TUCSON, Ariz. – Internationally recognized expert on genetics and genomic medicine Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, PharmB, will deliver the keynote address, “The Power of Precision Medicine,” at the University of Arizona Arthritis Center’s 17th Annual Living Healthy With Arthritis Conference, Saturday, Feb. 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The conference will be held at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, DuVal Auditorium, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m.
Dr. Ramos will describe the emerging medical discipline that involves using genomic information about an individual — a person’s genes and DNA — as part of their clinical care. He will explain how knowledge gained from genomic medicine research may advance our understanding of biology and disease and be used to improve public health in the future.
He will detail the principles of precision medicine, described by the National Library of Medicine as, “According to the Precision Medicine Initiative, ‘an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment and lifestyle for each person.’ This approach will allow doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of people. It is in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach, in which disease treatment and prevention strategies are developed for the average person, with less consideration for the differences between individuals.”
Dr. Ramos is associate vice president for precision health sciences at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, where he is responsible for developing precision health strategies and approaches to health outcomes and health-care delivery. He is professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, and director of the UA Health Sciences Center for Applied Genetics and Genomic Medicine and the MD/PhD Program at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson. He was designated as an associate of the National Academy of Sciences in 2008 and elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015.
With training in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology and medicine, Dr. Ramos leads several translational, clinical research and educational programs that integrate diverse approaches to understanding the genomic processes of disease and discover novel therapies for cancer and pulmonary and vascular diseases. Dr. Ramos also has provided academic, executive, administrative and scientific leadership in the areas of genetics and genomic medicine at several academic institutions.
Conference registration is $20 per person and includes morning refreshments and lunch. Free parking is available in the Banner – University Medical Center Tucson Visitor/Patient Parking Garage and in nearby UA Zone 1 lots. Early reservations are advised; spaces are limited and fill quickly. Registration closes Wednesday, Feb. 6, or prior if capacity is reached. To register or for more information, please visit the UA Arthritis Center website at arthritis.arizona.edu/annual-conference, email livinghealthy@arthritis.arizona.edu, or call the UA Arthritis Center at 520-626-5040.
The Living Healthy With Arthritis Conference will cover information about health and services that help improve daily life and promote strengthening the mind and body to manage arthritis. Breakout sessions promoting patient empowerment through management of arthritis will feature physicians and alternative therapy practitioners, including:
- Amanda E. Sokan, PhD, MHA, LLB, regional associate program director, UA-Banner Health All of Us Research Program, with a joint faculty appointment in the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. (“Advancing the Health of Generations to Come: The All of Us Research Program Impact”)
- Shariq Chudhri, DO, clinical assistant professor of medicine, Division of Rheumatology, UA College of Medicine – Tucson. (“Gout Under the Microscope”)
- Mike Siemens, MS, corporate director of exercise physiology, Canyon Ranch Health Resort. (“Lifestyle Impact: The Healthy Weight Philosophy”)
- Todd Vanderah, PhD, professor and head, Department of Pharmacology, and professor of anesthesiology and neurology, UA College of Medicine – Tucson; member, UA BIO5 Institute. (“Pharmacogenomics: The Intersection of Drugs and DNA”)
- Valerie Schaibley, PhD, administrator, Center for Applied Genetics and Genomic Medicine, UA Health Sciences. (“Knowledge is Power ... What Can You Learn from Genetic Testing?”)
- Alicia Rodriguez-Pla, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Rheumatology, UA College of Medicine – Tucson. (“The Latest Advancements in the Treatment of Scleroderma”)
- Karma Kientzler, founding fitness director, Canyon Ranch Health Resort. (“Movement as Medicine”)
- Robert Logan, MBA, assistant dean for external and corporate relations, UA College of Science. (“The Pursuit of Happiness: Eight Scientifically Proven Techniques”)
About the University of Arizona Arthritis Center
The UA Arthritis Center, a Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, is a research leader focused on identifying the causes of arthritis and developing improved technologies for diagnosing, measuring and treating the disease. For more information: arthritis.arizona.edu
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs approximately 4,000 people, has approximately 800 faculty members and garners more than $140 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram)