Pilot Study Title: Association between Evidence-based Nutrition Indices and Mortality Among Older Adults with Colorectal Cancer
Position: Fellow, National Clinician Scholars Program at UCSF (NCSP)
Career goal: To improve outcomes among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and survivors.
Why this study: Emerging evidence suggests that certain nutrition practices are associated with lower mortality among patients with colorectal cancer. Most of these findings, however, come from study populations that are not fully representative of the U.S., limiting their generalizability. My study evaluates three evidence-based nutrition indices in a more representative cohort, with the goal of strengthening generalizability and informing future interventions.
Pilot Study Title: Uptake of Safety Net Programs Across Disaggregated Communities
Position: Research Scientist, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Career goal: To conduct meaningful and impactful research that can positively impact population health and advance equity and justice for communities experiencing economic and social marginalization.
Why this study: Government assistance programs which provide structural and economic support are essential for supporting the health and well-being of low-income older adults. However, many who qualify for these programs do not enroll due to barriers such as language difficulty, limited awareness, and administrative burden. Asian American older adults are often overlooked in research on safety net program participation. This study will examine safety net program utilization and its impacts among disaggregated Asian American populations.
Pilot Study Title: Improving the Surrogate Decision-Making Experience for Care Partners of Older Adults with Serious Illness
Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, UCSF
Career goal: To improve the health and well-being of Chinese older adults and their care partners impacted by serious illnesses.
Why this study: Chinese American older adults face a lot of unmet healthcare needs while living with a serious illness that negatively impacts their daily function and quality of life. Care partners are often involved in helping the Chinese American older adults make medical decisions and plan for end-of-life care. In many of these situations, care partners feel unprepared, overwhelmed, and distressed. The goal of this study is to better understand the experiences of care partners who helped Chinese American older adults with medical care planning and surrogate decision-making. Doing so will be the first step to creating a culturally-sensitive program to better prepare care partners for their role.