Stories of Impact
Closing the gap between science and practice is vital to improving care in our health systems and communities. The MICHR Dissemination & Implementation Science Catalyst Implementation Science Network (DISC-ISN) connects researchers to promote more innovative dissemination and implementation research, such as Dr. Cherie Conley’s research on integrating a weight loss peer support program in African American Faith Communities to decrease diabetes risk.
Patients, the ultimate stakeholders in clinical and translational research, haven’t always had a seat at the table for conducting research studies. Research teams and funding agencies are increasingly recognizing that patients with lived experience bring a unique and valuable point of view for every stage of a research study - starting with study creation. MICHR’s Patient Partners Program was founded to advance the integration of patient partners into study teams and research leadership with the goal of accelerating innovation and translational science, increasing the relevance of research findings, and improving health outcomes and patient empowerment.
Leesi believes that mental health plays a vital role in shaping one’s identity and is a topic that is often overlooked, especially in minority populations. However, physical activity is a fun and potentially effective way to positively impact physical and mental health issues, particularly in children.
Driven by a profound concern for individuals with allergies and a keen interest in anaphylaxis, Charles (Chase) F. Schuler IV, MD was drawn toward clinical and translational research.
Reflecting on personal experience, Schuler shared, “My dad had a tree nut allergy, so I found myself treating anaphylaxis (a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction) at home from a young age,” said Schuler.
Now a father himself, Dr. Schuler serves as an assistant professor in the division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology within the Department of Internal Medicine, as well as the Mary H. Weiser Food Allergy Center at the University of Michigan.
MICHR to tackle goal of diversifying and improving research to speed therapies for benefit of all patients
PaTH’s Discovery-to-Implementation forums brought together various stakeholder groups from multiple health communities to share key learnings through research from affiliated health systems and to explore the potential for forming learning communities.
Once at work, her curious nature has her asking questions the way anthropologists ask – open ended, wondering how everything is intertwined with everything else in society, and taking that richness and complexity as a starting point for her ethnographic research.
Hendy, a MICHR Postdoctoral Translational Scholars Program (PTSP) scholar and winner of this year’s three-minute-thesis (3MT) competition between U-M and the University of Minnesota, understands the importance of clear, concise communication when it comes to research. “The 3MT process forces you to strip out jargon, tell a good story, and get to the punchline quickly,” Hendy explained.
Volunteering in community programs with older adults in North Minneapolis, studying geography and gerontology, and experiencing the devastating effects of dementia in her own family drove Jessica Finlay, PhD toward novel public health research on environmental factors affecting dementia risk.
”The STEP.up people did a fantastic job of matching our interests, so we had things outside of work we could talk about too. I got to learn a lot about clinical trials, an area where my knowledge was lacking. And, you know the old adage: do as I say, not as I do," said Kathleen Ignatoski, STEP.up Mentor. “I put into practice some of the things that I was counseling Blake to do (most of the time before we talked about it), and it helped me tremendously.”
When medical school student Shriya Tanti first came to the U.S. with her family from India when she was in sixth grade, she didn’t speak any English. Overcoming that and other challenges helped shape the adventurous, and somewhat fearless person she is today.