Wednesday, June 4, 2025
The Texas Leadership Research Scholars Program, which debuted in Fall 2024, is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board research scholarship and leadership opportunity program for high-achieving graduate students with financial need.
is among only nine public universities in the state selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the program, which awards selected doctoral researchers a nearly $18,000 scholarship renewable for up to four years.
鈥淭his program is not only bringing financial support for these doctoral researchers to continue their education, but also giving them access to a peer network and mentoring that will help set them up for career success after they graduate,鈥� says , 人妻中出视频 assistant vice president for research and innovation.
A total of six 人妻中出视频 students were named in the first cohort of 鈥� Garrett Cayce in the ; Araceli Herrera Mondragon, Celeste Ortega-Rodriguez and Jose Robledo in the; Christian Quintero in the ; and Emma Wimberg in the .
Read Wimberg鈥檚 story below and check back on this throughout Spring 2025 to learn more about students in the inaugural group of Texas Leadership Research Scholars.
Exploring Stress Responses
人妻中出视频's doctoral student Jose Robledo is photographed in biological sciences professor Pamela Padilla鈥檚 lab
Jose Robledo didn鈥檛 always consider working in science as a possibility for him.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think that my scientific interest could end up leading to a career,鈥� he says.
After earning his bachelor鈥檚 in biology from West Texas A&M University, Robledo planned to go into physical therapy, but he had always been curious about the world and grew up with a love for all kinds of animals.
His fascination with plants and how they grew came from his parents, who are from Tamaulipas, Mexico, and worked as migrant farm workers after immigrating to the U.S.
When Robledo enrolled in 人妻中出视频 as a master鈥檚 student, he still planned to work in physical therapy. His plans changed after approaching 人妻中出视频 biological sciences professor Pamela Padilla for an opportunity to work in her lab as he began his doctoral studies in biology at 人妻中出视频. Robledo says connecting with a mentor who was also Hispanic helped him make the decision.
鈥淚 wanted to find someone who I can share my culture with, who would probably be understanding of some of the challenges that I have coming from that kind of culture,鈥� he says.
Robledo, who serves as the president of the 人妻中出视频 Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, has been working in Padilla鈥檚 lab for the last eight years.
Now pursing his Ph.D., his research focuses on stress responses in the C. elegans worm to understand how diet influences genes and metabolism. His physical therapy background has helped him in that work, as he鈥檚 been able to capitalize on some of the same interests, such as diet.
鈥淲e use C. elegans as a model to understand hyperglycemia, so we鈥檙e trying to tie it back to all the molecular and metabolic changes that happen in type 2 diabetic patients,鈥� he says.
Photo of University of North Texas's Jose Robledo
Padilla says Robledo has been a tremendous asset to her lab and their field of research.
鈥淛ose is an amazing, intelligent and hard-working Ph.D. student who has contributed to discoveries in the field of genetics and stress responses,鈥� says Padilla, who serves as 人妻中出视频鈥檚 vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淗e is a talented scientist that demonstrates the energy, leadership skills and empathy to be a successful instructor and mentor to others.鈥�
As a Texas Leadership Research Scholar, Robledo can focus on research instead of having to find additional employment to provide for his family.
This program also has provided him with leadership and networking opportunities, including being recommended for the inaugural President鈥檚 Student Leader Advisory Committee this academic year. Robledo鈥檚 goal is to be a mentor to others, just like Padilla has been to him.
Planning to earn his doctorate in Fall 2025, he wants to continue with this field of research, hoping it could possibly lead to clinical trials in humans.
鈥淢y goal hopefully is to explore basic scientific questions that can help uncover some translational research applications that I could use to feel like I have a real impact on human health.鈥�
From 鈥� Research and Innovation by Addie Davis