The San Diego Foundation Adds New Director of Science & Technology, Health & Human Services

SAN DIEGO – January 8, 2004 – The San Diego Foundation today announced that Ruth Patterson, Ph.D., recently joined the nonprofit organization to serve in a dual capacity as Director – Analysis & Strategy for the Science & Technology and Health & Human Services teams.

Patterson will lead and work with The Foundation’s two Working Groups who serve as partners and advisors to these two community interest areas. Patterson is spending her first days with The Foundation by working with the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund as part of her Health & Human Services responsibilities.

Patterson comes to The Foundation from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and has extensive research and grant-writing experience. She has published nearly 100 scientific journal articles.

Before moving to San Diego, Patterson contributed to the Women’s Health Initiative nationwide study as co-principal investigator. She also facilitated a large-scale survey on vitamin supplement use and cancer prevention. In addition, Patterson worked on grant review study sections for the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Patterson holds a Ph.D. in nutrition and epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her Masters in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Northern Illinois University.