Events

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) campuses host a variety of events that inform, challenge, and unite the biomedical research community. IRP investigators lead or participate in many of these events, and they regularly present their work at scientific conferences at the NIH and around the world. We invite you to learn about (and possibly join us in) some of our upcoming events. Unless otherwise noted, times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Toward a More Inclusive Future

to (registration required)

group of people holding hands

Hybrid event: virtual and in person at the National Archives Building, 701 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

This symposium, part of the yearlong National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 75th Anniversary celebration, will focus on NIMH's role in society and feature presentations from health equity, sociology, psychiatry, and public health experts. It will bring together people living with mental illness, clinicians, and communities to reflect on past and present challenges in mental health research and chart a more inclusive path forward. Key themes include inclusion in research, disparities in health and access to care, and diversity in the mental health workforce.

This symposium is free, but registration is required for both virtual and in-person attendance. In-person attendance will be limited. You can join the symposium virtually if you cannot attend in person. A recording of the event will also be posted on the NIMH website.

The Promises and Perils of AI in Biomedical Research and Health Care Delivery

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Dr. Vint Cerf

Masur Auditorium, NIH Clinical Center (Building 10); and NIH Videocast

This edition of the J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture — part of NIH's Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series (WALS) — will be presented by Vinton G. Cerf, Ph.D., who has served as vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google since October 2005. In this role, he contributes to global policy development and continued standardization and spread of the Internet. He is also an active public face for Google in the Internet world.

Widely known as one of the “Fathers of the Internet,” Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. In December, 1994, People magazine identified Cerf as one of that year’s “25 Most Intriguing People.” In December 1997, President Clinton presented the U.S. National Medal of Technology to Cerf and his colleague, Robert E. Kahn, for founding and developing the Internet.

The lecture in Masur Auditorium is open to all NIH staff via tickets distributed by NIH's Institutes and Centers. Members of the general public and NIH staff who do not receive a ticket to the event from their IC can watch the lecture live online via NIH Videocast.

Palliative and Hospice Care Across the Lifespan: Expert Q&A

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ill woman in hospice care

Join experts from NIH's National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) for a live Q&A on palliative care and hospice care across the lifespan, which will be held on NIA's YouTube channel. The event will cover important information surrounding palliative and hospice care, including the benefits of palliative and hospice care; how care may change across the lifespan; and insights on NIH research in this area.

Harnessing Mechanistic Insights into microRNA Function for Cancer Therapy

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Dr. Shuo Gu

NIH Building 1, Wilson Hall; and NIH Videocast

The April lecture in the NIH Director's Seminar Series will be presented by IRP senior investigator Shuo Gu, Ph.D.

As a class of small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) function as master gene regulators. Dr. Guo's laboratory studies how miRNAs themselves are regulated and their applications in cancer treatment. Despite the success of using miRNAs including their isoforms (isomiRs) as disease biomarkers, development of miRNA-based cancer treatments was somewhat lagging behind mainly due to the difficulty in identifying tumor-driver miRNA variations. In this talk, Dr. Guo will discuss his lab's endeavor in addressing this challenge by investigating the mechanisms of miRNA biogenesis and function. He will also talk about his team's recent endeavor in characterizing genetic variants of miRNA biogenesis enzymes associated with certain pediatric cancers. His lab's findings will provide new targets for treating cancers with RNA-based therapeutics.

The Future of CRISPR: What’s Ahead for Genome Editing

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Dr. Jennifer Doudna

Lipsett Amphitheater, NIH Clinical Center (Building 10); and NIH videocast

This special lecture in NIH's Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series (WALS) will be given by 2020 Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., 

Jennifer Doudna is a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, and a Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology. Her research focuses on RNA as it forms a variety of complex globular structures, some of which function like enzymes or form functional complexes with proteins. Her lab's research into RNA biology led to the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 as a tool for making targeted changes to the genome. In bacteria, CRISPR systems preserve invading genetic material and incorporate it into surveillance complexes to achieve adaptive immunity. Crystal structures of diverse Cas9 proteins reveal RNA-mediated conformational activation.

Current research in the Doudna lab focuses on discovering and determining the mechanisms of novel CRISPR-Cas and associated proteins; developing genome editing tools for use in vitro, in plants, and in mammals; and developing anti-CRISPR agents. New discoveries in this field continue at a rapid pace, revealing a technology that has widespread applications in many areas of biology.

Women Scientists Advisors Scholar Award Symposium

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female scientist working in the lab

Virtual event

Each year, NIH's Women Scientists Advisors (WSA) Committee selects three female, early-career IRP scientists to receive the WSA Scholar Award. WSA Scholars are selected from a pool of all the female winners of NIH's Fellow Award for Research Excellence, which honors outstanding scientific research performed by IRP postdoctoral fellows. This years honorees — Dr. Jennifer Ish, Dr. Jennifer Zink, and Dr. Chaido Stathopoulou — will speak about their research via Zoom at the annual WSA Scholar Award Symposium on April 29.

New Frontiers in Liquid Biopsies: Data, Technology and Translational Potential

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cartoon scientists using a magnifying glass to look at a blood sample

Ruth L. Kirschstein Auditorium, NIH Natcher Conference Center (Building 45)

Building on the foundation of cell-free DNA prenatal testing, the field of liquid biopsy research has rapidly evolved, with uses spanning from early detection of cancer and monitoring of organ transplants. Unlike traditional biopsy methods that require invasive procedures to obtain tissue samples, liquid biopsies use simpler methods to detect disease markers, including cells themselves, in different biofluids, including blood, urine, and even cerebral spinal fluid. This less invasive approach allows for repeated monitoring over time.

Attending this conference will be an excellent opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and advancements in the field of liquid biopsies. Researchers and professionals from all over the world will be sharing their insights and results, and you'll have the chance to network with others in the field, providing valuable opportunities for collaboration, learning, and professional growth. Young investigators and trainees are especially encouraged to attend career roundtable discussions over lunch, and all attendees are invited to submit abstracts for poster sessions on both days of the conference as well as for consideration for short oral presentations.

In keeping with NIH's mission to provide equitable and inclusive conference experiences, attendance is free — there will be no registration fee for any attendees. This conference is open to members of the NIH community, academic researchers outside of the NIH, and members of pharma/industry.

This page was last updated on Friday, October 20, 2023