Texas Southern Expands Lifesaving Breast Cancer Services with $2M CPRIT Grant

Texas Southern University is advancing its mission to promote community health with a major new investment in breast cancer prevention. The university has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to grow its Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center, an initiative focused on bringing no-cost screenings and education to underserved communities across the Greater Houston region.

Building on momentum from a previous $1 million CPRIT grant, the program has already provided free mammograms to more than 1,400 women and delivered critical breast health education to over 4,500 individuals. The expansion, led by Dr. Veronica Ajewole-Mwema, will extend services into four new counties—Galveston, Polk, Brazoria, and Trinity—while continuing its work in the original five: Harris, Grimes, Matagorda, Walker, and Wharton.

Over the next three years, the enhanced program aims to deliver mammograms to 2,400 additional women, break down access barriers through patient navigation, and train community health workers to sustain long-term outreach.

Dr. Michelle Penn-Marshall, Vice President for Research and Innovation, praised the center’s ability to combine academic research with real-world results. “This award not only validates the quality of work happening at Texas Southern, it also enables us to reach even more women who urgently need care.”

This CPRIT grant is part of a larger $93 million investment in cancer research and prevention across Texas, helping to fund 61 projects. With this latest award, CPRIT continues to affirm Texas Southern’s role as a leader in community-centered cancer prevention and translational research.