Recognition October 2016

• Cherkin granted emeritus status
• SOS program featured by NCI
• Wernli gives 3 talks on cancer

Dr. Cherkin retires, becomes emeritus investigator

Longtime GHRI Senior Investigator Dan Cherkin, PhD, was granted emeritus status upon his retirement in September. Known worldwide for innovative research on alternative approaches to healing, Dr. Cherkin also served as GHRI’s interim executive director from 2000 to 2002. Among his many research contributions are findings that demonstrated the value of approaches such as acupuncture, massage, and yoga for treating back and neck pain. Most recently, he led a study that showed mindfulness-based stress reduction is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain (see news release). Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this first-of-its-kind study received widespread media attention, with stories appearing in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, and elsewhere. Dr. Cherkin plans to remain actively involved in the work of the Institute and Group Health after his retirement.

NCI features SOS study among research-tested interventions

“Moving science into programs for people”—that’s the tagline of the National Cancer Institute’s Research-tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) database, which now features tools and resources from GHRI’s Smart Options for Screening (SOS) study. Led by Associate Investigator Beverly Green, MD, MPH, the long-running SOS study has shown that using electronic health records to identify people who aren’t up to date on colon cancer screening and sending them home screening kits is an effective—and cost-effective—way to boost screening rates (see news release). RTIPs is a searchable database designed to provide immediate access to research-tested programs and materials that are primed for use in clinical and community settings.

Dr. Wernli presents on end-of-life care for cancer, breast imaging for cancer survivors

From Boston to New York City to Toronto, GHRI Associate Investigator Karen Wernli, PhD, is sharing her expertise on two important cancer-related issues: end-of-life care for cancer patients and surveillance imaging for women with a history of breast cancer. On October 4, Dr. Wernli will gave a talk titled “What is the current state of end-of-life care in adolescent and young adult cancer patients across the U.S.?” at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She’ll repeat her talk in Toronto on October 7 for the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario—after a stop at Columbia University in New York on October 6, where she’ll present “Patient-centered approach to surveillance breast imaging: Results from SIMBA.”