MCALLEN, Texas - In his recent presentation at the 2025 State of RGV Real Estate Forum, Dr. Michael Hocker, dean of the UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, asked the audience if they knew what research the school was conducting.
Very few hands went up. Hocker was not discouraged.
“I'm going to change that today. You're going to go away from here and you're going to say, ‘wow, I'd had no idea you were doing that’,” Hocker said.
“First of all, when you look at… I just want to throw some accolades to (UTRGV) President (Guy) Bailey and what we're doing. We just reached status for emerging research university,” Hocker said.
“That requires expenditures of around $40 million in research, and it also requires so many PhD. So, we just achieved that, and we should get recognition for that soon, which means we get more (funding).”
The audience applauded.
“It's not just the recognition, but it actually gives you access to additional state dollars that you can do then more research with. So that's really important.”
Hocker said President Bailey has set a goal of reaching R1 status.
“Right now, there are 16 tier one institutions (in Texas), and by 2030 we plan to be a tier one institution, and we are on track to do that.”
More applause.
“I wish I had time to tell you (about) all the great programs we're doing,” Hocker said. Given that there was not enough time, Hocker limited his remarks to two research projects the SOM has recently secured funding for.
“So, our School of Medicine alone makes up about 60% of the research expenditures at the university, and last year, we had $75.6 million in total awards and research,” Hocker said. “The money isn't important. What we're doing is important.”
Hocker then shared information on two research projects.
“For those of you who don't know, in Brownsville we have probably a world-renowned group of genetic researchers who today have more computing capacity with the computers we have down there,” Hocker said.
“We don't like to publicize that, because we don't want anybody to hack it. So, don't share it, but it's under guard.”
Hocker said the genetic researchers in Brownsville have the capability to do things researchers in other areas of the country cannot do.
“This group today can analyze your DNA in four hours. Let me say that again. I can take a blood sample from you and analyze your DNA in four hours. Do you know how long it took to sequence the genome, the human genome? Anybody want to guess? Almost 20 years and a billion dollars. Today, I can take your blood sample down there for $400 in four hours and I can tell you what your genetic sequencing is.”
The audience applauded.
“Now, the question is, what do we do with that? We combine that to understand what genetic component your disease or your family lineage produces in your disease pattern. Why do we have so much diabetes here? I think everybody (knows) diabetes is rampant. It is at epidemic rates in South Texas and along the border. So, we're studying that to understand,” Hocker said.
“Is it genetics? Yes, of course it's genetics. Is it environmental? Absolutely, it's environmental, whatever we're eating.”
Hocker said that when it comes to cancer, UTRGV SOM’s researchers not only look at genetics but also proteomics, which is the study of environmental factors.
“So now we can take your genes and say, hey, this is what caused it from your parents. This is what's coming from the environment. Especially for cancers, that’s important, because there's something here exposing people to GI cancers that's different than other places in the country.”
Hocker said he wanted to share that story because that's what the SOM researchers are doing.
“We’re not studying some esoteric disease that doesn't have anything do with the Rio Grande Valley. We're studying things that are important in changing the disease patterns in the lives of people here in Rio Grande Valley,” Hocker said.
“We currently have centers of excellence doing research and cancer research. We have another group… the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center that works collaboratively with University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. We just recruited the first neurologist in the Rio Grande Valley that actually specializes in memory disorders.”
Hocker continued: “So, not only can we look at what's happening on a research component, but we can actually start to care for patients with Alzheimer’s, to look at new, innovative, drugs. We also have our diabetes and obesity Institute looking at that.”
Hocker said the SOM was pleased to receive another $30 million grant from the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation to start a Diabetes Center of Excellence. He said this is long overdue in the Valley.
“We can really study what's happening with diabetes. We can start changing the disease patterns for diabetes,” Hocker said.
“Almost everybody here in the audience probably has somebody in their family with diabetes. Here, about two thirds of the population either has pre-diabetes or diabetes and the sequelae of diabetes, and what happens is just, it's life changing. So, you get a stroke, you have a heart attack, you get kidney failure, you lose a limb. We have to change that, and that's what we're here to do.”
The 2025 State of RGV Real Estate forum was hosted by Edwards Abstract & Title Company and held at the McAllen Convention Center.
