05/17/2013
According to a study from the New England Journal of Medicine, most physicians agree that increasing the number of nurse practitioners would improve timeliness of care. However, few believe that doing so would improve safety and quality of care. Kaiser Health News' "Capsules."
05/06/2013
CMS and HHS are partnering with analytics firm Archimedes to expand access to de-identified Medicare claims data. The project aims to speed the development of software that could leverage analytics to improve care and reduce costs. Clinical Innovation & Technology et al.
05/06/2013
UCLA's Los Angeles Stroke Prevention/Intervention Research Program in Health Disparities has received a five-year, $11 million grant from NIH. The group plans to use the grant to conduct three studies on strategies to reduce the high rate of stroke among low-income minorities. KPCC's "On Central."
04/24/2013
Yesterday, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announced that it plans to spend $68 million to fund two research networks that will help scientists conduct clinical trials and comparative-effectiveness studies using data gathered through physician visits. Washington Post's "Wonkblog" et al.
04/16/2013
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will provide a forgivable $19.3 million loan to Newark-based StemCells for its research into Alzheimer's disease. The loan term is 10 years, but the funds will be disbursed over four years with undisclosed milestone payment requirements if StemCells introduces an Alzheimer's treatment to the market. San Francisco Business Times' "BiotechSF."
04/05/2013
A Ventura County Star editorial states that if a brain-mapping research initiative announced by President Obama this week "even partially attains its lofty aims, the scientists and other researchers behind it will have earned the gratitude of generations." According to the editorial, the project could lead to treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, but "the initial funding request is modest." Ventura County Star.
04/04/2013
On Tuesday, President Obama announced a new brain-mapping initiative that could help researchers discover new ways to treat Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and other neurological conditions. In addition to advancing neuroscience research, the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies -- or, BRAIN -- initiative could spur the development of new IT tools. InformationWeek, New York Times.
04/04/2013
A UC-Irvine-led study found that daily stressors can have a significant effect on individuals' long-term mental health. The study -- which was published in the journal Psychological Science -- found that how survey respondents handled such stress predicted whether they would experience anxiety or depression up to a decade later. KPCC's "KPCC News."
04/02/2013
The La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology clinched the second spot in The Scientist's 2013 list of the 10 best places to work for postdocs, up from seventh place in the 2012 edition of the annual survey. Postdocs are non-tenured researchers who serve as apprentices in preparation for careers in academia, government and business. U-T San Diego.
03/29/2013
California researchers found that models of website networking and cellphone signal transmissions offer insight into how lung cancer spreads in the body and how cancer treatment plans could be improved, according to a study by published Monday in the journal Cancer Research. U-T San Diego.
03/28/2013
UCLA researchers found that Los Angeles County women who were exposed to higher estimated air pollution levels had a 12% to 15% greater chance of having a child who develops autism than women who lived in areas with less pollution during their pregnancies, according to a study published in the March issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
03/25/2013
A new analysis finds that California could lose about $180 million in medical and scientific research funding under sequestration, the most of any state. According to the analysis, NIH funding cuts could halt current research and impede biomedical innovation. Los Angeles Times.
03/21/2013
On Thursday, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded $32.3 million in grants to nine researchers to establish a Bay Area-based stem cell bank. CIRM said storing stem cells in a central location will help scientists more quickly find treatments or cures for a variety of diseases. San Francisco Business Times' "BiotechSF," U-T San Diego.
03/18/2013
California received a "D" grade in a new national report card on health care pricing transparency. Twenty-nine states received an "F" grade, while Massachusetts and New Hampshire were the only states to earn an "A." Modern Healthcare et al.
03/11/2013
Last week, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine officials met with the editorial staff of U-T San Diego to discuss the agency's proposals for reducing potential conflicts of interest. CIRM officials say the proposals are the fastest way to address such issues. U-T San Diego.