Volume 11, Issue 3 - September 2021
UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center
Welcomes New MCRTP and ARC-MD Scholars
Improvement in the health of our patients and communities depends on developing the next generation of clinical and translational investigators, and this is a core mission of the UC Davis CTSC. We are thrilled to welcome new cohorts in the MCRTP and the medical school pathways, ARC-MD and M.D./Ph.D. programs. These early career colleagues inspire us with their dedication and their willingness to acquire new skills and knowledge needed to advance the spectrum of clinical and translational research. These diverse scholars, M.D. and Ph.D., predoctoral and postdoctoral, are the foundation of our community of scholars dedicated to team science and serving our communities. We are heartened the demand for these positions is increasingly competitive and pleased with the outstanding individuals joining the CTSC family.
The CTSC hosts a wealth of opportunities like these for workforce training and education for predoctoral and postdoctoral personnel involved in translational research. A comprehensive approach to translational research training offers scholars a rich array of career development opportunities through program curricula, mentored research training, and partnerships with other programs, departments, and institutions. This robust resource integrates workforce-training innovations and empowers research teams to address health care needs in the 21st century.
MCRTP Scholars
The Mentored Clinical Research Training Program (MCRTP) prepares trainees for clinical/translational team science research through a multi-layered, multidisciplinary, didactic curriculum and mentored research experience. The MCRTP provides a solid foundation for clinical / patient-oriented research for junior faculty, clinical and preclinical fellows, and postdoctoral scholars by offering these researchers didactic instruction, mentored research, and special experiences, leading to a Masters of Advanced Study (M.A.S.) in Clinical Research.
Derek Bays, M.D.
Research Fellow - Infectious Diseases
Dr. Bays' research interests include the study of immunocompromised hosts and fungal infections, particularly invasive candidiasis. This interest led him to the lab of Andreas Bäumler, who has specialized in the interactions of enteric organisms and the microbiota. His long-term scientific career goal is to develop a successful translational research program in mycology.
Hui (Amy) Chen, M.D.
Assistant Professor - Gynecological Oncology
Dr. Chen is actively involved in recruiting and developing clinical trials at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on clinical trials of novel and targeted therapies to treat gynecologic cancers. She is also interested in using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies to help manage symptoms from cancer and cancer treatment.
Abd-Elrahman (Abdul) Said Hassan, M.D.
Resident - General Surgery
Dr. Said Hassan graduated from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in 2018. He is interested in pursuing a career in pediatric surgery. He is currently working on developing targeted cellular therapy against neuroblastoma. He applied to the MCRTP program with the hope that earning an M.A.S. in clinical research will help advance his research career.
Rebecca Howe, M.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow - Family and Community Medicine
Dr. Howe's research interests focus on strategies for engaging patients in their healthcare and how interprofessional collaboration and attention to social determinants of health are essential to patient-centered care. Her previous research has focused on patient-provider communication, shared decision-making, and educational and population health strategies for end-of-life care preferences for patients with chronic illnesses.
ARC-MD Scholars
The goal of the UC Davis School of Medicine Academic Research Careers for Medical Doctors (ARC-MD) program is to provide medical students with the foundational skills and professional development that promote a successful career as a physician scientist. The five-year program provides students with research and career mentorship, special experiences, a unique curriculum, and community engagement within a supportive longitudinal learning community.
In the photo, left to right; Araiye Medlock, Vista Farkhondeh, Brian Howard, Jade Tso, Ferheen Abbasi, Gabriel Santamaria, Masani Coley, and Shervin Zoghi.
In the News
Oanh Meyer's Work Highlighted on National Consortium Website
Oanh Meyer, associate professor of neurology, was recently recognized by the Center for Leading Innovation & Collaboration (CLIC) for contributing important research to help patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
CTSC Clinical Research Center (CCRC) Administers Third COVID-19 Shot in Vaccine Study
The CCRC delivered a third dose of either the Pfizer vaccine or placebo to 60 participants. The study seeks to determine whether a booster is necessary, safe and effective against not only the original COVID-19 but the highly infectious Delta variant.
Former T1 Scholar's Research Featured on Cover of Genome Research
Morteza Roodgar, is a research scientist at Stanford School of Medicine. His paper Longitudinal linked-read sequencing reveals ecological and evolutionary responses of a human gut microbiome during antibiotic treatment; is featured on the cover of the August issue of Genome Research.
CTSC Biostatisticians Complete Retrospective Vaccine Study
A UC Davis Health retrospective study published recently in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology with support from the CTSC Biostatistics team shows how quickly COVID-19 infections were reduced among health care workers when vaccines were first distributed late last year.
How a Cardiologist Started Studying the Brain: Q&A with a Former KL2 and MCRTP Scholar
Javier López is an associate professor and medical director of cardiac and vascular rehabilitation. He talks about his work in the following interview conducted by the Center for Leading Innovation & Collaboration (CLIC).
New Resources to Communicate About COVID-19
As part of a mini-grant for innovative dissemination about the COVID-19 vaccine, UCLA partnered with Fiesta Educativa Inc. to produce six vaccine video stories from Latinx community members who have a family member with an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) or work with specific populations.