Washington Highlights: October 20,
2006
Contents
Prior Issues
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AAMC Advisory Panel Considers Role of CTSAs
The AAMC Advisory Panel on Research (APR) met Oct. 18 to discuss
the potential role of NIH's new Clinical and Translational Science
Awards (CTSAs) to help overcome boundaries in the "second translational
block" (T2), a term coined by the Institute of Medicine to
describe social and structural impediments inhibiting the translation
of findings from clinical research into new standards for medical
practice. The T2 block also applies to difficulties in relating
evaluative information from health care practices back into research.
The APR, chaired by Larry Shapiro, M.D., Executive Vice Chancellor
and Dean of Washington University School of Medicine, heard presentations
from federal agency officials with key responsibilities in clinical
and population-based health research, including:
- Barbara Alving, M.D., Acting Director of the National Institutes
of Health's National Center for Research Resources (NCRR);
- Francis Chesley, M.D., of the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ); and
- Joel Kupersmith, M.D., Chief Research and Development Officer
of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The panel also received presentations from organizations that recently
received CTSA awards [see Washington
Highlights, Oct. 6]. Rowena
Dolor, M.D., described Duke University's notable initiatives utilizing
physician practice-based research networks. Mary Durham, Ph.D.,
Director of Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research, described
programs and resources in a CTSA consortium with Oregon Health Sciences
University. John T. Farrar, M.D., Ph.D., analyzed the components
of health services and epidemiologic research within the CTSA of
the University of Pennsylvania. Carole Flamm, M.D., a senior medical
officer with Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, discussed the
interests and roles of insurers in promoting evaluative research.
Despite clear incentives for government and private health payers
to resolve these impediments, the field has suffered from chronic
under-funding relative to the scale of national expenditures in
health research. Several examples of successful health outcomes
research have emerged from the VA system, where research is directly
integrated with patient care, and where standards developed by researchers
in a local VA can be validated and promulgated nationally. A further
asset, noted by Dr. Kupersmith, is the VA's fully computerized medical
record system. Dr. Alving emphasized that several of the academic
medical centers and consortia funded in the first round had proposed
exceptional approaches to overcoming the T2 block, including by
linkages to VA research and other health services programs.
Information:
Stephen Heinig, Lead Science Policy Analyst
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
sheinig@aamc.org
(202) 828-0488
Niederhuber to Head NCI
John E. Niederhuber, M.D., Oct. 18 was officially sworn in as the
Director of the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute
(NCI). Dr. Niederhuber is the 13th Director of the NCI in its nearly
70 year history.
Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Niederhuber was NCI's Chief
Operating Officer and Deputy Director for Translational and Clinical
Sciences, a position he assumed in September 2005. In June 2002,
President Bush appointed Dr. Niederhuber as Chair of the National
Cancer Advisory Board. Before joining the Institute in a full-time
capacity, Dr. Niederhuber was a Professor of Surgery and Oncology
at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. He also served
as Director of the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer
Center, from July 1997 until October 2002. Earlier in his career,
Dr. Niederhuber chaired the Department of Surgery at Stanford University
School of Medicine.
VA Committee Examines Genomic Medicine
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Genomic Medicine Program
Advisory Committee (GMPAC) Oct. 16 held their first meeting in Washington
DC. The meeting was directed by GMPAC Chair Wayne Grody, M.D., Ph.D.,
Professor, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine;
Director, Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, UCLA Medical Center.
Additional presenters included:
- Madhulika Agarwal, M.D., Chief Patient Care Services Officer,
Veterans Health Administration (VHA), presented on VHA's core
missions;
- Linda Fischetti, R.N., M.S., Acting Chief Health Informatics
Officer, Veterans Health Administration, presented on VA's electronic
health record;
- Joel Kupersmith, M.D., VA Chief Research and Development Officer,
presented on VA medical research; and
- Daniel R. Masys, M.D., Chair, Department of Biomedical Informatics,
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, presented on DNA banking
at Vanderbilt.
The committee, established March 22, is charged with examining
the scientific and ethical issues related to the establishment,
development, and operation of a genomic medicine program. Specifically
the committee will address the potential impact of a VA genomic
medicine program on existing VA patient care services; policies
and procedures for tissue collection, storage and analysis; the
development of a research agenda; and approaches by which research
results can be incorporated into routine medical care.
Information:
Matthew Shick, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
mshick@aamc.org
(202) 862-6116
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