Public Health
What is the primary goal of public health according to Charles Winslow’s definition from 1920?
Preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health.
What is the main focus of the Precision Medicine Initiative launched by President Barack Obama in 2015?
Advancing precision medicine to cure diseases and provide personalized healthcare.
What is the goal of gene therapy in treating genetic diseases?
To replace or repair defective genes to cure or alleviate genetic disorders.
What is antibiotic resistance?
Bacteria's ability to resist the effects of antibiotics.
What is one of the greatest successes of Western Medicine in the past century?
Organ transplantation
Name one of the 10 essential public health services outlined by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Any of the 10 essential services listed in the slides.
◦ Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets
◦ Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population
◦ Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it
◦ Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health
◦ Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health
◦ Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health
◦ Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy
◦ Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce
◦ Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement
◦ Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health
How do molecular signatures contribute to precision medicine approaches in cancer treatment?
They aid in targeted therapies and immunologic approaches based on individual genetic profiles.
Name a technology derived from bacteria that enables precise targeting of mutations in gene therapy.
CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?
Through genetic mutations or acquiring resistance genes from other bacteria.
Name two approaches to increasing organ availability
Xenotransplantation and tissue engineering
Which organization serves as the leading U.S. public health agency and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How many participants does the Precision Medicine Initiative aim to enroll in its longitudinal research cohort?
1 million or more.
Describe a potential risk associated with gene therapy and how it can be mitigated.
Risk of disrupting other genes; can be mitigated through precise targeting.
Name one factor contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance in modern healthcare.
Overuse or misuse of antibiotics.
Describe the concept of tissue engineering and provide an example of its application.
Growing new organs or structures in the lab for reimplantation; example: artificial pancreas.
What is the role of the Surgeon General in promoting public health in the United States?
Serving as a prominent advocate and spokesperson for public health initiatives.
What type of data are participants in the Precision Medicine Initiative consenting to share for research purposes?
Biologic specimens, behavioral data, and health records.
Discuss the significance of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the field of gene therapy.
It enables precise editing of DNA sequences for targeted gene therapy.
Discuss the implications of antibiotic use in agriculture on antibiotic resistance in humans.
It contributes to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Discuss one example of a future medical technology and its application.
Any example of future medical technology, such as nanotechnology or gene therapy
Discuss the role of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in ensuring public health in the workplace.
OSHA ensures workplace safety by establishing and enforcing regulations to protect workers from hazards.
Identify and explain one of the major challenges faced in the field of precision medicine.
Any significant challenge mentioned, such as drug resistance or tumor heterogeneity.
Explain how gene therapy could potentially cure genetic diseases and the challenges involved in its implementation.
Gene therapy replaces or repairs defective genes; challenges include precise targeting and avoiding unintended consequences.
Explain why antibiotic resistance is considered a global health threat and propose potential solutions.
Antibiotic resistance threatens effective treatment of infections
Discuss the challenges related to access to adequate healthcare and healthcare costs in the United States and globally
Any significant challenge, such as cost containment or resource distribution