Julie Harris-Wai, PhD, MPH
Professor
Institute for Health & Aging
School of Nursing

Dr. Harris-Wai’s research focuses on examining the social and ethical factors influencing how and why genomic technologies are translated from the research setting into clinical care and the impact these technologies have on health disparities and underserved communities.

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The goal of her work is to identify methods for incorporating community and stakeholder perspectives into policy decision-making to improve the appropriate translation of research into clinical and public health programs. Dr. Harris-Wai is the Associate Director of the Kaiser Permanente/UCSF Center for Excellence in Research on Translational Genomics and Ethics (CT2G). She is currently working on an R21 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to use deliberative community engagement methods to inform policy decisions about the future of California’s Newborn Screening Program.

Awarded Grants: 1. Engaging Diverse Communities to Inform California’s Newborn Screening Policies, Principal Investigator; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2014-2016

2. Center for Transdisciplinary ELSI Research in Translational Genomics (CT2G), Co-Investigator; National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), 2013-2016

3. Alameda County Network Project to Reduce Cancer Disparities, Co-Investigator; National Cancer Institute (NCI), 2010-2015

Education & Training

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• PhD Public Health Genetics University of Washington, Seattle 2008
• MPH Health Behavior and Health Education University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 2003
• BS Biology, Marine Biology University of North Carolina at Wilmington 1998

Websites

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• Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (dor.kaiser.org)

Videos

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• Introducing the Translational Genomics and Ethics Center (youtube.com)

Grants and Projects

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• Engaging Diverse Communities to Inform California's Newborn Screening Policies, NIH, 2014-2016

Publications (26)

Top publication keywords:
Behavior TherapyGenomicsSkin NeoplasmsSurvivorsFamily HealthRisk Reduction BehaviorFamilyGenetic TestingFamily RelationsPatient Education as TopicNeoplasms, Second PrimaryMelanomaPublic HealthCommunicationras Proteins

• Addressing Cross-Specialty Clinical Genetics Education Needs.
  The Journal of continuing education in the health professions 2024 Lindquist KJ, Ryan MJ, Scheuner MT, Tamraz B, Flowers E, Harris-Wai J, Biswas S, Hyland K
• Addressing underrepresentation in genomics research through community engagement.
  American journal of human genetics 2022 Lemke AA, Esplin ED, Goldenberg AJ, Gonzaga-Jauregui C, Hanchard NA, Harris-Wai J, Ideozu JE, Isasi R, Landstrom AP, Prince AER, Turbitt E, Sabatello M, Schrier Vergano SA, Taylor MRG, Yu JH, Brothers…
• Beliefs and Values About Gene Therapy and In-Utero Gene Editing in Patients with Hemophilia and Their Relatives.
  The patient 2020 Vasquez-Loarte TC, Lucas TL, Harris-Wai J, Bowen DJ
• Multiple Stakeholder Views on Data Sharing in a Biobank in an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System: Implications for Biobank Governance.
  Public health genomics 2019 Tai CG, Harris-Wai J, Schaefer C, Liljestrand P, Somkin CP
• Randomized trial of a web-based survivor intervention on melanoma prevention behaviors of first-degree relatives.
  Cancer causes & control : CCC 2018 Bowen DJ, Hay J, Meischke H, Mayer JA, Harris-Wai J, Burke W

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• All in the family? Communication of cancer survivors with their families.
  Familial cancer 2017 Bowen DJ, Hay JL, Harris-Wai JN, Meischke H, Burke W
• Navigating the research-clinical interface in genomic medicine: analysis from the CSER Consortium.
  Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2017 Wolf SM, Amendola LM, Berg JS, Chung WK, Clayton EW, Green RC, Harris-Wai J, Henderson GE, Jarvik GP, Koenig BA, Lehmann LS, McGuire AL, O'Rourke P, Somkin C, Wilfond BS, Burke W
• Systematic Review of Quantitative Measures of Stakeholder Engagement.
  Clinical and translational science 2017 Bowen DJ, Hyams T, Goodman M, West KM, Harris-Wai J, Yu JH
• Newborn Sequencing in Genomic Medicine and Public Health.
  Pediatrics 2017 Berg JS, Agrawal PB, Bailey DB, Beggs AH, Brenner SE, Brower AM, Cakici JA, Ceyhan-Birsoy O, Chan K, Chen F, Currier RJ, Dukhovny D, Green RC, Harris-Wai J, Holm IA, Iglesias B, Joseph G, Kingsmore SF…
• Advanced cancer patients' attitudes towards, and experiences with, screening for somatic mutations in tumours: a qualitative study.
  European journal of cancer care 2016 Liang R, Meiser B, Smith S, Kasparian NA, Lewis CR, Chin M, Long GV, Ward R, Menzies AM, Harris-Wai JN, Kaur R
• Parental Views on Expanded Newborn Screening Using Whole-Genome Sequencing.
  Pediatrics 2016 Joseph G, Chen F, Harris-Wai J, Puck JM, Young C, Koenig BA
• Stakeholder engagement in policy development: challenges and opportunities for human genomics.
  Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2015 Lemke AA, Harris-Wai JN
• Effects of web-based intervention on risk reduction behaviors in melanoma survivors.
  Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice 2014 Bowen DJ, Burke W, Hay JL, Meischke H, Harris JN
• Oncologists' attitudes toward KRAS testing: a multisite study.
  Cancer medicine 2013 Harris JN, Liljestrand P, Alexander GL, Goddard KA, Kauffman T, Kolevska T, McCarty C, O'Neill S, Pawloski P, Rahm A, Williams A, Somkin CP
• Underutilization of Lynch syndrome screening in a multisite study of patients with colorectal cancer.
  Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2013 Cross DS, Rahm AK, Kauffman TL, Webster J, Le AQ, Spencer Feigelson H, Alexander G, Meier P, Onitilo AA, Pawloski PA, Williams AE, Honda S, Daida Y, McCarty CA, Goddard KA, CERGEN study team
• KRAS testing and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor treatment for colorectal cancer in community settings.
  Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2012 Webster J, Kauffman TL, Feigelson HS, Pawloski PA, Onitilo AA, Potosky AL, Cross D, Meier PR, Mirabedi AS, Delate T, Daida Y, Williams AE, Alexander GL, McCarty CA, Honda S, Kushi LH, Goddard KA, …
• Predictors of recruited melanoma families into a behavioral intervention project.
  Contemporary clinical trials 2011 Bowen DJ, Hay JL, Mayer J, Kuniyuki A, Meischke H, Harris J, Asgari M, Shoveller J, Press N, Burke W
• Surveillance after colorectal cancer diagnosis in a safety net hospital.
  Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2010 Boehmer U, Harris J, Bowen DJ, Schroy PC
• Using a family systems approach to investigate cancer risk communication within melanoma families.
  Psycho-oncology 2010 Harris JN, Hay J, Kuniyuki A, Asgari MM, Press N, Bowen DJ
• Socioeconomic influences on the effects of a genetic testing direct-to-consumer marketing campaign.
  Public health genomics 2009 Bowen DJ, Harris J, Jorgensen CM, Myers MF, Kuniyuki A
• Interest in genetic testing among affected men from hereditary prostate cancer families and their unaffected male relatives.
  Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2009 Harris JN, Bowen DJ, Kuniyuki A, McIntosh L, FitzGerald LM, Ostrander EA, Stanford JL
• Family communication during the cancer experience.
  Journal of health communication 2009 Harris J, Bowen DJ, Badr H, Hannon P, Hay J, Regan Sterba K
• Personal communication in primary and secondary cancer prevention: evolving discussions, emerging challenges.
  Journal of health communication 2009 Hay J, Harris JN, Waters EA, Clayton MF, Ellington L, Abernethy AD, Prayor-Patterson H
• Strategies and stakeholders: minority recruitment in cancer genetics research.
  Community genetics 2008 James RD, Yu JH, Henrikson NB, Bowen DJ, Fullerton SM, Health Disparities Working Group
• Pharmacogenomic testing to prevent aminoglycoside-induced hearing loss in cystic fibrosis patients: potential impact on clinical, patient, and economic outcomes.
  Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2007 Veenstra DL, Harris J, Gibson RL, Rosenfeld M, Burke W, Watts C
• Predictors of self-referral into a cancer genetics registry.
  Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2007 Henrikson NB, Harris JN, Bowen DJ