|
Dear Jason,
Welcome to the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine July newsletter. This month, we celebrate the state's latest $19 million investment in precision medicine, highlight the work of cancer disparities project leader PI Dr. Manali Patel, and welcome two new team members. Read on for employment opportunities and information about upcoming CIAPM meetings.
In partnership,
The CIAPM Team
| |
Governor Newsom and the Legislature Allocate over $19M for Precision Medicine
The final state budget passed by the legislature in June and signed by the Governor includes $19.25 million to launch two new projects led by CIAPM: a $10 million depression research program and a $9.25 dollar five-year interagency project to boost representation in biomedical research. Requests for proposals will launch as early as this fall.
| | | |
CIAPM Investigator Spotlight: Dr. Manali Patel | | |
Manali Patel, MD, MPH, is featured in this month's Investigator Spotlight. Her CIAPM-funded project is called Reducing Cancer Disparities Through Innovative Community-Academic Partnerships. | |
What is the major goal of your project, and how does the project address the benefits and use of Precision Medicine in cancer research?
The major goal of our project is to reduce cancer disparities in Monterey County by focusing on the integration of precision medicine education and care delivery across the continuum of cancer. We designed a multi-level intervention that integrates community health worker-led educational approaches for precision cancer care delivery, clinician engagement, and clinic and health system process changes to ensure equitable receipt of precision cancer care. We hope to improve patients’ understanding of precision medicine and enhance evidence-based cancer care among low-income and Latinx adults.
| | |
Join our Team!
CIAPM will soon post a call for applications for two positions as a result of the recent state budget allocation. Please stay tuned this summer for a separate email announcing the postings for one Health Equity Officer, and one Program Administrator.
The staff members hired into these positions will work together on a new and exciting endeavor: CIAPM is preparing to launch a five-year program to combat underrepresentation in biomedical research by partnering with the NIH All of Us program and over ten state agencies and external organizations to accelerate the science and implementation of recruitment strategies tailored to rural residents, communities of color, LGBT+ and disabled Californians, and other groups who have not traditionally been engaged by researchers.
| | | |
CIAPM Well-Represented at the 2022 Precision Medicine World Conference | |
More than a dozen members of the CIAPM network participated in the 2022 Precision Medicine World Conference in Santa Clara as speakers, panel moderators, session emcees, and more. At their booth in the exhibit hall, CIAPM’s Northern California-based staff engaged conference attendees, sharing our 2021 Annual Report and other helpful information. | |
CIAPM Co-Director Julianne McCall leads a panel discussion, “Past, Present, and Future: How will We Manage the Next Pandemic?” | |
2022 All -Teams Meeting
On May 23, CIAPM hosted nearly 50 members of the Initiative's network for an All-Teams Meeting, showcasing current and former project leaders of CIAPM-funded research, members of Governor Newsom’s Cabinet, and members of the CA Precision Medicine Advisory Council. Attendees had the opportunity to network, present research findings, and discuss best practices in community engagement and data management. The half-day event was generously hosted by the California Endowment with an elegant reception sponsored by California Life Sciences and the Sierra Health Foundation.
| | |
Congratulations to Graduating Interns and Fellows
The CIAPM team would like to congratulate Drs. Hyunsoo Gloria Kim, Jessica Lumian, and Esther Omaiye on their recent graduation from their doctoral programs.
Dr. Hyunsoo Gloria Kim was a policy fellow at CIAPM, and recently finished their PhD in microbiology at UC Davis. Their research projects span the fields of synthetic biology, metabolic regulation, tissue engineering, cancer epidemiology, cognitive neuroscience, and science education.
Dr. Jessica Lumian was a policy fellow at CIAPM. She earned a PhD in microbiology at UC Davis in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department. Her thesis research focused on environmental tolerance mechanisms of Antarctic cyanobacteria using a variety of bioinformatics techniques.
Dr. Esther Omaiye is currently a graduate student intern at CIAPM. She recently earned a PhD in environmental toxicology at UC Riverside. Her doctoral research focused on emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and their potential effects on human health using analytical and in vitro approaches.
We wish them nothing but success in the next chapter of their careers.
| | | |
New Additions to the CIAPM Team | We are pleased to welcome two new members to our CIAPM Team. | |
Bridgette Smith is a doctoral candidate in the Epidemiology Graduate Program at University of California, Davis and is joining CIAPM as a graduate student intern in equitable research participation. Her research aims to increase health equity through exploring the distribution of health outcomes in relation to the social and built environment to inform institutional policy. Additionally, she works with Dr. Alice Popejoy on race, ethnicity, and ancestry, and their relationship to health outcomes. She received her master’s degree in public health from UC Davis and her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from UC Merced. Ultimately, Bridgette is dedicated to community-engagement efforts, and hopes that through her work she amplifies the voices of historically vulnerable communities and ensures that research is equitable and representative of the public health challenges and its population.
| | |
|
Megan Neel is a public health administration student at Sacramento State University and is excited to be joining the OPR team as a summer intern. Her prior experience in a clinical healthcare setting as a certified nurse assistant ignited her passion to make an impact in preventative healthcare and devote her career to bringing a more sound and harmonious form of healing to the world. Megan cares deeply about the health and well-being of humans, and is also a lover of animals. The newest addition to her little fur family is Ms. Maisey, her pet rat that she adopted in February, who has positively impacted her life ever since.
| | |
California Precision Medicine Advisory Council |
|
Spring Meeting Overview
On May 23, the California Precision Medicine Advisory Council held its first in-person meeting, in Sacramento. Council members reelected Dr. Clara Lajonchere (UCLA) as council chair, and Dr. Keith Yamamoto (UCSF) as council vice chair, each for another one-year term. CIAMP staff updated the advisors about the status of the Initiative's two budget items that have since been signed into law, and the ongoing development of the CIAPM impact assessment that will provide an overview of the Initiative’s accomplishments, study its innovative models for community partnerships, and highlight the ways CIAPM’s research has affected communities, scientific research, healthcare, and Californians’ lives. The council members also discussed progress of the two working groups. The next council meeting is August 31 at 10:00.
| | |
Data Integration Working Group | |
The Advisory Council Working Group on Data Integration held a virtual meeting on May 25th. The meeting featured guest presentations by and conversations with guest experts from the California Health and Human Services Agency including Chief Data Officer John Ohanian, Assistant Director of Health Information Integrity Elaine Scordakis, and Consultant Rim Waterson. The next working group meeting will be July 27 at 1:00 p.m. | |
Equitable Consent Working Group | |
The Equitable Consent Working Group has been developing content and rollout plan for a website that would provide a broad range of stakeholders with tools, resources, and best practices to increase participation by underrepresented minorities in clinical trials. The launch of the first phase of the content is scheduled for this fall. The working group is also thrilled to have a new graduate student intern, Bridgette Smith, whose time is dedicated to the equitable consent project. If you are interested in participating with the project by commenting on the scope, reviewing content, or helping with dissemination, please email CIAPM@opr.ca.gov. | |
CIAPM Network in the News | |
UC Davis Health recently profiled Dr. Laura Fejerman about Tu Historia Cuenta (Your Story Matters), the work she is doing as part of UCSF’s CIAPM-funded project, Addressing Disparities in Breast Cancer in Latinas: A Multi-Tiered Approach. | |
The Global Venturing Review showcased advisory council member Dr. Oliver Keown in the June 16 podcast episode, “Intuitive Venture”, available online. | |
The New York Times Magazine recently featured Dr. Brennan Spiegel, a former project leader of CIAPM-funded research, who is leading the field of therapeutic virtual reality. Read or listen to the article online. | |
Upcoming Advisory Council Meetings | |
|
July 27, 2022
1:00 p.m.
Data Integration Working Group
Register
| |
|
August 31, 2022
10:00 a.m.
Advisory Council Meeting
Register
| |
External Funding Opportunities | |
|
Implementing and Sustaining Evidence-Based Mental Health Practices in Low-Resource Settings to Achieve Equity in Outcomes (R34 Clinical Trial Required )
NIH
| |
|
Data Visualization for Scientific Discovery, Decision-Making, and Communication
DOE
| |
California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine | | | | | |
