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Introduction Given the aging population and the benefits of comprehensive geriatric assessment to this subset of patients, an interprofessional education training approach may be advantageous for learners from a number of different health professions. Methods Through intercollegiate collaborations involving seven different colleges, an interprofessional simulation using standardized patients was developed and instituted for learners in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, dental hygiene, and dietitian programs. Herein, we describe the design of the simulation experience and examine its impact on students, as assessed primarily via written reflective comments provided via exit slips at the conclusion of the activity. Results Of the 340 student participants, 83% submitted exit slips describing something gained from the interprofessional session that would not have occurred if students had completed the activity with only students from their own discipline. Three key themes were identified from these reflections: new understanding of roles and responsibilities of other disciplines, new knowledge or skills pertaining to geriatric assessments, and the value of teamwork. Discussion Reflective comments from students regarding the interprofessional experience are evidence of this initiative's benefits, which include increasing knowledge of geriatric medical and allied health-provided care and attainment of interprofessional competencies.

Our understanding of how human skin cells differ according to anatomical site and tumour formation is limited. To address this, we have created a multiscale spatial atlas of healthy skin and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), incorporating in vivo optical coherence tomography, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial global transcriptional profiling, and in situ sequencing. Computational spatial deconvolution and projection revealed the localisation of distinct cell populations to specific tissue contexts. Although cell populations were conserved between healthy anatomical sites and in BCC, mesenchymal cell populations including fibroblasts and pericytes retained signatures of developmental origin. Spatial profiling and in silico lineage tracing support a hair follicle origin for BCC and demonstrate that cancer-associated fibroblasts are an expansion of a POSTN+ subpopulation associated with hair follicles in healthy skin. RGS5+ pericytes are also expanded in BCC suggesting a role in vascular remodelling. We propose that the identity of mesenchymal cell populations is regulated by signals emanating from adjacent structures and that these signals are repurposed to promote the expansion of skin cancer stroma. The resource we have created is publicly available in an interactive format for the research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]