Announcements

NINR DIRECTOR’S LECTURE WITH PENN’S MEDOFF-COOPER

“Innovations in High-Risk Infant Care: Creating New Pathways”
Tuesday, September 16, 2014, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Balcony C, Natcher Conference Center (Building 45)

Dr. Barbara Medoff-Cooper, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Philadelphia)—internationally recognized for her research on the development of strategies and technologies to improve outcomes for infants—will discuss her research on infant development, feeding behaviors in high-risk infants, infant temperament, and developmental care of infants with complex congenital heart disease. For more information, visit http://www.ninr.nih.gov/directorslecture. For reasonable accommodation (sign-language interpretation will be provided), e-mail info@ninr.nih.gov or call 301-496-0256.

2014 NIH RESEARCH FESTIVAL

September 22–24, 2014
Plenary: September 22, 10:00 a.m.–noon (Masur)
Masur Auditorium, Lipsett Amphitheater, and FAES Academic Center (Building 10)

The NIH Research Festival is the annual showcase of NIH intramural research. This year’s theme is “The Era of the Brain.” The opening plenary session features a welcome message, “Exceptional Opportunities in Biomedical Research,” by NIH Director Francis Collins, the FARE Awards Ceremony, and scientific presentations by Antonello Bonci (NIDA) and Mark Hallett (NINDS). The festival will include concurrent symposia, posters (even ones by institute directors and scientific directors), special exhibits on intramural resources, the Technical Sales Association tent show, and opportunities to enjoy conversation with colleagues. For more information and schedules, visit http://researchfestival.nih.gov or contact Jacqueline Roberts at 301-594-6747 or robertsjm@od.nih.gov.

CHEN LECTURE ON INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

“Purine Receptor Drugs: Future Treatment for Chronic Diseases?”
Friday, October 3, 2014, 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Masur Auditorium (Building 10)

Don’t miss the ninth annual Philip S. Chen, Jr., Ph.D., Distinguished Lecture on Innovation and Technology Transfer. NIDDK Senior Investigator and Lab Chief Kenneth A. Jacobson will present “Purine Receptor Drugs: Future Treatment for Chronic Diseases?” Individuals with disabilities who need sign-language interpreters and/or reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Joe Kleinman at 301-496-0472 and/or the Federal Relay (1-800-877-8339). Requests should be made at least five days in advance of the event. To watch the lecture online, visit http://videocast.nih.gov.

2014 IATAP WORKSHOP

Presentations by investigators
October 16–17, 2014; starts at 8:30 a.m. both days
Conference Room 127, Building 5

Please join the current Intramural AIDS Targeted Antiviral Program (IATAP) Investigators for the annual IATAP workshop. Each investigator will present a brief summary of his or her IATAP research. For more information or to inquire about the IATAP program, contact Jacqueline Roberts at 301-594-6747 or robertsjm@od.nih.gov.

INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF CLINICAL RESEARCH

October 14, 2014–March 9, 2015
Monday and Tuesday evenings, 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Lipsett Amphitheater (Building 10)
Registration deadline: October 8, 2014

This free course—of interest to physicians and all other health professionals planning a career in clinical research—trains participants on how to effectively conduct clinical research. It highlights epidemiologic methods; study design; protocol preparation; patient monitoring; quality assurance; FDA issues; data management; ethical issues, including protection of human subjects; building a budget; and more. Registered participants can either attend in person or view the archived videos online. A certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the course, which is based on a final examination. It’s suggested that participants acquire a copy of the textbook Principles and Practice of Clinical Research, Third Edition. In addition, participants may want to consider enrolling in a course in biostatistics, such as STAT 200 or STAT 500, offered by the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences. For more information, visit http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/training/training/ippcr.html or e-mail course coordinator Daniel McAnally at daniel.mcanally@nih.gov or call 301-496-9425. An e-mail confirmation will be sent to those who successfully register for the course.

FULBRIGHT VISITING SCHOLAR LECTURE: MELANIE CHEUNG FROM NEW ZEALAND

November 4, 2014, 1:00-3:00 PM
Room 620/630, Porter Neuroscience Research Center (Building 35A)

Melanie Cheung (Ngāti Rangitihi, Te Arawa) is currently working as a Fulbright New Zealand scholar developing a brain resilience training program for Huntington disease. Cheung, who is working with Michael Merzenich at the Brain Plasticity Institute, Posit Science (San Francisco), is committed to exploring both Indigenous and Western scientific paradigms to help people with neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, her work integrates experimental neurobiology, bioethics, tikanga (ceremony/customary) and Mātauranga Māori (Maori traditional knowledge). Her other research projects have included: A Photovoice Research Project highlighting the Taranaki families’ wellbeing practices; Te Mata Ira, a bioethics project investigating Māori views on biobanking and genomic research; Validation of a transgenic songbird model of Huntington’s disease (with Rockefeller University); The isolation and culturing of 19 novel primary human cell culture models of brain disease; Using Indigenous values and practices in scientific practice, with specific focus on developing culturally respectful laboratory practices for working with human tissue.

2014 NIH-JAPAN SYMPOSIUM

October 23–24, 2014:
October 23: 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (posters 3:30–6:00 p.m.)
October 24: 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Poster submission deadline: October 10, 2014
Lipsett Amphitheater and FAES Classrooms (Building 10)

The NIH-Japan symposium will focus on highlights from the frontier of biomedical science from NIH and Japan; promote the career development of young scientists; and feature lectures by NIH senior investigators as well as by scientists from several universities in Japan (Tohoku University, University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and Kanazawa University). For more information, contact Yoshi Yamada at 301-496-2111 or yyamada@dir.nidcr.nih.gov. Web site for information, registration, poster submission, etc.: http://wals.od.nih.gov/us-japan.

SANTIAGO RAMÓN Y CAJAL EXHIBIT

Scheduled to open in early November
First Floor Atrium, Porter Neuroscience Research Center (Building 35)

Original ink-on-paper drawings by Spanish physician and scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal will be on display at NIH beginning in early November. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1906) for illuminating the intimate relationship between neuron cell structure and function, Ramón y Cajal posited that the nervous system was made of individual cells (later termed “neurons”), that these cells are connected to each other by small contact zones (later termed “synapses”), and that a single nerve cell comprised three anatomically different structures: the cell body, the axis cylinder (the axon), and “dendritic arborizations.” He further maintained that these cells function as information-processing units that use electrical impulses to communicate across functional networks. Ramón y Cajal’s “neuron doctrine” is considered to be the beginning of modern neurobiology. A selection of his exceedingly precise drawings will be on loan to the NIH’s DeWitt Stetten, Jr., Museum of Medical Research for six months, courtesy of the Cajal Institute (Madrid). More details will be shared with the NIH community as soon as they become available.

HISTORY OF MEDICINE LECTURES FOR 2014

2:00–3:00 p.m.
Lister Hill Auditorium or Visitor Center (Building 38A)
All lectures are free and open to the public.
For more information: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/happening/lectures/lectures_2014.html

The lecture series of the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) History of Medicine Division promotes awareness and use of NLM and other historical collections for research, education, and public service in biomedicine, the social sciences, and the humanities.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014: “Early Latin American Medicine in the NLM Collections,” Michael North (head, NLM’s Rare Books and Early Manuscripts Section); NLM Visitors’ Center
Wednesday, November 5, 2014: “Antibiotic Pasts and Futures: Seven Decades of Reform and Resistance,” Scott Podolsky (director of Center for the History of Medicine, Countway Library, Harvard University); NLM Visitors’ Center
Monday, December 1, 2014: “Surviving and Thriving: The Making of an Exhibition,” Jennifer Brier (director and associate professor, Gender and Women’s Studies/History, University of Illinois–Chicago), guest curator, “Surviving and Thriving: AIDS, Politics, and Culture.” Lister Hill Auditorium

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LECTURES (WALS)

Most Wednesdays, 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Masur Auditorium (Building 10)

The 2014–2015 season of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series (WALS) is in full swing and features prominent scientists from leading universities. To see the schedule, go to http://wals.od.nih.gov.

COURSES ON SCIENCE OF SEX AND GENDER IN HUMAN HEALTH

Web site: https://sexandgendercourse.od.nih.gov/index.aspx

NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health is pleased to offer a series of online courses designed to create a permanent foundation for sex and gender accountability in medical research and treatment by enabling researchers, clinicians, and students in the health professions to integrate knowledge of sex and gender differences and similarities into their research and practice. The series covers how differences between women and men influence disease manifestation, treatment, and outcome; is offered at no charge; and is open to the public.

PICK THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB: EXPERT GUIDANCE ON USING MODERN TECHNOLOGIES IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

Workshop: “Data analysis, interpretation, and presentation in cell biology: potentials and pitfalls”
Monday, November 24, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Lipsett Amphitheater (Building 10)

This workshop—entitled “Data analysis, interpretation, and presentation in cell biology: potentials and pitfalls”—will be the first in a series to educate NIH trainees and staff about what advanced technologies can accomplish and the kinds of reproducibility problems that can arise; provide a cautionary note to scientists who plan to use but are inexperienced in using these techniques; and educate others who are reading results in the literature. For more information, contact Paul Liu at pliu@nhgri.nih.gov or 301-402-2529.

DEMYSTIFYING MEDICINE 2015

Tuesdays, January 6–May 5, 2015
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Building 50 Conference Room

The “DeMystifying Medicine” course, in its 13th year, bridges the gap between advances in biology and their application to human disease. Each class features presentations by a clinician, a researcher, and often a patient. Topics for 2015 include attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Ebola, malaria, infertility, and more. For more information, a complete schedule, and instructions on how to sign up, visit http://demystifyingmedicine.od.nih.gov or contact Win Arias at ariasi@mail.nih.gov.

NEW NIH INTRAMURAL RESEARCH RECORDS SCHEDULE

The NIH Office of Management Assessment (OMA) and Office of Intramural Research (OIR) led efforts to redesign the NIH Intramural Research Records Schedule to better align policy with intramural research practices. OMA and OIR formed a trans-NIH working group to examine the management of intramural research records, clinical-care records, and data. The group included more than 20 Intramural Research Program administrators, biomedical researchers, clinical-care employees, and compliance-oversight staff. The successful effort resulted in a significant streamlining of the research record-retention schedules, reducing the number of scheduled items from approximately 95 to 12. The new schedule also includes criteria for evaluating the historical significance of records. The updates to this schedule will facilitate better understanding and implementation by program staff as well as support better preservation of research records. To support the rollout of the new schedule, OMA is conducting training and information sessions for records liaisons in institutes and centers. A listing of the liaisons can be found at
http://1.usa.gov/1t5lJDf. For questions regarding the new records-retention schedule, contact Kim Johnson, NIH records officer, at johnsonk4@mail.nih.gov or 301-496-2463.

FAES GRADUATE SCHOOL

Fall Term Registration: July 15–September 5, 2014 Late Registration until September 30
For information and to register: www.faes.org/grad or registrar@faes.org

The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) Graduate School offers more than 120 undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, most of which are held in the evenings on the main NIH Bethesda campus. Courses are credit-bearing and are in such fields as biochemistry, bioinformatics, biology, chemistry, epidemiology, genetics, immunology, mathematics, medicine, microbiology, pharmacology, public health, statistics, technology transfer, toxicology, MCAT Review, GRE, English as a Second Language, boot camp for university teaching, and more. FAES also offers advanced studies in public health and in technology transfer. Courses are open to the NIH community, other federal employees, and the general public. Tuition: $150-$450 per course. For class schedules and other details, visit www.faes.org/grad, or e-mail registrar@faes.org, or call 301-496-7976. The FAES office is located in Building 10, Room 1N241 (close to Masur Auditorium).

LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS

NIH Career Development Open House: Passport to Learning
October 8, 2014, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (a.m. and p.m. sessions)
Rockledge One: 6705 Rockledge Drive, 4th floor, Suite 4000
Open house information and to RSVP: http://trainingcenter.nih.gov/news.html
Details on leadership programs: http://trainingcenter.nih.gov/continuum_of_leadership.html

Come to the open house and learn what the NIH Training Center (NIHTC) has to offer. There will be mini training sessions on critical thinking and decision-making skills; negotiation skills; conflict resoluaiton; retirement planning. In addition, there will be an overview of the NIH Leadership Development Programs; professional development opportunities; the future of learning (technology in the classroom); and more. You are encouraged to take the Rockledge Shuttle (to the Rockledge Two stop). If you drive, however, parking is free (in the rear of the building) and spaces are most likely available on the lowest level of the parking garage.

Here is a sampling of the leadership programs that the NIHTC offers:

Recruitment for 2015 Leadership Programs.
Are you a scientist interested in further developing your leadership acumen? Are you passionate about your research in the lab and need a strong, effective team to support your scientific goals? If you are just embarking upon your career as a scientific leader, or if you’ve been a successful leader for many years, the NIH Training Center (NIHTC) offers two extensive leadership programs to meet your needs.

NIH Mid-level Leadership Program (MLP): Develops IC-nominated employees in GS 12-14 and equivalent positions by preparing them to fulfill current and impending demands as front-line leaders.

NIH Senior Leadership Program (SLP): Focuses on leadership competencies that will enable high-performing participants to achieve organizational goals. Twenty-eight participants will work with peers and scholar-practitioners while developing a strong trans-NIH cohort. Nominations are comprised of four to six managers within your IC from both the scientific and administrative communities.

Note on NIH Executive Leadership Program (ExLP): This program will not be recruiting for FY15. Scientific leaders who prefer not to wait until FY16 are encouraged to consider the following NIHTC resources: NIH Senior Leadership Program; Executive Coaching/Team Coaching; and NIHTC courses.
For questions, contact your executive officer or the appropriate person at the NIHTC: Mid-Level Leadership Program—Derrick Prather (pratherd@od.nih.gov); Senior Leadership Program—Hannah Alexander (hannah.alexander@nih.gov)

NCATS LAUNCHES CHEMICAL TOXICITY DATA MODEL COMPETITION

Registration deadline: Nov. 14, 2014, 11:59 p.m. ET.
NCATS will showcase the winning models in January 2015.
To register and for more information: https://tripod.nih.gov/tox21/challenge

NCATS’ Toxicology in the 21st Century (Tox21) Data Challenge 2014 is a crowdsourcing competition to develop computational models that can better predict chemical toxicity. The Tox21 initiative is designed to improve current toxicity assessment methods, which are slow and costly.

Participants who submit the winning models, as judged by the Tox21 Data Challenge Committee, will have the opportunity to submit a paper for publication in a special thematic issue of Frontiers in Environmental Science. NCATS also will recognize winning submissions in national communications, including on the NCATS website and in social media channels. Selected models will become part of the Tox21 program arsenal of tools that help researchers assess how various chemicals might disrupt biological processes in the human body and lead to negative health effects.

Tox 21 is a collaborative effort among NIH, EPA, and FDA. NIH partners include NCATS and the National Toxicology Program, administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Tox21 scientists currently are testing a library of more than 10,000 chemical compounds (Tox21 10K) in NCATS’s high-throughput (large-scale) robotic screening system. To date, the team has produced nearly 50 million data points from screening the Tox21 10K library against cell-based assays. Data generated from 12 of these assays form the basis of the 2014 challenge.

All Tox21 data are available to the public through chemical toxicity databases supported by NIH and the EPA. In addition, NCATS created a free Tox21 chemical inventory browser (http://tripod.nih.gov/tox21chem) to provide researchers with additional information about the 10,000 chemicals in the library.