Catalyst helps advance precision medicine
- Vishnu Ravi
- Jul 31, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 5, 2025
A project supported by Stanford Medicine Catalyst is revolutionizing patient care through pharmacogenomics — personalized prescriptions based on a patient’s genetic profile.
At Stanford Medicine, innovative ideas are constantly shaping the future of health care. One such initiative is the Stanford Pharmacogenomics Implementation and Reporting Architecture, or SPIRA. SPIRA is leading the way in precision medicine by using genetic sequencing to tailor prescriptions to each patient’s unique genetic profile.
The Stanford Medicine Catalyst program plays a vital role in bringing such ideas to fruition by providing resources, mentorship and operational support, enabling teams to develop and scale their innovations.
The SPIRA team aims to bring pharmacogenomics to the clinic as a means of reducing the risks associated with adverse drug reactions — one of the leading causes of death in the United States and costing billions annually, according to the Food and Drug Administration. This initiative embodies the essence of individualized medicine, as opposed to population-based approaches, by focusing on the unique genetic makeup of each patient.
By implementing pharmacogenomics, the team hopes to improve health outcomes by increasing the efficacy of treatments by tailoring to individual responses and decreasing the number of adverse side effects or events, which can lead to better adherence to prescribed therapies and reduction of cumulative costs for health care institutions over time.
The idea behind SPIRA is to implement a streamlined system in which a single saliva test can guide medication choices for a patient at both the time of testing and for future prescribing decisions. A focused pilot project was launched earlier this year at Stanford Health Care; the long-term plan is to expand implementation across multiple adult and pediatric service lines.
“Our goal is to enable doctors to quickly and easily prescribe the best and safest medication possible for a patient’s condition, based on their specific genetic information,” said SPIRA’s co-principal investigator Teri E. Klein, PhD.
SPIRA project, explained:
A patient provides a saliva sample, which allows laboratory technicians led by Stuart A. Scott, PhD – a professor of pathology and SPIRA’s co-principal investigator – to generate a comprehensive pharmacogenomic profile. Using that profile, physicians can make informed decisions about prescribing medications for that patient.
Klein, a professor of biomedical data science, medicine and genetics, has been building the infrastructure (ClinPGx/PharmGKB/CPIC) for this initiative with her team, which includes co-principal investigator, Michelle Whirl-Carrillo, PhD, for 25 years at Stanford. As experts in pharmacogenomic interpretation, the team developed PharmCAT, a bioinformatics tool that analyzes genetic variants to predict drug response.
Scott developed a novel clinical pharmacogenomics, long-read sequencing panel with an informatics workflow that incorporates the expertise and resources from Klein and her ClinPGx/PharmCAT team.
These comprehensive pharmacogenomic test results and prescribing recommendations are now delivered to the EPIC Genomics Module that was integrated and supported by Stanford Medicine’s Technology and Digital Solutions (TDS) for future medication and dosing needs.
Catalyst support
A key challenge for using pharmacogenomic testing in the clinic has been translating genetic laboratory test results into easy-to-understand prescribing recommendations for medications. This is where Catalyst came in.
“Our teams have spent years — decades — creating the infrastructure, curating knowledge and prescribing guidelines and testing panel,” Scott said. “Being able to use it at Stanford has been in large part driven by Catalyst support and how they were able to connect us with all important stakeholders from the informatics side to the clinical operations side, as well as critical pharmacy and clinical provider colleagues.”
With Catalyst’s support and resources, the SPIRA team kicked off a pilot project in partnership with Hetanshi Naik, PhD, associate professor of genetics, Amelia Sattler, MD, clinical associate professor of primary care and population health, and 16 providers treating over 1,000 patients. Catalyst provided two dedicated team members, technology architect Vishnu Ravi, MD, and project manager Kathleen Lacar, RN, to support the technical build and facilitate connections with Stanford Health Care leaders. Partnered with TDS, the team aligned clinical operations, engineering, Senior Care, and pharmacy services to achieve a comprehensive strategy for precision medicine.
Looking ahead
The pharmacogenomics pilot with senior care patients began in April and will continue into the fall. With more than 70 relevant pharmacogenomic medications in their database, the team plans to expand the initiative to other specialties within Stanford Medicine, including mental health, cardiovascular care, anesthesia, pain management and beyond.
There is also significant interest in adapting the guidelines for pediatric patients, as their pharmacogenomic needs differ from those of adults. The SPIRA team will continue to partner with Catalyst as the tool is implemented more widely.
Is your project the next Catalyst innovation?
The SPIRA project is one example of the transformative work being supported by Stanford Medicine Catalyst.
Catalyst is seeking health care innovations from all members of the Stanford Medicine community (faculty, students and university and health care staff) who can significantly impact global health care. Catalyst will award select projects with validated science that hold the promise of becoming world-changing solutions and are ready to be implemented through piloting, advanced prototype development or early-stage use.
Take the next steps by:
Reviewing the Catalyst site for additional details and FAQs.
Evaluating whether your project might be a good fit.
Applying by July 31 on the Catalyst website.