Shelby Flores-Thorpe
Shelby Flores-Thorpe, PhD, MEd, CHES, is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin, working on the Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration (TX RPC) Project. Originally from Albuquerque, NM, she moved to Texas to attend St. Edward’s University in Austin, where she worked as an athletic trainer and earned a B.A. in Kinesiology.
She later obtained her M.Ed. from Texas State University in 2018 while working as a graduate instructional assistant and supporting after-school nutrition programs. Dr. Flores-Thorpe then joined the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, focusing on improving communication between health researchers and state legislators to enhance the use of evidence-based information in policymaking. She successfully defended her dissertation in 2023 and continues this work as a postdoctoral fellow.
Currently, she is the President-Elect for the Texas SOPHE chapter and looks forward to
transitioning to President in 2025. Dr. Flores-Thorpe enjoys collaborating with participants,
programs, and legislators to ensure informed policymaking. She takes pride in helping legislators pass informed laws and values the advice from a previous academic advisor: “Never be afraid to advocate for yourself.”
In her free time, Dr. Flores-Thorpe enjoys reading, exploring new food spots with friends, and
traveling with her dog, Landry.
Never give up on your dreams. It may take you longer to get there, but it will be worth it in the
end!