COVID-19

Welcoming NIH’s Four Newest Lasker Scholars

IRP Program Boosts Careers of Promising Physician-Scientists

clockwise from top-left: Dr. Lisa McReynolds, Dr. Chris Grunseich, Dr. Samira Sadowski, and Dr. Andrea Lisco

Many scientists have a seemingly single-minded focus on their research, but there are considerable benefits to having one foot in the lab and the other in the clinic. Working with patients gives researchers a daily reminder of the people they are working so hard to help and allows them to investigate the effects of promising but still experimental treatments in willing volunteers. That’s one of the main reasons why the IRP’s Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program is designed to accelerate the careers of promising early-career physician-scientists. 

This year, four NIH researchers began receiving support from the Lasker program, allowing them to dramatically expand their cutting-edge research. From investigating the roots of muscle-weakening genetic conditions to probing the mysteries of rare, hormone-producing tumors, these individuals will use the leg up provided by the Lasker Program to make new discoveries that could one day improve their patients’ lives. Read on to learn more about the exciting research the latest crop of Lasker Scholars is pursuing.

COVID-19 Causes Persistent Protein Perturbations

New IRP Research Hints at Possible Culprits Behind Long-COVID

transparent human body combating COVID infection

Nearly five years after COVID-19 first raged across the United States, most people have some immunity to the disease through vaccination or a prior infection. However, COVID not only remains a continued threat to vulnerable individuals, but also has saddled some patients with lasting symptoms. New IRP research provides a starting point for better understanding that ‘long-COVID’ phenomenon by identifying an array of substances in the blood whose levels are abnormal months after people catch the illness.

Say Hi to AI

NIH AI Symposium Highlights Potential of New Computational Tools

human head made out of computer circuits

The human brain is often compared to a computer. Although scientists and philosophers have long debated the appropriateness of that analogy, there’s no doubt that if our brains are computers, evolution takes its sweet time between software updates. Compare that to the rapid advancement of modern computers and it’s clear why many researchers are turning to software to assist the biological computer nature placed in their own heads.

On May 17, NIH celebrated this remarkable partnership between humans and machines with its first-ever Artificial Intelligence Symposium, a day-long event that brought together researchers from all around the IRP to share the ways their work is taking advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, which aims to create computers that can learn the way we do. Anyone in attendance surely came away in awe of the possibilities for how such technologies could accelerate our investigation into the mysteries of biology and the development of new medical treatments. For those who missed it, read on for a rundown of a few of the many research projects IRP researchers presented at the event.

Experimental Antibody Tightens Up Leaky Blood Vessels

Treatment Could Benefit Patients With a Variety of Illnesses

blood vessels

Our blood is a miraculous mix of cells and critical fluids that keep our organs running and fight off dangerous infections. Of course, for blood to do its job, it has to stay in our veins and arteries, which is easier said than done for people with certain illnesses. Fortunately, a recent IRP study has demonstrated the promise of a potential new treatment for people with dangerously leaky blood vessels.

Several life-threatening conditions, including Ebola and sepsis due to an uncontrolled infection, cause the fluid component of blood to leak out of blood vessels. IRP senior investigator Kirk Druey, M.D., however, came to study the phenomenon through a very rare ailment called Clarkson disease, which causes patients to periodically experience ‘flares’ or ‘episodes’ when their veins and arteries suddenly and inexplicably start leaking.

IRP Graduate Students Show Off Their Work at Annual Symposium

Event Highlights Efforts of Early-Career Researchers

IRP graduate student Kenya Debarros poses with her scientific poster

The IRP’s reputation as a leader in biomedical research attracts scientists in all stages of their careers and from all corners of the U.S. and the world. Once a year, the motley collection of graduate students who are completing their Ph.D. research in NIH labs gets to tout its scientific accomplishments at NIH’s Graduate Student Research Symposium, which took place this year on February 15.

During the event’s two poster sessions, more than 120 IRP graduate students presented the results of their research so far, from the development of better ways to grow retina-like collections of cells in the lab to insights into how the brain regulates feelings of hunger. Read on for a brief look at a few of the IRP’s brilliant budding scientists and the discoveries they showed off at the event.

A History of NIH in 12 Objects

Lecture Explains Trinkets’ Links to Important Milestones

watch fob

The history of NIH and its precursor institution, the Hygienic Laboratory, stretches back nearly 140 years — way longer than any human being has ever lived. Even when those who have witnessed history are still around, the fading of memories threatens to erase our knowledge of the past. Fortunately, with proper storage and care, objects like those in the collections of the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum can last hundreds of years, providing enduring reminders of important historical milestones.

On December 11, Stetten Museum curator Michele Lyons used a dozen such objects to describe the evolution of NIH from its origins to the modern day. Her presentation touched on topics ranging from NIH’s founding in New York to its key role in creating national standards for heart valve replacement surgery to the American AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.

IRP’s Bruce Tromberg Elected to National Academy of Medicine

Advances in Bioengineering Drive Life-Saving Medicine

Dr. Bruce Tromberg

“To discover new things, you need new ways to see them,” says Bruce J. Tromberg, Ph.D., Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). That’s why he has spent the past 30 years of his career improving and inventing tools to help doctors and scientists conduct cutting-edge biomedical research and apply their findings to the task of saving lives. This past October, Dr. Tromberg was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) for his contributions to the fields of biophotonics and biomedical optics, as well as his leadership in the biomedical engineering and imaging community.

Research Helps Guide Families Safely Through Pandemic

IRP’s Diana Bianchi Honored for Leading Pediatric COVID Response

Dr. Diana Bianchi

When the first reports of COVID-19 came out, infectious disease experts and healthcare providers thought children might be spared its most dire effects. After all, the news reports and health statistics showed that nearly all serious cases occurred in the elderly, people with certain pre-existing conditions, and those who spent their days and nights caring for COVID patients. However, as case counts rose and disruptions in daily life grew, the medical and psychological effects of COVID on children became apparent — and the impact was alarming. It soon became clear that something had to be done to understand the disease's effects on infants, children and teens, as well as pregnant women and traditionally underserved communities.

It was, appropriately, Mother’s Day when then-NIH Director Francis Collins sought help from Diana W. Bianchi, M.D., Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and a senior investigator in the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). An expert in infant health and genetic conditions like Down syndrome, Dr. Bianchi was just the person to initiate large-scale studies across the country to assess the severity of COVID in specific populations, the safety and efficacy of vaccination and treatment, and the impact of mitigation efforts such as masking. For this critical leadership, Dr. Bianchi was named a finalist for the 2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for COVID-19 Response.

Leading the Charge Against Infectious Disease

Government Awards Recognize H. Clifford Lane’s Four Decades of Research Achievements

Dr. H. Clifford Lane

The remarkable career of H. Clifford Lane, M.D., might have gone very differently if a NIH scientist hadn’t accidentally eavesdropped on Dr. Lane’s conversation with a colleague in 1979. After hearing Dr. Lane mention that he had missed the deadline to apply for a position at NIH, the NIH researcher made some calls and discovered a spot there had just opened up — one that was perfect for Dr. Lane, who would spend the ensuing decades conducting life-saving research to understand and combat some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases.

Now the Clinical Director at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), Dr. Lane has been named a finalist for the 2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals’ Career Achievement Award in recognition of his crucial contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19, and other illnesses. Also known as the “Sammies,” the awards recognize federal employees who are “breaking down barriers, overcoming huge challenges, and getting results.”

Mining Medical Data to Improve COVID-19 Treatment

Study Reveals Medications Associated With Lower Odds of Severe Infection

doctor typing on laptop

Many researchers studying COVID-19 have spent the past two years poring over test tubes and isolated cells. However, large troves of data about people’s interactions with the healthcare system can also be a rich source of useful insights. Using one such database, IRP researchers found that older adults taking certain medications were less likely to catch COVID or experience severe repercussions from the virus.