UNT Health Fort Worth Public Health Ph.D. students collaborate with faculty on published research
Three Ph.D. students from the College of Public Health at UNT Health Fort Worth have recently co-authored publications alongside their faculty advisors.
Second-year doctoral student Sophia Garza published her first first-author paper, titled “Approaches to Address Gender-Based and Interpersonal Violence Among Marginalized and At-Risk Populations in Brazil: A Scoping Review.” Garza began the project in summer 2023 during a global health study abroad program in Brazil. She and another student led a gender-based violence educational seminar for at-risk youth after noticing a lack of research on Brazil’s most disinvested populations.
“Prevention is key,” Garza said. “It’s the key to combat the growing threat of partner violence against women and children.”
As time persisted, Garza shifted focus to other academic responsibilities such as the transition to UNT Health to kickstart her Ph.D. journey. Her research focuses primarily on improving access to sexual healthcare with an emphasis on STD prevention and the prevention of sexual violence and intimate partner violence.
Stacey Griner, Ph.D., Garza’s faculty advisor, encouraged her to complete the publication and submit it to the Boston Congress of Public Health Review in May 2025.
“She has always encouraged me to find out where my interests lie and pursue study surrounding that,” Garza said. “Dr. Griner is a great advisor to grow with.”
RoiSan Nhpang, a fourth year Ph.D. student, and Shilpa Patil, a third year Ph.D. student, co-authored “Mental Health and Well-Being Among Asian Americans: Insights from a 2023 National Survey.” Both students focus on epidemiology, with Nhpang exploring the intersection of mental health and chronic conditions, and Patil researching mental health in aging populations. They completed the publication under the guidance of their faculty advisor, Malinee Neelamegam, Ph.D.
Taking inspiration from personal and professional experiences, the two students felt this could add context to the data in their publication. They also described how the support of Neelamegam encouraged their collaboration and submission to the Boston Congress of Public Health Review.
“She’s the best,” Nhpang said. “This is one of the first papers I have completed for my Ph.D., and I was not initially pushing to publish, but that changed when Dr. Neelamegam told me to go for it.”
“Dr. Neelamegam really wants what’s best for us and encourages writing publications,” Patil said. “She’s not overly critical, but at the same time, challenges us at the right time and pushes us in the right direction.”
The two students, alongside their classmate and colleague Rohit Balsundaram, also collaborated on Patil’s first-author publication, “Mindfulness and Healthcare Spending Among Non-Hispanic Black Older Adults: A Stratified Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study.”
As a new academic year approaches, Nhpang and Patil enter with a greater clarity and confidence about their paths ahead.
“I now know what my research areas are. Initially I stuck with mental health and only pursued that, but I’ve since learned that I cannot restrict myself to one area,” Nhpang said.