synapse (11.14.13)

SynapseThursday, November 14, 2013 synapse.ucsf.edu Volume 58, Number 10

The UCSF Student Newspaper

IN THIS ISSUENews Briefs » PAGE 3Journal Club » PAGE 5Puzzles » PAGE 7

NEWSPsychiatric PharmacyUCSF practitioner talks about managing mental illness. » PAGE 6

NEWSAre Gene Patents Good for Health Care?The experts weigh in at UCSF » PAGE 3

Photo courtesy of Julia Seaman/PSPG

UCSF post-baccalaureate Adriana Martinez practices her suturing technique under the watchful eye of second-year medical student Mariya Samoylova.

PRECISION MEDICINE » PAGE 4

NEWSPrecision Medicine Lecture Series Debuts in Pharmacy School

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS » PAGE 6

NP STUDENT » PAGE 4

NEWS

Nursing Alumnae Pay it Forward With Helpful Reference Website

(Left to right) Sarah Oppenheim, Shawna Mitchell Sisler and Emily Rodda have launched npstudent.com, a resource website for nursing students.

By Hannah PatzkeStaff Writer

After spending years studying and pre-paring to become a nurse practitio-ner (NP), you’ve finally reached your

goal. You’ve taken your boards and passed and you are officially a practitioner. What do you do now?

Well, the obvious answer includes some job searching and maybe some well-earned relaxation, but three new NPs decided to spend their energy helping others.

Sarah Oppenheim, Emily Rodda and Shawna Mitchell Sisler got together the sum-mer after graduation and put together a web-site filled with all of the links, references and knowledge they had gleaned from their UCSF training experience, and npstudent.com came into being.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to ‘pay it forward,’” said Oppenheim. “The site gave me something productive to occupy my free time with as well as an outlet for cataloging re-sources and references that I'd saved through-out my time as a student at UCSF.”

Sisler, who had approached Oppenheim about starting the site, said she wanted a cat-alog of all the best resources they had come across in their graduate school education.

“Every professor, preceptor and colleague had something great to add to the list,” said Sisler. “Once I found a compatible platform for the site, it built itself. The three of us were able to take a basic structure and make it our very best study guide we’ve ever made.”

The site is a well-designed resource for pediatric nurse practitioners. The naviga-tion bar at the top links you to Well-Child Check, Study by System, Meds, SOAP Notes and more. There is a fantastic list

NEWS

Dia de Los Muertos Conference Showcases Careers in Health

UCSF Hosts Pre-Health Conference

By Priya JayachandranStaff Writer

Over a decade ago, a new health care model was conceived to transform the approach to patient care from

“one-size-fits-all” to “personalized.” Today, this model incorporates advances

in genomics and medical technology to create precise techniques for identifying risk factors and preventing disease.

Furthermore, it allows health care pro-viders to precisely manage and treat disease states through patient-specific, personalized therapies. The advancement of new technol-ogies has led to the rebirth of this personal-ized approach under the heading of “precision medicine.”

At UCSF, this hot topic has not escaped the attention of its student leaders. This summer, the School of Pharmacy actively supported the creation of two student-led initiatives relating to precision medicine. The first initiative, led by second-year

By Yi LuEditor

Adriana Martinez threaded her first simple interrupted suture with the dexterity of an old pro. But since

this was the first time that she had ever held a needle driver, the UCSF post-baccalaureate could be forgiven for then dropping her nee-dle and having to look across the lab table for instruction on what to do next with her pig’s foot.

“I didn’t know if it would be similar to sewing, but I’m realizing that it’s not,” Marti-nez said, laughing. “It’s totally different.”

M a r t i n e z a n d o v e r 1 5 0 o t h -er undergraduate and post-baccalau-reate students from across Northern California and beyond converged onto the UCSF campus November 2 for the 21st Annu-

al Dia de los Muertos Pre-Health Conference. Organized by the Chicanos/Latinos in Health Education (CHE) chapter at UC Berkeley, with significant support from the CHE chapter at UCSF, this year’s conference provided students the opportunity to learn more about health careers from the perspec-tive of the University of California’s only grad-uate school in the health sciences.

“I think UCSF is unique, in that we can really provide a connection to a variety of health professions,” said Maria Quezada, a second-year medical student who was helping to organize the conference. “I think that all the schools did a great job harnessing all the resources available at UCSF and presenting them to the UC Berkeley CHE organization.” For the UCSF students, the responsibility of helping to organize the Dia de Los Muertos

Photos by Yi Lu/MS2

Student-led initiative receives wide support

2 | November 14, 2013 | synapse.ucsf.edu

EVENTS

Journal Club

MISSION BAY EVENTSPANEL DISCUSSION: TRANSITIONING TO UCSF AND THE UNITED STATES Thursday, Nov. 14, noon-1:30 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay As part of the International Education Month Series, come listen to a panel of UCSF international students and postdocs discuss their transition to UCSF and the United States. You will hear about their experiences, gain helpful tips and receive insights about adjusting to your new community. Additional resources will also be provided. Pizza will be provided with RSVP to https://ucsf.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_24yz9Tnhc4QIog5

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Friday, Nov. 15, noon-1 p.m., Graduate Division, CC-310, Mission BaySynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. RSVP to [email protected].

MUSLIM FRIDAY PRAYER SERVICES Friday, Nov. 15, 1-2 p.m., Helen Diller, 160, Mission Bay The Muslim Community at UCSF holds regular Friday prayer services (Jum’a) for the UCSF Muslim community every week. Join your fellow brothers and sisters for prayer, lunch and socializing. All are welcome.

MISSION BAY RIPSFriday, Nov. 15, 4-5 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium, Mission BayRIPS is a seminar series in which one student and one postdoc present their current research. Talks are 15 minutes in length and are preceded by a 20-minute social. Snacks and beverages are provided.

NON-ACADEMIC CAREERS: JOB HUNTING IN THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY, PART 1Monday, Nov. 18, noon-1:30 p.m., Genentech Hall Auditorium, Mission BayLearn to prepare resumes and cover letters as well as job search strategies necessary for success on the biotech/pharma job market. This seminar will prepare you for a comprehensive job search in the biotech industry. Open to graduate students and postdocs. Sponsor: Office of Career and Professional Development.

MISSION BAY FARMERS’ MARKET Wednesday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Gene Friend Way Plaza, Mission Bay Shop healthy, shop fresh, shop California-grown at the UCSF Farmers’ Market every Wednesday (rain or shine). Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association.

PARNASSUS EVENTS

SCRIPT YOUR FUTURE INFORMATION SESSIONFriday, Nov. 15, noon-1 p.m., Nursing Building, 225, ParnassusLast year, Script Your Future (SYF) at UCSF participated for the first time in the nationwide Script Your Future Medication Adherence Challenge and was able to place as honorable mention among the 80 university participants. Come to our info session to learn more about how to join the team and contribute as an advocate.

SPANISH SEMINAR SERIESFriday, Nov. 15, noon-1 p.m., Nursing Building, 217, ParnassusCIENCIA is excited to welcome Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, MD, and Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at UCSF Medical Center. Anyone who is curious to hear a scientific/clinical talk in Spanish or interested in improving their proficiency with higher-level Spanish language speaking skills is welcome. Please RSVP to [email protected]. Lunch will be provided with RSVP.

ISPOR INFORMATION SESSIONMonday, Nov. 18, noon-1 p.m., Health Sciences West, 300, ParnassusThe International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is holding an information session for interested students regarding our newly created student chapter. When you become a member of ISPOR, you join a community of professionals dedicated to promoting our mission to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and fairness of health care to improve health. As a result of our mission objectives, and by being strategically aligned, ISPOR has been instrumental in translating outcomes research to health care decisions globally.

IAPC NOVEMBER MEETINGMonday, Nov. 18, 5:30-7 p.m., Library, 211, ParnassusInterprofessional Aging and Palliative Care will meet with invited expert guests to discuss designated articles related to the care of older adults and delirium. Please contact Anna Strewler ([email protected]) to view the articles.

ASIAN HEALTH CAUCUS IRON CHEF COMPETITION Monday, Nov. 18, 6-8 p.m., Faculty Alumni House, ParnassusPlease join the Asian Health Caucus in its annual cooking competition, modeled after the popular TV show “Iron Chef.” The contest judges will be UCSF faculty members and your fellow peers. Approximately four to five teams from different schools will be competing, each incorporating the secret ingredient. This event will feature an Asian ingredient and Asian dishes that many people may or may not have tried before. Food will be provided, and raffle prizes too!

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPSTuesday, Nov. 19, noon-1 p.m., Library, 222, ParnassusStudent Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) presents a workshop to find out what makes relationships work. Join SHCS providers and life partners, Dr. Susan Rosen and Dr. Lance Raynor, in a discussion about well-researched tenets of lasting relationships. Free lunch for students who RSVP to healthy-relationships-2013.eventbrite.com.

GENENTECH CRDP BREAKOUT SESSIONTuesday, Nov. 19, 7-9 p.m., Medical Sciences, 180, ParnassusAre you interested in learning more about Genentech postgraduate opportunities and summer internships? Please join us for the Genentech Commercial Rotation Development Program (CRDP) and Managed Care Medical Communications (MCMC) Internship Breakout Session. Dr. DeAnna Kovach, a CRDP program participant, and Dr. Iris Tam, Director of MCMC, will discuss

opportunities for pharmacists in industry and answer your questions.

SYNAPSE NEWSPAPER Wednesday, Nov. 20, noon-1 p.m., Millberry Union 123W, ParnassusSynapse is looking for Mission Bay and Parnassus writers, bloggers, photographers and designers. Come to the lunch meeting, share your story ideas and enjoy a free lunch. Email for more information and to RSVP: [email protected].

PARNASSUS FARMERS’ MARKETWednesday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ACC, 400 Parnassus Ave.Shop the Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays to pick up locally grown produce and more. Sponsor: Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association.

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCEWednesday, Nov. 20, noon-1 p.m., Millberry Union, City Lights Room, ParnassusTransgender Day of Remembrance will include a panel discussion, as well as a reading of names memorializing lives we have lost as a result of tranaphobia. We invite friends, family, and allies of transgender people who have experienced loss and/or violence.

NON-ACADEMIC CAREERS: JOB HUNTING IN THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY PART 1Wednesday, Nov. 20, 12:30-2 p.m., Health Sciences West, 301, ParnassusLearn to prepare resumes and cover letters as well as job search strategies necessary for success on the biotech/pharma job market. This seminar will prepare you for a comprehensive job search in the biotech industry. Open to graduate students and postdocs. Sponsor: Office of Career and Professional Development.

SIMMER COOKING CLASSWednesday, Nov. 20, 5-7 p.m., RSVP for location details, ParnassusJoin Student Health’s dietitian, Alison Boden, in an interactive cooking class with easy and healthy recipes. Students prepare (and eat!) the dishes during class. RSVP required, as seats are limited. [email protected].

SUCCESS WORKSHOP SERIESWednesday, Nov. 20, 5-6 p.m., Nursing Building, 217, ParnassusGet organized and develop your professional self! The Success Series offers monthly workshops aimed at enhancing your professional experiences and academic well-being at UCSF. Topics include improving focus, managing stress and test anxiety, conflict resolution and respecting differences. Every third Wednesday of the month at Parnassus. Free meal with RSVP to [email protected]

VOCAL CHORDS A CAPPELLA CALL FOR MALE VOICESWednesday, Nov. 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Health Sciences West, 300, ParnassusDo you enjoy singing? Vocal Chords A Cappella is seeking tenors, baritones and basses to join. Rehearsals every Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 p.m. Contact Jamie Wong if interested at [email protected]. facebook.com/VocalChordsUCSF

OFF-CAMPUS

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: METAMORPHOSIS NIGHTLIFE Thursday, Nov. 14, 6-10 p.m., Cal Academy, Golden Gate ParkExplore over a dozen industrial, interaction,

WHERE DO I FIT IN? BEING FIRST GENERATION AT UCSF: RSVP BY NOV. 15Wednesday, Nov. 20, noon-1 p.m., RSVP for location, ParnassusAre you of the first generation in your family to graduate from college? Is it difficult for your family to understand what you do here? Do you sometimes feel like an outsider at UCSF? If you answered “yes” to the above, please join the First Generation Support Services for lunch, share your experiences with fellow first-gen college students, and learn to survive and thrive while you’re here. RSVP: http://bit.ly/TQcR79

UC BERKELEY-UCSF MASTER OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE PROGRAM: APPLY FOR FALL 2014The Master of Translational Medicine (MTM) program is a professional master's program run jointly by the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley and the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy at UCSF. More information at bioeng.berkeley.edu/mtm. Interested applicants may contact Executive Director, Kyle Kurpinski, PhD, [email protected]. Applications are due Feb. 3, 2014.

UCSF DENTAL CLASS OF 2015 T-SHIRT FUND-RAISERDue to popular demand, the D3 class is having a school-wide T-shirt fund-raiser and will be accepting orders until Monday, Nov. 18. The design, known as the “Light of the City” T-shirt, was created by the Department of Dentistry’s very own EJ Abasolo (D3) and highlights the city’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge and skyline. The shirts will be arriving just in time for the holiday season and make a great gift for friends and loved ones. Orders here: ejabasolo.wix.com/sod2015shirt

CLASSIFIEDS

illustration, fashion, furniture and graphic designers from California College of the Arts, as they showcase a transformative array of work, highlighting new technologies and innovative ideas that explore the concept of metamorphosis. From giant interactive puzzles and short performance pieces documenting bizarre animal behaviors, to movement-based music and large-scale projections. http://bit.ly/NightLifeTickets. http://bit.ly/CLSDiscounts.

OFF THE GRID: UPPER HAIGHTThursday, Nov. 14, 5-9 p.m., Stanyan and Waller Streets, SFOff the Grid is a roaming mobile food extravaganza that travels to different locations daily to serve delicious food, with a free side of amazing music, craft and soul.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RETAIL STORES FOR RENTSunset SF retail stores for rent: $2,800/month each, 2132 and 2134 Taraval St., easy transportation, 1 bedroom, kitchen, full bath in the back of store. (415) 665-4567.

SEEKING VOLUNTEER RESEARCH ASSISTANT UCSF’s Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Institute for Health and Aging, is looking for a volunteer research assistant to work with its research team, focusing on lifestyle behaviors to improve health and prevent disease among diverse ethnic communities (Filipino, Asian Americans, Hispanics). Flexible 8 hours/week . Commitment of at least nine months. Bachelors degree required. Please send a cover letter stating your academic goals, strengths and interests, along with your curriculum vitae, to: [email protected].

synapse.ucsf.edu | November 14, 2013 | 3

STAFFYi Lu | EDITOR

Jenny Qi | EXECUTIVE EDITOR Alexandra Greer | SCIENCE EDITOR

Angela Castanieto | ASSOCIATE EDITORAkshay Govind | ASSOCIATE EDITORSteven Chin | MANAGING EDITOR

Victoria Elliott | COPY EDITOR

About Synapse is the UCSF student-run weekly newspaper, which runs on Thursdays during the academic year and monthly during the summer. Synapse seeks to serve as a forum for the campus community. Articles and columns represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Board of Publications or the University of California.

Submissions Announcements and letters should be submitted six days before publication. All submissions can be either emailed or mailed. All material is subject to editing. Letters to the Editor must be signed by the author.Subscriptions Subscriptions cost $20/year ($40/outside US).

Advertising Paid advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of Synapse. Synapse and its editorial board reserve the right to decline advertisements promoting false or misleading claims, known health risks, or content deemed by the editors to be antithetical to the interests of UCSF students or the UCSF community. Synapse does not accept advertisements from tobacco or alcohol manufacturers, or sexually oriented personal ads. Synapse reserves the right to run any ad with a disclaimer.

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SynapseThe UCSF Student Newspapersynapse.ucsf.edu

NEWS BRIEFSUCSF Announces Establishment of Health Workforce Research Center

UCSF has been awarded one of three Co-operative Agreements from the U.S. Bureau of the Health Professions to establish the UCSF Health Workforce Research Center.

According to director Joanne Spetz, PhD, the task of the center will be to examine the supply, demand, distribution and capacity of the health care workforce to meet the needs of older adults and persons with disabilities, many of whom are likely to prefer receiving long-term care at home or in community-based settings.

“The aging of the U.S. and global popu-lations — the so-called ‘Silver Tsunami’ — means that an increasing number of us will require long-term care when we can no longer care for ourselves,” said Spetz, a Professor of Economics at the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and As-sociate Director of Research Strategy at the UCSF Center for the Health Professions.

Nobel Prize-Winning Biologist to Deliver Gladstone Lecture

David Baltimore, PhD, will present the 2013 Gladstone Distinguished Lecture on Wednesday, November 20. The lecture, titled, “The Role of MicroRNAs in Immune Func-tions,” will begin at 4 p.m. in the Gladstone Institutes’ Robert Mahley Auditorium.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Professor Baltimore is President Emeritus

and the Robert Andrews Milikan Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technol-ogy (Caltech). An accomplished researcher and educator, Baltimore is one of the world’s most influential biologists.

Baltimore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1975 for his re-search into viral replication, which provided the key to understanding the life cycle of ret-roviruses. A long-time public advocate for science, he has also profoundly influenced national science policy on such issues as re-combinant DNA research and the worldwide AIDS epidemic.

City/UCSF Welfare-to-Work Partnership Honors Graduates

Newly minted UCSF interns from EX-CEL, the model welfare-to-work program run jointly by UCSF and the City and County of San Francisco, graduated on October 25. EXCEL (Excellence through Community En-gagement and Learning) is a job-training pro-gram that UCSF established in 1998 to extend opportunities to the economically distressed neighborhoods near its campus and the sur-rounding biotech hub at Mission Bay.

With support from the City and Coun-ty of San Francisco and the Salesforce.com Foundation, EXCEL is cited by city leaders as an example of what can be done when em-ployers who need entry-level workers careful-ly manage training programs.

Over a 15-year period, EXCEL has gradu-ated more than 180 San Francisco residents, including many who ultimately obtained ca-reer employment throughout UCSF. This year, the program was expanded with the financial support of the Salesforce.com Foundation, and UCSF now enrolls about 40 interns per year.

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) runs the 10-week course, which includes training in computers, administration, customer service and medical terminology. Participants are then placed in paid, four-month clerical/ad-ministrative internships at UCSF.

NEWS

Experts Weigh In On Gene PatentsBy Benjamin CohnStaff Writer

Last summer, the United States’ Supreme Court decided that patents held by Myriad Genetics over the BRCA1 and

BRCA2 genes — variants of which predispose certain individuals to breast cancer — were not valid, closing at least one chapter on years of litigation involving the company.

To discuss the legal, ethical and econom-ic implications of gene patents, Bay Area’s chapter of the Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable (OBR) recently invited a panel of experts to the University of California, San Francisco to try to answer the question: Are gene patents good for innovation and health care?

The panel consisted of Jacob Sherkow, Fellow at the Stanford Law School Center for Law and the Biosciences; John West, CEO of the genome diagnostics company Personalis; Bart Wise, Attorney at Wise IP Law; and Wil-liam Gunn, head of Academic Outreach for the software company Mendeley.

Intellectual Property is Complex: A Disclaimer

The event was structured as a debate, and the four guests were split up into two teams and asked to deliver arguments either for or against the patentability of human genes. For the purposes of the exercise, each speaker took only one position.

However, the arguments surrounding pat-enting and intellectual property in the health sciences are nuanced and complex. There-fore, while their remarks are summarized be-low, specific attribution of who said what has been intentionally omitted to prevent confu-sion between the speakers’ statements in the debate and their real-life beliefs.

A pre-event poll indicated that a majority of attendees thought that genes should not be patented, indicating a perhaps surprising uni-formity of opinion around the issue. Voting at OBR’s event on the same topic at the San Diego chapter resulted in a similar outcome.

If there was one lesson to be learned that evening, however, it was that the issue is

complicated, and there is probably no “one-size-fits-all” solution to intellectual proper-ty. Patent laws must be written carefully with foresight for the direction of the field and a sophisticated understanding of the biological systems at play.

The Patent System Is an Economic Policy Tool

The patent system was specifically built into the United States Constitution as an eco-nomic policy tool to encourage investment in innovation. Since the National Institutes of Health and other government sources can-not meet all financial need in therapeutic re-search and development, private investment becomes an essential driver in bringing new drugs and diagnostics to market.

Because this process takes many years to advance through development, clinical trials and regulatory approval, proponents of gene patenting argue that investors need very good assurance that they’ll make a return on their investment.

Additionally, investors want to know that the intellectual property (IP) they’re in-vesting in can be protected in the long run. Some argue that patent law may actually encourage innovation by requiring companies

and researchers to invent workarounds. The personal genomics company 23andMe, for ex-ample, offers testing for three BRCA variants as part of a larger panel of tests for genetic polymorphisms.

However, it may be difficult to work around very broadly defined patents, such as those covering naturally occurring genomic sequences, and the 23andMe tests would have likely infringed on Myriad’s patents anyway, though Myriad never pursued legal action against them.

While allowing financial rewards for in-vestment seems fair and necessary, exactly how to do this without blocking innovation by others remains unclear.

Aside from patent protection, there are other ways to incentivize investment, such as Food and Drug Administration regulatory ex-clusivities (i.e. the FDA won’t approve another version of the same drug during the exclusiv-ity period), tax credits, streamlined or more predictable approval processes during FDA review, and other tailored solutions.

For example, the GAIN (Generating An-tibiotic Incentives Now) Act, signed into law in 2012, aimed to accelerate development of new antibiotics, by offering manufacturers five years of guaranteed market exclusivity and priority FDA review for molecules that target qualifying pathogens.

Who Owns Our Genes?

One of the most impassioned arguments against the patentability of genes typically stems from the notion that facts and products of nature aren’t patentable, and that a private company shouldn’t own or control informa-tion about ourselves.

Indeed, when the U.S. Supreme Court heard AMP vs. Myriad Genetics last summer, several attempts were made to delineate where natural processes end and human ingenuity begins.

While a tree is clearly a non-patentable product of nature, does carving a baseball bat from that tree render the bat patentable merely by its isolation from the wood? Myr-iad had claimed that BRCA1 and BRCA2, when isolated from the rest of the genome, were chemically distinct molecules, having had the covalent bonds separating them from their genetic context severed.

This treatment of genes as mere DNA molecules ignores that the real value of a gene, isolated or otherwise, derives from its informational content. Antiquated patent rules based solely on physical properties be-come problematic when applied to other mol-ecules, such as DNA, antibodies or proteins.

Regardless, the debate may already be evolving. Twenty years ago, when research-ers at the University of Utah made their ini-tial discoveries that several mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes correlated with el-

GENE PATENTS » PAGE 4


» FROM HOME PAGE » FROM HOME PAGEPrecision Medicine

pharmacy student Dor Keyvani, is a series of lunchtime discussions that aim to familiarize students with the most current and cutting-edge research, tools, and practices in the field of precision medicine.

Keyvani developed his interest in this field even before arriving at UCSF. His vision for the series emerged after he learned more about pharmacogenetics in a course taught by Dr. Esteban Burchard of the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Medicine.

Dr. Burchard met with Keyvani and en-couraged him to think on a grand scale. With the help of Dr. Burchard and his research as-sociates, Keyvani recruited an all-star lineup of speakers from 23andMe, uBiome, Genen-tech, Genomic Health and the Gladstone Institutes to discuss topics such as pharma-cogenetics and genetic ancestry, the human microbiome, classical pharmacology, ge-nome-driven oncology and stem cells.

Simultaneously, third-year pharmacy stu-dents Pin Xiang and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics PhD student Megan Li developed the second initiative while serv-ing as teaching assistants for Dr. Burchard’s pharmacogenetics course.

With the aid of Dr. Alan Wu, Department of Pathology and Department of Laborato-ry Medicine, Xiang and Li are coordinating a pilot study in genetic testing of first-year pharmacy students. They aim to determine students’ attitudes and perspectives towards genetic testing and how getting genetically phenotyped for different metabolic enzymes affects student learning of pharmacogenetics.

The development of these precision med-icine initiatives was “an organic, student-led movement,” said Dr. Burchard, and is sup-

NP Student » FROM HOME PAGE

of resources and useful links for Flashcards and Medical Spanish. “I think one of the most helpful sections of the website is the ‘Study by System’ section,” said Rodda. “We really put a lot of care into includ-ing conditions that are essential for students in pediatric primary care rotations. You can go to a system and see a well-selected list of condi-tions that can help you organize a differential — and better yet, click on a condition and learn more about its diagnosis and management!”

Rodda added, “Now that I’m working, I have NP Student opened on my computer all day. It's the mother lode of pediatric primary care resources that we never had the time to create while we were in school.”

So, for all future nurse practitioners out there (and really anyone in-terested in pediatric care), check out npstudent.com or facebook.com/npstudent.

It also can make you start to think. What can I do after gradua-tion to help and inspire those still trudging through the trenches of grad school?

Hannah Patzke, RN, is a first-year student in the Advanced Practice Public Health Nursing program.

Pharmacy School students plan the Precision Medicine Lecture Series. (Left to right): Linda Chen, Megan Li, Pin Xiang, Dr. Alan Wu, Henock Walde, Gha-Hyun Kim, Dor Keyvani, Derek Phan, Collin Yu, Som Young, Julia Choi, Nancy Ta.

Photo by Dr. Esteban Burchard

ported by the School of Pharmacy’s Dean, Dr. Joseph Guglielmo, and the faculty. The suc-cess of the initiatives rests largely on the dedi-cation shown by Keyvani, Xiang and Li.

“Since I have been teaching the class for 10 years now, this is the first time that I’ve had three students that were super highly motivat-ed to run with it,” said Dr. Burchard. “It’s one thing to have the idea, and another to have it come into play. The students get most of the credit.”

It is expected that the success of the initia-tives will attract other schools within UCSF to join the movement. The lecture series is already drawing attendees from across dis-ciplines, noted Dr. Sam Oh, a postdoctor-al scholar in Dr. Burchard’s laboratory and a supporter of the initiative.

“I was waiting in line to get into the [Pre-cision Medicine Discussion] lecture, and I turned to the person behind me and asked, ‘Which department or school are you in?’, and they replied, ‘Transplant medicine,’ ” he said.

Pharmacies will soon become the point of contact for clinical labs following recent FDA approval, which will make patient counseling on laboratory and genetic testing within the scope of practice of a PharmD.

Companies such as Theranos, the Silicon Valley-based life sciences company that has recently partnered with Walgreens pharma-cies, are making diagnostic testing accessible and convenient for patients by providing a full blood workup from just a few drops of blood. Pharmacies are bringing precision medicine to the patients, allowing patients to play an active role in their health care.

The first Precision Medicine Discussion lecture was hosted by UCSF alumnus Dr. Bethann Hromatka of 23andMe, who spoke

about the company’s genetic testing service and research platform.

She also discussed the power of genet-ic information and how different tools can be used to help individuals learn about their genetic makeup, including what health risks they are predisposed to and how they will re-spond to certain medications.

The second lecture was hosted by uBiome co-founder Jessica Richman, who described how her start-up crowd-sourcing company sequences the genomes of microbial popula-tions from different sites of individuals’ bod-ies.

By sampling from the nose, mouth, skin, gut and genitals, the company hopes to estab-lish direct correlations between an individu-al’s microbiome and his or her health. Both companies look to empower individuals to play an active role in their health through gaining more knowledge about themselves.

Upcoming discussions this fall include: • Dr. Joseph Ware of Genentech,

November 14; • Dr. Audrey Goddard of Genomic

Health, November 19; • Dr. Bruce Conklin of the Gladstone

Institutes, December 2.All the discussions will be held from

noon-1 p.m. in Health Sciences West (HSW) 303. In future, this initiative hopes to spread to other disciplines and include student proj-ects and community outreach. To join the movement or learn more about the Initiatives, email Dor Keyvani, Pin Xiang or Dr. Esteban Burchard.

Priya Jayachandran is a first-year pharmacy student.

evated risk of breast cancer, isolating a gene was non-trivial. Now that the human genome has been sequenced, however, in a sense there are no more genes to be “discovered.”

In the future, discussion will likely move to whether individual gene variants may be patented. However, with multiplexing tech-nologies, it could become impractical and expensive to patent and defend hundreds of polymorphisms uncovered in a given screen.

The key will be to develop far-sighted pat-ent rules that balance a commitment to pri-vate industry and protection of investment with rational ideas of what should and should not be protected.

How do Gene Patents Affect Patients?

With much discussion revolving around the economic implications of gene patenting, it becomes easy to lose sight of the real goal of drug development: to treat patients and meet unmet medical needs in a safe and accessi-ble way.

Indeed, one of the greatest benefits of pat-ent law is that it requires immediate disclo-sure of patented discoveries to the public, which could guide doctors when treating pa-tients. Without patent protection, companies would be likely to keep the results of research and clinical studies secret for as long as pos-sible to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

On the other hand, proprietary ownership of genetic information may make it difficult for patients to seek a second opinion before undergoing expensive or invasive treatments. With the newly passed Affordable Care Act (i.e. “ObamaCare”), many more people will be insured and may seek preventative care.

One company’s monopoly on a particular preventive diagnostic test would likely result in a higher cost for that test. Indeed, while health insurance providers typically foot most of the $3,000 Myriad charges for its BRAC-Analysis test, the high price tag could put a strain on the system when applied on a larg-er scale. Competition could make diagnostic health care more affordable, especially as per-sonalized and preventative medicine become the new standards of treatment.

Others argue, however, that paying a pre-mium for new treatments now ensures the availability of cheaper alternatives in the fu-ture, while protecting the innovative process that led to their development.

Benjamin L Cohn is a fourth-year BMS student and a correspondent for the OBR-Bay Chap-ter.

Gene Patents

NEWS

Science Festival Brings Thousands to BallparkStaff Report

The Bay Area Science Festival capped its third annual run with a huge turn-out for Discovery Day at AT&T Park.

About 30,000 people flooded the ballpark on November 2 to check out more than 150 interactive science exhibits, including a virtu-al reality experience, a tour of human organs in the Giants dugout and an opportunity to build your own Legoscope, a working micro-scope made from toy building block pieces.

David Chiu, President of the San Francis-co Board of Supervisors, welcomed the crowd at 11 a.m., with an official ribbon-cutting by a member of the Robot Zoo. The robots, on display in Willie Mays Plaza, were later pit-ted against each other for a Frisbee-throwing challenge.

SCIENCE FESTIVAL » PAGE 5


UCSF JOURNAL CLUBRecent research by UCSF scientistsBy Alexandra Greer Science Editor

HEMATOLOGY: Production of Factor VIII by human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells transplanted in immunodeficient uPA mice. Fomin, M.E. et al. (Muench). PLoS One. 8(10):e77255.

Both the liver and the kidney filter toxins from the blood; however, they achieve their goals in different ways. The kidneys remove toxins from the blood and send them to the bladder for excretion, while the liver removes toxins through biochemical breakdown of the toxins by liver parenchymal cells. Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) separate the blood with the liver parenchyma and help transport toxins, support the structure of the liver and secrete the pro-coagulant Factor VIII into the blood.

In this paper, researchers comprehensively characterized human LSECs by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, as well as in vitro cell culture from primary isolates. Furthermore, they were able to successfully transplant human LSECs into an immunocompromised animal model and show physiologically relevant levels of Factor VIII secretion into serum.

VIROLOGY: Effects of interferon-a treatment on anti-HIV-1 intrinsic immunity in vivo. Abdel-Mohsen, M. et al. (Pillai). Journal of Virology. October 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Interferon alpha (IFN-a) is a cytokine produced during viral infection that helps cells fight viruses through a variety of mechanisms, some of which are poorly understood. One way that IFN-a inhibits viral replication is through the induction of genes that can cut up viral DNA in the cell, called restriction factors.

IFN-a, therefore, may be a potential antiviral therapeutic because of these functions and has been used with success to treat, and even in some cases prevent, hepatitis B and C.

Because of these successes, IFN-a has also been investigated as a potential therapy for HIV. In this paper, scientists looked at levels of anti-viral restriction factors in the blood of patients infected with HIV and hepatitis C. Treatment with IFN-a and ribavirin significantly increased blood levels of restriction factors and correlated inversely with viral load.

NEUROSCIENCE: Neural encoding and integration of learned probabilistic sequences in avian sensory-motor circuitry. Bouchard, K.E.; Brainard, M.S. Journal of Neuroscience. 33(45):17710-23.

How does the brain develop complicated verbal communication so seamlessly? Neuro-scientists think of complex forms of communication, such as speech and bird song, as sets of variable sequences that can be tied together. But how does our brain tie these sequences to-gether and coordinate sensory input with motor (vocal) responses? Two main hypotheses ex-ist: in one, scientists model the probability of transitioning from speaking “A” sequence to any “X” sequence afterwards.

In this paper, though, researchers modeled the probability of speaking “A” sequence after any “X” sequence spoken beforehand, called the “convergence” theory. To test this experimen-tally, they played a randomized series of vocal sequences to songbirds and compared their vocal responses to their expected model. Overall, they found a significant correlation of the songbird responses with their convergence theory, which was better at predicting responses than the pre-vious (called “divergence”) theory. In conclusion, the convergence theory appears to predict the sensory-motor circuitry of songbird “language” and could be applied to other complex systems.

Alexandra Greer is a sixth-year Biomedical Sciences student. For comments or paper sugges-tions, email [email protected].

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Produced by the Science & Health Ed-ucation Partnership (SEP) at UCSF, the 10-day festival involved a number of sci-ence institutions, including UC Berkeley, Stanford University, the California Acad-emy of Sciences, the Chabot Space and Science Center and the Tech Museum. While the festival culminated with the

AT&T Park event, families got a chance to play and explore science throughout the Bay Area, with Discovery Day-North Bay at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and Discovery Day-East Bay hosted by Cal State East Bay.

In total, nearly 70,000 people participated in this year’s Bay Area Science Festival events, according to festival director Kishore Hari.

» FROM PAGE 4Science Festival

A guided tour of human organs in the Giants dugout, led by UCSF medical and graduate students, included a hands-on view of a brain.

Photo by BASF


from this perspective, it’s pretty daunting. Just getting to know the faces of the people at this conference, you see yourselves in their shoes, and you think, maybe I can do it too.”

Reflecting after the conference, Quezada echoed this sentiment. “This conference re-ally reminded the UCSF students how it felt to be pre-med and how much of an impact their guidance and words of encouragement can make on a young Latino’s dream.”

Although Martinez and her friends prob-ably still need some more practice with their simple interrupted sutures, at the end of the day, the 155 or so attendees of the 21st annu-al Dia de Los Muertos conference are hope-fully one step closer to their goal of becoming health professionals.

“I’ve never had anybody go even as far as college; I guess I’m breaking ground,” said Carrillo. “So for me, I feel that this confer-ence and CHE in general are really helping me thread through this process.”

Yi Lu is a second-year medical student.

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Conference catalyzed new working relation-ships with their peers in the other schools.

“The great thing about CHE is that it’s a great way to work with dental students and nursing students and not be in a classroom, but ac-tually do work on a huge project,” said Quezada. “The fac-ulty have also been huge supporters, because this is not only a way to bring all of the disci-plines together, but it’s also a way to re-cruit under-repre-sented students to UCSF.”

A n d r e c r u i t they did. Some of the biggest draws for the breakout groups were the different workshops in some of UCSF’s specialized facilities, allowing stu-dents to watch demonstrations of such med-ical procedures as focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST, a rapid ultra-sound technique), to practice CPR on dum-mies and to work with dental drills. Other breakout sessions covered career develop-ment, with mock interviews and MCAT strat-egy sessions to help students achieve their professional goals.

Perhaps even more valuable was the op-portunity for the attendees to network not only with students, but also past participants of Dia de Los Muertos conferences who have gone on to become health professionals.

“I’m most excited about just getting to know people who basically have made it to medical school,” said Alfonso Carrillo, a sec-ond-year student at UC Berkeley. “I mean

Folkorico dancers perform at lunchtime in Saunders Court during the 21st annual Dia de Los Muretos conference.

Photos by Maria Quezada, MS2

» FROM HOME PAGEDia de Los Muertos NEWS

Spotlight on Psychiatric Pharmacist Patrick FinleyBy Chris FooStaff Writer

The most common image of a pharma-cist is the person who supplies you with your medications at your lo-

cal pharmacy. But dig deeper, and you’ll dis-cover that pharmacists, like other health care providers, specialize in managing and treating specific disease states.

Dr. Patrick Finley is one of about 625 pharmacists in the United States who special-ize in psychiatry. Here at UCSF, he serves as a preceptor to psychiatric pharmacy residents and has authored several scholarly articles re-lating to the field. His practice centers around the management of psychiatric illnesses using pharmacotherapy, the management of medi-cations.

Board-certified psychiatric pharmacists (BCPP) undergo a very specialized type of training. After completing two years of resi-dency, a psychiatric pharmacist spends a min-imum of one additional year practicing in a related psychiatric environment before quali-fying to sit for the board certification exam.

The extensive training needed to qualify explains why BCPPs are a rare breed of phar-macist, but more are becoming certified every year. Their aid is a much-needed resource as well; the current model of mental health has numerous shortcomings in providing patients with proper care.

“Emergency rooms and primary care clinics have become mental health centers by default, and these settings are ill-suit-ed for this purpose,” said Dr. Finley. “There is a terrible shortage of in-patient men-tal health facilities throughout the country, and a cogent argument could be made that

prisons have unwillingly assumed this role.” There is a drastic need to increase the amount of mental health practitioners across the country so that patients receive adequate, specialized care by individuals with proper clinical training. Patients have very complex medication regimens, and often need counsel-ing and adjustments to correctly manage their medications. By utilizing their knowledge of psychopharmacology and ensuring that med-ications are taken correctly and safely, BCPPs provide much-needed support to the mentally ill population.

Critics of the field believe that psychiatric pharmacists focus too specifically on medica-tions without providing more holistic treat-ments. Psychotherapy and other forms of counseling fall outside the scope of training for BCPPs.

Patients are encouraged to seek a cor-rect form of therapy that works for them, and medications may or may not be the right treatment. However, with a large population of patients taking antidepressants daily, the impact that psychiatric pharmacists have on patient counseling can’t be ignored, especially within the context of our current health care system.

“In spite of the passage of critical legis-lation such as the Mental Health Parity Act, individuals suffering from mental illness con-tinue to be among the most neglected and stigmatized segments of our society,” said Dr. Finley. “People are reluctant to seek help, for a variety of reasons, but even when they do, it is very difficult for them to access the special-ized skills of mental health specialists.”

Chris Foo is a first-year pharmacy student.


PUZZLES

Parnassus Poets

[untitled]

Do? Do not ask: did you not lock all the

doors? Not ask me hold you; barely hold

myself. Drive me slow home from che-

motherapy. Sorry go straight to bed, you

eat alone. Get chemo Friday, no play, lost

weekends, recover, get back to work.

Ask me for more love than I can give; love

your asking. Back away from precipice:

need you to stay. Wait at curbs for cars to

pass: need you home from walk. Have pa-

tience with me as you wait for me to die.

You may be released, your patience

rewarded.

Forgive my refusals; did best I could.

Shame froze my tongue; mean to you. Will

send you herald with my apology. Honor

her, she will love you. I do.

Daniel Raskin, Parnassus Poet

Grad School Illustrated by Jillian Varonin

Jillian Varonin is a fourth-year BMS student.

Week of 11/11/13 - 11/17/13

ACROSS1 Dressed for a

joust8 Did a lutz

14 Major or little follower

15 South African leader

16 Nimbly17 "Arabian Nights"

character18 Stein fillers19 Button

alternative20 ___ be an

honor...21 Stately trees22 Easy to break24 Black gold25 Stretch the truth26 Sparkly

headpiece27 Crack up29 Marvelous31 Lemon peels, 57 Stocking stuffer, 9 Sack starter 34 Upping the ante

sometimes maybe 10 Dipstick word 35 Earhart or 32 Umpire's call 58 Babe in the 11 Boring Lindbergh33 Commuter's woods 12 Snobby sort 36 Cuban coin

option 59 Picturesque 13 Bounces a baby 37 On edge34 Burger extra cave 15 "Flashdance" 38 Blog update37 Position of 60 1981 film, tune 39 Diner staple

control "Mommie _____" 19 Calcutta wrap 40 Dye ingredient43 Big occasion 21 2003 Will Ferrell 41 Atomic center44 Library taboo DOWN film 42 Courtroom45 One with a habit 1 Carte lead-in 22 Solidarity evidence,46 ___ Lizzie 2 Trappings of symbol sometimes

(Model T) royalty 23 Stool pigeon 47 Right-hand page47 Odometer button 3 Cliff Clavin's 26 Talk trash 48 Gold digger?48 Flaky rock coworkers 27 Color of a 50 River sediment49 Body art, briefly 4 Looks up and cloudless sky 51 Frat party garb50 Usher's offering down 28 Work well 53 Give the 51 Work the soil 5 Wishes undone together go-ahead52 Tilted type 6 Snakelike fish 30 Bugs, for one 54 Ebay action54 Rural area, 7 Martini order 33 Cream of the 55 Hour after

slangily 8 Evergreen crop midnightshrub 56 Filming site

by Margie E. BurkeThe Weekly Crossword

Copyright 2013 by The Puzzle Syndicate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15

16 17

18 19 20

21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31

32 33

34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

43 44 45

46 47 48

49 50 51

52 53 54 55 56

57 58

59 60

Week of 11/11/13 - 11/17/13

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku


Difficulty : Medium

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

title: "The True Pace of Research" - originally published 10/23/2013

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Week of 11/11/13 - 11/17/13

Edited by Margie E. Burke

HOW TO SOLVE:

(Answer appears elsewhere

in this issue)

Solution to Sudoku


Difficulty : Medium

synapse (11.14.13)

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