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July/August 2026

In Memory of T. Denny Sanford | 1935 - 2026
We honor the life and legacy of our founding benefactor, T. Denny Sanford. His vision and generosity continue to inspire our work and transform lives.

Building on its growing impact, the Sanford Institute's Compassion Ambassador Program (CAmP) launched its third cohort this summer, marking another successful chapter in preparing future clinicians to advance compassion in practice.

CAmP is a yearlong, funded mentorship initiative supporting medical students from across the country as they pursue research projects on empathy and compassion under the guidance of faculty mentors at their home institutions. The journey begins with "Summer CAmP" in San Diego, where students live on campus, explore contemplative practices such as mindfulness and common humanity, and engage with UC San Diego faculty on the science of empathy and compassion.

This year’s CAmP Scholars hail from Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine,  Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, and the University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Medicine.

During Summer CAmP, scholars gained wisdom from a panel of UC San Diego faculty members, many of whom were graduates of our UC San Diego Health: Sanford Compassionate Communication Academy Fellowship. Physicians shared how compassion shapes their clinical practice and helps them navigate challenges. Students also engaged in a communication team-building activity, and bonded over iconic San Diego experiences: a beachside picnic, a unique art program at the Timken Museum, and dinner at Balboa Park.

Scholars left campus not only with new friends, but with a pragmatic toolkit of practices to carry forward. Over the coming year, the group will continue meeting virtually, supporting one another as they bring their empathy and compassion projects to life at their home institutions.

Get to know our scholars and their empathy and compassion projects, and stay tuned to our social media channels for updates on their progress.

Experience three days of ideas, connection, and learning with national leaders advancing empathy and compassion in healthcare and medical education. Group discount rates and UC San Diego faculty, staff, and student discounts are available. Email aelorivera@health.ucsd.edu to retrieve your UC San Diego promo code.

Hosted by the Center for Research on Empathy and Compassion, join Institute- funded researcher Rachna Subramony, MD, for a presentation highlighting her innovative wellness initiative in UC San Diego Health's Emergency Department. Her research examines whether reducing physicians' clerical burden through "Flow Facilitators" can improve well-being.

This national convening is grounded in one belief: healthy relationships are foundational to learning, belonging, well-being, and human development. Join Center Directors Lisa Eyler, PhD, and Cinnamon Bloss, PhD, for a special panel discussion on advancing more connected and human-centered systems. Registration is free.

Communication shapes every interaction in healthcare. Build the skills to make each one count with the Center for Compassionate Communication's free webinar series. Participants will learn how to communicate with greater compassion with patients, healthcare teams, medical trainees, and more. 

This summer, UC San Diego faculty came together to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping teaching, research, and academic practice. Convened by Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla and the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate, the symposium featured faculty-led presentations and expert panel discussions, including a faculty use-case presentation by Cinnamon Bloss, Director of the Center for Empathy and Technology, on enhancing academic advancement systems with an AI faculty advisor prototype (ASCEND). 

We are proud to celebrate Director of the Center for Mentorship in Medicine, Chris Cannavino, MD, for receiving the 2026 Award for Excellence in Educational Innovation, bestowed by UC San Diego School of Medicine. This award celebrates Dr. Cannavino's innovative medical education programs and faculty-development initiatives that have deepened a culture of teaching and scholarship throughout the institution.

A new economic analysis from UC San Diego, released in July 2026, found that $1 invested in Sanford Institute Endowed Professor Eric Garland, PhD's MORE therapy, a mindfulness-based treatment for opioid misuse, could generate $12 in economic benefit. It also revealed that lifetime cost savings per patient were $324,489 — a significantly greater cost-benefit ratio than current treatment approaches.

A new study from the Center for Empathy and Compassion Training in Medical Education offers fresh insights into empathy in medical school. Researchers found empathy and self-compassion may begin declining as early as the second year, with notable differences in how women and men report compassion and resilience. The findings highlight the need for tailored, longitudinal approaches to supporting learner well-being.

Can hope be an intervention for healthcare burnout? A newly published pilot study, funded by the Center for Empathy and Technology seed grant, explored the Hopetimize program to find out. Key findings showed that participants experienced reductions in emotional exhaustion, and secondary traumatic stress decreased over the 12-week follow-up period, among other encouraging findings that underscore the value of continued work in the area.

As genomics, AI, and precision medicine rapidly reshape healthcare, the Center for Empathy and Technology is reimagining healthcare education through human-centered training models that keep innovation grounded in compassion.

This summer, that vision came to life with the inaugural cohort of Seq2CareSD, an immersive genomics education program that prepares future healthcare practitioners from across the nation to deliver compassionate, equitable genomic care. The program builds on Seq2Care (formerly Precision Health Scholars), an elective course for pre-clinical medical and pharmacy students at the UC San Diego School of Medicine.

While the program officially kicked off in April 2026 with a virtual kickoff, followed by eight asynchronous online modules completed over the subsequent months, we were thrilled to welcome the inaugural cohort in person last month for a 2.5-day summer workshop at UC San Diego (as pictured above). 

The group consisted of 14 medical students (M1–M3) from institutions across the country, including Boston University, CUNY, Florida International University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Quinnipiac University, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While on campus, they engaged in hands-on learning, experiential training, and an optional personal genetic testing experience, exploring the ethical, human, and patient-centered dimensions of genomic medicine. They also had the unique opportunity to hear from subject-matter experts, such as Genetic Alliance, about expanding access to genomic medicine for children and families worldwide who face barriers to diagnosis and care. 

As the Seq2CareSD students continue their healthcare education journeys, we look forward to seeing how their newfound genetic literacy impacts their delivery of compassionate, personalized care. Stay tuned for updates on this inaugural cohort in the coming months! 

"They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel."