January 19th and 20th, HEI and the ELAYO team co-hosted the Grantee Partner Convening in San Francisco for grantees and community partners involved in the Ford Foundation's Sexuality Research Initiative. Grantees and Community Partners from all six sites across the country came together to share progress, explore emerging common themes and identify opportunities for collaboration. This event also encouraged and gave the opportunity for ELAYO research staff to share what the project has done for them in terms of professional and academic development.

Vanessa Cardona, an ELAYO research assistant/interviewer and current MPH student at SFSU, shared how the project has shaped her academic and professional life, stating that "It is at these times where I feel like the academic knowledge I learned is enriched two fold by the real life experience of working on this research team.  And with ELAYO, these life lessons where we learn by doing are happening all the time." Pictured below: Vanessa Cardona

Above: Miguel Alcalá, Research Assistant/Interviewer, sharing his experience with ELAYO

Above: Vanessa Mercado, MPH, ELAYO Research Assistant/Interviewer

Above: Cynthia Gómez, Director of HEI and PI of ELAYO introducing Margaret Hempel, Director for Sexuality, and Reproductive Health and Rights at Ford Foundation and Rocio Córdoba, Program Officer at Ford Foundation  

*Top photo includes: From left to right, standing: Cynthia Gómez, Abby Paz, Brenda Ortiz, Miguel Torres, Heidi Lucas, Miguel Alcalá and Emily Mann. Sitting: Vanessa Mercado, Vanessa Cardona, Carmen Gómez Mandic and Elodia Villaseñor

Dr. Cynthia Gómez, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Public Responsibility in Medicine & Research (PRIM&R) presented the ARENA Legacy Award to Gigi McMillian, cofounder and Executive Director of We Can, Pediatric Brain Tumor Network, in December 2011. The ARENA Legacy Award recognizes a PRIM&R member who has made an exemplary contribution to the mission and goals of PRIM&R by significantly promoting the ethical conduct of research through mentoring, teaching, and leadership. Over 3000 people attended the ceremony.

Dr. Gómez also presented at the 2011 Advancing Ethical Research PRIM&R Conference. Her presentation topics included vulnerable popluations including the homeless, substance abusers, and more and Qualitative Research. She was also the moderator of a session on the Ethical Conduct of Controversial and Sensitive Research.

Katherine Kim, MBA, MPH was also a presenter on Mobile Technologies as Research Tools.   

Pictured above: Dr. Cynthia Gómez. Pictured below from top to bottom: Dr. Cynthia Gómezand Gigi McMillian and Katherine Kim (middle) presenting at PRIM&R

Katherine Kim, MPH, MBA, HEI Professor in Residence, is the recipient of one of nine scholarships given to students enrolled in health IT and management systems degree programs. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annually awards scholarships to HIMSS student members who have achieved academic excellence. Katherine Kim was awarded the Northern California Chapter Scholarship for her academic work at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, UC Davis. Read the press release here.

 "Exploration of the e-patient phenomenon in nursing informatics" was published in Nursing Outlook. Katherine Kim was a co-author, along with other individuals from the Betty Irene School of Nursing at UC Davis and Informatics School of Nursing at University of Maryland. Read the paper online.

Katherine Kim, MPH, MBA, HEI Professor in Residence, was published in the October issue of Endocrine Today. The article explores the issue of where funding for technology in diabetes management should be distributed and discusses mobile health. Read the article online. 

"Preventing HIV in U.S. Women and Girls: A Call for Social Action", written by Dr. Cynthia A. Gómez, Health Equity Institute Director, is featured in the November/December issue of Women's Health Issues. Download the PDF version or the online supplement. 

Introducing a series of four short documentaries that explore the link between mindfulness practice and health.

• THE ART OF PRESENCE - Explore the value of meditation and mindfulness-based elder care as transformative practices for healthy aging.
• BREATHING KHMER - Journey into The Nagara Dhamma Temple in San Francisco where Cambodian refugees and their children cultivate community, culture and healing through Buddhism.
• EDUCATED MINDS - Learn how public schools use secular mindfulness practice as a learning aid with students.
• REFUGE IN SANGHA - Discover how meditation can be used to foster community and healing among a diverse group of people in Oakland, California.

Presented by:
The Health Equity Institute and the SFSU Cinema department

HED/CINE 527: Documentary for Health and Social Justice is a transdisciplinary film production course at San Francisco State University that has produced more than 35 short documentaries.

Dr. Laura Mamo presented "The New Sexual Politics of Cancer: From Oncoviruses to Sexual Health" at the Debating Causation conference at Princeton University.

Dr. Máquez-Magaña, SF State and Mr. Quiroz, Kaiser Permanente presented about free Medical School Opportunities for Global Health. Hosted by Global Brigades.

Over 100 students attended the absolutely SAFE screening with filmmaker and Our Bodies Ourselves co-founder and discussed how they can get involved in dialogue and action around breast implant safety. 

Community members gathered for a reading and discussion with Adele E. Clarke, Laura Mamo, Jennifer Ruth Fosket, Janet K. Shim, and Natalie Boero of their new bookBiomedicalization: Technoscience, Health, and Illness in the U.S.

Dr. Mackenzie presented a talk at APHA exploring the the social context of HIV among bisexually active African American men.

Reading and discussion with Rebecca Jordan-Young about how hormones affect sex, gender, and sexuality based on her new book: Brain Storm: The Flaws in the Science of Sex Differences.