Amber Keith, a doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine (CIAPM). The fellowship will provide $150,000 over two and a half years to support her research on health disparities in pancreatic cancer.
Keith said her work is driven by scientific interest and personal experiences that have strengthened her commitment to improving outcomes for patients and families affected by the disease.
Administered by the CIAPM, which is housed within the California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS), Keith’s project responds to understanding and addressing disparities in pancreatic cancer outcomes among underserved populations and the need for representation in these research studies.
The fellowship will take advantage of new data resources, such as the UC data warehouse, to generate new insights into pancreatic cancer disparities across California populations. These resources help identify factors contributing to unequal outcomes and inform more effective, equitable interventions.
In addition to supporting her research, the CIAPM fellowship represents a notable accomplishment for UCR. Keith is the first student at UCR to be selected for a CIAPM predoctoral fellowship, aligning with the medical school’s mission to improve health outcomes for all Californians.
“Amber’s fellowship reflects the promise of innovative, collaborative research to address some of California’s most pressing health challenges,” said Meera Nair, a professor of biomedical sciences in the UCR School of Medicine and Keith’s advisor. “Her work will help advance our understanding of pancreatic cancer disparities while contributing to more equitable healthcare solutions.”
Keith’s work has benefited from support through the City of Hope–UCR U54 Partnership, a collaboration dedicated to expanding cancer research and training opportunities. Her project is also supported by the advocacy organization Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Launched in 2015, CIAPM supports patient-focused research demonstration projects and connects health and medicine stakeholders across California. CIAPM, formally part of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and now housed within CalHHS, facilitates cross-sector collaborations among the state’s scientists, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and patient participants, enabling them to translate available large data sets and technical innovation into better and equitable health outcomes. More about the initiative.