Hello! Thank you for visiting the I Am Intramural Blog. Our goal is to bring you thoughts and experiences from scientists and clinicians of the NIH Intramural Research Program. If you have questions about the blog, please email IRPinfo@mail.nih.gov.
NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., offered the following tribute to Dr. John I. Gallin, M.D., upon hearing of his passing on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
It is with a heavy heart that I share that John I. Gallin, M.D., the 10th and longest-serving director of the NIH Clinical Center, died at his home today of multiple myeloma at the age of 81 with his wife Elaine Gallin, Ph.D., by his side.
John’s illustrious career at NIH spanned more than 50 years, but he will be most remembered for leading NIH’s research hospital for 23 years from 1994-2017. He often said that his time at the NIH Clinical Center, which he referred to as the “House of Hope,” was his most special because of the hospital’s partnership with patients to improve health through clinical research. He developed the hospital’s research portfolio, created the Patient Advisory Group, established the Department of Bioethics, and was instrumental in the creation of the Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge for adult patients and their families, a complement to The Children’s Inn. He also led efforts to build the addition to the hospital, the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, which opened to patients in 2005. He started the Bench-to-Bedside Awards to integrate the work of basic and clinical investigators. His years of work led to the NIH Clinical Center receiving the 2011 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award.
"A Fatal Inheritance" Author Larry Ingrassia Discusses His New Book
In June 2024, Mr. Lawrence Ingrassia visited NIH to give a talk about his book, A Fatal Inheritance: How a Family Misfortune Revealed a Medical Mystery, which evolved from interviews with current and former IRP researchers, including IRP scientist emeritus Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., M.D.
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is an inherited disorder caused by deleterious variants in the TP53 tumor-suppressor gene that lead to very elevated risk of cancers, including sarcomas, brain, breast, and many others. Investigators at NIH have followed families with LFS since the syndrome was first described in 1969 by Dr. Fraumeni and his late collaborator, Dr. Frederick P. Li. Drs. Li and Fraumeni’s seminal discovery was the foundation on which studies of genetic susceptibility to cancer were built.
“To focus on an experiment and to shut out everything else is one of the great pleasures,” said NIH distinguished investigator Dr. Gary Felsenfeld in his 2020 oral history.
During his more than 60 years at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Felsenfeld’s keen focus and enthusiasm for science never flagged. His long career was marked by monumental, lasting breakthroughs that transformed the field of molecular biology, particularly in relation to chromatin — the complex mixture of DNA and proteins that form chromosomes inside the nucleus of a cell.
Dr. Dilys Parry died peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of February 2, 2024, after a long illness. For 30 years, Dr. Parry was a staff clinician and principal investigator in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG) at NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI). Following her retirement from federal service in 2007 she continued to engage with her colleagues on projects as a special volunteer.
Dr. Parry’s medical genetics research focused primarily on genetic and clinical studies of neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) and chordoma, a rare bone tumor derived from the notochord, and adult brain tumors. She was deeply committed to educating patients about the natural history of these diseases and helping them and at-risk relatives receive genetic testing or other types of screening to aid in early detection and treatment. Her research helped to identify susceptibility genes for and delineate the spectrum of clinical manifestations associated with NF2 and chordoma. She also elucidated correlations between the specific types of variants in the gene NF2 and clinical findings. Much of the momentum that exists in chordoma research traces back to Dr. Parry’s early interest in the disease.
The IRP community is profoundly saddened by the passing of S. Perwez Hussain, Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He died on November 24, 2023, after living with stage 4 colon cancer for many years.
For over 25 years, Perwez led translational research that could be brought into clinical trials for patients with pancreatic cancer and he established the pancreatic cancer research program in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis. He was known as an exceptional scientist, caring mentor, kind colleague and friend to many.
The IRP community mourns the recent passing of our colleague W. Michael Kuehl, M.D., former senior investigator in the Genetics Branch at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), after a long struggle with renal cancer.
In his more than 30 years at NCI, Michael was devoted to understanding the cellular and molecular biology of multiple myeloma (MM) and pre-malignant MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance), a precursor of the disease. He identified multiple mechanisms of molecular pathogenesis in MM and he linked pre-malignant MGUS to MM, which is relevant for the early diagnosis and treatment of MM.
The IRP community is saddened by the recent passing of our esteemed colleague, Herb Geller, Ph.D., who died April 16, 2023, at the NIH Clinical Center from complications of advanced prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy Geller, Ph.D., who is the Director of the Office of Biostatistics Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Dr. Geller joined the National Institutes of Health in 2001, where he became the Chief of the Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory in the Cell and Developmental Biology Center at NHLBI.During his long and successful career in neurobiology, Dr. Geller made a significant impact on the field of neuroscience. His laboratory focuses on understanding the role of the extracellular matrix — the intricate network of molecules that surround cells which control migration, pathfinding, and growth of neurons during brain development.
A Tribute to Drs. James M. Phang and John J. DiGiovanna
The IRP is deeply saddened by the recent passing of two members of its community, James "Jim" M. Phang, M.D., and John J. DiGiovanna, M.D. Dr. Phang passed away on January 29 after a months-long struggle with esophageal cancer. Dr. DiGiovanna died on February 6, more than two years after his diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
The IRP community is profoundly saddened by the recent passing of Ji Ming Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator and Head of the Chemoattractant Receptor and Signal Section in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory at NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI). He died unexpectedly on December 24, 2022.
Dr. Wang studied the role of chemoattractant receptors in infection, inflammation, immune responses and cancer progression for over 30 years. In 1998, Ji Ming was the first to identify a critical role for the receptors in mediating cancer cell metastasis to distant organs. His later work focused on leukocyte infiltration, a hallmark of inflammation and cancer progression.
Renowned Cancer Scientist Stepped Down After 29 Years in Position
Dr. Michael Gottesman has been a member of the NIH community since 1976. He has held many positions throughout his tenure, including spending 29 years as the Deputy Director of Intramural Research (DDIR). He stepped down as DDIR this past year and has returned to focusing solely on being Chief of the Lab of Cell Biology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Gottesman recently participated in an interview with the NIH Office of Technology Transfer, excerpts of which we are re-posting here on the "I Am Intramural" blog.
This page was last updated on Thursday, January 20, 2022
