Aiken Hackett, ACR’s government affairs director, says that, at the ACR’s request, patient-related groups in rheumatology had also written in support of Dr. Gabriel. “It is certainly beneficial for rheumatology to have a voice on the committee,” Hackett says. However, she adds, “I don’t think she was chosen because she was in rheumatology. It was more because of her work. She has a very impressive résumé that speaks for itself.”
Passion for Patient-Oriented Research
Her list of accomplishments confirms Dr. Gabriel’s description of herself as “a passionate advocate and a driving force for patient-oriented clinical research.”
During her many years of service to the ACR, she was the first chair of its Quality Measures Committee, charged with developing nationally endorsed methodological standards for research. She also co-led an initiative to build the first national registry for rheumatoid arthritis.
In 2009, during her term as ACR president, Dr. Gabriel built a transatlantic alliance to develop common methodological research standards endorsed by both the U.S. and European rheumatology communities.
Similarly, as a clinician and clinical epidemiology researcher at Mayo Clinic, she has constantly sought ways to raise the level of patient care. She founded its Center for Patient Oriented Research and, as chair of the Department of Health Sciences Research, led the development of a strategic plan uniting the several disciplines in the department (including epidemiology and healthcare policy research) to improve patient care and reduce the burden of human illness.
As a member of Mayo Clinic’s Executive Board, Dr. Gabriel focused on the importance of patient-centered research to the clinic’s overall research and institutional strategies.
Her research program has generated nearly 250 peer-reviewed scientific publications addressing the risks, determinants, costs, and outcomes of rheumatic diseases.
Sharing Mayo Clinic’s Expertise
Joshua A. Derr, manager of governmental relations at Mayo Clinic, discussed the clinic’s involvement with the PCORI initiative. “Research on healthcare delivery, comparative effectiveness, and patient outcomes are areas where we feel we have a lot to offer the rest of the country,” he says. Mayo Clinic wants to encourage the institute to fund research that will develop new delivery models “that really advance the field of medicine,” Derr notes.
Dr. Gabriel was an obvious choice to recommend for a position on the PCORI Methodology Committee. “She has devoted her career to this type of research and has served in a variety of roles that positioned her to … [engage] with PCORI,” Derr says.
