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UT Health San Antonio, UTSA researchers receive prestigious 2025 Hill Prizes for medicine and technology

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Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio, institutions set to merge later this year, collaborated to earn prestigious 2025 Hill Prizes in medicine and technology.

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — On the eve of a historic merger between The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and The University of Texas at San Antonio, researchers from the two institutions have been honored with highly prestigious 2025 Hill Prizes, in medicine and technology.

The prizes are awarded by the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (TAMEST), and Lyda Hill Philanthropies, which fund the awards to “propel high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations that demonstrate very significant potential for real-world impact and can lead to new, paradigm-shifting paths in research,” according to TAMEST.

The prizes are given in six categories: Medicine, Public Health, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Technology. They recognize and advance top Texas innovators providing seed funding to advance groundbreaking science and highlight Texas as a premier destination for world-class research. Each of the six winning proposals will receive $500,000 in funding from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to accelerate their work.

The recipient for medicine is Kenneth M. Hargreaves, DDS, PhD, professor of endodontics, pharmacology, surgery, and cellular and integrative physiology at UT Health San Antonio. His co-investigator for the award is Stanton McHardy, PhD, associate professor of medicinal chemistry at UTSA.

And the technology recipient is Robert De Lorenzo, MD, president and co-founder of university tech startup EmergenceMed LLC, and professor and vice chair of research for the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Health San Antonio. De Lorenzo’s co-principal investigator for the award is R. Lyle Hood, PhD, associate professor of mechanical engineering at UTSA, and an EmergenceMed co-founder.

“These awards will support crucial advancements in key areas of high medical need: non-opiate pain relief and emergency airway protection,” said Robert Hromas, MD, FACP, acting president of UT Health San Antonio. “They are truly collaborative team efforts and are evidence of the extraordinary biomedical development going on here in San Antonio.”

“I’m delighted to see our esteemed researchers and faculty members honored by TAMEST as 2025 Hill Prize recipients, as it speaks to the power of collaboration between the two institutions that will soon establish one, premier powerhouse for continued innovation and advancement in these impactful areas,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, PhD. “This caliber of recognition speaks volumes to the incredible work our colleagues do each day to positively and significantly improve the lives of so many in our communities.”

Developing non-opioid painkillers

Hargreaves, inaugural director of the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry’s Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research was chosen for developing non-opioid analgesics, also known as painkillers, to reduce the use of opioids and prevent drug addiction.

Prescription opioids such as hydrocodone and oxycodone are widely recognized to be a major gateway to opioid use disorder (OUD). The drug overdose epidemic continues to accelerate, with Texas experiencing a 75% increase in death rates over the last five years.

Hargreaves and his team will use the prize funding to develop novel non-opioid analgesics and create a critical bridge to help prompt commercial development. His team identified a new approach to identify novel targets and found several potential candidates.

He will partner with McHardy and other researchers at UTSA to validate the potential novel targets identified and screen active compounds. The outcome aims to create a novel non-opioid analgesic and in turn, reduce opioid use syndrome and the epidemic of related overdose deaths.

“This Hill Award will catalyze the development of novel analgesics, thereby helping to reduce the epidemic of substance use disorder,” Hargreaves said.

Improving emergency airway management

De Lorenzo was chosen for addressing long-standing issues in airway management for emergency, critical care and surgical settings. Current endotracheal tubes (ETTs) have suffered from high failure rates, dislodgement, leakage and a lack of innovation over the past 125 years.

Prize funding will be used to partner with Hood and other researchers at UTSA to redesign the ETTs by developing a Flexible Airway Securement Tube (FAST) and then taking the design to market. The new design features innovative expanding/contracting geometries, smart materials and modular components.

“This award has arrived at a pivotal time for the effort,” said UTSA’s Hood, who serves as chief technology officer of EmergenceMed. “Our team has been exploring new materials and actuation methods for a far more user-friendly and intuitive endotracheal tube. This funding will help us achieve those improvements, broaden the patent portfolio on the technology, and engage with new partners for integrating sensors and smart systems that can respond to patient condition and first responder needs.”

This will enable better adaptability to various trachea sizes, improved fluid sealing and greater stability. This redesign promises to simplify intubation, enhance patient safety and pave the way for future AI-driven advancements in airway management.

Hood’s work has focused on medical device development, resulting in more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles from journals, and patents on the design, prototyping, characterization and field analysis for innovative portable oropharyngeal suction devices, endotracheal tubes and alternatives to the laryngoscope.

Rewarding creative collaboration

A committee of TAMEST members (Texas-based members of the National Academies) selected the recipients, and finalists were endorsed by a committee of Texas Nobel and Breakthrough Prize Laureates and approved by the TAMEST Board of Directors.

“On behalf of TAMEST, we are honored to congratulate this year’s recipients of the Hill Prizes, whose work exemplifies innovation and excellence and helps define Texas as a leader in scientific research and discovery,” said TAMEST President Brendan Lee, MD, PhD (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine. “These prestigious prizes not only recognize their remarkable research but also benefit from the critical support from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to help propel their work forward. We know their discoveries will continue to advance science in ways that will have a lasting impact on our world.”

“The Hill Prizes are designed to catalyze groundbreaking ideas and offer seed funding that bridges the gap between research and real-world impact,” said 2025 Hill Prizes Committee Chair David E. Daniel, PhD (NAE), The University of Texas at Dallas. “There is no shortage of innovation in Texas, and it was an honor to help put forward recipients whose deserving high-potential projects can now move forward thanks to Lyda Hill and her team’s support.”

The projects selected for the 2025 Hill Prizes focus on creative, collaborative approaches to some of the world’s biggest challenges, featuring top-tier, cross-disciplinary teams with leaders and researchers from multiple institutions. Principal investigators of the winning proposals will be recognized the evening of Feb. 4 at the opening reception of the TAMEST 2025 Annual Conference in Irving, Texas.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), a primary driver of San Antonio’s $44.1 billion health care and biosciences sector, is the largest academic research institution in South Texas with an annual research portfolio of $413 million. Driving substantial economic impact with its six professional schools, a diverse workforce of more than 8,500, an annual expense budget of $1.46 billion and clinical practices that provide 2.6 million patient visits each year, UT Health San Antonio plans to add more than 1,500 higher-wage jobs over the next five years to serve San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit UTHealthSA.org.

Stay connected with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Tier One research university and a Hispanic Serving Institution specializing in cyber, health, fundamental futures, and social-economic transformation. With more than 35,000 students, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. UTSA advances knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. The university embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property—for Texas, the nation and the world. Learn more online, on UTSA Today or on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter) or LinkedIn.

UT Health San Antonio contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu
UTSA contact: John Elizondo, (210) 458-2087, john.elizondo@utsa.edu

Media Contact

Steven Lee, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 210-450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu, https://news.uthscsa.edu/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ut-health-san-antonio-utsa-researchers-receive-prestigious-2025-hill-prizes-for-medicine-and-technology-302354499.html

SOURCE The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

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Melanie Siewert, Chief Marketing Officer at LHH, Joins the Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA)

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LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) proudly welcomes Melanie Siewert, Chief Marketing Officer at LHH, into its distinguished community of influential women leaders. A seasoned global marketing executive, Siewert brings more than 20 years of experience transforming brands, building high-performing teams, and driving measurable growth across both B2B and B2C industries.

As Chief Marketing Officer of LHH, Siewert leads global marketing strategy across brand, demand generation, and customer experience. She plays a critical role in aligning marketing with business objectives and fostering strong collaboration with sales to enhance organizational performance and accelerate growth. Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping a modern, customer-centric brand and building a marketing function designed to deliver consistent, high-impact results across a complex global enterprise.

Throughout her career, Siewert has held senior leadership roles at prominent organizations including Truist Financial, Worldpay, Equifax, Whirlpool Corporation, and JPMorgan Chase. She is widely recognized for guiding enterprise brand strategy, leading complex mergers, scaling marketing operations, and delivering measurable gains in pipeline, revenue, and digital adoption.

Siewert’s expertise spans marketing strategy, customer engagement, brand development, sales enablement, and cross-functional leadership. Known for her empowering leadership style and strategic vision, she consistently builds high-performing teams that drive sustainable business growth while fostering collaboration and innovation.

Her accomplishments include:

Leading global marketing strategy for LHH, integrating brand, demand generation, and customer experience to drive business performance.Guiding enterprise brand transformations and go-to-market strategies across multiple global organizations.Driving measurable growth in pipeline, revenue, and digital engagement through data-driven marketing initiatives.Leading marketing efforts through complex mergers and organizational transformations.Serving as a two-time board chair and lifetime member of Strategic & Competitive Intelligence Professionals.Recognized as a Top Woman in Marketing by PRWeek.

“Melanie’s ability to translate complex market dynamics into clear, impactful strategies, combined with her commitment to building strong, collaborative teams, makes her an exceptional addition to EWA,” said Larraine Segil. “Her leadership and results-driven approach align seamlessly with the values of our sisterhood.”

Melanie shared “I’m honored to be part of the Exceptional Women’s Alliance and look forward to learning from the incredible women leaders who are dedicated to lifting other women and impacting the world at large.”

Siewert now joins a powerful and growing community of C-suite and board-level women leaders across disciplines who share a common goal: to support one another through confidential, life-long mentoring relationships and to enrich both their professional and personal lives.

About Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA)
The Exceptional Women Alliance (EWA) is an invitation-only peer mentorship organization where high-level Exceptional Women from across multiple industries are hand-selected and invested in, to grow, learn, share, and succeed. In addition to the achievement of significant success, the criteria for acceptance include character traits that are defining of the EWA Culture – Kindness, the Spirit of Generosity, Transparency, Gratitude, and Willingness to Share their knowledge. The Foundation is a powerhouse of peer-to-peer mentoring that provides guidance, deep connection, and leadership, propelling each woman to sustainable success—one woman at a time. The life-long program enables each participant to be connected as alumnae in the ever-expanding EWA global community, as their fellow women leaders continue to move into positions of significance.

Learn more at www.exceptionalwomenalliance.com

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Insurance Modernization at Risk as Workforce Strategies Fall Behind, Says Info-Tech Research Group

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Insurers are under pressure to modernize core systems while competing for scarce cloud, data, AI, and cybersecurity talent. Info-Tech Research Group’s new blueprint, Rebuild Your Talent Engine: Attract and Retain IT Talent in Insurance, outlines a practical framework to help insurance IT and HR leaders assess readiness, strengthen their employee value proposition, and retain the critical roles needed to accelerate transformation.

ARLINGTON, Va., May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Insurance modernization is increasingly being constrained by the people and capabilities required to deliver it, according to Info-Tech Research Group. The global research and advisory firm’s newly published blueprint, Rebuild Your Talent Engine: Attract and Retain IT Talent in Insurance, provides a structured approach to help insurers attract, retain, and mobilize the IT talent required to support digital transformation.

The firm’s research indicates that many insurers are trying to advance core system modernization while facing shortages in cloud, data, AI, and cybersecurity roles. At the same time, experienced legacy system experts are retiring, creating knowledge gaps that can slow delivery, increase operational risk, and deepen dependence on external partners.

“Insurance modernization cannot succeed if the workforce strategy behind it remains outdated,” says Vidhi Trivedi, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “Insurers need an employee value proposition that reflects what both digital and legacy talent value today: flexibility, growth, purpose, and belonging. When organizations connect those expectations to the technology roadmap, they are better positioned to retain institutional knowledge, attract new capabilities, and move transformation forward with confidence.”

Key Workforce Risks Slowing Insurance Modernization

Info-Tech’s blueprint identifies several talent challenges that are limiting insurers’ ability to modernize effectively:

Critical digital skills remain difficult to attract and retain. Cloud engineers, data architects, cybersecurity specialists, and AI-capable technologists are essential to future-state systems, integration, and automation.Legacy expertise is leaving faster than it can be replaced. Core system knowledge remains vital to operations, compliance, and transition planning, yet many long-tenured experts are approaching retirement or feel disconnected from future-state roles.Rigid work models reduce access to high-demand talent. Digital professionals increasingly expect hybrid options, autonomy, modern delivery practices, and environments that support productivity and wellbeing.Growth pathways are not clearly connected to transformation needs. Without structured upskilling, internal mobility, and role progression, insurers risk losing employees to industries perceived as more innovative or career-accelerating.Employer branding often undersells insurance’s purpose and impact. The industry plays a critical role in protecting people, businesses, and communities, but that purpose is not always translated into a compelling technology career story.

Info-Tech’s Three-Phase Framework for Rebuilding the Insurance IT Talent Engine

To help insurers address these challenges, the Rebuild Your Talent Engine: Attract and Retain IT Talent in Insurance blueprint outlines a three-phase methodology:

Assess Talent Readiness for Modernization Success
Insurance IT and HR leaders identify modernization-critical roles, evaluate workforce pressure, assess EVP fit across key roles, and prioritize the roles that pose the greatest risk to transformation timelines.Build and Embed a Modern Employee Value Proposition
Organizations define a clear employer-employee value exchange, establish proof points across the four EVP pillars of flexibility, growth, purpose, and belonging, and activate targeted initiatives for priority roles.Develop and Present the EVP Impact Report
Leaders synthesize workforce insights, visualize progress, and present a measurable view of how EVP activation is improving retention, engagement, internal mobility, and readiness.

The resource also includes supporting tools, such as the EVP Diagnostic Tool, EVP Activation & Implementation Tool, and EVP Impact Report Template, that help insurers move from talent planning to measurable action.

“Too often, insurers view IT talent challenges as a capacity issue, when they are really a transformation risk,” explains Trivedi. ” “The insurers that move fastest will be those that know where critical capabilities are under strain, protect the expertise that increases operational resilience, and create clear pathways for employees to help shape the future of insurance from within.”

By applying Info-Tech’s framework outlined in the Rebuild Your Talent Engine: Attract and Retain IT Talent in Insurance blueprint, insurance leaders can better understand where people-related risks are highest, strengthen retention in critical roles, reduce long-term reliance on external partners, and build a more resilient technology organization. The firm’s research emphasizes that a modern EVP is not only an HR initiative but a strategic enabler of modernization success.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech’s experts, including Vidhi Trivedi, and access to the complete Rebuild Your Talent Engine: Attract and Retain IT Talent in Insurance blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the “get things done” partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm’s SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

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Caris Life Sciences Submits Application to New York State Department of Health for Caris Assure Blood‑Based Testing Authorization

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IRVING, Texas, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caris Life Sciences® (NASDAQ: CAI), a leading patient-centric next-generation AI TechBio company and precision medicine pioneer, today announced that it has submitted an application to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP), administered through the Wadsworth Center, seeking authorization to perform Caris Assure®, its blood‑based molecular profiling test, on specimens originating from New York State.

Caris Assure is a blood‑based molecular profiling test designed to support comprehensive biomarker analysis using a minimally invasive blood sample. Caris Assure uses circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) to analyze the whole exome (DNA) and whole transcriptome (RNA) of 22,000 genes. This comprehensive test identifies tumor alterations, clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and inherited variants, pharmacogenomic alterations, microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB).

The submission initiates the formal review process required by New York State for clinical laboratories seeking to perform testing on specimens collected from New York patients. Through the Wadsworth Center, CLEP conducts comprehensive reviews of laboratory permits and laboratory-developed tests to evaluate analytical validation, quality systems, personnel qualifications and compliance with applicable state regulations.

“Caris is committed to meeting the highest standards for laboratory quality, validation and regulatory compliance,” said David Spetzler, MS, PhD, MBA, President of Caris Life Sciences. “This submission of Caris Assure for review through the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center reflects our disciplined approach to expanding access to our technologies in a manner that demonstrates the rigor, responsibility and focus on the patient that define Caris Life Sciences and guide our work in the markets we serve.”

At this time, no determination has been made by NYSDOH, and Caris Assure is not authorized for use on blood-based specimens originating from New York State unless and until CLEP authorization is granted.

Caris operates a CAP-accredited, CLIA‑certified clinical laboratory and performs testing in jurisdictions where it is authorized to do so, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Any future availability of Caris Assure in New York State will be contingent upon completion of the CLEP review process administered by the Wadsworth Center and receipt of the appropriate authorization.

About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences® (Caris) is a leading, patient-centric, next-generation AI TechBio company and precision medicine pioneer actively developing and commercializing innovative solutions to transform healthcare. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Genome, Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing), advanced AI and machine learning, Caris has created the large-scale, multimodal clinico-genomic database and computing capability needed to analyze and further unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This convergence of next-generation sequencing, AI and machine learning technologies and high-performance computing provides a differentiated platform for developing the latest generation of advanced precision medicine diagnostic solutions for early detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development.

Caris was founded with a vision to realize the potential of precision medicine to improve the human condition. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Cambridge (MA), Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris or its distributor partners provide services in the U.S. and other international markets.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our business, solutions, plans, objectives, goals, industry trends, financial outlook and guidance. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “potential,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” or “continue” or similar expressions.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information currently available to us, we cannot guarantee that the future results, discoveries, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control. Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release include, among other things: our future financial performance, results of operations or other operational results or metrics; development, analytical and clinical validation, timing and performance of future solutions by us and our competitors; commercial market acceptance for our solutions, including acceptance of preventive as well as diagnostic testing paradigms, and our ability to meet resulting demand; the rapidly evolving competitive environment in which we operate; third-party payer reimbursement and coverage decisions related to our solutions; risks related to data management, storage, and processing capabilities and our ability to integrate and deploy artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics technologies; our ability to protect and enhance our intellectual property; regulatory requirements, decisions or approvals (including the timing and conditions thereof) related to our solutions, including our application for New York State Department of Health approval for Caris Assure; reliance on third-party suppliers; risks related to data security, patient privacy, and compliance with healthcare data protection regulations as well as potential cybersecurity threats to our data platforms; our compliance with laws and regulations; the outcome of government investigations and litigation; risks related to our indebtedness; and our ability to hire and retain key personnel as well as risks, uncertainties; and other factors described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 3, 2026, and in our other filings we make with the SEC from time to time. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in events, circumstances or our beliefs after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

Caris Life Sciences Media:
Corporate Communications
CorpComm@CarisLS.com
214.294.5606 

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