Patil Receives Competitive Award to Study Health Disparities

Sonal J. Patil, MD, MSPH, assistant professor of family and community medicine, has been named to the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) KL2 Career Development Awards Program as an ICTS scholar.

The program assists scholars in becoming more successful clinical investigators by providing instruction and mentorship to complement and inform their research activities. As an ICTS scholar, Patil will dedicate at least two years to clinical investigation. Her research focuses on connecting clinic teams with peer health coaches and community advisers to bridge health care gaps and reduce disparities in heart disease treatment and management.

“My long-term goal is to employ community-focused research to identify feasible, scalable and sustainable clinic-community interventions to address health disparities,” Patil said. “For this research project, I will identify interventions and ideal health team members to build sustainable connections between providers and the community.”

Patil will work with senior researchers to develop skills in data analysis and will receive mentorship and guidance from a multidisciplinary mentor and expert advisory team.

“Dr. Patil is an exceptional awardee for the KL2 Career Development Program,” said Jerry Parker, PhD, associate dean for research at the MU School of Medicine. “Her emerging work in the area of community health interventions will be enhanced by this opportunity. Dr. Patil’s award is just one example of how the MU-Washington University partnership has been highly beneficial for both institutions.”

David Mehr, MD, William C. Allen, MD, Endowed Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, serves on the review board for KL2 award applicants. He has seen firsthand the level of research projects that vie for the awards.

“These awards are very competitive, and Dr. Patil’s success is a wonderful accomplishment,” Mehr said. “This award will further Dr. Patil’s research into how we can better organize care to reduce health disparities.”