Dr. Joy Alonzo's Lab
Research Goals
- Design, develop and demonstrate interventions, especially technological, to address inequities in access to healthcare.
- Design, develop and demonstrate novel methods to address gaps in mental and behavioral healthcare, to include substance use disorders.
- Implement novel methodologies related to decentralized clinical trials with the goal of increasing URM participation.
- Evaluation and implementation of strategies to incorporate social messaging to improve communication and healthcare outcomes.
Telehealth Care Devices, Applications, Policy and Methodologies
Dr. Joy P. Alonzo is a pioneering figure in the field of telehealth innovations, with a remarkable portfolio of projects aimed at transforming healthcare delivery. Her work includes the development of the Texas A&M OnMed Healthcare Station, a groundbreaking telemedicine platform that enhances access to medical care. Dr. Alonzo's COVID Key is a distributed device and database system, offering touchless vital sign and clinical metric collection, addressing the pressing needs of pandemic response. Her innovative MyRecovery mobile application implements contingency management techniques to provide crucial support for patients in Substance Use Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder recovery. Furthermore, her MyDiabetes Score initiative combines a distributed database system, mobile phone application, and medication dispensing device integration to enhance adherence and improve patient outcomes for those with diabetes. Finally, through her Lifeline project, Dr. Alonzo integrates rural dispatch units, revolutionizing communication for citizen emergency response and augmenting emergency services, particularly for catastrophic health events like cardiac and overdose events. Dr. Alonzo's pioneering work in telehealth is poised to make a lasting impact on healthcare accessibility and patient outcomes.
Mental and Behavioral Health Care Interventions
Dr. Joy Alonzo has played a pivotal role in collaborative efforts between the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing to address the devastating opioid crisis. Her interventions include Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Administration Training (OENA), a program that equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to save lives through naloxone rescue kit distribution. Dr. Alonzo's initiatives also encompass education and training regarding Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), promoting evidence-based approaches to treatment. Moreover, her work extends to novel prevention and awareness programming, covering crucial topics such as illicit fentanyl education, youth refusal skills, and the establishment of community recovery-oriented systems of care. Dr. Alonzo's expertise in technology-assisted substance use disorder recovery and opioid overdose community response systems is at the forefront of combating this crisis, alongside her efforts to integrate mental and behavioral health care within the community, collectively fostering a comprehensive approach to addressing the opioid epidemic.
Increasing the participation, access and health care outcomes for special populations and URMs
Dr. Joy Alonzo's research is characterized by a strong commitment to addressing health disparities, particularly among underrepresented minority (URM) populations. Her work includes groundbreaking initiatives aimed at evaluating and increasing URM participation in clinical trials, with a focus on closing healthcare gaps. Dr. Alonzo's dedication to improving healthcare outcomes extends to her leadership in projects like the FDA Pharmacy Advances Clinical Trials Grant, which seeks to enhance the inclusion of URM individuals in clinical research, ultimately leading to more equitable healthcare advancements. She has also championed the TX Vaccination Education Grant, working tirelessly to raise URM vaccination rates through targeted messaging and community engagement efforts. Furthermore, Dr. Alonzo's contributions to public health are exemplified in her efforts to combat the opioid crisis and raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. Her research encompasses special populations and URM-focused messaging campaigns, contributing significantly to improved healthcare outcomes and equitable access to vital healthcare services.
Lab Funding
- 04/22-present FDA PACT AACP
FDA award and AACP partnership to evaluate and overcome obstacles to minority participation in COVID-19 clinical trials. Evaluation of using community pharmacies as a network to increase the participation of underserved minorities in clinical trials. Through this collaboration between AACP and TAMU, the researchers aim to develop a framework for a network of community pharmacists, pharmacy academia, and community-based organizations to advance the recruitment and enrollment of underrepresented minorities in COVID-19 clinical trials. The project features intelligent geospatial analysis providing insight into population stores, with targeted interventions, education, toolkits and messaging to impact enrollment.
CO-I: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $1 million
Funding: FDA - 01/22-present LifeLinker
LifeLinker is an innovative citizen response geographically dispersed portal and emergency management system designed to connect laypersons with specialized knowledge and skills to emergencies to augment services. The platform provides a way for individuals with specialized skills, such as healthcare professionals or first responders, to volunteer their services during an emergency. When an emergency occurs, LifeLinker sends out an alert to registered volunteers in the area who have the appropriate skills to respond. Volunteers can then accept the alert and aid on-site, or remotely if applicable. LifeLinker also provides a communication channel for first responders and volunteers to share information, such as patient information, emergency protocols, and supplies needed. LifeLinker features a training program that provides instruction on emergency response protocols, basic life support, and other critical skills. The program is designed to help individuals without specialized skills gain the knowledge and confidence to respond to emergencies. LifeLinker is an innovative platform that leverages technology to connect individuals with specialized skills to emergencies and improve emergency response outcomes. It provides a valuable resource for communities and first responders during emergencies.
PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $165,000
Funding: Institutional Sources - 10/21- present OLERA
Olera is a web-supported phone application designed to facilitate the care needs of community members seeking memory care for the elderly. The platform provides an innovative approach to caring for older adults with cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Olera provides a comprehensive set of tools and resources that enable family members and caregivers to manage and coordinate care for their loved ones. This includes a secure communication channel, shared calendar, task list, medication reminder, and care notes. The platform also features a secure memory profile that stores important information about the individual, such as their medical history, emergency contacts, and daily routines. This information can be accessed by authorized family members and caregivers to help provide more personalized and effective care. Olera provides a community section where caregivers and family members can connect with others in similar situations, access resources and support, and share experiences and best practices.
CO-PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount 2.5 million
Funding: NIH/SBIR - 10/21-5/23 TX DHHS/CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Outreach Grant
Targeted interventions are designed to increase the fully vaccinated rates and overcome barriers in counties of Central Texas. Populations specifically addressed are uninsured, underserved, and minority populations as well as youth and young adults in areas with historically low vaccination rates. Geographic area is rural and particularly vulnerable to lack of healthcare infrastructure and support. Focus on authenticity of messaging and overcoming cultural bias. Messaging and campaigns include focused social media campaigns, culturally competent mass marketing and media, targeted youth activities engaging high school students producing youth centric marketing materials such as comic books and videos, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, radio shows. Engaged community members throughout.
PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $300,000
Funding: TX DHHS/CDC - 5/21-present Preventing Opioid Relapse: Integrating Behavioral and Medication Treatment for OUD in Jails
Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is an effective treatment, yet many individuals on MOUD discontinue treatment and relapse post-release. Innovative behavioral interventions are needed as an adjunct to MOUD to enhance adherence and prevent relapse. To fill this gap, we propose to develop and test the feasibility of a novel telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted behavioral health program that targets stress, emotion dysregulation, and reward processing deficits to prevent relapse following release to the community.
Co-PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $500,000
Funding: TAMU President’s Excellence Fund - 4/21-10/22 COVPN 3006: A Study of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Potential Transmission in Individuals Immunized with Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
This study will evaluate the efficacy of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as its effect on peak nasal viral load as a measure of infection and a proxy of infectiousness, in adults aged 18-29. In the Main study, up to 12,000 participants will be randomized 1:1 to Immediate Vaccination Group 1 (at Months 0 and 1) or Standard of Care Group 2, with vaccination given at Months 4 and 5 if not received off-study previously. Up to an additional 6,000 participants will be enrolled into the Vaccine Declined Group 3 and will also be offered vaccine at Months 4 and 5. Additional study visits for Group 1 will occur at Months 2 and 4; for Groups 2 and 3, at Months 0 and 2. Study visits may include medical history, vaccine injections, blood collection, nasal swab, SARS-CoV-2 screening, COVID-19 symptom check, and questionnaires.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Rebecca Fischer
Co-PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $4.2 million
Funding: NIH/NIAI - 1/21-present Empower (Enhancing Mental Health Practice, Organization and Workforce through Education and Readiness) ECHO
Development and assessment of an online learning and mentoring community of clinicians focused on developing acumen in the treatment of opioid use disorder. Healthcare providers will learn information such as how to avoid over prescribing opioids and ECHO will help them attain necessary waivers to prescribe drugs that help manage and treat opioid use disorder. EMPOWER allows us to extend the capacity of care out beyond our walls and into these communities, providing valuable education and resources that can save lives, design recovery structures for each individual, all while educating rural health care providers at the exact same time. ECHO does not actually provide care to patients but instead helps support clinicians in rural and underserved areas by providing knowledge and clinical expertise to perform specialty care services for patients.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $100,000
Funding: Amerigroup - 09/20 -present MyDiabetes Score: Utilization of Smartphone Application, integrated web-based clinician portal, and contingency management to increase engagement and adherence with therapeutic plans for patients under treatment for DMT2
Evaluation of smartphone application evaluation in underserved population to determine efficacy for increasing adherence and engagement of patients suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. Patients agree upon elements of therapeutic plan to include: medication administration, diet, exercise, self-management activities. Agreed upon plan is delivered, monitored, and engaged upon via a smartphone application, MyDiabetes Score, which is integrated with cloud-based secure database and clinician web portal. Clinicians can interact in real-time with patients and assess compliance with agreed upon plan. Objective evidence of completed activities is supplied by participants and reviewed by clinician. Clinician assigns reward “points” to activities that translate to value-based patient reward.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $35,000
Funding: Texas A&M Funding - 09/20-present HRSA RCORP Golden Crescent Opioid Intervention
The overarching goal of GCROCC is to reduce morbidity and mortality of substance abuse disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD), in a high-risk area of Texas, with a long-term goal of reducing morbidity and mortality by improving prevention, treatment, and/or recovery services.
Amount: $1M
Co-Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo,
Funding Source: Health Resources and Services Administration - 4/20-4/23 COVID-19 Surveillance using distributed cloud-based database system, smartphone technology, and integrated novel wifi-enabled IR temperature & vitals scanning equipment.
Ongoing-surveillance and data collection project determining the efficacy of using a cloud-based distributed system integrating novel technologies to collect SARS-COV-2 surveillance and manage data on a population of clinical learners and athletes in the Texas A&M system.
Principle Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Amount: $300,000
Funding Source: Texas A&M Funding/Cares Act - 10/19-10/22 iTrust Grant (TBJ)
Adds four new tele-behavioral health access points to increase the training and capabilities of future psychologists in telehealth and interdisciplinary care. Builds on the telehealth model created by Texas A&M. Focus on treatment of inmates with substance use disorder, with special emphasis on treatment of opioid use disorder.
Amount: $1.3M
Principal Investigator: Dr. Carly McCord
Co-Investigators: Dr. Joy Alonzo,
Funding: Health Resources and Services Administration - 08/19-5/23 Blue Cross Blue Shield Moonshot Project 2: Tackling Distance
Development of innovations telehealth innovations and strategies specifically designed to address gaps in care and access to care in rural communities. Current implementations include a highly integrated and patient-centric telehealth care station providing direct access to clinicians. Other implementations include the design, development, and testing of remote emergency management system designed to augment existing emergency services in rural areas. The system includes a cloud-based database system that supports a user facing smartphone application, and a dispatch web portal for directing emergency activation of the augmentation resources. Includes assessment of health care utilization, current and future health care needs, evaluation of existing resources and the design, development and implementation of healthcare delivery disrupting technologies and innovations.
Amount: $1.4M
Principal Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo - 10/17-present Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Administration (OENA)
The OENA project provides education in opioid overdose recognition and training in naloxone administration, surveying participants pre and post training and longitudinally to determine knowledge, efficacy, and attitudes toward the US Opioid Crisis and interventions to address the crisis. The OENA project has provided training to more than 6000 TAMU HSC students, documented over 20 lives saved with distributed naloxone rescue kits, Additionally, community entities across the state including law enforcement, school districts, treatment centers, community coalitions, and local government entities have been trained and provided kits.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Funding Source: Texas Targeted Opioid Response (TTOR UTSA) - 08/19-04/20 Think Smart Opioid Misuse and Prevention Education (USDA)
Development, planning, and delivery of an evidence-based health education program targeting 9th and 10th graders in rural under-served Texas communities. Health education program is designed to address risk of substance use disorder, strengthen refusal skills in youth, and provide strategies for substance use avoidance based on principles of social inoculation.
Amount: $500,000
Principal Investigator: Dr. Ninfa Purcell
Co-Investigators: Dr. Joy Alonzo - 08/19-04/20 Global Hispanic Health Initiative (GIHH) Pharmacist Intervention: Pediatric Asthma
Project implements an educational intervention targeted at community pharmacists that incorporates the most recent disease state evidence-based guidelines. Pharmacist interventions are re-imbursed and cloolected via an innovative collaboration with a TX Medicaid Third Party Payer and the Pharmacy Benefits Manager. Evaluation of the program will determine if point of care intervention is effective in increasing medication adherence and improving patient outcomes.
Amount: $250,000
Co-PI: Dr. Joy Alonzo
Recent Publications
- Aylin, Yucel, Swarnava Sanyal, Ekere Essien, Osaro Mgbere, Rajender Aparasu, Vinod Bhatara, Joy Alonzo, Hua Chen, “Racial/ethnic differences in treatment quality among youth with primary care provider-initiated versus mental health specialist-initiated care for major depressive disorders” Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vol 25, Issue 1, February 2020, 28-35
- Hernandez, Jose, Zhong, Lixian, Alonzo, Joy, Sprenger, Lisa, “Impact of a Pharmaceutical Care Incentive Program on the Asthma Medication Ratio among Pediatric Patients with Persistent Asthma Enrolled in a Medicaid Program”, Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, Vol 15, Issue 3, March 2021.
- Ory MG, Lee S, Vollmer Dahlke D, Pardo N, Zhong L, McCord CE, Alonzo JP, Smith ML. Physicians' interest in different strategies for supporting pain management and opioid prescribing: A cross-sectional study. J Opioid Manag (In-press, revisions; accepted January 2022)
- Ory, M. G., Lee, S., Smith, M. L., Alonzo, J. P., Clark, H. R., & Burdine, J. N. (2022). Differences in the attitudes towards the opioid crisis between Metropolitan and rural counties in Central Texas: Secondary data analysis using cross-sectional data. Preventive Medicine Reports, 26, 101757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101757
- Zhong, L., Smith, M. L., Lyu, N., Davlasheridze, M., Alonzo, J. P., Lee, S., Wilson, L., & Ory, M. G. The opioid public health crisis in Texas: Characterizing real-world healthcare resource utilization and economic burden in different clinical settings. Journal of Opioid Management, (in-press).
Active Collaborations
School of Public Health
Dr. Marcia Ory
Dr. Ninfa Purcell
Dr. Rebecca Fischer
Dr. Gang Han
Dr. Matthew Smith
School of Nursing
Dr. Jodi Gary
Dr. Nancy Downing
Dr. Jane Bolin
School of Medicine
Dr. Carly McChord
Dr. Shereece Fields
College of Engineering
Dr. Keith Biggers
CDC Foundation
Dr. Melissa Romain-Harriot
RX-Recovery Foundation
Dr. Kristen Clancy
Baylor School of Medicine
Dr. Alicia Kowachuk
HIDTA
Mr. Wendell Campbell
UTHealth
Dr. Lucas Hill
Dr. Lisa Cleveland
Dr. Jennifer Potter