National health research dialogue comes into focus at UC Irvine

When national health research leaders gather on a university campus, it reflects more than a visit. It affirms a shared commitment to engaging directly with the environments where discovery, data and care intersect.

That commitment was evident on Wednesday, Jan. 14, as National Institutes of Health director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya returned to California for just the second time since his appointment. Over the course of the day, Bhattacharya met with faculty, researchers, students, health system leaders and Orange County business leaders to explore the future of biomedical research, the growing role of real-world data, and how UC Irvine is advancing federal priorities through collaboration with the biomedical industry in Orange County.

The visit centered on the "Strengthening the Foundations of Real-World Evidence: Data Quality, Rigor and Translation" symposium, which was convened by UC Irvine Health Affairs, the Institute for Clinical & Translational Science and the Institute for Precision Health. Symposium leaders Dr. Eric Vilain, Health Affairs' associate vice chancellor for scientific affairs and director of ICTS, and Dr. Dan Cooper, associate director of ICTS, jointly invited Bhattacharya to campus, reiterating UC Irvine's leadership in translational science and data-driven research that bridges discovery and patient care.

As the country's backbone of biomedical research, the NIH fuels discoveries that improve health, extend lives and strengthen communities nationwide. UC Irvine, a leading public research university recognized for translating discovery into real-world impact, offered a setting where U.S. health research priorities could be examined alongside the realities of scientific practice, clinical care, and business and community engagement.

Connecting national priorities with real-world research

By convening federal leaders on campus, UC Irvine helps connect national health research priorities with the work happening every day in laboratories, clinics, the biomedical industry and communities. The NIH director's visit created space for dialogue informed by practice - grounding policy and funding conversations in how research is designed, conducted and translated into care as national priorities continue to evolve.

Conversations with Orange County biomedical and business executives underscored the region's expanding role in health innovation and the importance of partnerships that move discovery into practice. Through Beall Applied Innovation, UC Irvine connects research, industry and care to scale innovations with national relevance.

NIH funding fuels discovery and is a powerful driver of innovation, workforce development and economic growth. At UC Irvine, that investment enables scientists and clinicians to tackle complex health challenges at scale, advancing public health, promoting health equity, and improving patient outcomes across diverse populations locally and nationally.

Those shared priorities framed the ICTS symposium and Bhattacharya's keynote address, which focused on the growing role of real-world data; learning health systems; and the infrastructure needed to ensure rigor, transparency and trust across the research enterprise. Learning health systems are designed to continuously learn from patient experiences and rapidly translate insights into better care.

"Bringing national leaders into conversation with researchers and clinicians where the work is happening is essential," Cooper said. "These exchanges help ensure that national research priorities are informed by practice and that discovery remains closely connected to patient care and public impact."

Campus leaders highlighted UC Irvine's rapid rise as a national research institution grounded in collaboration, innovation and public service. Founded only 60 years ago, the campus is consistently ranked among the nation's top public universities and widely recognized for advancing student success and social mobility while generating significant economic impact for California.

"UC Irvine's strength lies in how research, education and care operate as a single enterprise," said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs. "That integration allows discoveries to move more quickly into practice and ensures that national investments in research translate into better outcomes for patients and communities."

Data, rigor and trust across the research enterprise

One of the central themes of the symposium was the Data: Collect Once, Use Numerous Times initiative, an NIH effort to build a national data infrastructure that enables responsible access to high-quality, real-world evidence. UC Irvine has played a foundational role in developing the strategy behind Data COUNTS, which is being rolled out nationally as a backbone for collecting, sharing and deploying real-world health data.

Data COUNTS is designed around a trusted, federated architecture that connects data from diverse sources using open standards, allowing researchers to access data that's findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable while maintaining privacy, security and data provenance. The initiative supports the NIH's broader data science strategy and complements federal data management and sharing policies by providing the infrastructure needed to turn data-sharing principles into practice.

Goldstein has worked closely with NIH leadership for several years to help shape this strategy, placing UC Irvine at the forefront of development and implementation at the federal level. The NIH strategic plan presented by Bhattacharya during his keynote address is closely tied to the success of Data COUNTS, reflecting a shared vision for how real-world data can strengthen rigor, reproducibility and impact across biomedical research.

For Bhattacharya, the visit was both professional and personal. A population health researcher and economist by training and longtime Stanford University professor, he emphasized that research is not abstract. Research, he said, shapes lives, informs policy and guides health systems. Central to the NIH mission is facilitating responsible access to real-world data to improve the health and longevity of the American people.

Bhattacharya (center) is flanked by eight UC Irvine students who shared their academic paths, research interests and perspectives on scientific careers. Drawing upon his years in the classroom, he offered candid, real-world advice and emphasized that investing in early-career scientists is essential to advancing public health. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

Data, Bhattacharya noted, is transforming medical science. While researchers once relied on limited datasets, today's electronic health records, genomic information and large-scale clinical data can be analyzed at unprecedented scale. When used rigorously and responsibly, these tools can inform clinical decision-making, public health policy and prevention strategies in powerful new ways.

Across the biomedical research enterprise, there is growing alignment around the importance of data quality, reproducibility and transparency. At UC Irvine, these principles are embedded in how research is designed and translated, particularly in data-rich fields such as precision health, population and learning health systems.

Bhattacharya emphasized that data sharing and replication should be viewed as hallmarks of rigorous science. The NIH is working to foster a more collaborative research culture where high-quality data is shared responsibly and scientists are recognized for enabling validation, replication and continued discovery.

From discovery to care, and the next generation

Throughout the symposium, presenters showcased how real-world data is already informing prevention, policy and population health. One example was COSMOS, a national real-world data platform launched in 2019 that has supported more than 160 peer-reviewed publications across 110 journals, enabling near-real-time insights that inform clinical and public health decision-making.

During his visit, Bhattacharya toured two of UC Irvine's newest investments in the future of healthcare: the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building and the new UCI Health - Irvine hospital complex overlooking the San Joaquin Marsh Reserve. He met with clinical and research leaders and observed how interdisciplinary teams are translating research into patient care - advancing clinical trials, improving outcomes and fostering collaboration.

Chad T. Lefteris (at left in foreground), president and CEO of UCI Health, one of California's largest academic health systems, shows Bhattacharya the new UCI Health - Irvine hospital complex. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

As part of that focus on translation, Bhattacharya discussed with Joshua Grill, director of UC Irvine's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, how discovery-driven science is informing patient-centered care. Their conversation highlighted UC Irvine's leadership in Alzheimer's disease and dementia research, as well as the role of real-world data, longitudinal studies and community-engaged research in advancing prevention, treatment and care for complex neurological conditions.

Bhattacharya also met with Dr. Shaista Malik, founding executive director of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, to talk about a shared commitment to advancing whole-person care. Their discussion underscored how evidence-based, integrative approaches - informed by real-world data - are shaping prevention, wellness and patient-centered care.

By bringing national health research leaders into direct conversation with its researchers, clinicians, students and regional industry partners, UC Irvine is playing a critical role in ensuring that the national health research dialogue remains closely connected to the realities of discovery and care.

While challenges remain, there is significant opportunity. U.S. life expectancy has not increased since 2010, chronic disease continues to rise and healthcare costs exceed those of peer nations, but progress depends on using data more effectively to understand what works in the real world for real people. When applied rigorously and responsibly, these insights can improve outcomes, strengthen systems and inform smarter investment in health.

Through collaboration that unites research, education, clinical practice and innovation, UC Irvine serves as a trusted partner in advancing health, strengthening the research enterprise and translating national priorities into meaningful public impact.