Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker

Dr. Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker serves as Professor in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health's Brownsville Campus. With over 20 years of expertise, she specializes in research design, program development, intervention mapping, and community engagement focused on chronic illness prevention and management.

Her research spans Adolescent Health, Behavioral/Mental Health, Border Health, Cancer prevention, Cardiovascular and Chronic Diseases, Health Education, Maternal and Child Health, Program Evaluation, Social Determinants of Health, Women's Health, and Health Equity. Recognized as a leader in verbal exchange health literacy, she develops community-based interventions targeting diabetes, asthma, and patient-provider communication.

As Principal Investigator, Dr. Valerio secures funding from NCATS, CDC, NIH, and PCORI for critical initiatives:

• Colorectal Cancer Screening Implementation: Increasing screening rates in Texas Federally Qualified Health Centers through evidence-based interventions.
• Alliance for Colorectal Cancer: Partnering with MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate screening programs for priority populations.
• Salud en Mis Manos (SEMM): Delivering breast/cervical cancer prevention for Latinas across 31 Texas Gulf Coast counties via community health workers.
• Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Enhancing hypertension/cholesterol management in underserved communities through EHR optimization.

She also teaches Intervention Mapping and Community Assessment while serving as Deputy Editor for Health Promotion Practice.