AGENDA

Please note session titles and speakers are subject to change.

  • 8:30 AM

    Registration Desk Open

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    8:45 AM

    Breakfast Served

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    9:00 AM

    Welcome

    Opening Blessing & Land Acknowledgement

    Location: Birch Room

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    9:15 AM

    Plenary Speaker

    Speaker: Jessica Black

    Location: Birch Room

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    10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

    BREAK

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    10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

    BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Maternal Child Health (Location: Birch Room)

    • Unpacking the Triple Threat: Examining the Association Between Prenatal Vitamin D and Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, Pre-eclampsia, and Gestational Diabetes among Alaska Native Birthing Peoples

      • Speakers: Anjali Madeira, Southcentral Foundation & Julie Beans

    • The Alaska Lactation and Perinatal Nutrition (ALPeN) Project: Investigating Breastfeeding and Maternal Nutrition in Alaska

      • Speaker: Ruby Fried, University of Alaska Anchorage

    • Clinical course and outcomes of invasive Haemophilus influenzae illness among children aged <10 years at two hospitals in Alaska during 2013-2019

      • Speaker: Victoria Balta, CDC - Arctic Investigations Program

    • Vaginal Microbiome: How Biomedical and Lifestyle Factors Influence Women's Health

      • Speakers: Cornelia Jessen, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & Abigail Morgan

    Health Care Delivery & System (Location: Alder & Cottonwood)

    • Alaska's Behavioral Health Aide Program: A Model for village-based, culturally sustaining, clinical services

      • Speakers: Xiomara Owens, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium BHA & Bernice Nisbett

    • Evaluation of Telemedicine for Chronic Disease Specialty Care in the Alaska Tribal Health System

      • Speaker: Elizabeth Ferucci, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Overview of the CMS Tribal Data Learning Community (TDLC) Pilot Program

      • Speaker: Julie Morris, Alaska Native Epidemiology Center

    • The Implementation Science behind Public Policy Interventions: Case study of tobacco prevention in Alaska

      • Speakers: Emily Nenon, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network & Dana Diehl

    Cancer 1 (Room Location)

    • A 4-week double-blind controlled clinical trial for high dose fiber supplementation to reduce colonic mucosal biomarkers of colon cancer risk in Alaska Native peoples

      • Speakers: Stephen O'Keefe, University of Pittsburgh & Timothy Thomas, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Tumor-associated microbiome association with colorectal cancer-specific mortality in a racially and ethnic diverse patient population

      • Speaker: Claire Thomas, Fred Hutch Cancer Center

    • Gut Microbial and Metabolomic Profiling for Colorectal Cancer Risk Classification in an Alaska Native Cohort

      • Speaker: Neelendu Dey, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

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    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

    LUNCH PROVIDED

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    1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

    Plenary Speaker

    Speaker: Cana Itchuagiyaq

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    2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

    BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Climate, Environment & Health (Room Location)

    • Wastewater-based disease surveillance in rural Alaska - a model for remote and rural Tribal communities

      • Speaker: James Keck, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Aneryaartua: Planning and Implementation of the Clean Air Study

      • Speakers: Jennifer Dobson, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & Virginia Lozano

    • Environmental interventions to improve childhood respiratory health in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta

      • Speaker: Rosalyn Singleton, CDC

    Mental Health & Substance Use (Room Location)

    • Pilot Use of Augmented Reality Technology to Improve Engagement in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

      • Speakers: Melodie Isgro, Southcentral Foundation & Tim Collins

    • Culturally centering opioid use disorder treatment in American Indian and Alaska Native communities: Primary outcomes of an implementation study

      • Speakers: Kamilla Venner, University of New Mexico & Angel Vasquez

    • Community Strengths That Protect Young People from Suicide: The Alaska Native Collaborative Hub for Research on Resilience 

      • Speaker: Katie Cueva, University of Alaska Fairbanks

    • Beliefs About Alcohol Misuse Among Customer-Owners, Providers, and Leaders 

      • Speaker: Denise Dillard, Washington State University/IREACH

    Chronic & Infectious Disease (Room Location)

    • FREEZE TB: Use of nanopore targeted next generation sequencing to diagnose tuberculosis and tuberculosis drug resistance in Alaska

      • Speaker: Tara Ness, University of Alaska Anchorage

    • SuNA - A respiratory virus surveillance platform for Native American peoples provides actionable health information

      • Speaker: James Keck, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • The Qungasvik-Healthy Hearts Intervention: A culturally grounded and evidence-based intervention to support increased physical activity, traditional Yup'ik diet, and social connection for Elders and youth

      • Speakers: Katie Cueva, University of Alaska Fairbanks

    • Disseminated Gonococcal Infections Outbreak - Alaska, 2023-2024 

      • Speakers: Julia Rogers, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

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    3:30 PM - 4:00 PM

    BREAK

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    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    POSTER PRESENTATIONS (Location: Birch Room)

  • 8:30 AM

    Registration Desk Open

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    8:45 AM

    Breakfast Served

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    9:00 AM

    Welcome

    Opening Blessing by Elizabeth Sunnyboy & Land Acknowledgement by CHS

    Location: Main Ballroom

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    9:15 AM

    Plenary Speaker

    Speaker: Mary Owen

    Location: Birch Room

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    10:00 AM

    H. Sally Memorial Lecture

    Speaker: Abbie Willetto

    Location: Birch Room

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    10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

    BREAK - COFFEE PROVIDED

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    10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

    BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Climate, Environment & Health (Room Location)

    • Integrating Indigenous values and community priorities into climate and health assessments

      • Speaker: Micah Hahn, University of Alaska Anchorage

    • One Health Perspectives on Essential and Non-Essential Elements in Wildlife and Fish

      • Speaker: Todd O’Hara, Texas A&M/UAF

    • Water, Health Outcomes, and Knowledge of the Environment (WHOKE)

      • Speakers: Brandon A. Berger & Laura P. Eichelberger

    Social Determinants of Health (Room Location)

    • The Alaska Native Injury Atlas: The Purpose and Process of Providing Data to Tribal Injury Prevention

      • Speaker: Hillary Strayer, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Addressing Internalized Racial Oppression among Alaska Natives

      • Speakers: Gabriel Garcia, University of Alaska Anchorage & EJ David

    • Healthcare and Homelessness: Anchorage Respite Program Evaluation

      • Speaker: Gretchen Day, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    Healthy Alaskans (Room Location)

    • How Alaska Native Research Aligns with Healthy Alaskans' Statewide Health Improvement Plan

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    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

    NETWORKING LUNCH PROVIDED

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    1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

    BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Cultural (Room Location)

    • Gguul Ggoad

      • Speakers: Ggoadm 'Teebn Mckoy, Annette Island School & Gigi  Nathan

    • Exploring the Concepts of Rematriation & the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq Values and Ways of Being to Address Historical Trauma

      • Speaker: Tara Christiansen Stiller, AK indigenous Healing & Prevention, LLC

    • Reclaiming our identity through indigenous cultural generative acts to improve mental health of all generations

      • Speaker: Jordan Lewis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Center for One Health Research

    • Alaska Native Cultural Identity Development as Experienced by Elder Facilitators and Students in a University Setting

      • Speaker: Tiera Schroeder, University of Alaska Anchorage Clinical-Community Psychology PhD Program

    Stomach Cancer Panel (Room Location)

    • Panel Discussion: Stomach Cancer Interception and Prevention Strategies for Alaska Native Peoples

      • Speakers: Meira Epplein, Duke University School of Medicine & Gregory  Lisse

    Cancer 2 (Room Location)

    • Comorbidities among American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples with Cancer: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare Study

      • Speaker: Sarah Nash, University of Iowa

    • The Ethics of Surveillance for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Alaska Native Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B

      • Speaker: Lesleigh Kowalski Frank, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Multi-omics characterization of colorectal cancer tumors in Alaska Native people

      • Speaker: Jeroen Huyghe, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

    • Effect of Meal Timing during Cancer Treatment in Alaska Native Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

      • Speakers: Timothy Thomas, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & Lisa Pekar

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    2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

    BREAK

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    3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

    BREAKOUT SESSIONS

    Building the Next Generation (Room Location)

    • Kawerak Resources for Researchers

      • Speakers: Stacey Lucason, Kawerak & Julie Raymond-Yakoubian

    • Akwesasne Research Center for Health (ARCH): Building pathways for Indigenous students in cancer health fields

      • Speakers: Hugh Burnam, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center & Josie Raphaelito

    • Supporting Community-Engaged Research in Alaska: Join us!

      • Speaker: Katie Cueva, University of Alaska Fairbanks

    Health Care Delivery & System (Room Location)

    • Community-engaged Artificial Intelligence (AI): Mixed Methods Approach To Develop Machine Learning Models For Appropriate Medevac Utilization In Rural Alaska

      • Speakers: Vanessa Hiratsuka, Southcentral Foundation & Brian Rice

    • Interprofessional Collaboration to Address Early Childhood Oral Health Disparities

      • Speakers: Timothy Thomas, Fred Hutch Cancer Center & Gretchen Day, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Self-reported barriers to accessing infertility care among American Indian/Alaska Natives

      • Speaker: Celeste Colegrove, University of Washington

    • Cultural Adaptation of the Dementia Friends Program for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Using the Framework For Reporting Adaptations and Modifications

      • Speakers: Vanessa Hiratsuka, Southcentral Foundation & Breana Dorame

    Cancer 3 (Room Location)

    • Colorectal cancer screening barriers, facilitators, and promotion recommendations by Alaska Native people who are screening non-adherent

      • Speakers: Diana Redwood, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & Christie  Flanagan, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Increase in colorectal cancer screening among rural/remote Alaska Native people using the multi-target stool DNA: A randomized controlled trial

      • Speakers: Diana Redwood, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium & Christie  Flanagan, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Evaluating Colorectal Cancer Screening, Diagnosis, and Outcomes in the Alaska Tribal Health System

      • Speaker: Christie  Flanagan, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

    • Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention

      • Speaker: Jani Ingram, Northern Arizona University

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    4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

    Closing

  • 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Continuing Pathways: Integrating Genomics Research and Alaska Native/American Indian Perspectives

    Workshop Description:
    Join us for an interactive and welcoming workshop exploring the evolving field of genomics and its relevance to health. Learn through an accessible introduction to genomics, including key concepts, historical time points, recent advances, and the potential of genomics in medicine. Experiences conducting research in partnership with Alaska Native and American Indian communities will be discussed, highlighting collaborative approaches, cultural considerations, and key findings. Together, the expert presenters will discuss how genomics research can be carried out in respectful partnership with Indigenous communities and lead a discussion on ethical considerations.

    Speakers: Julie Beans, MPH, Jessica Blanchard, PhD, Eric Green, MD, PhD, Vanessa Hiratsuka, PhD

    Please note this training will be held at the NUKA Learning and Wellness Center at Southcentral Foundation, 4085 Tudor Centre Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508.