Photo courtesy of Research!America.
This past week, National Academy of Medicine (NAM) member Keith R. Yamamoto received the Luminary Award from the Precision Medicine World Conference. He receives this prestigious award for his “Conception, Implementation and Advocacy for Precision Medicine.”
Dr. Yamamoto has been a tireless advocate for precision medicine across the public and private sectors and helped stimulate President Barack Obama’s interest in the field, leading to the national Precision Medicine Initiative. He served on the report committee for the National Academies’ 2011 report, Toward Precision Medicine. This report recommended creating a “knowledge network” to integrate molecular data from pilot studies with medical histories by leveraging health information technology like electronic health records. This integration and widespread data sharing could lead to quicker diagnosis and faster treatment. Yamamoto also promoted a precision medicine approach to Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot.
Dr. Yamamoto is vice chancellor for science policy and strategy, vice dean for research in the school of medicine, and professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco. He sits on the NAM Council and the National Academy of Sciences Division of Earth and Life Studies Advisory Committee. He has been a member of the NAM since 2003. He accepted his award on May 24. To learn more about the Precision Medicine World Conference, please click here.
