Announcements

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES WORKSHOP

Environment and Health: What’s the Human Microbiome Have to Do with It?
January 14–15, 2016, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
NAS Keck Center, Room 100
500 5th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
On-site and webcast registration is required: http://nas-sites.org/emergingscience/meetings/microbiome2/

The microbiome—the collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living on and inside our bodies—affects health in many ways and can even influence our responses to environmental chemicals. Explore the intersection of the environment, the microbiome, and human health at this workshop, sponsored by NIEHS.

Pi DAY 2016 CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

March 14, 2016, 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Lipsett Auditorium and FAES Terrace (Building 10)
Register early to present talk/poster/demo (no later than January 29)
Pi Day website: https://datascience.nih.gov/PiDay2016

The goal of the NIH Pi Day Celebration is to increase awareness across the biomedical-science community of the role that the quantitative sciences play in biomedical science. As part of the Pi Day Celebration, NIH staff will have the opportunity to give short presentations called “PiCo Talks,” display posters, or do demonstrations. Other events include a keynote address by Carlos Bustamante, the chair of Stanford’s new Biomedical Data Science Department. If you/your institute or center would like to organize a new Pi Day event for the NIH community, contact Michelle Dunn (michelle.dunn@nih.gov or 301-402-9827).

THE INFLAMMATORY DISEASE INTEREST GROUP SEMINAR SERIES AND SYMPOSIUM

Every other Tuesday, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Lipsett Amphitheater (Building 10)

In addition to the regular meetings, the first IDIG minisymposium will be held on May 2, 2016, and is being organized in collaboration with the Inflammation Research Association and MedImmune/AstraZeneca. The theme of this one-day meeting is “Tissue Homeostasis, Repair, Regeneration, and Fibrosis.” Events will include keynote presentations, invited speakers, and a poster session. Save the date.
To join the IDIG LISTSERV (INFLAM-DIS-L), visit https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=INFLAM-DIS-L&A=1 or contact Thomas A. Wynn at twynn@niaid.nih.gov.

Schedule for 2016:

• March 22: “Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors in IL-17A Mediated Inflammation” (Josh Farber, NIAID)
• April 5: “T-cell Subsets in Autoimmune inflammation” (Vanja Lazarevic, NCI)
• April 26: “Anti-inflammatory Activity of Ubiquitin Binding Proteins and Ubiquitin Modifying Enzymes in Autoimmunity” (Averil Ma, University of California at San Francisco, UCSF)
• May 10: “Mechanisms and Treatment Strategies for Chronic Inflammatory and Fibrotic Disease” (Tom Wynn, NIAID)
• May 24: “Endogenous Signals Driving Sterile Injury Induced Inflammation” (Ken Rock, University of Massachusetts Medical School)
• June 7: “Neurovascular Regulation of Inflammation and Tissue Repair” (Katerina Akassoglou, UCSF)
• September 27: “Advanced Imaging of Inflammation and Repair in Multiple Sclerosis” (Daniel Reich, NINDS)
• October 11: “IL-1-mediated Autoinflammatory Diseases (Raphaela Goldback-Mansky, NIAMS)
• October 25: “Neutrophils in the Pathogenesis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” (Mariana Kaplan, NIAMS)
• November 8: “Metabolic Control of Inflammatory Processes” (Dan McVicar, NCI)
• November 29: “Imaging Leukocyte Communication in Inflammatory Disease” (Fil Swirski, Harvard Medical School)
• December 13: “TNF and TNF Family Members in Autoimmunity” (Richard Siegel, NIAMS)

TRANS-NIH BIOMARKERS IN PEDIATRIC THERAPEUTICS

Day varies from month to month; 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Locations vary

The Trans-NIH Biomarkers in Pediatric Therapeutics SIG has been formed to promote information exchange and professional interactions; to collect and disseminate information; to promote initiatives to address knowledge gaps; and to address issues preventing the implementation of research in the application of biomarkers to diagnosis, prognostication, evaluation of disease progression, response to therapy, and toxicity in the different pediatric subpopulations. In addition, the SIG also addresses preclinical biomarkers related to the development of new molecular entities or toxicity evaluation of new drugs tested or developed at NIH. This special interest group is launching a series of monthly didactic lectures in January (below). All are welcome to attend either in person or via webinar. If you are interested in attending, contact Maurice Koo at koom@mail.nih.gov for more information. If you are interested in joining this SIG, please contact George Giacoia at giacoiag@exchange.nih.gov.

• January 12: “Application of Metabolomics to Provide Pediatric Biomarkers” (Susan Sumner, RTI International), Rockledge II, Room 9100/9104
• February 23: “Harmonization of Terminology for Biomarkers and Endpoints to Strengthen Quality and Improve Efficiency of Translational Science” (Lisa McShane, NCI), Building 45, Room D
• March TBD: “Pediatric Biomarkers and the Convergence of Academic and Regulatory Sciences” (Lynne Yao, FDA)
• April TBD: “Biomarkers in Pediatrics: Children as Biomarker Orphans” (Allen Everett, Johns Hopkins University)

KUDOS

Congratulations to John Hardy, former chief of the NIA Laboratory of Neurogenetics, who is the winner of a 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for “discovering mutations in the Amyloid Precursor Protein gene (APP) that cause early onset Alzheimer’s disease.” See Hardy, who was an NIH PI from 2001 to 2007 explain this award-winning work in an HBO video from 2005. http://www.alz.org/research/video/alzheimers_videos_and_media_genetics.asp

NIH UNVEILS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

On December 16, 2015, NIH released the “NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2016-2020: Turning Discovery Into Health,” which will ensure the agency remains well positioned to capitalize on new opportunities for scientific exploration and address new challenges for human health. Developed after hearing from hundreds of stakeholders and scientific advisers, and in collaboration with leadership and staff of NIH’s Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs), the plan is designed to complement the ICOs’ individual strategic plans that are aligned with their congressionally mandated missions. To read the plan, go to http://1.usa.gov/1QMyq3W. [https://www.nih.gov/sites/default/files/about-nih/strategic-plan-fy2016-2020-508.pdf]