Dr. Renuka Nayak had the honor of presenting her research during the annual American College of Rheumatology (ACR) conference “ACR Convergence 2025”, October 24-29 in Chicago, Illinois.

 

In the October 26th session, titled, “Immune-Metabolite Axis: How Microbial and Host Byproducts Drive Inflammation”, Dr. Nayak discussed therapeutic approaches to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).

 

Along with her colleagues Dr. Nayak’s research on identical twins who are discordant for RA found that the twin with RA had significantly lower concentrations of fecal butyrate and propionate. SCFA-producing bacteria were also decreased in the RA twin. This suggests that low levels of SCFAs may contribute to the development or progression of RA.

Dementia significantly impacts rural communities in the U.S., presenting unique challenges for family caregivers due to limited access to essential support services.

 

Dr. Kenneth Covinsky co-published a study that examines the influence of area-level factors on the utilization of home- and community-based services among rural caregivers.

 

The study, titled "Utilization of home- and community-based services among rural family caregivers of persons with dementia: the role of the area deprivation index”, was published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Social engagement is crucial for well-being, yet caregivers often face restrictions due to care responsibilities. The caregiver-specific consequences of these restrictions are underexplored.

 

Drs. Kenneth Covinsky and Alexander K. Smith explore the social impact and burdens on caregivers in the study titled “When Missing Out Matters: Associations Between Social Activity Restriction and Caregiver Burden”, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Dr. Rebecca Sudore’s brainchild, the UCSF PREPARE program, received a $65,000 grant from the Stupski Foundation to support a three-year project (2026-2028) aimed at optimizing advance care planning (ACP) practices at Alameda Health System (AHS). 

 

Dr. Sudore and her team will collaborate with AHS leaders to address ACP gaps for seriously ill patients and older adults by implementing the UCSF PREPARE Program’s evidence-based tools. This work will include advising on an implementation plan, guiding needs assessments/data collection, and helping AHS leaders deliver effective ACP education for clinicians. A key component will be designing strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of ACP activities across AHS.

 

Congratulations to Dr. Sudore and her team!

Congratulations to Dr. Duygu Tosun-Turgut and her research team for being named semifinalist for the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (AD Data Initiative) $1 million Alzheimer's Insights AI Prize!

 

The AD Data Initiative seeks to tap into the potential to accelerate the pace of discovery and development of Alzheimer’s research.

 

Dr. Tosun-Turgut’s team will be presenting their power pitch at the Alzheimer's Insights Summit in San Diego on Dec 5th. The winner will be announced the week of March 16th, 2026.

 

NCIRE wishes you the best of luck in your research endeavor.

 

Full list of the semifinalist: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alzheimersdata_alzheimers-insights-ai-prize-semifinalists-activity-7386447874047504384-LJqD?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAOy3AB4KLiKX6_Mk-RTjvqgttTnOcVMNI

Do individuals with a cystatin C–based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcys) value at least 30% lower than their creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcr) have higher rates of mortality, cardiovascular events, and kidney failure compared with individuals whose eGFRcys is not at least 30% lower than their eGFRcr?

 

Dr. Michelle Estrella and her Kidney Health Research Collaborative (KHRC) colleagues, Drs. Michael Shlpak and Teresa Chen, joined other researchers to answer that question through a study titled “Discordance in creatinine based eGFR and cystatin C based eGFR and clinical outcomes: a meta-analysis”, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

 

Dr. Estrella is the Executive Director of the KHRC, Dr. Shlipak is the co-founder/Scientific Director and Dr. Chen’s is part of the Associated Faculty. Dr. Shlipak also serves as Chair of the NCIRE Board.

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To view the study, click "Learn More" below.

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Learn more about the KHRC: https://khrc.ucsf.edu/