Advancing Open Science With the HEAL Data Ecosystem

Overview

Enabling collaborative, rapid advancements is the promise of open science. This kind of pivotal shift in research is particularly significant for the NIH HEAL Initiative^®’s goal to urgently accelerate discovery of treatments for pain and opioid use disorder. In collaboration with the HEAL Connections team, this month’s Fresh FAIR webinar will highlight the importance of open science through examples of how sharing results and data can positively impact communities and spur further research discovery. Dr. Jessica Mazerik will kick off with an introduction to open science, followed by lightning talks from Dr. Sarah Woods and Dr. Rachel Wightman detailing their experiences reusing or synthesizing data to inform “on the ground” work, decisions, and policies. HEAL Stewards’ Liezl Mae Fos and HEAL Connections’ Jennifer Cook will then describe how each team helps investigators practice open science, both within and beyond the HEAL Data Ecosystem. The webinar will conclude with a live Question & Answer session.

Jessica Mazerik, Ph.D., is the Program Director for the HEAL Data Ecosystem. Prior to working in the NIH HEAL Initiative, she led workforce activities in the OD/DPCPSI Office of Data Science Strategy and served as a special assistant to the NIH Deputy Director, where she focused on artificial intelligence and data science among other activities. She coordinated two prize competitions to develop 3D retinal tissue models for the National Eye Institute, Office of the Director.

Sarah Woods, Ph.D., LMFT, is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and studies how family relationships get under our skin to impact our physical health. Her current research focuses on explicating psychophysiological stress mechanisms of effect, and integrated behavioral health interventions.

Rachel Wightman, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology at Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is triple board-certified in medical toxicology, emergency medicine, and addiction medicine. She serves as the Director of Toxicology and Addiction Medicine for Brown Emergency Medicine and a Consultant Medical Director at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Her research interests are emerging drug use patterns, evaluation of toxicology testing results, and medication management of opioid use disorder. She co-founded the Rhode Island Buprenorphine Hotline, a statewide telehealth low-threshold buprenorphine treatment access line in partnership with RIDOH and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Liezl Mae Fos, M.S., is a HEAL Steward in the Data Management Group at RENCI. Fos has 5 years of experience working in both industry-led and academia-focused clinical research trials. Working previously for a large contract research organization, she was involved in the management of several study sites within a given trial, ensuring that proper documentation and clinical procedures were followed. She has worked closely with PIs to ensure that study visits and other study-related tasks run smoothly and efficiently during her time as clinical research coordinator for a medical university. As a HEAL Steward, Fos integrates her background to support investigators in the HEAL Data Ecosystem by providing guidance and strategy for data management.

Jennifer Cook, M.P.H., is an Associate Director in the Research Communications and Engagement team at the Duke Clinical Research Institute within the Duke School of Medicine and a project leader for HEAL Connections. She brings more than 25 years of experience in health care communications. She has a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and deep experience with patient and community engagement and academic publications that have been cited extensively.