Associate Professor Susan W. Wesmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, was elected Vice Chair of the American Academy of Nursing Expert Panel on Genomic Nursing and Health Care, a four-year commitment with the vice chair moving into chairmanship after two years.
“Serving on the genomics expert panel was one of the major reasons that I sought the recognition of being an Academy Fellow (FAAN), to be able to work with a fabulous group of FAAN members from all over the world, who like me, are passionate about symptom science,” said Wesmiller. “It also provides the opportunity to highlight the wonderful omics research happening here at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing.”
The Expert Panel on Genomic Nursing & Health Care translates new genetic knowledge in practice, education, and research while developing position statements regarding the ethical and policy issues regarding the protection of genetic information, according to the American Academy of Nursing.
“My first priority as vice chair is to support the chair, Dr. Marilyn Hammer, in our current project to publish a conceptional framework for precision health that supports the study of symptom science for all populations and can serve as the starting point for many projects the panel will address over the next four years,” said Wesmiller.
According to the academy, expert panels are dedicated to promoting evidence-based innovations in healthcare delivery, explicitly targeting the diverse needs of populations, including those who are at-risk or disenfranchised. Their contributions manifest in various forms, such as policy proposals, testimonials, manuscripts, briefs, recommendations, advocacy papers, position statements, and research agendas.