STANFORD UNIVERSITY

A digital intervention combining text messages and a web-based dashboard, added to health behavior counseling, improved weight-for-length trajectories and reduced obesity incidence at 24 months in a diverse population, compared to counseling alone.

Historically, medical research has been male-dominated, leading to gender bias in disease understanding and drug responses. Women experience different symptoms and metabolize drugs differently. Despite progress, such as the NIH's Sex as a Biological Variable initiative, significant gaps remain, particularly in female-exclusive conditions like menopause and endometriosis. Funding inequities and challenges in translating research into practice exacerbate these issues.

Early access to investigational therapies can transform cancer treatment, offering new hope and improving outcomes. IQVIA experts discuss early development advantages, including enhanced drug effect assessments and easier comparisons to standard care, within the FDA’s Project FrontRunner. Learn about designing robust randomized controlled trials and accelerating development and patient access through innovative strategies.

In Nov 2023, Stanford Cancer Institute launched the Junior Faculty Forum to support early-career cancer researchers. The forum offers quarterly seminars on professional growth, networking, and lab development. Five sessions have featured speakers like Michelle Monje and Melinda Telli, covering topics such as clinical trials and AI for grants. Feedback indicates improved collaboration and community. Led by James Ford and Pauline Funchain, the forum plans to expand with personalized learning and new topics like clinical trial communication.

Dr. Stan Stawicki, a St. Luke’s University Health Network trauma surgeon, has been named among the world’s top-cited scientists by Stanford University/Elsevier. Stawicki is involved in clinical trials, including testing a new skin adhesive and determining optimal antibiotic treatment duration post-bowel perforation. He also contributed to COVID-19 guidelines and emphasizes the responsibility of research in patient management.

Dr. Tim Jancelewicz, co-principal investigator, leads an $11.4 million, multi-institutional clinical trial to study the efficacy of nitric oxide in treating newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The NoNO Trial, funded by the NIH, involves 19 institutions and aims to determine if nitric oxide reduces the need for invasive care like ECMO. The trial also explores barriers to de-implementation of nitric oxide and its continued use despite lack of supporting evidence.

Dr. Nicholas Bloom's study at Trip.com HQ in Shanghai found hybrid WFH reduced attrition by 33% over 6 months, with benefits for non-managers, women, and long-commuters. No impact on performance or promotion rates. Company expanded hybrid WFH post-trial. Future WFH trends predicted due to lease expirations, younger execs' favor, and tech improvements.

A Stanford Medicine team discovered a derivative of artemisinin, initially used for malaria, could treat cardiac fibrosis through high-throughput screening and genetic engineering, highlighting the role of serendipity in drug discovery.

Ultrasound, evolving from imaging to targeted brain therapy, offers non-invasive treatment for conditions like pain, alcoholism, OCD, and Parkinson’s. Researchers discuss its potential as a 'search and rescue tool for the brain,' enabling personalized treatments. Challenges include adapting the technique for diverse human skulls and ensuring cost-effectiveness. A home-use TUS device is being developed.

TB researchers are hopeful about new vaccines, but trials may extend to 2029. Funding is insufficient, and the disease burdens developing and middle-income countries most. India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan account for 60% of global cases. TB rates are declining globally except in the Americas and Western Pacific, driven by Latin America's prison overcrowding. In the US, rates have risen to 2013 levels, affecting immigrants, Black people, and Native Americans.