About HealthLEADER
Read your way to your best health, your best self.
Welcome to HealthLEADER, an award-winning online magazine produced by the Office of Public Affairs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
HealthLEADER brings you the latest, most reliable news and information to help you make better decisions about your personal health.
On the HealthLEADER website, you’ll find:
- Our most recent feature story with related links, sidebars, health tips and source information
- A searchable archive more than 500 stories thick
- Easy-to-find links to all of our health services, schools and centers
- New features added regularly
With one click, you can even make an appointment to see one of our physicians or other health care providers.
UTHealth boasts more than 1,000 “health leaders” as its sources — clinicians and faculty members who are experts in medicine, nursing, dentistry, public health, human genetics, bioinformatics and biomedical science. All information is peer reviewed and approved before it goes to publication.
New stories appear weekly and are emailed directly to our subscribers. Subscription is free — just go to our secure Subscribe section and type in your email address. We proudly carry the HONcode (Health on the Net) Seal of Approval.
HealthLEADER’s mission is to inform you about cutting-edge research, clinical breakthroughs and lifestyle improvements that can serve your healthcare needs.
Meet the Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Andy Heger is the editor-in-chief of HealthLEADER. He joined the Office of Public Affairs at UTHealth in August 2011. In addition to his work with HealthLEADER, Andy provides editorial content for university publications and social media and works with video production/editing and media relations for the university.
His background includes more than 10 years of experience in fields such as news reporting/editing, film/video production, marketing/advertising, grant writing and special events planning.
Please feel free to email Andy with suggestions, comments on stories or to request additional information on health issues.
Assistant Vice President, Office of Public Affairs
Chief Communications Officer
Director, University Communications & Publications
Karen Krakower Kaplan, editor-in-chief of HealthLEADER for 10 years, is now director of University Communications and Design and senior communications officer for UTHealth. She continues to serve as a consulting editor and contributing writer for HealthLEADER.
Karen brings with her 35 years of experience as both a scientific journalist and editor. Her work has appeared in more than 50 journals, magazines, newspapers and anthologies. Her additional experience working with AIDS organizations, organ transplant and hospice patients provides a necessary depth to her understanding of current health information needs.
Under Karen’s leadership, HealthLEADER received 10 awards for outstanding writing, web design and content. Karen serves on several advisory boards and committees both within the university and the broader Houston community and lectures on key issues surrounding personal health and medical journalism.
Web Designer
Sophia is an experienced web designer who began her career in web development shortly after joining the university in 1994. She is responsible for HealthLEADER’s eye-catching layout and design and content management. Under her watch, HealthLEADER received the national “e-Healthcare Award” for overall excellence and The Web Marketing Association's Web award for outstanding achievement in website development.
Sophia is the designer behind the sleek “look” of several other websites and publications at UTHealth. She also maintains both the content and design of several hundred of our institution’s web pages.
Graphic Designer
As HealthLEADER’s graphic designer, Lauren Laman is responsible for the creation of all art and graphic pieces for the publication and in its promotion. At UTHealth, Lauren develops concepts and designs for brochures, invitations and other collateral materials for the university’s development and marketing efforts and event materials.
Lauren came to UTHealth after working as a graphic designer in the Community Relations office of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in Rosenberg, Texas. She graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas
Editor
Melanie Thompson joined the Office of Public Affairs at UTHealth in April 2012. In addition to her duties for the university, she assists with editing for HealthLEADER.
Melanie gained experience in media relations and writing press materials at an Austin PR agency after graduation from The University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor of science in public relations and a certificate in business foundations from the McCombs School of Business. Her background also includes special events, grant research and writing, development and social media.
Last updated: October 22, 2014.