Staff and Faculty

Sara Masoud, MPH, PhD

Director

Dr. Sara Masoud is a community engaged researcher with a focus on the inclusion of family caregivers and persons living dementia as partners in research. Sara partners with stakeholders in dementia care to conduct research that aligns with their priorities, needs, and experiences. She applies community engaged research methods to address the traditional practices that have resulted in the exclusion of communities from leading the research that ultimately shapes their access to dementia care and support. Dr. Masoud can be reached by email HERE.

Angelica Davila, MD, MS

Co-Director

Dr. Angelica Davila is a Geriatrics and Supportive Care physician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Davila is a board certified family physician. She received her medical degree in 2012 from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed the Family Medicine residency in 2015 at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. In 2015 and 2016 & 2017 she did fellowships in Geriatric Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

 

Caitlin Sangdahl, BS

Research Coordinator

Caitlin serves as the Research Coordinator for two practice-based research networks: South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN) and Supporting Older Adults through Research Network (SOARNet). 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. Caitlin can be reached HERE for any questions.

 

SOARNet Advisory Board:

Vidya Sharma, MA, RD, LD, CDCES

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.

 

Jennifer LaCoss, MD

Dr. Jennifer LaCoss is a Palliative Medicine physician and assistant professor for UT Health San Antonio and the Long School of Medicine in the Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Medicine. Additionally, she is the Medical Director for the Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic at University Hospital, which supports a busy inpatient and outpatient palliative medicine service. Prior to starting a career in medicine, Dr. LaCoss obtained a Master of Forensic Science degree and worked as a forensic scientist and DNA analyst providing scientific analysis, support, and expert witness testimony in the criminal justice system for a number of years. Additionally, Dr. LaCoss is an active committee member for End Violence Against Women International, presenting at a national level on elder abuse. She has also participated in program development in conjunction with the Bexar County Domestic Violence Task Force on a committee addressing non-lethal strangulation in intimate partner violence.

 

Cynthia Sierra, M.S., LPC

Cynthia Sierra, with over 15 years of experience in psychosocial and neurological clinical assessments and evidence-based services, focuses on supporting individuals with psychotic disorders and improving cognitive function and community integration. Her passion for person-centered care and empowerment led her to focus on delivering individualized treatment approaches. Additionally, her personal experience as a care partner for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s has shaped her perspective on caregiving, leading her to share her journey at conferences and become a member of research advisory boards, advocating for underrepresented communities in research.

 

Eduardo Zilli, MD

Dr Eduardo Zilli is a general neurologist in San Antonio, with fellowship training in dementia and cognitive disorders, previous academic experience with several publications and grants, and whose practice now focuses primarily the senior Latino population in San Antonio.

 

Meredith L. Stensland, PhD, LMSW

As a scientist practitioner with a background in clinical social work, Dr. Stensland is devoted to understanding and improving the lives of individuals who have physical and emotional pain. She worked as a hospice social worker for five years. The emphasis on pain management at end-of-life led to her interest in researching pain. Her research focuses on older adults living with chronic pain; and she also studies the utility of animal-assisted interventions for pain and depression in dialysis clinics. In her clinical work, she facilitates a psychoeducational chronic pain therapy group.