Interprofessional Event Brings Together Pharmacy, Dentistry, Kinesiology, and Public Health Alumni and Students
Alumni boards from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and Schools of Dentistry, Kinesiology, and Public Health gathered together this fall to celebrate the Bicentennial, and to preview advances in Precision Health by each school. U-M President, Mark Schissel, has identified Precision Health as a campus-wide priority.
Precision Health uses advanced tools and technology to discover the genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that influence a population’s health and provides personalized solutions that allow individuals to improve their health and wellness.
The event began with an interprofessional student poster presentation. Students from each of the four schools shared their research with each other and U-M Health Science Alumni. Their research covered a wide range of topics, from cancer immunotherapy to suicide prevention.
“I really enjoyed the event,” said Paulette Najarian-Knight, BSPharm’80, Pharmacy’s liaison to the U-M Alumni Association. “Meeting with alumni from other disciplines was not only enlightening, but it supports the idea of interdisciplinary care. The topic was perfect, timely, and very interesting. I also loved talking to students and seeing their enthusiasm for their research.”
Faculty from the four schools presented on their unique approach to Precision Health. Precision Health at the University of Michigan expands far beyond medical treatment to include prevention, implementation and community health. Researchers at Michigan are reaching across traditional department lines to tackle complex health problems.
Peter Polverini, DDS, DMSc, Jonathan Taft Distinguished University Professor of Dentistry and dean emeritus, kicked off the presentations with, Making Precision Oral Health Personal. Vicki Ellingrod, PharmD, John Gideon Searle Professor, associate dean for Research and Graduate Education, shared the pharmacy perspective on precision medicines.
Dr. Natalie Colabianchi, associate professor and director of the Environment and Policy Laboratory at the School of Kinesiology and research associate professor at the Institute for Social Research gave an update on Precision Health at Kinesiology. Finally, Sharon Kardia, PhD, senior associate dean for administration and Millicent W. Higgins Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health addressed epigenetics and population health.
The event concluded with a question and answer session, moderated by James Dalton, PhD, dean of the College of Pharmacy, and Lori Ploutz-Snyder, MS, PhD, dean of the School of Kinesiology. Laurie McCauley, DDS, MS, PhD, dean of the School of Dentistry emceed the event.
This event was part of the University’s Bicentennial Fall Festival.
