Making a Great Institution Even Greater: In Pursuit of Perfect
Red Team Report Update
BY MICHAEL GOTTESMAN, DDIR
The NIH Clinical Center is one of the most distinctive and influential research hospitals in the world. Many of its patients have rare and difficult-to-treat conditions and the Clinical Center is often the last hope for them. Despite often insurmountable odds, the extraordinary staff seeks to cure patients, extend lives, and reduce suffering.The challenge before us now is how to make something great even greater.
Intramural research highlights: rare cancers may masquerade as ADHD; increased physical activity associated with lower risk of some cancers; investigational malaria vaccine protects healthy adults; lessons from the 1976 Ebola outbreak; some “Biggest Losers” regain weight; rapid-response immune cells; reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Patricia Flatley Brennan to Lead the National Library of Medicine (pictured); Steve Holland Named NIAID Scientific Director; Appointment of Maureen M. Goodenow as Associate Director for AIDS Research; Jose Galvez is New Chief of BTRIS.
Meet your recently tenured colleagues: Robert Hanson (pictured; NIDDK); James Hodge (NCI-CCR); Charles Matthews (NCI-DCEG); Stefan Muljo (NIAID); Mihaela Serpe (NICHD)
New Tool Enables Studies of Brain Structure and Function
NIEHS Researchers Developed Genetically Modified Mouse Lines to Help Identify Brain-Cell Types
BY ROBIN ARNETTE, NIEHS
Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences recently designed genetically modified mice that will help neurobiologists address one of the most fundamental questions in brain research: What are the different cell types in the brain and what are their functions?
The NIH Played a Major Role in Discovering the AIDS Virus
BY MICHAEL GOTTESMAN, OD
Sometime in the early 1970s, or perhaps even earlier, a virus capable of severely compromising the human immune system made its way from central Africa to the United States via Haiti. With a long incubation period before symptoms appeared, and with limited incidence of infections, the virus was on no one’s radar screen.
Web Platform Makes Public Gene-Expression Data More Accessible
BY HILLARY HOFFMAN, NIAID
Immunologists took part in the Omics Compendia Commons Jamboree to gain hands-on experience exploring publicly available gene-expression data sets and delving into the crowdsourcing web platform that was developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
This computer technician appeared in the IBM 370 Systems Manual in 1975. NIH used IBM 370s, which were mainframe computers, from 1971 until the mid-1990s, along with DEC System 10 mainframes, to store and process scientific and personnel data.
“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together,” observes an old African proverb that symbolizes the value of collaboration,
NEWS FROM AND ABOUT THE NIH SCIENTIFIC INTEREST GROUPS
Read about the new SIGS on Fibrosis; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Data Science in Biomedicine (incorporates Research Repositories and Patient Registries SIG); Statistics; and Text Mining.
Ronald Germain and Eugene Koonin have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences; Warren Leonard and Michael Lichten have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Allen Wilcox was named a finalist for Service to America Medal.
Lasker Clinical Research Scholar Program accepting applications, NIH Research Festival on September 14-16, WALS starts September 21, Fibrosis SIG first meeting in September, HHS Survey, NIH Federal Credit Union's new financial program for visiting fellows, and more.
