A Monthly Digest of Noteworthy Activities and Achievements

Lindsey Criswell (left) and Alicia Fernandez were elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Lindsey, professor emeritus and current director of NIAMS, is recognized for her work on genetic and epigenetic factors in autoimmune rheumatic disorders. Alicia, professor of medicine and also recipient of the 2024 UCSF Chancellor Award for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership, is honored for her research on language and literacy barriers in patient care and outcomes. View all 30 DOM faculty in NAM.

Honors and News

Oanh Nguyen has been named
chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at ZSFG.

Ida Sim was recognized as one of 50 Influential People in Health and Life Sciences by STAT News.

Other Honors and News

Edwin Charlebois has been appointed to an NIH task force to inform the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research.

Monica Gandhi received the Vanguard Leadership Award from PRC (formerly the Positive Resource Center).

Lauren Linett has been appointed interim CMO for the UCSF Health St. Francis and St. Mary’s Hospitals.

John Sauceda has been appointed vice chair of the UCSF Committee on Faculty Welfare.

SPIRIT of DOM Awards

Jonathan Ballard (admin officer, Division of General Internal Medicine at ZSFG) and Joan U (research admin manager, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy, and Sleep Medicine at UCSF Health) are the recipients of the SPIRIT of DOM Award, which recognizes exceptional DOM staff members. Read more about them here.

Celebrating Harry Hollander’s Legacy

On October 22, approximately 150 residency alumni and colleagues gathered at the Omni Hotel to celebrate the inspiring legacy of Harry Hollander. From 1995 to 2018, Harry served as UCSF’s Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, shaping a generation of healthcare leaders. View photos from the event here.

In honor of this occasion, we established the Hollander Fund to support future medicine residents by providing valuable resources for their professional development. Learn more about the fund and its impact here.

DOM in the News

Peter Chin-Hong advised getting vaccinated before the holidays (KQED) and underscored that Covid tests are still effective even as new variants emerge (New York Times). He also linked recent E. coli and Listeria outbreaks to our complex food production (KCBS) and highlighted the potential dangers of ‘pink cocaine’ (Fox News).

Justin Field explained IBD, its unique impact on the LGBTQ community, and how the UCSF Rainbow IBD Clinic can help (KCBS). He also suggested eating dinner at least two hours before bedtime for better gut health (TIME).

Robert Harrison reported a surprising increase in cases of severe and fatal silicosis in workers who install countertops that contain crystalline silica (Los Angeles Times).

Karla Kerlikowske warned that breast cancer is both more common and harder to detect in women with dense breast tissue (KCBS).

Ashwin Kotwal linked trauma early in life to a range of psychological and physical conditions (KCBS).

Margot Kushel noted that city-sanctioned homeless camps tend to be ineffective (San Francisco Chronicle). She attributed the high costs of addressing homelessness to decades of underfunding (Los Angeles Times) and lamented the high costs of jailing those who sleep on the street, compared to providing housing (Los Angeles Times).

Rita Redberg attributed the higher rate of mortality in women diagnosed with heart disease to an over-representation of men in cardiac device trials (KCBS).

Eleanor Bimla Schwarz emphasized that hormonal IUDs reduce the risk of endometrial cancer and only slightly increase the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer (CNN).

Recent Grants of Note

Sheri Weiser and team: a grant of $4M over three years from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for a project entitled, “Equity and climate opportunities for health (ECO-Health) center.”

Pamela Ling: a grant of $3.4M over five years from the National Cancer Institute for a project entitled, “Social media support groups for adolescent vaping cessation.”

Carina Marquez: a grant of $3.4M over five years from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for a project entitled, “Motivate, Vaccinate, Activate: An effectiveness-implementation trial to assess the impact of a multi-component community-based intervention to increase RSV vaccine uptake among Latino older adults.”

Recent Publications of Note

Aldridge MD, Hunt LJ, Halloran Z, Harrison KL. Private equity acquisitions of hospices are increasing; ownership remains opaque. Health Aff (Millwood). 2024 Sep;43:1306-1310. >> PubMed Citation

Brender TD, Smith AK, Block BL. Can artificial intelligence speak for incapacitated patients at the end of life? JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Sep 1;184:1005-1006. >> PubMed Citation

Buckle GC, DeBoer R, Xu MJ... Van Loon K. Using context-specific evidence to inform resource-stratified cancer guidelines: A call for a new approach. Cancer. 2024 Sep 22. Epub ahead of print. >> PubMed Citation

Chou J, Robinson TM, Egusa EA... Synthetic lethal targeting of cyclin dependent kinase 12-deficient prostate cancer with PARP inhibitors. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Sep 25. Epub ahead of print. >> PubMed Citation

Dhruva SS, Han M, Jing Y, Trock BJ, Hogan SO, Redberg RF. Industry payments to cardiology fellows and early-career cardiologists. JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Sep 1;184:1123-1125. >> PubMed Citation

Karlovich N, McConnell R, Velayos F, Mahadevan U, Lewin S. Opioid use and outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute severe ulcerative colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2024 Sep 18. Epub ahead of print. >> PubMed Citation

Kerlikowske K, Esserman L, Tice JA. Screening mammography for 40-year-old women-whose decision? JAMA Intern Med. 2024 Nov 1;184:1281-1282. >> PubMed Citation

Peluso MJ, Deeks SG. Mechanisms of long COVID and the path toward therapeutics. Cell. 2024 Oct 3;187:5500-5529. >> PubMed Citation

Ramo J, Jurgens SJ, Kany S... Pirruccello JP. Rare genetic variants in LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 are associated with aortic stenosis. Circulation. 2024 Sep 02. Epub ahead of print. >> PubMed Citation

Zamora D, Dasgupta S, Stevens-Ayers T... Limaye AP. Cytomegalovirus immunity in high-risk liver transplant recipients following preemptive antiviral therapy versus prophylaxis. JCI Insight. 2024 Sep 24;9:e180115. >> PubMed Citation

See all 92 DOM-authored publications from last month.

Featured Events

Tips for Success: Faculty Mentoring Lunchtime Series
Kevin Shannon, recipient of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award, will share essential tips for success for early career researchers.
Tuesday, November 12 | 12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Click here for more information.

Promoting Effective Workplace Learning
This Medical Education Grand Rounds will explore effective learning in the workplace through the lens of cognitive load theory.
Wednesday, November 13 | 4:00 pm-5:00 pm
Click here for more information.

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