Research Professor

Education

• PhD Nursing focus on the problem of preterm birth - University of Texas Health Science Center School of Nursing (San Antonio), 1999
• MSN in Nursing focus on administration, and clinical nurse specialty in perinatal area - Texas Woman’s University (Dallas), 1990
• Woman’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner - Southwestern Medical School at Parkland - Woman’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program (Dallas), 1990
• BSN in Nursing - University of Texas at Austin (Austin), 1976
• BA in Government - University of Texas at Austin (Austin), 1972

Email

jraruiz20@central.uh.eduu

Phone

832-842-8293

Clinical Interest

• Women’s Health gynecology and obstetrics
• High Risk obstetrics
• Preterm birth
• Health disparities
• Minority health
• Adverse Childhood Events

Research Interest

• Biobehavioral Research particularly with hormonal and immune parameters
• Psychological health particularly during the perinatal period
• Preterm birth prevention
• Health disparities

Professional Expertise

• APRN women’s health and gynecology
• Randomized trials
• Ethics in research

Professional Accolades

• Invited Task Force Member for Development of a Fellows Program out of AWHONN, 2019
• Invited Presentation, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Council meeting, 2013
• Fellow American Academy of Nursing, 2012
• UT Austin Star Award, 2009
• Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science Outstanding Abstract Award State of the Science, 2008
• UTMB Researcher of the Month, 2008
• UTMB Star Award, 2006        
• UTHSCSA Presidential Excellence Award Junior Research Scholar, 2005
• Health Care Heroes Award Health Care Provider San Antonio Business Journal, 2003

Publications

• Spurlock EJ, Pickler RH, Ruiz RJ, Ford J, Gillespie S, Kue J. (2023). Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, Experiences of Discrimination and Cesarean Birth in Mexican American Women, Hispanic Health Care International, March 22, 2023.
• Ruiz, R.J., Spurlock, E, Rivera, L., Cernuch, M., Stotts, A., Northrup, T.F., Villarreal, Y., Suchting, R., Stowe, R.P., Pickler, R.H. (2022). Biopsychosocial Cultural Profiles of Risk, Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Online Open Access.
• Spurlock, E.J., Kue, J., Gillespie, S., Ford, J., Ruiz. R.J., Pickler, R.H. (2021). Integrative Review of Disparities in Mode of Birth and Related Complications among Mexican American Women. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. 
• Ruiz, R.J., Newman, M., Records, K., Pasillas, R., Fagundes, C.P, Brown, R., Moore, T.A. (2019). A Cumulative Profile of Risk Predicts Poor Infant Outcomes in Pregnant Mexican American Women. Open Access Nursing Journal.
• Ruiz, R.J., Newman, M., Records, K., Wommack, J., Stowe, R.P., Pasillas, R. (2019). A Pilot Test of the Mastery Lifestyle Intervention. Nursing Research.
• Moore, T.A., Ahmad, I., Schmid, K.K., Berger, A., Ruiz, R.J., Pickler, R., Zimmerman, M. (2019). Oxidative Stress Levels throughout Pregnancy, At Birth, and In the Neonate. Biological Research. 
• Wommack, J C, Trzeciakowski, J, Miranda, R C, Stowe, R P, Ruiz, R J. (2018). Micro RNA Clusters in Maternal Plasma Are Associated with Preterm Birth and Infant Outcomes. PLOS One. Online. 
• Santos, H., Fried, E.I., Asafu-Adjei, J., Ruiz, R.J. (2017).  Network Structure of Perinatal Depressive Symptoms in Latinas: Relationship to Stress-Related and Reproductive Hormones. Research in Nursing and Health.