Precision Public Health Initiatives in Cancer: Proceedings from the Transdisciplinary Conference for Future Leaders in Precision Public Health

Abstract

Background Precision public health is an emergent field that requires transdisciplinary collaborations and leverages innovative approaches to improve population health. These opportunities have inspired a new generation of precision public health researchers. Despite burgeoning interest in precision public health, there are limited opportunities for researchers to convene and continue the momentum of this field. Methods The Transdisciplinary Conference for Future Leaders in Precision Public Health was the among the first events to bring together international researchers and practitioners to learn, network, and agenda set for the future of the field. The conference took place virtually on October 14 and 15, 2021. Results The conference spanned two days and featured a keynote address, speakers from public health disciplines who are international leaders in precision-based research, networking opportunities, a poster session, and research agenda setting activities. Conclusion The conference was a critical first step to creating a shared international conversation about precision public health, especially among early-stage investigators. This allowed attendees to continue building their individual skills and international collaborations to support the growth of the field of precision public health.

Next-Generation Public Health Genomics: A Call to Assess the Equitable Implementation, Population Health Impact, and Sustainability of Precision Public Health Applications

“…Taken together, when we examine the public health genomics literature and consider PGS as a case example, we find that the current peer-reviewed literature is “stuck” in the pre-implementation (i.e., exploration and planning) and early implementation phases with little to no literature reporting on population health outcomes from public health genomics applications or its sustainability [7, 11]. Reasons for this holding pattern are multidimensional.…”

“…The field of implementation science, the study of methods to integrate evidence-based practices into public health settings, has the potential to inform the best approaches for ensuring the promise of public health genomics is realized. Over the past 5 years, calls for research at the intersection of genomics and implementation science have been raised, with attention to applications in public health [6][7][8][9][10][11]. In particular, implementation science frameworks, which increasingly include an explicit consideration of health equity [5,[12][13][14][15], can guide evaluations of public health genomics applications, our understanding of the factors associated with equitable implementation outcomes, and implementation processes.…”