The 2022 Translational Medicine Symposium is co-sponsored by the Program in Translational Medicine and the Cancer Cell Biology Training Program.

The symposium will feature two keynote addresses, talks by trainees in both programs, and a career panel of program alumni.

Symposium Agenda

9:00-10:00 a.m. | Opening Keynote Address
10:15-11:45 a.m. | Student presentations in 4 concurrent rooms
12:00-1:00 p.m. | Lunch with keynote speakers
1:15-2:00 p.m. | Alumni career panel
2:15-3:45 p.m. | Student presentations in 4 concurrent rooms
4:00-5:00 p.m. | Closing Keynote Address and awards

About the Keynote Speakers:

Navdeep Chadel, PhD
Navdeep S. Chandel, PhD is the David W. Cugell, MD, Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Chandel’s work has demonstrated that mitochondrial metabolism is a potential target for cancer therapy.

Karen Corbin, PhD, RD
Corbin is a Faculty Investigator at the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes. Her program of research focuses on nutrition, enterohepatic metabolism and the mechanisms that drive individual susceptibility to metabolic diseases. Corbin is also CEO of the science communication company Geeks that Speak. After 20 years of traversing the worlds of healthcare and science, she realized that a fundamental barrier exists for translating ideas into solutions. Geeks that Speak exists to inspire and empower scientists to become impactful storytellers.

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This is a joint event between NCPMI Higher Education Community of Practice (HECoP), and Duke Project Management Community of Practice. The event is free and open to anyone interested in project management. Please join the session shortly before 12:00 pm.

Health data science relies on many traditional project management methods but also has additional complexities of technological complexity, cutting-edge methods, and a rapidly-evolving landscape. In this informal panel discussion, you’ll hear from several senior staff members of AI Health about their experiences in project management and program management, and their perspectives on challenges, best practices, and lessons learned. Duke AI Health (https://aihealth.duke.edu/) connects, strengthens, amplifies, and grows multiple streams of theoretical and applied research on artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to answer the most urgent and difficult challenges in medicine and population health. This discussion will be especially relevant to anyone who manages technical projects or is considering the landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Speakers:

Shelley Rusincovitch, MMCi; Associate Director of Informatics
Rusincovitch is an informaticist and technical leader who specializes in healthcare data for secondary research and data science experiential learning, with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. She is currently serving as the Interim Managing Director for Duke AI Health, a group focused on advancing ethical and equitable data science at Duke and beyond.

Nicoleta Economou-Zavlanos, PhD; Program Director, Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight
Economou leads the operations and framework design effort for the governance, evaluation, and monitoring of ABCDS software at Duke; this ABCDS Oversight is a Duke Health synergistic effort between the SOM and the Duke University Health System.

Andrew Olson, MPP; Associate Director, Policy Strategy and Solutions for Health Data Science
Andrew Olson, MPP, is a health policy specialist and experienced project leader. In his role with AI Health, he helps develop demonstration projects and other initiatives that address or inform critical health policy issues, and facilitates the translation of health data science discoveries to a policy audience.

Ursula Rogers; Senior Informaticist
Rogers is Senior Informaticist for AI Health, where she brings 25 years of experience in data management and software development. Her role at Duke AI Health brings expertise in understanding, extracting, and curating data from the EHR and other clinical data sources for the purposes of Clinical Research, QI, and Operations

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NCPMI member attendees will be uploaded for PDU credit after the end of the session. Please allow up to 2 weeks for recording. In support of improving patient care, the Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing education for the health care team. Duke University Health System Clinical Education and Professional Development are authorized to offer 0.1 CEUs for this program.

Category 1: Duke University Health System Department of Clinical Education and Professional Development designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The Race, Racism, and Racial Equity (R3) Symposium, hosted by the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion, Jordan Institute for Families, and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the UNC School of Social Work, is a series of virtual events that bring together scholars and researchers from across campus to share their work with Carolina and the broader community.

As we close out the second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, our sixth R3 symposium event will focus on Scholarship Addressing the Dual Pandemic of Racism and COVID-19.

The United States has been in a crisis – a pandemic caused by racism – since our very beginnings. COVID-19 has highlighted these racial inequities. While the pandemic is an international experience that touches everyone, the impact of COVID-19—physically, emotionally, and economically—is not equal. Scholars from UNC’s Schools of Education, Public Health, and Social Work will present research on the coping strategies of Black women essential workers and their experiences with racism during the COVID-19 pandemic, advancing equity through public health critical race practice, and Black parent perspectives of school experiences during COVID.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the racial and ethnic inequities that have long existed in the United States. Scholars across UNC's campus have produced important scholarship addressing this topic, including actions we might take to end these disparities," said R3 co-convener, Allison De Marco, Equity, Lead, Jordan Institute for Families, School of Social Work and Advanced Research Scientist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. "I'm thrilled that we will be able to feature both graduate students and faculty scholars from the Schools of Education, Public Health, and Social Work whose research will provide greater insight into these disparities."

Leah Cox, Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, added, “COVID-19 has impacted us all in a variety of ways – financially, emotionally, in terms of our health and wellness, and our social lives. But the effect on Black women has been especially profound. We look forward to this meaningful discourse at this sole R3 session of the Spring 2022 semester.”

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This course is being offered in collaboration between the Odum Institute and the Center for Urban & Regional Studies.

Location: Davis Library Room 219

This one-day in-person short course, led by the Carolina Drone Lab, will cover drone data collection, planning, and analysis. Small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS or drones) are a common mapping and 3D-modeling tool in many organizations. To fully leverage the technology and its benefits, there needs to be a foundation in understanding how to collect quality images and process those images into usable information. The course introduces the workflow from mission planning to creating maps to importing those maps into a GIS environment. Attendees will be introduced to: mission planning, to include safety and FAA compliance; creating automated flights for data capture; spending time working with software to process and analyze images collected from drones; and creating maps. Commonly used tools and resources will be shared!

Students will plan and execute a simulation drone mission with deliberate, analytical approach to flight safety and awareness. Students will learn the technical capabilities and limitations of the drones available for use, and why selection of the right drone and sensor combination is important to obtaining the right data for a project. This course offers participants the chance to learn about a broad spectrum of techniques to take the next steps on their own.

Course sections:

1. Mission planning with enhanced safety
   - learn how to plan a mission safely and in compliance with FAA rules and regulations
   - this is not a comprehensive review of all FAA rules, but regulations will be included in mission planning
   
2. Mission planning software overview
   - become familiar with different planning software for both multicopter and fixed wing drones
   
3. Data processing from upload of images to creation of an orthomosaic
   - review outputs of digital surface models, 2D and 3D orthomosaics, and other potential products
   
4. Ingesting data into GIS platforms for display, further analysis, and map making

The course is designed for anyone with moderate computer skills and an interest in taking their drone skills beyond video and still images. The principles and techniques are not overly complicated, simply new to most people. All disciplines would benefit from this course and there are lessons for a variety of fields including engineering, geography, agriculture, planning, and natural resource management. Small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS) have many uses, anyone interested in learning to collect images and process data is encouraged to attend.

Required:
- No previous drone experience required, although basic flying experience and knowledge of regulations is helpful. - Bring your own laptop! Prior to class, students will receive instructions to download software. - Limited capacity allowed for class. Register early!

Registration Fees:

- UNC-CH Students: $0, with a $35 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
- UNC-CH Faculty/Staff/Postdoc: $95 - Non UNC-CH: $145

Additional Course Information:

- Registration will close at 12:01am 4/17/2022. No late registrations will be accepted.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- For questions regarding the status of this class, please contact Jill Stevens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Instructors: Susan Cohen and Troy Walton

Susan Cohen is the Associate Director of the UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) and the Director of the Carolina Drone Lab. Her current efforts use interdisciplinary teams to focus on ecosystem resilience and applied research for management across habitat types. Susan’s work frequently uses data collected with unoccupied aerial systems (UAS; drones and sensors) and that work includes mapping ecosystems for characterization and management, tracking change over time on the landscape, and imaging prescribed fires, as well as teaching and training. She enjoys engaging with drone enthusiasts for all kinds of uses!

Prior to coming to IE, Susan worked for the Department of Defense (DoD). She ran the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program conducted at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, focusing on the function and sustainability of coastal systems in the context of the military mission and climate change. Before joining DoD, Susan worked at the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station in RTP, NC studying processes in fire adapted forest ecosystems and plant communities. Susan earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and holds both master’s and doctoral degrees in Forestry from North Carolina State University. She also served in the U.S. Peace Corps as a forestry extension volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

Troy Walton is a remote sensing and unoccupied aerial systems (UAS; drones and sensors) specialist at Attollo, LLC and, in partnership with the UNC Institute for the Environment, is the Manager of the Carolina Drone Lab. Prior to joining Attollo, he flew drones for an agriculture inspection firm conducting crop health analysis through remote sensing. Troy served in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years as both an artillery Officer and as a UAS Mission Commander. He brings his mastery of flying in complex airspace to all of his drone missions.

Since leaving the military, Troy has been focusing on utilizing UAS for environmental monitoring and tracking the effects of climate change. Specializing in advanced UAS operations, he trains remote pilots on flight operations, mission planning, data processing, and the fundamentals of standing up new drone programs within organizations. Troy earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Management from Eastern Kentucky University and a GIS post-baccalaureate certificate from Pennsylvania State University in Geographic Information Systems. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree for Geographic Information Science at Unity College.

The TraCS Research Recruitment & Retention Program offers Drop-in Office Hours every third Wednesday. Get quick answers for your recruitment questions via Zoom. Our recruitment specialists can help answer brief questions, review documents, or provide resources. 

Whether you need recruitment troubleshooting, have questions about MyChart, or help designing a flyer, drop-in and we can help get things started!

Zoom

Successful participant accrual and retention are critical to the success of any research study or clinical trial. Join the NC TraCS Research Recruitment and Retention Program for a refresher on best practices and novel perspectives for maximizing efforts to meet enrollment goals in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Objectives:
- Describe best practices and regulations related to the recruitment of human subjects into research
- Identify considerations for appropriate strategy selection
- Understand how to create effective materials/messaging
- Learn how to talk about your recruitment plan with your sponsor and IRB
- Explain how the study team can monitor recruitment to inform ongoing efforts

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Managing a State Response to a Global Pandemic: A conversation between Drs. Mandy Cohen and John Wiesman

Mandy Cohen was secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services during the coronavirus pandemic. John Wiesman was secretary of the Washington State Department of Health, which handled the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States. In this conversation, they will discuss the experience of managing a state’s response to COVID-19. What was it like, what did they learn and how can we apply those lessons to future pandemics?

Speakers:

Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President and CEO of Aledade Care Solutions

John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH
Professor of Practice in Health Policy and Management, Director of Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership at the Gillings School

Moderator:

Jason deBruyn
Health Reporter at WUNC

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Development of a Novel Research Collaboration with the Retail Industry (Dylan L. Steen, MD, MS)

This NIH Collaboratory Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds features:

Dylan L Steen, MD, MS
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine
Director, Clinical Trials and Population Health Research, UC Heart, Lung, and Vascular Institute
CEO, High Enroll LLC (research participant recruitment company)

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