Dr. Esteban G. Burchard delivered UCSF’s 20th Annual Faculty Research Lecture in Clinical Science, honored for his work on asthma disparities and gene-environment interactions. His talk, “My Wonderful Journey from the Hood to Academic Medicine,” highlighted his research and personal journey as a Mexican-American from San Francisco’s Mission District, the challenges faced by minorities in medicine, and the role of mentors in shaping his career.
Dr. Esteban G. Burchard was featured in iBiology's documentary series "Background to Breakthrough." The film highlights his journey from SF State athletics to becoming a renowned UCSF geneticist and asthma researcher, focusing on health disparities and the influence of race in medicine. The series premiered on October 22, 2018, during a science communication course at SF State.
In response to Hurricane Maria's devastation in Puerto Rico, Dr. Esteban Burchard's UCSF lab sent 484 water filters to aid residents lacking clean water. Each filter can purify up to 295 gallons daily. Junior researcher Andy Zeiger initiated the effort, raising $8,000 through a GoFundMe campaign and securing discounted filters from Sawyer. The filters were distributed via Centro Neumologia Pediatrica, the island's largest pediatric pulmonary clinic. This initiative reflects Burchard's commitment to serving the communities involved in his research.
Our studies about the impacts of racial discrimination on asthma were featured by Science News Explores. Our findings demonstrated that racial discrimination can worsen asthma in minority children, making their symptoms harder to control. Our research showed a connection between social stress—like discrimination—and increased inflammation in the body, particularly linked to a type of asthma that is less responsive to standard treatments. Our study underscores the role of environmental and social factors in health disparities.
CBS News reports on a UCSF-led study by Dr. Esteban Burchard revealing that culture and environment shape our DNA more than previously understood. The research found that roughly 25% of gene expression differences between Mexican and Puerto Rican children are tied to social and cultural experiences, not ancestry. CBS highlights this as evidence that race and ethnicity influence biology through lived experience—underscoring the need to factor in social context in medical research.
Asthma is the leading chronic disease among children, and also the most racially disparate. Black children are among the most affected population, but are severely underrepresented in clinical and genetic studies. In a recent news story, KQED, interviewed the Asthma Collaboratory for their insight in response to their recent publication in immunogenetics.
Our recent study on the genetic diversity of Mexicans published in Science took the world by storm! Numerous national and international news outlets reported on the unique findings of our study, which showed that modern-day Mexicans have a surprising amount of genetic diversity and that their genetic composition mirrors ancient Pre-Columbian Native American substructure, despite the potential admixing occurring during the post-colonial period.
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the Smithsonian Institution co-hosted a symposium titled The African Diaspora: Integrating Culture, Genomics and History on September 12, 2013, at the National Museum of Natural History. The event convened scholars and scientists to explore how genomic data, historical records, and cultural narratives intersect to illuminate African ancestry, identity, and health. Discussions emphasized the value of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding the experiences of African-descended populations.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sits down with Dr. Burchard to discuss his background, his passions, and his journey that led to the incredible research he is leading at the Asthma Collaboratory.
ABC7 News interviewed Dr. Esteban Burchard about how racial adjustment in clinical algorithms affects asthma treatment. The Asthma Collaboratory has previously demonstrated that lung function decreases with African Ancestry. In the interview, Dr. Burchard talks about how incorporating African Ancestry into lung function equations can improve health outcomes for all populations.
