Since coming to the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, research scientist Dr. Derek Rodriguez has gotten to live his dream.  

For Derek Rodriguez, cancer research isn't just a career. It's personal. At 8 years old, Rodriguez was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects muscle tissue.

For Dr. Derek Rodriguez, helping survivors is more than part of the job. It’s a calling that began when he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of childhood cancer, when he was 8 years old. 

On a late October night, Linda Mota woke with a start. While her mind should have been consumed with choosing a family Halloween costume, her thoughts were elsewhere. 

How living it up keeps Linda Hart-Garrahan moving forward with lymphoma.

“My heart is in patient care. Everything else I do – the teaching, the research – is an extension of that, preparing the next generation...

“I hope all my patients feel they’ve been listened to with compassion, and I hope I’ve helped them really understand what’s going on with their care.”