Francisca M. Acosta, PhD

Francisca M. Acosta, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor/Researcher in the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, and is a Joint Graduate Program Faculty of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering at UT San Antonio in San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Acosta graduated with a bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in Bioengineering from Rice University in 2015 and then went on to pursue postbaccalaureate training as part of the NIH The University of Kansas post-baccalaureate research training program (KU PREP), prior to coming to San Antonio to complete her doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in the Joint Biomedical Engineering Graduate program between The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and UT Health San Antonio in May 2020. She completed her Postdoc at UT Health San Antonio as an NIH NIDDK F32 Scholar in 2025. 

Now, as a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology at UT Health San Antonio, she is continuing to advance her research at the intersection of metabolism, biomedical engineering, and translational medicine. Her current work builds upon previous expertise by investigating the impact of metabolic dysregulation on musculoskeletal health and adiposity. She is also expanding her role in mentoring students and trainees, helping to guide the next generation of biomedical researchers.