News News & Publications

April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to recognize, celebrate, and support the diverse experiences and strengths of individuals on the autism spectrum. While awareness is an important first step, acceptance encourages meaningful inclusion by fostering environments where autistic individuals are respected, valued, and empowered to thrive. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition […]

Our very own Dr. Aaron Besterman led one of the largest meta-analyses to date of genetic testing in schizophrenia. Results analyzed from 31 studies, representing more than 20,000 participants, found that modern genetic testing, including chromosomal microarray and exome or genome sequencing, identified a clinically significant genetic explanation for schizophrenia in about 6% of patients, or roughly 1 in 16 individuals. An early age of onset and the presence […]

Our Associate Director, Jane Samaniego, was featured in the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine’s March newsletter for her ongoing work with the CIAPM-funded project: Making the Unseen Seen Trial of Depression (MUST-D): Scrutinizing social determinants of depression to advance precision and equitable care (UCSD, Lead Principal Investigator: Suzi Hong, PhD). In this interview, Jane discusses the […]

Our LRRI team’s publication, Characterization of Long COVID Patients Using Longitudinal Fitbit Data: Insights into Post-Viral Infection Behaviors, in JMIR Formative Research. This aim of the study was to identify longitudinal patterns in physical activity, physiology, and patient reported outcomes (PROs) among Long COVID patients enrolled in the Long COVID and Fatiguing Illness Recovery Program. The secondary aim was to identify meaningful subgroups or […]

Family Health Centers of San Diego, in collaboration with the ECHO Institute and the University of Washington, will continue to offer CDC-funded, monthly webinar-style learning sessions. These learning sessions will support the rapid dissemination of the latest findings and emerging best practices on Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). In addition to monthly webinars, […]

Blood Pressure Control Advancing Refugee Health Equity (BP Care) is a study by the National Heart, Luncg and Blood Institute (NHLBI) focused on improving hypertension management among Arabic-speaking refugee patients. The study aims to better understand medication adherence by comparing two groups: participants who receive medication-adherence support a Patient Health Navigator and those who do […]

The Lung Cancer Screening Engagement Study aims to improve how primary care teams support low-income patients who are at risk of developing lung cancer. Led by Principal Investigator David Strong, PhD, from the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego, the project builds on prior TRDRP-funded work to enhance clinic workflows, […]

The Laura Rodriguez Research Institute proudly welcomes Dr. Aaron Besterman, M.D., as its new Medical Director. Dr. Besterman is a child and adolescent psychiatrist whose work integrates clinical care, precision medicine, and translational research to improve outcomes for youth with rare diseases and complex psychiatric conditions. His portfolio includes investigator-initiated studies in neurogenetics, immunogenomics, biomarker […]