Bishop

Researchers are evaluating a culturally informed patient navigation program called Community-Focused Patient Navigation (CFPN) to reduce delays between diagnosis and treatment for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) cancer patients living in rural California. AIAN communities face serious cancer disparities including higher death rates, later-stage diagnoses, and limited access to timely, culturally responsive care. These challenges may arise from rural isolation, divided referral systems, and lack of trust in mainstream healthcare. The CFPN program is designed to address these barriers by providing guidance and support tailored to each patient's unique needs, goals, and challenges. The study involves two main objectives. The first objective includes community members participating in groups such as a Community Advisory Board (CAB), focus groups, or key informant interviews to help co-design the CFPN program. The second objective enrolls cancer patients who engage with the CFPN navigator as needed, receive personalized treatment plans, opioid misuse education, and care coordination. Additional activities include educational interventions, interviews, electronic health record reviews, and surveys to support the program's development and implementation. Participants may be involved for up to two years, during which researchers collect data through focus groups, interviews, and program evaluations using established frameworks. The study measures include themes from discussions, effectiveness of the CFPN program both qualitatively and quantitatively, program implementation, and participant retention. These assessments aim to understand how well the CFPN program works to improve timely cancer care and address barriers specific to AIAN communities in rural settings.

This research aims to investigate how taking ketone monoester supplements affects brain blood flow during exercise at different altitudes. The study focuses on healthy adults aged 18 to 35 who are part of a research expedition to high altitude, specifically the Barcroft Research Station in California. It evaluates the impact of acute ketone monoester ingestion on the ventilatory threshold and cerebral artery blood velocity during a maximal exercise test at both low and high altitudes. Participants receive either a ketone monoester supplement at a dose of 0.6 grams per kilogram of body weight or a calorie-free, taste-matched placebo drink. The ketone supplement used is described as [R]-3-hydroxybutyl [R]-3-hydroxybutyrate. The study compares the effects of these two interventions during exercise testing under different altitude conditions. During the study, researchers measure cerebral blood velocity for three hours to assess the supplement's effects. Participants undergo maximal exercise testing while blood flow in the brain's arteries is monitored. The study involves careful selection and monitoring of participants to ensure safety and accurate measurement of outcomes related to exercise performance and brain blood flow at altitude.