Dear Jason,

May is here and we are excited to share information about the latest developments and upcoming events happening at the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM). This month we are releasing our 2021 Annual Report to the California Legislature and holding accompanying briefings, convening the California Precision Medicine Advisory Council for their quarterly meeting, and welcoming new graduate student intern Esther Omaiye.

Read further to learn more and take a deeper dive into one of our CIAPM-funded projects on Adverse Childhood Experiences, which we have highlighted on the Investigator Spotlight.

In partnership,

The CIAPM Team

CIAPM Investigator Spotlight: Dr. Ariane Marie-Mitchell, Loma Linda University

In this CIAPM Investigator Spotlight, we feature Ariane Marie-Mitchell, MD, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University. Since 2021, Dr. Marie-Mitchell and her team have worked on her CIAPM-funded project, A Multi-Component Intervention to Strengthen Families and Build Youth Resilience.

What are the major goals of your project, and how does the project address health impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and advance equity in California?

The major goal of this project is to foster partnerships between pediatricians, community health workers, and parenting educators to improve the delivery of vital information and resources to a diverse population of families with ACEs. All partners will be trained with an evidence-based method that strengthens families and builds youth resilience. A second major goal is to use biological, psychological, and social data from a large cohort of children to evaluate whether our intervention reduces signs of toxic stress and improves child health outcomes, health care utilization, and school performance.

Our clinic is located in San Bernardino County, a region of California that is challenged by high rates of both poverty and ACEs. Along with these risk factors are higher-than-average rates of substantiated child abuse cases, substance use deaths, and chronic diseases. We’re hoping that our intervention will be an efficient and scalable model for pediatric preventive care that improves health and psychosocial outcomes for families with ACEs, in addition to reducing disparities by socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity.

Read the rest of this interview on CIAPM's website

Program Updates

2021 Annual Report

CIAPM’s 2021 Annual Report will be released today and will highlight the year’s major accomplishments including:

Advances made by our cancer disparities and ACEs research teams.
The substantial revitalization of CIAPM’s California Precision Medicine Asset Inventory.
The activities of the Precision Medicine Advisory Council including the Data Integration and Equitable Consent Working Groups.

We invite you to join us for a virtual briefing of the report today, May 17. A briefing will take place at 11:30. The report will be available for download from the CIAPM website today.

Farewell to CIAPM Communication Specialist & Administrator

The program owes enormous appreciation to Megan Varvais for three busy and transformative years with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Throughout her time as Communication Specialist and Administrator, she oversaw the revamp of the California Precision Medicine Asset Inventory, the development of a new program website, the facilitation of dozens of public meetings, regular presence on social media, the design and layout of the first-ever California Surgeon General’s Report, and so many other projects.

CIAPM will miss her generous expertise in communications and fearless approach to improving processes.

Welcoming a new Graduate Student Intern

Esther Omaiye joins the CIAPM team from the UC Riverside Science to Policy Program as a doctoral candidate in Environmental Toxicology. She received her master’s degree in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics from the California State University Channel Islands. Her studies there focused on counterfeit electronic cigarette products made by a brandjacked label.

Esther's doctoral research investigates emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes and their effects on human health. During her time with CIAPM, she will support the CIAPM Impact Assessment and communications efforts.

California Precision Medicine Advisory Council Vice Chair Dr. Keith Yamamoto elected President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Keith Yamamoto, PhD

Dr. Keith Yamamoto, Vice Chair of the California Precision Medicine Advisory Council, and Vice Chancellor for Science Policy and Strategy and Director of Precision Medicine at UCSF, will serve as president-elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for the next year, followed by a one-year term as president.

Dr. Yamamoto plans to use his platform as president of AAAS to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within science, promote scientific literacy, and use science to address pressing societal issues.

We congratulate Dr. Yamamoto on his new role, and thank him for his visionary leadership within the field of precision medicine and beyond.

CIAPM Science & Technology Policy Fellow wins UC Davis Chancellor’s Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community

Our Science & Technology Policy Fellow Dr. Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez received the UC Davis Chancellor's Achievement Awards for Diversity and Community. This annual award is given to individuals who have contributed significantly to diversity and community on the campus. Alex was recognized for her outreach and mentoring efforts during her postdoctoral training in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. More information on the award and Alex’s contribution can be found here.

Dr. Alexandra Colón-Rodríguez (C) with UC Davis Vice Chancellor Renetta Garrison Tull (L) and Chancellor Gary S. May (R).

California State Budget Update

On May 13, Governor Newsom released his May Revise, which is an updated version of the budget proposal originally released on January 10. The May Revise takes into account the State’s tax revenue and resulting budget surplus or deficit.

CIAPM’s two budget items, $10 million for precision depression research and $9.25 million to increase participation by underrepresented minorities in biomedical research, are unchanged in the May Revise and are currently pending review in the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees.

Learn about CIAPM's budget items

California Precision Medicine Advisory Council

The California Precision Medicine Advisory Council will meet on May 23 to receive updates on current budget items and discuss the future of the Initiative. Advisors will also elect a chair and vice chair to serve for the next year. We are happy to announce that Dr. Hakan Sakul, VP and Head of Diagnostics for Pfizer and chair of the Data Integration Working Group, has agreed to a new three-year term on the council.

Data Integration Working Group

The Data Integration Working Group will next meet on Wednesday, May 25. California Health and Human Services Chief Data Officer John Ohanian will join the public meeting to discuss gaps and opportunities to improve integration of social determinants of health in medical and research decision making.

Equitable Consent Working Group

The Equitable Consent Working Group met in April and approved a detailed plan for the phased roll out of the website, Equitable Engagement and Consent in Research. They also reviewed a content dissemination plan and heard updates about ongoing outreach efforts with patient advocates, the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, the California Black Health Network, and others. If you are interested in contributing to the development, review, or dissemination of the website content please email shannon.muir@opr.ca.gov. The next Equitable Consent Working Group meeting will be on Thursday, June 9.

Precision Medicine World Conference

The Precision Medicine World Conference (PMWC) takes place June 28–30 in Santa Clara. It will feature 15 CIAPM advisors, PIs, staff, and partners. For those planning to attend, please stop by the CIAPM booth in the exhibit hall to connect with staff and receive printed copies of our 2021 Annual Report and Precision Medicine: An Action Plan for California.

Learn more about PMWC