Blog Post | June 2026
The Children’s Learning Institute is proud to share that Michael P. Mesa, PhD, assistant professor, was awarded a 2026 Department of Pediatrics Research Pilot Grant. The purpose of these competitive grants is to stimulate wide-ranging, innovative research and to increase the number of academic presentations, publications, and grant submissions by the Department of Pediatrics faculty.
Mesa’s proposal for a research study titled “Move to Learn: Pilot Assessing the Feasibility and Promise of Pre-Instruction Movement Routines in Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms” was selected from a record number of applications.
Mesa will lead this new research by serving as the project’s principal investigator. Research will be supported by Timothy J. Walker, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Public Health, as co-investigator. This partnership marks the first collaborative research relationship between CLI, part of the McGovern Medical School, and UTHealth’s School of Public Health. Tricia Zucker, PhD, co-director of CLI, will aid both early professional investigators by serving in a mentor role.
The pilot study will examine whether brief, movement activities completed before pre-K read-aloud lessons are practical for teachers and beneficial for children. The incorporated movement routines are designed to fit easily into existing instruction and are paired with an evidence-based language curriculum. This new work is planned to commence later this year.
Read Award Announcement
Michael P. Mesa, PhD
Assistant Professor