Michael D. Celestin, Jr., Ph.D. selected as RISE Scholar

The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) selected Dr. Michael D. Celestin, Jr., for its 2022 Summer Institute on Research in Implementation Science for Equity (RISE). The UCSF RISE institute is part of the Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) initiative, a national research and training initiative funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI grant R25HL126146).

UCSF designed RISE to train competitive scientists and enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. RISE provides an all-expenses-paid training opportunity for junior faculty from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences. The program involves a two-week Summer Institute in July in San Francisco, focused on implementation science and career mentoring, hosted by UCSF’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in partnership with the Center for Vulnerable Populations. RISE Scholars also participate in other year-round training, mentoring, and conference activities and complete a second institute the following summer. Scholars have an opportunity to apply for small research project funding during the two-year experience.

RISE aims to train and sustain scholars for long-term success in academic careers pursuing innovative research of interest to the NHLBI. The RISE Summer Institute’s goal is to provide methodological training on Implementation Science (IS), a set of theories and methods aimed at improving the translation of research evidence into everyday clinical practice. Other training concepts include team science, community engagement, intervention design, and evaluating the impact of translational activity. Scholars will have access to an extensive network of faculty and other scholars, which will significantly enhance their experience and IS skills development. IS aligns well with the research priorities of NHLBI, and RISE will strengthen the ability of scholars to conduct innovative research and compete successfully for NIH resources.

There are only 10 RISE fellowships available each year. Dr. Celestin is the only scholar in Cohort 10 from Louisiana.

Dr. Celestin is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences in the LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. He is also the Director of the Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative, a Louisiana Cancer Research Center program. Dr. Celestin’s work focuses on preventing cancer by promoting smoking cessation through healthcare delivery research, dissemination and implementation science, and optimization of behavior change interventions for high-prevalence smokers at greater risk of developing smoking-related diseases.