2024 Pacific Coast Conference
Session Descriptions
*This schedule is subject to change.
Keynote Address
Emerging Applications of Nanotechnology in Health Care and Medicine
Speaker: Nick Fischer, PhD
Description: Nick will share emerging biotechnologies in health care and medicine, including his work on nanolipoprotein particles. These particles are tiny, water-soluble molecules that resemble high-density lipoprotein particles—or "good" cholesterol—that can deliver vaccines and drugs inside cells in the human body. This game-changing technology took more than a decade to develop and is a promising approach for treating autoimmune diseases.
Speaker bio: Nicholas Fischer is a senior scientist and the deputy group leader for Translational Immunology in the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. As a principal investigator on numerous projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, Dr. Fischer leads research in nanoparticle delivery platforms, vaccine development, and human organ-on-chip technologies. Dr. Fischer joined LLNL in 2005 as a post-doctoral researcher and accepted a staff scientist position in 2008. He has worked on various multidisciplinary projects across nanotechnology, bioengineering, and immunology while working closely with collaborators across academic, industry, and government laboratories. Dr. Fischer has a Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.
Education Sessions
The Future is Now: Embracing AI to Elevate Your Medical Writing (Intro to AI for Medical Writers)
Speaker: Núria Waddington Negrão, PhD
Description: In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping numerous professions, medical writers stand at the cusp of a significant transformation. This presentation aims to demystify AI for medical writers, many of whom have had limited exposure to its potential.
We begin with the fundamentals, introducing basic AI terminology to build a foundation of understanding. Special emphasis is placed on Large Language Models (LLMs), unraveling how they work, their applications, and addressing common concerns around limitations, privacy, and ownership.
The core of this talk is structured around three practical use cases of AI, tailored to the everyday needs of medical writers:
Day-to-Day Efficiency: Learn how AI can streamline routine tasks such as email composition, task prioritization, and calendar management, turning mundane activities into efficient processes.
Research Acceleration: Discover how AI tools can drastically reduce the time spent on research. From sifting through scientific literature to conducting broad internet searches, AI emerges as a powerful ally in information gathering and analysis.
Creative Assistance: Explore how AI can bolster the creative aspects of medical writing. We delve into how AI can aid in crafting compelling titles, drafting outlines, setting up agendas, and even help with generating articles. Additionally, learn how to repurpose content effectively for social media engagement.
This talk aims to ignite curiosity and provide a clearer perspective on the capabilities of AI in professional writing.
Attendees can expect to leave with a sense of enthusiasm and a desire to explore AI tools further. The goal is not just to inform but to inspire, opening doors to a world where AI becomes an invaluable partner in the art of medical writing.
Speaker bio: Núria Negrão, PhD, is a medical writer with a heart for education and a passion for crafting compelling CME/CE content. She was born in Mozambique and now calls Baltimore home, where she blends her diverse cultural experiences into her work. When not immersed in medical narratives, Núria finds solace in crocheting, a hobby that echoes her dedication to detail and creativity. As a proponent of AI and automation, Núria is committed to helping fellow medical writers integrate these technologies, enhancing our ability to create impactful, innovative content.
Which Voice is the Better Choice? Writing Intentionally with Active and Passive Voice
Speaker: Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS
Description: Passive voice has been a hotly debated topic for decades. Traditionally, medical writers and researchers have written with the passive voice to appear objective in their work. But more recently, this advice has shifted to encourage writers to use the active voice. But is passive voice always a bad choice in writing? In this session, you will learn why passive voice was the traditional norm and what has led to the new focus on active voice. You will also learn when to make the intentional choice to use active or passive voice as tools that strengthen your writing.
Speaker bio: Crystal Herron is an editor, educator, and writing coach who helps scientists and clinicians communicate with clear, concise, and compelling writing. She is also an international speaker who leads webinars, workshops, and courses to equip researchers and other professional writers with the principles, resources, and systems they need to write compelling manuscripts and grants in the health sciences. Crystal has more than a decade of experience as an editor and nearly two decades of experience as an educator. Before pursuing her passion for words, she completed her PhD in biomedical science and then collaborated on diverse projects in clinical research.
Beyond the Text: Medical Writers as the New Vanguard in Health Care Content Strategy
Speaker: Alex Howson, PhD, CHCP, FACEHP
Description: Health care environments, clinical practice, and the needs of health professionals and patients are evolving. Using CME as a specialist case study, this session explores why medical writers should shift from a "writer-for-hire" to a strategic partner mindset in health care communications, and suggests how we can do so.
Speaker bio: Alex is a freelance CME writer, author, educator, and host of the Write Medicine podcast. A former trauma operating room nurse and academic, Alex has specialized in CME for almost 20 years. She teaches freelance medical writers how to launch and grow a specialist continuing medical education writing business. Her third book, WriteCME Roadmap, will be published by Tilt Publishing in summer 2024.
Maximizing Your Value as a Medical Communicator
Speaker: Genevieve Walker, PhD
Description: Are you wondering if AI will soon replace you? Feeling like you might be out of touch with how the “new kids” are doing things? This session will help you reflect on where you are now, bring your concerns to light, and address them by boosting your value in some unexpected ways. You can stay relevant, no matter what the robots are doing.
Speaker bio: Genevieve Walker is a freelance health content writer and editor. Through her woman-owned business, Bridge Health Communications, she helps clients bridge the gap between their knowledge and the needs of the patients, families, and caregivers they serve.
Since 2008, Dr. Walker has been creating high-quality patient education content in plain language using evidence-based health literacy and readability principles. She has been a member of the American Medical Writers Association since 2002, led the former Northwest chapter in the early 2010s, and currently serves on AMWA’s board of directors.
Since 2017, Dr. Walker has been an instructor in the University of Chicago’s Medical Writing and Editing Certificate program, teaching courses including manuscript editing, ethics, freelancing, and patient education. Find Dr. Walker at www.bridgehealthcomm.com and on LinkedIn.
How-To Clinics
How To Think Like A Leader (Canceled)
Speaker: Hope Lafferty, AM, ELS
Description: You might have heard “Some are born leaders…others have leadership thrust upon them.” But what exactly makes a leader? Being extroverted? Not necessarily. Getting along with others? Not always. Being in the right place at the right time? It might seem like that.
Beyond personality, behavior, and plain luck, leadership is a way of thinking. Actually, myriad ways of thinking. In this session, Hope will look at the 3 most common ways AMWA members think and how unexpected habits of thinking affect a person’s ability to lead.
To customize this session, participants will take a free quick online assessment in advance* (by May 15th) to identify common habits of thinking across the group. Based on the results of this EEOC-validated assessment, Hope will provide fresh insights about how these habits either support or potentially sabotage our work as leaders.
The assessment and the individual results are completely free to anyone interested, whether you attend the session or not. However, the more folks that take the assessment, the more representative the sample. You know the drill.
This session is not about emotional intelligence or communication style or categorized personality traits. It focuses solely on mindset: the ways we think about the world and our place in it. How we think correlates with how we lead.
The good news? Leadership is a learned skill. By understanding the pitfalls and the benefits of our habits of thinking, we can all learn to think like—and become—effective and authentic leaders.
Participants will access the Habit Finder™ assessment by May 15 at https://habitfindercoach.com/hope.
Everyone who completes the assessment receives 42 pages of personalized results for free regardless of if they attend the session.
Transforming Medical Communication: Interactive AI Use Cases for the Modern Medical Writer
Speaker: Núria Waddington Negrão, PhD
Description: In an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, the role of the medical writer is becoming increasingly complex and pivotal. This workshop, designed for medical writers across all levels of expertise, aims to bridge the gap between traditional writing practices and the innovative demands of contemporary medical communication. Through a series of hands-on demonstrations in this interactive session, participants will explore practical use case scenarios that highlight the integration of cutting-edge AI tools and strategies in medical writing. Whether you are looking to enhance your research methodologies, streamline writing processes, or captivate your audience with compelling patient education materials, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills to transform your writing practices. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into applying modern technologies and storytelling techniques, ensuring their content is not only accurate but also engaging and impactful. Join us to discover how you can elevate your medical writing to meet the needs of today's healthcare professionals and patients alike.
Speaker bio: Núria Negrão, PhD, is a medical writer with a heart for education and a passion for crafting compelling CME/CE content. She was born in Mozambique and now calls Baltimore home, where she blends her diverse cultural experiences into her work. When not immersed in medical narratives, Núria finds solace in crocheting, a hobby that echoes her dedication to detail and creativity. As a proponent of AI and automation, Núria is committed to helping fellow medical writers integrate these technologies, enhancing our ability to create impactful, innovative content.
Instructional Design: A Professional Primer
Speaker: Mark Hagerty, MSOB
Description: Instructional design is the craft of creating experiences where people can learn new knowledge, skills, or attitudes.
This session is for you if:
• You've taught an occasional class and wondered if you're doing everything you can for your students
• You are considering adding training courses to your repertoire of services
• Your employer has assigned you as the training expert of your group
• You are curious about what the healthcare training industry is all about
This hands-on session shows you how to create effective learning experiences, including courses, activities, and assessments.
Speaker bio: These days, Mark applies his three decades of Learning and Development experience advancing organizational development at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. He also has a freelance medical editing business called Biomedical Writing Services.
Mark did his undergraduate studies in psychology and biology at the California State University in Hayward. He earned a Master of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the California School of Professional Psychology. He also holds a Master’s certificate in Online Instructional Design from Capella University, and most recently received a Medical Writing and Editing certificate from the University of Chicago’s Graham School.
He has a huge desire to serve others and an insatiable curiosity about biology and behavior. He also enjoys word puzzles of all sorts.
Intelligence as Service: Generative AI and Clear Communication
Speaker: Romina Marazzato Sparano
Description: In this session we will go over how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing content creation. We will look at how large language models are trained to be able to generate fluent and coherent output. Finally, we will reflect on what intelligence is and the role of human writers in the communication process.
Speaker bio: Romina Marazzato Sparano is the President of Plain Language International Inc. (Plainlii, for short), a small and woman-owned language services firm from Monterey, California. Romina offers more than two decades of experience developing and implementing clear communications for government, non-profit and business clients, including Fortune 500 companies. Her mission is to help clients make the most of their investment in communication by helping audiences best access, understand, and use information. She develops, edits, and translates content for clarity to help readers improve at a personal, community, and environmental level.
Romina is also an educator and industry leader. Romina teaches courses in both English and Spanish as part of the Plain Language Academies; she founded the Master of Arts in Translation and Localization Management at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey; and she pursues research at University at Buffalo. She contributes to professional associations such as the American Translators Association (ATA), American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), International Plain Language Federation (IPLF), and Plain Language Association International (PLAIN). She is a judge for in the ClearMark and Plain Language Awards for North America Australia and New Zealand. She also contributes to regulatory development at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ASTM International.
She believes that in a world imbued with automation, "human connection is key in business and in life."
Break-Out Sessions
How to Get Started in Medical Writing: Practical Advice for New Medical Writers
Speaker: Morgan Leafe, MD, MHA
Description: Are you interested in becoming a medical writer, but don't know where to start? Have you recently transitioned to the field and are wondering how to boost your skills and business? Then this session is for you. We'll discuss resources to hone your writing skills, how to network and make the most of LinkedIn, and where to find jobs and freelancing gigs.
Speaker bio: Morgan Leafe is a physician and freelance medical writer who took her love for communicating with patients and families and turned it into a successful freelance medical writing career. She specializes in CME content creation and advisory board executive summaries. Dr. Leafe also creates custom resumes and LinkedIn profiles for physicians transitioning to non-clinical careers.
Understanding LGBTQ+ Health Care Disparities to Promote Health: Why Does It Matter?
Speaker: Shane Lamba, MPH
Description: LGBTQ+ people experience elevated healthcare disparities and inequities in relation to heterosexual and non-LGBTQ+ people in the United States. Additionally, LGBTQ+ people often experience higher levels of minority stress, discrimination, bias, and stigma in their everyday lives. Many of these negative experiences find their way into the healthcare system, further widening the gap of inequities.
In this session, we will broadly explore LGBTQ+ healthcare disparities and inequities. Next, we will assess the how and why these disparities exist by understanding the role social determinants of health play in achieving equitable health. Lastly, we will explore strategies to help communicate health-related information to LGBTQ+ communities. By the end of the session, you will be able to identify common disparities, understand the mechanisms propagating those disparities, and learn strategies to help advance equity in LGBTQ+ communities and beyond.
Lateral Leadership: Taking Charge of the Collaborative Process
Speaker: Sandra Ruhl, RN, and Yule Lee, MD, MPH
Description: Are you responsible for a collaborative medical writing project? Do you work with reviewers from a variety of disciplines/departments? In this roundtable discussion, we will explore how to use lateral leadership to advance your collaborative medical writing project, including topics such as your role as manager of the process, how to build trust in your leadership, and how to resolve conflicts. Please bring questions, ideas, and examples of experiences that went well (or not so well) to this participatory session. Appropriate for all levels of experience.
Speaker bios: Sandra has over 40 years of experience in clinical research during which time her roles have included Cancer Research Coordinator, Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Operations Manager and, for the last 15 of those years, medical writing roles. She developed a wide range of documents, such as protocols, protocol amendments and SOCs, CSRs, safety narratives, IBs, NDA components, FDA Advisory Committee meeting slides, drug safety documents (PADERs, RMPs), ICFs, summaries of published reports of research, abstracts, meeting posters, style guides, and SOPs, and she performed quality control reviews of many of these types of documents written by others. Sandra trained as an RN and cared for patients directly and briefly managed an oncology unit before transitioning to clinical research. Although now retired as a medical writer, Sandra is active in the AMWA NorCal chapter, currently serving as Treasurer and representative to AMWA National’s Chapter Advisory Council. She has served as AMWA NorCal’s President-Elect/Vice President, Program Committee Chair, President, and 2022 Pacific Coast Conference Committee Co-chair.
Yule is a Principal Project Manager in Clinical and Risk Evaluation for Structural Heart at Abbott Laboratories. She conducts clinical evaluations of Class III medical devices and manages the development of EU MDR regulatory documents (CEPs/CERs/SSCPs) as part of a cross-functional team. She trained as a physician in preventive medicine where she developed her passion for evidence-based medicine and the critical evaluation of clinical research studies.
Shaping the Future in Regulatory Submissions: View from Regulatory CMC
Speaker: Chris Small, ELS(D), and Leslie Kowitz, MA, ELS
Description: Several trends have been influencing regulatory writing on our regulatory CMC team (and will continue to do so). We will be discussing a few of those trends and how we have been adapting our practice in response.
Speaker bios: Chris is a writer and editor with 25 years of experience on technical, scientific, and regulatory documents in environmental science and biotechnology. He currently works as a manager for the Center of Dossier Excellence with the Global Regulatory CMC team at BeiGene. He was previously employed by Whitsell Innovations, Genentech, and ICF International. He is certified as an ELS(D) by BELS, serves on the BELS Diplomate Exam Development Committee, and co-presented posters on medical writing and editing topics at the 2021 and 2023 AMWA Medical Writing and Communication Conferences.
Leslie has had many roles in her 30 years in biotech: technical writer and editor in QA, Instructional Design in Training, clinical Medical Editor, and currently to managing BeiGene’s Center of Dossier Excellence team in Regulatory CMC, responsible for editing regulatory submissions for CMC, Leslie has added many skills to her toolbox. In addition to her academic degrees, she completed the UCSD Medical Writing and Editing certificate program and achieved the ELS certification from BELS. Leslie has contributed an article to the AMWA journal and co-presented a poster at the 2023 AMWA Conference.
The Art of the Client Relationship: Keys to Freelance Success
Speaker: Genevieve Walker, PhD
Description: As a freelance medical writer or editor, nurturing strong client relationships is essential for success. This session explores the art of building and maintaining positive rapports with clients. You'll learn strategies for keeping good clients happy and engaged as well as tactics for handling difficult situations. Leave feeling inspired to manage your client relationships, with ideas for nurturing your best clients and managing any challenging dynamics you face.
Speaker bio: Genevieve Walker is a freelance health content writer and editor. Through her woman-owned business, Bridge Health Communications, she helps clients bridge the gap between their knowledge and the needs of the patients, families, and caregivers they serve.
Since 2008, Dr. Walker has been creating high-quality patient education content in plain language using evidence-based health literacy and readability principles. She has been a member of the American Medical Writers Association since 2002, led the former Northwest chapter in the early 2010s, and currently serves on AMWA’s board of directors.
Since 2017, Dr. Walker has been an instructor in the University of Chicago’s Medical Writing and Editing Certificate program, teaching courses including manuscript editing, ethics, freelancing, and patient education. Find Dr. Walker at www.bridgehealthcomm.com and on LinkedIn.
Rebalance
Speaker: Alex Howson, PhD, CHCP, FACEHP
Description: Many of us are in chronic “fight or flight” mode. But sustained sympathetic engagement affects our wellbeing and can show up as fatigue, headache, digestive issues, or anxiety. Take a break and learn how to apply simple breath- and body-based techniques that will help you:
Boost energy when you feel tired or fatigued.
Strengthen, stretch, and relieve tension in your body.
Return to a sense of balance when you feel stressed.
All practices can be done seated. A Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher and breath coach will lead the session.
Speaker bio: Alex is a freelance CME writer, author, educator, and host of the Write Medicine podcast. A former trauma operating room nurse and academic, Alex has specialized in CME for almost 20 years. She teaches freelance medical writers how to launch and grow a specialist continuing medical education writing business. Her third book, WriteCME Roadmap, will be published by Tilt Publishing in summer 2024.