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Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH
University Administration

For more information on the Office of International Programs, please contact Dr. Hui-Ming Chang, Vice President for International Programs & Special Advisor to the President at 713 500 3559.
Please visit the office’s Web site at www.uth.tmc.edu/internationalprograms/

Bringing UTHSC-H to the World – Bringing the World to UTHSC-H
In June 2001, the Office of International Programs was created to further the collaboration with health and educational institutions in other countries by facilitating international connections. The office serves as a central conduit by forming agreements with other institutions worldwide.

The Office of International Programs gathers and disseminates information about current international connections while encouraging faculty, research fellows, and students to form exchanges. By collaborating with health care institutions throughout the world, the office is bringing the world to UTHSC-H and bringing UTHSC-H to the world.

Agreements of Cooperation
The Office of International Programs acts as a liaison between the Health Science Center and worldwide health care and educational institutions. We encourage faculty, research fellows and students to form an exchange outside of their home institution. Below is a list of agreements between the Health Science Center and our worldwide affiliates.

The International Programs Award
The International Programs Award was established in 2005 by means of a benefactor's generous donation in the desire to encourage academic projects that promote exchanges of health sciences on a global perspective. Award selection is conducted by a committee of faculty from all six schools of UTHSC-H. While this year's projects varied in subject, they all shared the common goal of international collaboration between various constituencies of UTHSC-H and academic institutions of higher learning throughout the world.

Faculty and Country of Project

• Anil D. Kulkarni, MSc, PhD, Professor of Surgery, Medical School, New Zealand
  
• Teng-Yuan (Erica) Yu, PhD, RN, ARNP, Assistant Professor, Coordinator for Simulation Laboratory, School of Nursing, Taiwan
  
• Shreela Sharma, PhD, RD, LD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, India
  
• Chung How Kau, BDS, MScD, MBA, PhD, MOrth, FFD, FDS, FAMS, Associate Professor of Orthodontics and Director of the Imaging Facility, Dental Branch, United Kingdom
  
• Xiaodong Zhou, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Research Laboratory for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunogenetics, Medical School, China
  
• Nuria Homedes, MD, DrPH, Associate Professor of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, Latin America
  
• Rolf O. Montalvo, MD, Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Medical School, Ecuador

Students and Country of Project

• Ha Thi Thu Phan, MD, MPH, School of Public Health, Vietnam
  
• Ramona Finnie, MPH, CHES, School of Public Health, South Africa
  
• Scott Tolan, Medical School, Multinational
  

Fulbright Scholar Dr. Shawn Gibbs from UT-SPH visits Egypt
Shawn Gibbs, PhD, Assistant Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, UT-SPH El Paso, visited Egypt for 5 months to conduct research on assessing and modeling of the potential public health impact of rural and urban residential indoor bioaerosols. Dr. Gibbs and his team received an award from the Fulbright Scholar All Disciplines Collaborative Research Program to establish a practical means of estimating the normal microbial level in cramped living conditions in Cairo.

Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela
NIH Supported Training Programs in Occupational and Environmental Health
Formalized by Agreements of Cooperation from UTHSC-H and supported by training grants from the NIH Fogarty International Center, Sarah Felknor, DrPH, Associate Professor and Director, Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health and George P. Delclos, MD, Professor and Director, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health of UT-SPH, lead academic degree training in occupational and environmental health in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Colombia. In-country training in short courses, pilot research project mentoring and supervision is also offered in Mexico and Venezuela. Additional UT faculty, fellows and international trainees who have participated in the projects include: Arch I. Carson, MD, Assistant Professor of Occupational Medicine, UT-SPH, Dr. David Gimeno, former post-doctoral fellow, Tonatiuh Barrientos, doctoral trainee, Dr. Carmen Madriz, graduated doctoral trainee, and Dr. Leonardo Quintana, former doctoral trainee.

Mexico
UTHSC-H Medical Students visit Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
Since 1975, Herbert L. DuPont, MD, Professor, Director of the Center for Infectious Diseases, UT-SPH, has conducted research in Mexico and now has several centers for research in Guadalajara and other cities in Mexico. In 2007, 10 medical students studied in Guadalajara and since 1980 nearly 160 students have taken this clinical/research elective with Drs. DuPont and Pablo C. Okhuysen, Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program Director, University Clinical Research Center, UT-MS. The research is focused on causes, preventions, and treatment of traveler's diarrhea.

France
Inserm (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research)
Inserm is the only French organization entirely dedicated to research in biology, medicine, and public health working through the French Ministries of Research and Health. An Inserm delegation visited UTHSC-H on February 8, 2007. The delegation included Dr. Jean-Jacques Lawrence, Representative of Inserm in Washington, DC, Dr. Richard Salives, Deputy Manager of Inserm School, Paris, Isabelle Porteret, Head of Inserm Director's office, Paris, and from the General Consulate of France in Houston, Professor Roland Hérino, Scientific Attaché and Romaric Fayol, Deputy Attaché. Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH, organized the visiting program and gave an overview of UTHSC-H, UT System and TMC. The delegation met with Drs. C. Thomas Caskey, Peter Davies, Irma Gigli, Brent R. King, Frank C. Arnett, Victoria P. Knutson, Jon R. Wiener, John H. Byrne, Dianna M. Milewicz, Karen A. Storthz, and Jiajie Zhang. The Office of International Programs hosted an open forum at the Alkek Auditorium in the School of Nursing for members of the Inserm delegation to present Inserm and Biomedical Research in France to faculty, fellows, and students at UTHSC-H and TMC institutions.
In April, Director General of Inserm, Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, sent a letter of appreciation to Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH and invited UTHSC-H to a videoconference. The Office of International Programs hosted the videoconference in September 2007. Director General Christian Bréchot, Dr. Anne-Marie Laffaye, Manager of the Inserm School, Stéphane Roy, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department of Inserm, and Dr. Richard Salives met with President James T. Willerson, MD, Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH, George M. Stancel, PhD, Dean GSBS, Frank C. Arnett, MD, Executive Director, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, UT-MS, John H. Byrne, PhD, Chairman, Department of Neurology and Anatomy, UT-MS and Jiajie Zhang, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, UT-SHIS. Both sides discussed collaborations in research and education including exchanges of post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and MD, PhD students.

Italy
Region Lombardia Delegation visits Dr. Mauro Ferrari and UTHSC-H
A delegation from Region Lombardia, Italy visited Houston and the TMC. They were hosted by the office of Mauro Ferrari, MD, PhD, Professor and Director, Cell Signaling, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. The delegation met with President James T. Willerson, MD, C. Thomas Caskey, MD, FACP, Professor, Chief Operating Officer, Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, and Luciano Topi, President of Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas.

Tanzania
Visit of Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi, Member of Parliament and Minister of Labor and Youth Development, Tanzanian Government
The Honorable Dr. Emmanuel John Nchimbi visited the UT-SPH on October 18, 2006. Dr. Nchimbi is a Member of Parliament and Minister of Labor and Youth Development in the Tanzanian Government where he heads the department of youth development. Dr. Gregory Maddox, Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Texas Southern University accompanied the guest. Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH, gave an overview of UTHSC-H and UT System. Sheryl A. McCurdy, PhD, Assistant Professor and Mark Williams, PhD, Professor, both from the Division of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at UT-SPH, presented the findings from their HIV prevention study.

China
China Medical Informatics Association (CMIA)
Mr. Yongqin Huang, Deputy Vice President and Ms. Lung Zhu, National Representative, Director of the Board from China Medical Informatics Association visited UT-SHIS. An Agreement of Cooperation was signed during their visit, as a first step for the collaboration between both institutions. During the visit, they discussed the details of two programs they would like to establish, which will lead to a Certificate of Completion of the Intermediate Short Course on Biomedical and Health Informatics. The first program is a 2-day short course; faculty members from UT-SHIS would go to China to teach the course. The second program is a 3-day Intermediate Short Course in which students from China would attend the course in Houston. Jack W. Smith, MD, PhD, Dean and Professor, UT-SHIS went to Beijing in March to announce the program and sign the first Program Agreement. The second Program Agreement was signed in August 2007.

Japan
University of Tokushima
Four students and three faculty from The University of Tokushima, Japan visited UT Dental Branch. They are part of a yearly student exchange program with the University. Amy Ridall, DDS, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor of Prosthodontics, and two dental students visited The University of Tokushima. Also, Anil Kulkarni, MSc, PhD, Professor of Surgery, UT-MS and two medical students visited The University of Tokushima in Japan under the student exchange program.

Vietnam
Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training: International Standard/World Class University Project
His Excellency, Minister of Education and Training, Nhan Thien Nguyen, led a delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training to visit UTHSC-H. Their visit in the U.S. was organized by the Vietnam Education Foundation and the visit to UTHSC-H was hosted by George M. Stancel, PhD, Dean UT-GSBS. Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH, gave a welcome address; Dr. Stancel gave an overview of UTHSC-H, UT System, TMC and UT-GSBS. The delegation toured TMC, UTHSC-H and visited UT-GSBS. They attended presentations by Guy S. Parcel, PhD, Dean UT-SPH, SPH assistant deans and faculty, Jack W. Smith, MD, PhD, Dean and Professor UT-SHIS and associate deans of the UT-SHIS. Afterwards, there were break-out sessions by Richard Miller, Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Information Technology, William Weems, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Academic Technology, Laura Smith, CPA, Associate Vice President for Finance and Legislative Affairs, and Elizabeth Eaton, PhD, Executive Director, Houston Academy of Medicine-TMC Library. At closing, President James T. Willerson, MD, met with the delegation and exchanged ideas with Minister Nhan.

Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) Annual Conference
Dean George M. Stancel hosted the Fourth Annual VEF Fellows' Conference at the UT Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The National Academies invited outstanding American, Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese scientists, policy-makers, and professionals to share their knowledge and experience with VEF Fellows at the conference. In 2004, Hui-Ming Chang, MD, MPH, was invited as a member of the VEF delegation to Vietnam and started the collaboration between UTHSC-H and VEF. Dean George M. Stancel, PhD, Dean Guy S. Parcel, PhD, and former Dean R. Palmer Beasley, MD, visited Vietnam as members of VEF delegations in 2005, 2006 and 2007.