). San Antonio, TX. December 2024.
Sangdahl C, Davila A, Sharma V, Sierra C, Zilli E, LaCoss J, Masoud S. SOARNet: Establishing a Practice-Based Research Network to Support Older Adults through Research. Presented at the 2024 IIMS Community Engagement Symposium. University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA). San Antonio, TX. December 2024.
Publications
2026:
Sangdahl CE, Masoud SS, Sharma V, Stensland M, Sierra C, LaCoss J, Davila A. SOARNet: Establishing an older adult focused practice-based research network. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. 2026; 10(1):e135. Doi: 10.1017/cts.2026.10797
2025:
Sharma V, Masoud SS, Sangdahl CE, Davila AE, Avery RZ, De La Garza-Parker C. Strengthening Primary Care Through Project ECHO®: Pilot Study on Nutrition, Brain Health, and Clinician Self-Efficacy. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. 2025;16. doi:10.1177/21501319251388298
2020:
Noël PH, Parchman ML, Finley EP, Wang CP, Bollinger ML, Espinoza SE, Hazuda HP (2016). Primary care-public health linkages: Older primary care patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes encouraged to attend community-based senior centers Preventive medicine reports, 4, 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.06.023.
2016:
Noël PH, Finley EP, Wang CP, Espinoza SE, Parchman ML, Bollinger MP, Hazuda HP (2020). Provider-related linkages between primary care clinics and community-based senior centers associated with diabetes related outcomes. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society, 39(6), 635–643. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464818782853.