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Dear Faisal,
The California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM) has spent the summer with change and growth to the program. As of July 1st, CIAPM has transitioned to the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) and looks forward to this new chapter and for opportunities to elevate precision medicine research for improved health outcomes.
In this newsletter, we announce the date in October for the CA Precision Medicine Advisory Council (CPMAC) and also bid a wholehearted farewell to CIAPM staff, including Director Dr. Julianne McCall, who joined the California Council on Science and Technology as CEO on September 1, and CIAPM Policy Fellow, Dr. Yuki Hebner, who completed her fellowship and doctoral program at UCLA. We also announce a call for applications for CIAPM undergraduate or graduate student interns.
In conjunction with these big changes, we also welcome to the CPMAC three new members of the state’s precision medicine community and say a heartfelt goodbye to three esteemed experts from the Council. Finally, we highlight an interview with a renowned member of the CIAPM-funded Stanford University research project, Dr. Alexandra Addo-Boateng. Read on for recent updates to our Depression and Adverse Childhood Experiences research programs.
Thank you for ongoing support and interest in our program as we transition to our new home.
The CIAPM Team
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CIAPM Transition to California Health & Human Services (CalHHS)
As posted in our June newsletter, CIAPM was integrated into CalHHS over the past few months as an agreement reached in the AB/SB164 budget package, which also further expands CIAPM’s scope to focus on Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention.
As we transition out of our previous home and build out our new webpage, we will keep in touch with our network at CIAPM@chhs.ca.gov.
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Farewell to CIAPM Director Julianne McCall
In September, the CIAPM team celebrated the tenure of our esteemed Director, Dr. Julianne McCall, as she concluded her time with CIAPM and stepped into a new role as the Chief Executive Officer of the California Council on Science Technology (CCST).
During her five years at CIAPM, Dr. McCall served as Science Officer, Co-Director, and for the last 18 months as Director of the Program, combining her neuroscience research training and public policy experience with the Senate Office of Research to become an unparalleled voice and advocate for precision medicine research. Her strategic development, oversight, and administration of CIAPM’s research programs in Adverse Childhood Experiences and Depression led to the development of new research collaborations, the advancement of academic-community partnerships, and the elevation of innovative strategies to address mental and behavioral health conditions. Dr. McCall served on the Governor’s COVID-19 Testing Task Force and is a co-author on the first-ever California Surgeon General’s Report, Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health.
Dr. McCall expanded CIAPM’s health equity and networking footprint, nurturing the creation of the Representative Research Collaborative and representing CIAPM at national and international convenings, such as the Precision Medicine World Conference, the White House Summit on STEMM Equity, and the ARPA-H sponsored summit on Minority Serving Institutes and Health Care Equity and Access. Notably, Dr. McCall led California’s effort and pitch for a cross-sector network across the health ecosystem to support ARPA-H, which involved establishing and coordinating a 50-state, 180-organization network and was recognized as BioCom California’s 2023 Government Official of the Year.
Dr. McCall further served as a tireless leader and advocate for precision medicine research, community engagement, and science policy. Her passion and energy led CIAPM to develop new collaborations and partnerships and increased CIAPM’s visibility across the state, nation, and globe. Through the summer, Dr. McCall was also a steadfast advocate of CIAPM, helping the team navigate the logistics of the transition from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to the California Health and Human Services Agency.
At CCST, she will serve as the first CEO with a biomedical and health background and will be instrumental in informing the California Legislature as they address health and healthcare policy.
As of September 1st, CIAPM will be led by Science Officer, Dr. David Reiner.
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Farewell to Policy Fellow Yuki Hebner
Dr. Yuki Hebner defended her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at UCLA in Spring 2024. During her Ph.D., she also served as a president of the UCLA Science Policy group.
During her two-year tenure at CIAPM, Dr. Hebner worked with the team on numerous projects, supported CIAPM's Asset Inventory and annual reports, and led administrative tasks for the CA Precision Medicine Advisory Council.
This month, she started her new position as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical Affairs at Amgen. CIAPM thanks Dr. Hebner for her enthusiastic contributions and service to the program!
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CIAPM Internship: Call for Applications
The team is expanding to bring aboard two California-based students, graduate or undergraduate, for four months, with the potential for extension.
One intern will support health equity and community research administration; one intern will support science communications and research administration. Both will join staff meetings and engage with program-wide efforts. Applications are welcome through October 25 for 12-20 hours/week (flexibly scheduled) remote internship positions starting mid-November. UEI account and login are required to apply to the positions.
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California Precision Medicine Advisory Council | |
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October CA Precision Medicine Advisory Council (CPMAC) Meeting
The next meeting of the CPMAC will occur on October 30th from 1-5PM at the Clifford L. Allenby Building in Sacramento, CA. Members of the public can sign up to participate in the proceedings virtually using this form, and will receive further instruction and meeting invite via a virtual meeting platform.
The Council will discuss ongoing updates for the CIAPM transition to CalHHS, the Representative Research Collaborative, the Depression Research Program, and more topics.
You can register and view the Agenda when it is posted on our Meetings Page.
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Welcome New Advisors Elize Bradley,
Hala Madanat, & Gay Grossman
The California Precision Medicine Advisory Council is happy to welcome three new members to the Council.
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Elize Bradley, DrPH, JD
Dr. Bradley is the Senior Health Equity Fellow with the Central Valley Community Foundation. She previously served as Regional Managing Director of Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research and as Senior Program Officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She received her JD from UCLA School of Law and her Doctor of Public Health from UC Berkeley.
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Hala Madanat, PhD
Dr. Madanat is the Vice President of Research and Innovation at San Diego State University. She previously served as Director of SDSU’s School of Public Health and is lead investigator on the SDSU/UCSD Cancer Center Partnership funded by the NIH. She received her PhD from Brigham Young University.
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Gay Grossman
Gay Grossman is the Patient Advocacy and Engagement Lead at GeneDx, and is the Co-Founder of ADCY5.org. She previously served as the Director of Patient Advocacy and Engagement at Neurogene. She has personal and professional experience in genetic testing, biospecimen collec-tion, and rare disease, and has been an invited speaker across universities, industry, and non-profit venues.
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Farewell to Advisors Ysabel Duron,
Bonnie Maldonado, and Oliver Keown
During the July meeting, the Council recognized three of our members as they concluded their illustrious terms on the Council.
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Ysabel Duron
CIAPM thanks Ms. Duron for her dedication and support of CIAPM as a Council Member since 2020, including her invaluable insight as an advo-cate of patients and communities. Ms. Duron is the Founder and CEO of the Latino Cancer Institute and has served as a board member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and on President Biden’s National Cancer Advisory Board.
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Oliver Keown, MD
CIAPM also thanks Dr. Keown who has been a Council Member since 2020, having provided the CIAPM Advisory Council with singular and unrivaled insights into the world of venture capital and biotechnology start-ups. Dr. Keown currently serves as the CEO and Founder of Cleo Surgical and has served as investor across numerous Bay Area health, life science, and medical technology domains.
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Yvonne "Bonnie" Maldonado, MD
Finally, CIAPM is eternally grateful to have received continued support from Dr. Maldonado, balancing the immense duties as White House advisor for both administrations of the COVID-19 pandemic with unparalleled insight in infectious disease on the Council since 2020. Dr. Maldonado is Professor and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics at Stanford University.
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An Interview with Dr. Alexandra Addo-Boateng
CIAPM-Funded Project: The SYSTEMAATIC Project: Systems-based, Multidisciplinary Assessment of Adversity and Toxic Stress for Individualized Care (Stanford University, Lead Principal Investigator, Dr. Tina Sindher).
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Dr. Alexandra Addo-Boateng, Ed.D Psy, is the Director of Perinatal Mental Health Services for the California Health Collaborative. She serves on several perinatal health advisory boards including the Postpartum Support International Psychosis Taskforce, the Fresno County Perinatal Substance Misuse Taskforce, while leading the Maternal Wellness Coalition of Madera County, Project Dad, and the Inland Empire Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative.
Dr. Addo-Boateng provides a health and wellness focus for the community advisory council, the Fresno County HOPE Hub, and is also adjunct faculty at Fresno Pacific University and current board treasurer for NAMI-Fresno Madera County.
She is a principal investigator of the research project, Systems-based Multidisciplinary Assessment of Adversity and Toxic Stress for Individualized Care, (The SYSTEMAATIC Project) conducted by Stanford University.
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Q: Why are community partnerships important for health research?
"Community partnerships are the key component to health research and vital to success in addressing toxic stress. Including both traditional and non-traditional stakeholders enhances the opportunity to reach diverse sectors. However, while conducting health research, we must build authentic relationships with our stakeholders, acknowledging cultural norms and diverse perspectives among stakeholders."
For the rest of this inspiring interview, visit the CIAPM News page.
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CIAPM Demonstration Projects | |
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Depression Research Program
Grant agreements are in the process of being executed for the three depression research awardees. In the coming months, CIAPM will provide a public announcement of these awards pending execution of the agreements. Please stay tuned!
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Adverse Childhood Diseases (ACEs) Research Program
CIAPM staff attended a site visit at Stanford University on July 24 during which the project team presented research and community updates, including Stanford’s partnership with Dr. Alex Addo-Boateng at the California Health Collaborative featured in the Researcher Spotlight. CIAPM staff also engaged in fruitful discussions with the project team on research directions and impacts.
Science Officer, Dr. David Reiner, attended the UCSF ACE’s inaugural Community Science Day on August 3, in which the team shared research updates with community members and participants, attendees engaged in family-friendly activities about ACEs and toxic stress, and community members and participants had opportunities to ask questions about the research study.
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CIAPM Network in the News | |
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The Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) program with the AAAS is a one-year program in which fellows are placed in the federal government’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches in Washington. Fellows will have an opportunity for scientists and engineers to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to the federal policymaking process.
Applications are due November 1, 2024.
This Research Specialist Award (R50) specifically for clinician scientists supporting NCI-funded clinical trials research, designed to encourage the development of stable research career opportunities for exceptional clinician scientists who want to continue to participate in the NCI clinical trials networks.
New applications are due November 4, 2024 and November 4, 2025.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellows program offers mid-career professionals the opportunity to participate in the policy process at the federal level and use that leadership experience to improve health equity, health care, and health policy.
Submission deadline for the 2025-2026 cohort is November 5, 2024.
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Oct 1 | Virtual Webinar
The National Academies is hosting a webinar presenting the results of a review determining of the US leadership in the biomedical research enterprise and ways to reimagine and reinvigorate the field to address our population’s health needs in the face of complex challenges.
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International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (ISDP) 2024
Oct 2-4 | Chicago, IL
The 57th Annual Meeting of the ISDP, will bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers from all areas of developmental psychobiology, ranging from clinical psychiatrists to ethologists to molecular biologists, to promote translational research and integrate of basic and clinical research approaches.
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Society for Neuroscience 2024 Meeting
Oct 5-9 | Chicago, IL
The Society for Neuroscience (SFN) annual 2024 Neuroscience meeting is a multi-career stage conference for the neuroscientific community, exchanging data on brain and nervous system, informing the public, and coordinating and providing impact on policy and research support.
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Opportunities and Challenges for the Development and Adoption of Multicancer Detection Tests: A Workshop
Oct 28-29 | Washington DC
The National Academies is hosting a workshop examining the state of the science for the clinical use of multicancer detection testing and feature presentations and panel discussions on topics.
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Find more external events on CIAPM's website. | |
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1215 O Street, 11th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Reception Desk: (916) 322-2318
E-Mail: ciapm@chhs.ca.gov
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