NCIRE - The Northern California Institute for Research and Education

NCIRE honors our Veterans and active service members who have committed themselves to preserving our freedom since 1776; and wishes everyone a safe and Happy Fourth of July! 

NCIRE Staff Clinical Research Coordinator Liliana Moore co-authored paper with Drs. Karen Seal and Natalie Purcell NCIRE Staff Clinical Research Coordinator Liliana Moore co-authored the paper “Natural Product Use Among Veterans with Chronic Pain: A Qualitative Study of Attitudes and Communication with Healthcare Providers” with NCIRE-supported Principal Investigators Drs. Karen Seal and Natalie Purcell. The paper was published in the research journal Springer Nature. https://lnkd.in/g-si7d4h

Considered to be the “forgotten cancer”, Sarcoma Awareness Month in July strives to raise awareness about this little-known disease. Sarcoma is a type of cancer that occurs in various locations of the body. ‘Sarcoma’ is the general term used to refer to a broad group of cancers that begin in the soft tissues and bones. Soft tissue sarcoma forms in the tissues that connect, support, and surround other body structures, including muscle, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and the lining of your joints. There more than 70 types of sarcomas, and treatment varies depending on the type of sarcoma, location, and other factors. NCIRE proudly supports the vital cancer research performed by Principal Investigators Drs. Sunny Wang, Matthew Cooperberg, Franklin Huang, Li-Wen Huang, Carling Ursem, Alison Rustagi, and their research teams at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gbM4_C-A

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, an effort to bring attention to the multitude of mental health experiences within Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including the inequities of systemic and historical barriers that negatively impact a person’s mental health. It is important to have professional and empathetic mental health caregivers to help overcome mental health issues and faulty diagnoses. NCIRE recognizes the importance of mental health care centered on the unique challenges experienced by BIPOC communities, and thanks those within the Mental Health field for continuing to address those needs. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dvM7cPW

Drs. Natalie Purcell, Shira Maguen, and Karen Seal co-author blueprint for Moral Injury Awareness and Prevention NCIRE-supported Principal Investigators Drs. Natalie Purcell, Shira Maguen, and Karen Seal co-authored an article titled “Moral Injury Awareness and Prevention in Healthcare Organizations: A Blueprint Informed by the COVID-19 Pandemic”. You can read more about it and access the blueprint here: https://lnkd.in/gG2zf-2j The article is the result of an NCIRE study funded by the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health at the CDC.

Dr. Daniel Bikle co-authored two major publications regarding vitamin D guidelines NCIRE-supported Principal Investigator Dr. Daniel Bikle recently co-authored two major publications that provide guidelines for vitamin D use in clinical applications. Both publications were put forward by the Endocrine Society: Consensus Statement on Vitamin D Status Assessment and Supplementation: Whys, Whens, and Hows; Endocrine Reviews https://lnkd.in/gjreWu2n Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease Guideline Resources https://lnkd.in/gAkS-2vN...

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is observed each year on June 27 to highlight the importance of HIV testing. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 32,100 new HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2021. Annual infections in the U.S. have been reduced by more than two-thirds since the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s, thanks to awareness, decrease in stigma, and the advent of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine, which is taken to prevent getting HIV, reducing the risk of infection by 99 percent. The NHTD theme for 2024 is "Level up your self-love: check your status." This theme emphasizes valuing yourself, showing yourself compassion and respect, and honoring your health needs with self-love. NCIRE encourages everyone to stay safe and check your status. The VA provides care to 31,000 Veterans with HIV across our health care system, via its well-established National HIV Program. Learn more: https://www.hiv.va.gov/

Dr. Mary Whooley receives the VA’s 2023 HSR Daniel Deykin Award for Outstanding Mentor NCIRE-supported Principal Investigator Mary Whooley, MD was awarded the 2023 Daniel Deykin Award for Outstanding Mentor from VA Health Systems Research! The prestigious national award honors Health Systems Research (HSR) researchers who exhibit outstanding dedication in mentoring the next generation of researchers—particularly by fostering an appreciation for the vital input provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs stakeholders, including policymakers and Veterans, and guiding mentees toward an understanding of the positive impact research can have on the health and care of Veterans. The receipt of this award highlights Dr. Whooley’s incredible dedication to her large, multidisciplinary group of mentees. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzXyjkAi

Dr. Dolores Shoback receives Endocrine Society’s 2024 Laureate Award: Outstanding Scholarly Physician Award! Congratulations to NCIRE-supported Principal Investigator Dolores Shoback, MD, who received the “Outstanding Scholarly Physician Award” Laureate Award from the Endocrine Society, presented during ENDO 2024, the Society’s annual meeting, June 1-4, 2024, in Boston, MA. Awarded annually, the Outstanding Scholarly Physician Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the practice of clinical endocrinology in academic settings. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-KenBUY

Volume XXIII of the NCIRE DNA (Details News Awards) newsletter is now available and can be found at NCIRE Resources tab link in the upper right corner of www.ncire.org, or here: https://lnkd.in/d-AMnpvS Many thanks to the wonderful contributors of the Summer 2024 Newsletter: Alexander Smith, MD, MS, MPH; Sei Lee, MD, MAS; and Neel Singhal, MD. We are grateful to them for the synergy and dedication to research at SFVAHCS.