Issue #15

Marcus Program in Precision Medicine Innovation symposium last spring

Evolution of the Marcus Program in Precision Medicine Innovation and Awardee Perspectives


"Our thinking was to seed one-off, bold ideas since it’s harder for scientists to find this type of funding...Marcus funding has enabled an institution like UCSF to remain at the leading edge of innovation, new approaches, and bold thinking."

READ STORY

In case you missed it: Algorithmic Justice in Precision Medicine Report is now online


The final report from the Toward Algorithmic Justice in Precision Medicine workshop is online. The co-sponsors value any feedback! Read and Comment on the Report Here

News

Teach creativity in science higher education


Keith Yamamoto shares: "Creativity, the start point for science, is typically unacknowledged and rarely credited – yet it is the spark that illuminates an unimagined puzzle, and gives form to a new hypothesis.

Can creativity be taught? Yes, and it should be taught in science graduate curricula, as it is in the arts, business, engineering, and more. Demystifying the scientific creative process can make science more equitable and accessible. And better. And more gratifying."


A Radcliffe Institute Summit group convened by Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher wrote this letter in Science co-authored by Yamamoto.

Precision Breast Cancer Trial Shows Improved Treatment by Tumor Subtype


I-SPY 2.2 study finds early breast cancer patients may benefit from pre-surgery combination of antibody drug conjugate Dato-DXd and checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab. Read UCSF.edu article

Payer Coverage Considerations for Alzheimer Disease Blood-Based Biomarker Tests


In a recent Viewpoint published in JAMA, TRANSPERS collaborators Patricia A. Deverka, Grace A. Lin, and Kathryn A. Phillips address payer coverage considerations for an emerging technology: new blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease that could help diagnose the condition earlier and more easily. The authors define key evidence needs for potential payer coverage: clear and evidence-based guidelines, consideration of the equity implications, and assessment of the appropriate balance of access and coverage early in the disease trajectory versus the potential for overuse.

Awards and Honors

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) awards Atul Butte, director of the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute/UC Health Chief Data Scientist, its highest honor - the Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics for his groundbreaking work and noteworthy achievements in advancing molecular diagnostics and computational health sciences. Learn more


Butte was also awarded Morris F. Collen Award of Excellence at the AMIA 2024 Annual Symposium by the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI). See announcement


Finally, Butte is a 2024 recipient of the Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Mentoring Award for UCSF Teaching Faculty. See full list here

Ida Sim, Chief Research Informatics Officer (CRIO) at UCSF, will receive the Luminary Award honor at the Precision Medicine World Conference (PMWC) in February 2025 for her groundbreaking work in digital health and AI-driven healthcare solutions.

Learn more about Ida Sim's contributions here

Robert A. Hiatt, professor emeritus of epidemiology and biostatics at UCSF, has received the Abraham Lilienfeld Award from the American College of Epidemiology for his lifetime of contributions to the field of epidemiology.


Read Announcement here

Events
February 5-7, 2025

UCSF Co-Sponsors the 2025 Precision Medicine World Conference (UCSF Discount available) with 25+ faculty presenting. Tracks include the "New Frontiers of Precision Medicine" & more! Register now | See website

Office of Science Policy and Strategy

Recommended Strategies to Integrate Public Engagement and Civic Science Training Into Graduate STEMM Education

Keith Yamamoto, vice chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy at UCSF, co-chaired the Research!America working group on public engagement training in graduate education. See attached report and recommendations

Vision for American Science & Technology (VAST)

The newly announced VAST (Vision for American Science and Technology) Task Force will chart the way for U.S. science and technology to reach its fullest potential. Yamamoto is a part of this Task Force and a recent article highlights its important work to identify and rectify the challenges facing the S&T enterprise, promote cross-sector collaboration, and help the U.S. maintain and extend its global leadership. See Axios article

The New Age of the United States of Science


'Scientists, engineers, educators, policymakers & public must work together to ensure the US remains globally competitive.' Yamamoto co-chairs the Science and Technology Action Committee (STAC) - earlier this fall a panel of experts took a deep dive into science education, policy, economics, and more during the United States of Science event hosted by The New York Academy of Sciences (the Academy) and STAC. Read more

The Elements of Precision Medicine
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