CPRIT Grantee Spotlight - Jane Montealegre
In 2016, CPRIT awarded a $1.1 million prevention grant to Baylor College of Medicine (PP160079) to create an HPV vaccination program within Harris Health System in Houston, the third largest safety net health system in the U.S. Based on the success of the initial project, CPRIT grants (PP190051, PP220038) in 2019 and 2022 continued the effective HPV vaccination program and implemented a comprehensive e-cigarette screening, counseling, and referral program for adolescent patients. In total, the work supported by these CPRIT grants impact 28,000 adolescents in the Houston area.
Jane Montealegre, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is a behavioral epidemiologist and implementation scientist. As the program director for the 2022 expansion grant, she remains focused on advancing implementation of evidence-based strategies for tobacco prevention and HPV screening and vaccination in underserved populations.