Skip to main content
NIH Intramural Research Program, Our Research Changes Lives

Navigation controls

  • Search
  • Menu

Social follow links

  • Podcast
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
      • Nobel Prize
      • Lasker Award
      • Breakthrough Prize
      • Shaw Prize
      • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
      • Presidential Medal of Freedom
      • National Medal of Science
      • Searle Scholars
      • The National Academy of Sciences
      • The National Academy of Medicine
      • The National Academy of Engineering
      • The American Academy of Arts and Sciences
      • National Medal of Technology & Innovation
      • Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals
      • Crafoord Prize
      • Fellows of the Royal Society
      • Canada Gairdner Awards
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
      • NCI
      • NEI
      • NHGRI
      • NHLBI
      • NIA
      • NIAAA
      • NIAID
      • NIAMS
      • NIBIB
      • NICHD
      • NIDA
      • NIDCD
      • NIDCR
      • NIDDK
      • NIEHS
      • NIMH
      • NIMHD
      • NINDS
      • NINR
      • NLM
      • CC
      • NCATS
      • NCCIH
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
      • Biomedical Engineering & Biophysics
      • Cancer Biology
      • Cell Biology
      • Chemical Biology
      • Chromosome Biology
      • Clinical Research
      • Computational Biology
      • Developmental Biology
      • Epidemiology
      • Genetics & Genomics
      • Health Disparities
      • Immunology
      • Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
      • Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
      • Molecular Pharmacology
      • Neuroscience
      • RNA Biology
      • Social & Behavioral Sciences
      • Stem Cell Biology
      • Structural Biology
      • Systems Biology
      • Virology
    • Principal Investigators
      • View by Investigator Name
      • View by Scientific Focus Area
    • Accomplishments
      • View All Accomplishments by Date
      • View All Health Topics
      • The Body
      • Health & Wellness
      • Conditions & Diseases
      • Procedures
    • Accelerating Science
      • Investing in Cutting-Edge Animal Models
      • Creating Cell-Based Therapies
      • Advancing Computational and Structural Biology
      • Combating Drug Resistance
      • Developing Novel Imaging Techniques
      • Charting the Pathways of Inflammation
      • Zooming in on the Microbiome
      • Uncovering New Opportunities for Natural Products
      • Stimulating Neuroscience Research
      • Pursuing Precision Medicine
      • Unlocking the Potential of RNA Biology and Therapeutics
      • Producing Novel Vaccines
    • Research in Action
      • View All Stories
      • Battling Blood-Sucking Bugs
      • Unexpected Leads to Curb Addiction
      • Shaping Therapies for Sickle Cell Disease
      • The Mind’s Map Maker
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
      • Supercomputing
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Clinical Faculty
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
      • Get Involved with Clinical Research
      • Physician Resources
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
      • Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigators
        • Science, the Stadtman Way
      • Lasker Clinical Research Scholars
      • Independent Research Scholar
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
The NIH Catalyst: A Publication About NIH Intramural Research

National Institutes of Health • Office of the Director | Volume 20 Issue 2 • March–April 2012

Features

The Epidemic That Just Won’t Quit

NIH Obesity Researchers to the Rescue

BY MATT WENHAM (NIDDK), KATHERINE BRICCENO (NINDS), JASON STAGNO (NCI), MICHELLE BOND (NIDDK), AND RACHEL MURPHY (NIA)

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States that affects approximately one-third of adults and nearly 17 percent of children and teens. People who are obese are at increased risk for developing many serious health problems including diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and a reduced life expectancy. And obesity disproportionately affects racial- and ethnic-minority populations as well as those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. The high prevalence of obesity is thought to result from the interaction of genetic susceptibility with behaviors and environmental factors that promote increased calorie intake and sedentary lifestyles. NIH funds and does research on all aspects of obesity. Here, we share highlights of a few of the NIH intramural researchers who are tackling the epidemic.

Read more

Brain Injuries

Detecting Them on the Battlefield

By ALICIA EVANGELISTA, NHLBI

Imagine a handheld scanner that could be used in the battlefield to detect whether an injured soldier has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). NICHD’s senior investigator Amir Gandjbakhche and research fellow Jason Riley led a team of NIH scientists to perfect an imaging technology that would make such a device possible. The idea was straightforward: Create a device that could detect a TBI and make it simple enough for any soldier to grab out of a truck and use it in the heat of battle. The device needed to be portable, able to withstand the chaos of the battlefield, and use an imaging technology that could measure bleeding in the brain, an emergency that requires immediate medical attention.

Read more

From “Paper of the Week” to “Breast Cancer Treatment of the Year”?

How a Calcium-binding Protein Activates an Estrogen Receptor

By Heather Dolan

David B. Sacks is a celebrity . . . in the chemistry world, that is. One of his studies has been designated “Paper of the Week” in the March 16 issue of Journal of Biological Chemistry. Each year, only 50 to 100 papers are selected for this honor out of more than 6,600 published.

Read more

Hidden Treasures at NLM

NIH’s National Library of Medicine has compiled a remarkably illustrated book edited by Michael Sappol, Hidden Treasure, which features rare, beautiful, idiosyncratic, and surprising works in the collection of the world’s largest medical library.

Read more

Our First AAAS Webinar

All Eyes on the NIH

BY CHRISTOPHER WANJEK

The NIH intramural research program hosted its first Science/American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Webinar on February 29, titled “Applying New Imaging Techniques to Your Research: Advice from the Experts.” This featured Hari Shroff (NIBIB), Sriram Subramaniam (NCI), and Clare Waterman (NHLBI). The pre-event buzz was promising—nearly 2,400 researchers worldwide registered to participate, the largest number for any Science/AAAS Webinar—and, indeed, close to that many did watch, while hundreds more may view the archive.

Read more

Ruth Kirschstein Featured in E-Biography

Always There: The Remarkable Life of Ruth Lillian Kirschstein, M.D., by Alison F. Davis tells the story of a rare woman who was a medical scientist, classical pianist, physician, art lover, humanitarian, and research administrator. Kirschstein, who died in October 2009 at the age of 83, dedicated her career at NIH to public health.

Read more

The Relevance of Yeast Genetics to Cancer

Geneticist David Botstein Describes Evolution at Work

By Heather Dolan

Understanding the molecular genetics of yeast evolution provides plenty of insights into cancer biology. So says renowned geneticist David Botstein, who presented the second annual Marshall W. Nirenberg Lecture at NIH on January 4.

Read more

  • Issue Overview
  • Features
    • The Epidemic That Just Won’t Quit
    • Brain Injuries
    • From “Paper of the Week” to “Breast Cancer Treatment of the Year”?
    • Hidden Treasures at NLM
    • Our First AAAS Webinar
    • Ruth Kirschstein Featured in E-Biography
    • The Relevance of Yeast Genetics to Cancer
  • Departments
    • From the Deputy Director for Intramural Research
    • Commentary
    • Research Briefs
    • New Methods
    • Colleagues: Recently Tenured
    • The SIG Beat
    • The Training Page
    • Laboratory Confessions
    • Announcements
  • Issue Contents
  • Download this issue as a PDF

Catalyst menu

  • Current Issue
  • Previous Issues
  • About The NIH Catalyst
  • Contact The NIH Catalyst
  • Share Your Story
  • NIH Abbreviations

Subscribe Today!

Subscribe to The NIH Catalyst Newsletter and receive email updates.

Subscribe

Get IRP Updates

Subscribe

  • Email
  • Print
  • Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Main navigation

  • About Us
    • What Is the IRP?
    • History
    • Honors
    • Organization & Leadership
    • Our Programs
    • Research Campus Locations
    • Contact Information
  • Our Research
    • Scientific Focus Areas
    • Principal Investigators
    • Accomplishments
    • Accelerating Science
    • Research in Action
    • Trans-IRP Research Resources
    • IRP Review Process
    • Commercializing Inventions
  • NIH Clinical Center
    • Clinical Center Facilities
    • Clinical Faculty
    • Advancing Translational Science
    • Clinical Trials
  • News & Events
    • In the News
    • I am Intramural Blog
    • Speaking of Science Podcast
    • SciBites Video Shorts
    • The NIH Catalyst Newsletter
    • Events
  • Careers
    • Faculty-Level Scientific Careers
    • Trans-NIH Scientific Recruitments
    • Scientific & Clinical Careers
    • Administrative Careers
  • Research Training
    • Program Information
    • Training Opportunities
    • NIH Work/Life Resources
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • National Institutes of Health
  • USA.gov

Footer

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • IRP Brand Materials
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Web Policies & Notices
  • Site Map
  • Search