Letter from Center Director
Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to our summer newsletter from foggy San Francisco! This month we focus on how TRANSPERS collaborators are addressing the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genomics, which continue to grow in importance as we grapple with advancing justice and equity for emerging genomic technologies. We participated in a national ELSI conference, funded new research on equitable coverage of genetic testing for fetal disorders, expanded our training of the next generation of researchers, and joined with a UC-Berkeley/UCSF initiative to foster innovative research through new start-up companies.
Best,
Kathryn
Highlights
TRANSPERS Collaborators Participate in Congress Addressing Social Implications of Genomics
Several TRANSPERS collaborators presented at the
5th ELSI Congress - Innovating for a Just and Equitable Future hosted by Columbia University, including work on ELSI issues for testing and payment for Alzheimer’s Disease (Phillips, Chen, Jansen) and insurance for cancer risk testing (Mrig).
News
TRANSPERS Expands Research into Equitable Coverage of Genetic Testing for Fetal Disorders
There is increasing evidence supporting the clinical utility of prenatal sequencing for identifying a fetal genetic disorder. Yet there are limited data on the demand, availability, and accessibility of these tests, as well as their coverage in the prenatal context outside of research settings, especially for underserved populations. TRANSPERS has expanded its focus by funding a project on achieving equitable coverage of genetic testing for fetal disorders, led by UCSF collaborators
Mary Norton, MD, and
Nuriye Nalan Sahin-Hodoglugil, MD, MA, DrPH.
Clinical Oncology Fellow Meera Ragavan, MD, MPH Joins TRANSPERS to Advance Policy Skills for Equitable Cancer Care
Meera Ragavan, MD, MPH, who is a UCSF clinical oncology fellow, is joining the TRANSPERS team for training in Health Policy. Meera’s ambition is to translate the fast pace of scientific discovery and precision oncology into the delivery of high-value, equitable cancer care, with a focus on vulnerable older adults with cancer who often face a fragmented healthcare delivery system and incur high healthcare expenditures.
Achievements
TRANSPERS Director Phillips Honored to Join Scientific Advisory Board
Kathryn Phillips, PhD, joined the Scientific Advisory Board for
Bakar BioEnginuity Hub (BBH) at Bakar Labs and the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. The BBH tackles hard problems using discoveries at the convergence of the life sciences with the physical, engineering, and data sciences.
