April 2026 was a month of strong research dissemination, student achievement, and community engagement for the Melaram Lab. The lab continued advancing its work in environmental epidemiology, asthma disparities, and public health education through both scholarly and outreach activities. A major highlight was participation in the 2026 Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activities (SSIRCA) at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, where undergraduate mentees presented research on cyanotoxin biomonitoring in Lake Corpus Christi, geographic disparities in asthma hospitalizations across Texas public health regions, and environmental health implications of cyanobacterial contamination in South Texas agriculture. The lab recognized the accomplishments of Jaden Riojas, Hiea Almekhlabi, and Emma Doria, with Hiea Almekhlabi receiving the Dean’s Choice Award and placing second overall at the university-wide competition. The lab also expanded its community engagement through the “Asthma Action Heroes” workshop at the Anita & W.T. Neyland Public Library, led by Hiea Almekhlabi and Karla Martinez, which provided interactive asthma education for children and families.

We are proud to share our participation in the 2026 Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activities (SSIRCA) at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Three of our undergraduate mentees presented strong research posters that reflect the lab’s ongoing commitment to advancing environmental and public health research.

Their work included cyanotoxin biomonitoring in Lake Corpus Christi, an analysis of geographic disparities in asthma hospitalization rates across Texas public health regions, and an evaluation of the potential health implications of cyanobacterial-contaminated water on cotton production in South Texas.

We congratulate Jaden Riojas, Hiea Almekhlabi, and Emma Doria on their excellent presentations and research contributions.

We also extend special congratulations to Hiea Almekhlabi for receiving the Dean’s Choice Award from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Hiea additionally earned second place at SSIRCA at the university level—an outstanding accomplishment that reflects exceptional scholarly engagement and dedication.

Emma Doria, undergraduate research assistant, presented her research “Evaluating the Effects of Cyanobacterial Microcystins on Cotton Growth, Physiology, and Soil Structure” at McNair Day. Her work was well-received, generating strong interest among the university community. There is growing anticipation for the outcomes of her pot study and its potential implications for cotton farmers in South Texas.

Hiea Almekhlabi, research assistant, and Karla Martinez, nursing student, delivered an engaging and informative workshop titled “Asthma Action Heroes” at Anita & W.T. Neyland Public Library. During this workshop, participants met Agent Hero via storytelling, completed an “I Spy” activity, and received a Superspy certificate.

March was a highly productive month for the Melaram Lab, marked by continued expansion of research capacity, advancement of grant development activities, and strong progress in scientific dissemination. The lab welcomed multiple new team members, including graduate and undergraduate interns as well as a volunteer population health disparities analyst, further strengthening interdisciplinary expertise across environmental health, data science, and health equity. The team also completed cyanotoxin ELISA laboratory analyses, with trainees transitioning into data analysis, reporting, and statistical computing for environmental exposure modeling. In parallel, the lab submitted the NIH R25 research education grant and submitted abstracts to both the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo and the SSIRCA conference at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. These submissions included projects spanning environmental exposures, asthma disparities, and population health analytics, reinforcing the lab’s growing national visibility and commitment to translating environmental health research into impactful scholarly outputs and training opportunities.

Welcome to Amanat, our graduate public health summer intern! She is a graduate student at Northeastern University (Charlotte) studying public health, with a strong interest in understanding and addressing health disparities affecting underserved populations through research and evidence-based strategies. Her research interests include asthma health disparities, healthcare access, social determinants of health, chronic disease prevention, and community-based interventions. She brings strong leadership and communication skills, with a commitment to advancing population health.

Jaden has completed her last month of cyanotoxin ELISA analysis in the lab. She will now transition into the data analysis and reporting phase of her project, and will also begin training in statistical computing for environmental data modeling.

Welcome to Elizabeth Buduen, our undergraduate public health summer intern! She is a sophomore at Duke University studying neuroscience, with strong interests in public health research integrating data science, population health, and community engagement. She brings strong analytical skills and a commitment to improving community health outcomes.

Welcome to Tresha Parsania, our volunteer population health disparities analyst. Tresha is a clinically trained research professional and holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from MGM Medical College and Hospital in Mumbai, India, and a Master of Public Health from Boston University. Her research examines how social, environmental, and neighborhood-level determinants shape health outcomes and disparities in the United States. She is particularly interested in leveraging large population-based datasets to investigate the relationships between health access, community environments, and chronic disease prevalence.

February was a milestone month for the Melaram Lab. The BREATHE-CC study reached a major milestone with Institutional Review Board amendments approved and participant recruitment set to launch in March. The team continued advancing the National Institutes of Health R25 research education grant ahead of its March 17 deadline and was preparing four abstracts for the 2026 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, three of which were also being developed for submission to the 2026 Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activities. The APHA abstracts included the BREATHE-CC protocol, a systematic review examining prenatal PM2.5 exposure and DNA methylation patterns at birth, cyanotoxin biomonitoring in Lake Corpus Christi, and an analysis of geographical disparities in asthma hospitalization rates across Texas public health regions. Additionally, the lab welcomed a new volunteer population health disparities analyst and extended offers for the Public Health Summer Mentorship Program.

Dr. Rajesh Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, recently co-presented a virtual workshop titled "Crafting Your CV for Multiple Career Paths" for the International Society of Exposure Science. During the session, Dr. Melaram discussed CV fundamentals, shared practical examples, and offered strategies for developing strong CVs tailored to early-career professionals pursuing academic positions. He concluded his presentation by encouraging participants with the message "Don't give up because your CV will grow with you," a statement that was well received by an audience of more than 30 attendees.

January marked a focused start to the year for the Melaram Lab, emphasizing research dissemination, recruitment, and public health leadership development. The lab began preparing multiple research abstracts for submission to upcoming national conferences, including the American Public Health Association and International Society of Exposure Science meetings, while teams collaborated to refine analyses and strengthen the scientific impact of ongoing projects. Recruitment efforts also expanded to include applications for remote volunteer environmental health scientist and volunteer population health disparities analyst positions. Alongside these initiatives, the lab continued prioritizing mentorship in scientific writing, data analysis, and environmental exposure assessment to support the development of emerging public health leaders.

To kick off our Student Spotlight in the new year, we’re proud to recognize Jaden Riojas for their outstanding work and dedication. Over the past several months, Jaden has taken initiative in developing a foundational research proposal, collaborating closely with fellow scientists, and leading fieldwork efforts that included water sampling and quality assessments. In the lab, they have processed samples for analysis, extracted total microcystins for ELISA assays, organized and compiled datasets, and conducted basic descriptive statistics. Just as importantly, Jaden has helped translate preliminary findings into clear, accessible insights, making the research more meaningful to a broader audience. Their professionalism, curiosity, and strong work ethic have made a meaningful impact on the project’s progress, and we’re excited to see all they continue to accomplish.

Dr. Rajesh Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, is pleased to announce the publication of his article, "Daily Time Series Analysis of Ambient Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter Levels in Corpus Christi, Texas," in Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. This study analyzed five years of air quality data along the Texas industrial coast, revealing distinct seasonal patterns and temperature-linked differences in ozone (O₃) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) levels. Using classical seasonal decomposition and autoregressive moving average modeling, the research identified persistent O₃ elevations and oscillating PM_2.5 concentrations in the petrochemical-intensive city of Corpus Christi, underscoring the need for targeted, pollutant-specific air quality interventions.

Dr. Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, attended the CONHS Dean's Advisory Board Meeting where he presented his latest initiative, "BREATHE-CC," designed to address asthma health disparities among Hispanic children in South Texas. The meeting was highly insightful, providing strategic guidance to help shape the future of healthcare education in the region and expand opportunities for community impact.

Dr. Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, and Dr. Jin, Professor of Statistics, are pleased to announce the acceptance of their publication, "Investigating Asthma Disparities in Hispanic Communities Using Machine Learning Algorithms on the All of Us Researcher Workbench" in Healthcare. Using interpretable machine learning models, their study revealed important nonlinear patterns indicating that older Hispanic women with higher BMI and greater access barriers experience the highest asthma burden, underscoring critical targets for intervention.

Welcome to Emma Doria, our newest undergraduate research assistant from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi! Emma is a junior majoring in Medical Laboratory Science, and her research interests include water quality, agricultural impacts on health, environmental exposures, and community health. Emma will contribute to ongoing laboratory and field-based research efforts, supporting projects that examine environmental exposures and their impacts on community health. We are excited to have Emma join the Melaram Lab!

Dr. Rajesh Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, along with research assistants, Hiea Almekhlabi and Manasa Kuchavaram, successfully presented and defended their initiative, “Breathe and Boogie,” to the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. During the meeting, the community engagement team addressed board concerns and questions related to health topics such as diet and nutrition, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) alignments, and special needs accommodations. The board approved the initiative, marking a key step toward implementing an asthma education workshop in local schools across Nueces County.

Dr. Rajesh Melaram represented Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo in Washington, D.C., presenting the Melaram Lab's research on "Daily Time Series of Ambient Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter in Corpus Christi, Texas." This research provides critical baseline data to inform local air quality policy decisions and improve understanding of pollutant dynamics in petrochemical industrial regions. The work, which originated as an undergraduate research project, has now been presented at a national conference within its first year.

Dr. Rajesh Melaram, Assistant Professor of Public Health, was invited to present as part of the Epidemiology-Biostatistics Lecture Series at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. During the session, Dr. Melaram presented his research on "Daily Time Series of Ambient Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter in Corpus Christi, Texas." He discussed long-term air quality patterns along the Texas industrial coast and highlighted seasonal trends, pollutant variability, and temperature-associated changes in air pollution levels. The presentation emphasized the use of time series modeling approaches, including seasonal decomposition and autoregressive methods, to better understand environmental exposures in petrochemical regions and their implications for public health.