Dean's Corner

Kelsey Martin, M.D., Ph.D.

UCLA Poised to Advance Precision Medicine in California

A proposed state-funded institute offers UCLA the opportunity to advance California’s efforts to deliver individualized treatments to patients.

Governor Brown’s 2018-2019 budget includes a $30 million appropriation to establish the California Institute to Advance Precision Health and Medicine, a public-private collaboration that will extend the applications of precision medicine in California’s health system and fortify the progress of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM).

As a member of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Precision Medicine, Dr. Kelsey Martin, dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine, will represent UCLA in guiding precision-medicine policy in California.

Furthermore, Dr. Martin’s interaction with other stakeholders on the committee opens new possibilities for sharing and amplifying the work of UCLA’s own Institute for Precision Health.

Dr. Martin’s Role on the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Precision Medicine

The guidance of Dr. Martin and the other members of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Precision Medicine will be critical to the formation of sound state policies and practices designed to improve the health of Californians.

Dr. Martin and the committee will counsel the governor’s office on:

• Policy issues, including those surrounding data privacy and technology
• Applications of precision medicine in healthcare
• Techniques to engage and educate providers and patients
• Economic impacts of precision medicine

Enhancing Collaboration in Precision Health

“California is home to industry leaders that have been driving innovation across technology, biotech, and medicine for decades. Encouraging public-private partnerships to support innovation in healthcare and medicine will ensure that California remains at the forefront to advance research and treatments that will save lives.”
- Clara Lajonchere, PhD, Deputy Director, UCLA Institute for Precision Health

A public-private partnership, the proposed California Institute to Advance Precision Health and Medicine will enable leaders in medicine and technology to exchange knowledge, thereby amplifying the progress of many separate institutions, including UCLA’s Institute for Precision Health. This sharing of experiences and practices has the potential to generate policy and implementation innovations that bring the state even closer to delivering the right treatments to the right Californians.

UCLA is proud to play a key role in a union that signifies a catalytic leap for the future of precision medicine—first in California, and later, the world.

By Ashley Bell