The SIG Beat

NEWS FROM AND ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC INTEREST GROUPS

New SIG: Head and Neck Cancer Interest Group

The Head and Neck Cancer Interest Group (HNIG) is a voluntary organization of investigators and trainees who are members of the NIH intramural research program (IRP) and affiliated research and teaching organizations that promote the development of preclinical and clinical research to improve the care of patients with head and neck cancer. The HNIG aims to foster collaboration between IRP basic scientists and clinical investigators who have an interest in head and neck cancer. The HNIG also serves as the organizational structure for the conceptual design and promotion of NIH-led head and neck cancer clinical trials to our academic and community clinical partners. The HNIG has quarterly meetings in which intramural and invited extramural investigators gather to share head and neck cancer clinical-trial results and preclinical research data. For more information as well as instructions on how to join the LISTSERV list (referred to as a mailing list on the website), go to https://oir.nih.gov/sigs/head-neck-cancer-interest-group. You can also contact the group’s co-chairs: Scott Norberg (NCI-CCR) at scott.norberg@nih.gov, Clint Allen (NIDCD) at clint.allen@nih.gov, or Christian Hinrichs (NCI-CCR) at hinrichs@mail.nih.gov.

New SIG: Genomics and Health Disparities Interest Group

As the pace of genomic research accelerates, it’s important to understand the role of genomics in disease risk and how genomics can be integrated into clinical care. And we must critically examine how new genomic knowledge will benefit all populations. The Genomics and Health Disparities Interest Group provides a forum to connect individuals from many scientific disciplines—across the NIH as well as the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area—who are engaged in genomics and health-disparities research. The interest group also provides opportunities for professional development, networking, and community engagement. The group has an online newsletter for announcements and information sharing. The interest group holds regular meetings on the Bethesda campus featuring invited speakers and interest-group members who present and discuss their research. The objective is to provide a space in which these important, timely topics can be explored and to provide an opportunity for members to both learn and teach. The target audience includes people from all career stages at NIH (postbacs, postdocs, staff, investigators, and others), as well as from the external academic community. To sign up for the online newsletter, go to https://mailchi.mp/1cc43c8305e5/ghdsig. For more information, go to https://oir.nih.gov/sigs/genomics-health-disparities-interest-group or contact one of the co-chairs: Paule Joseph (NINR) at paule.joseph@nih.gov or Vence Bonham Jr. (NHGRI) at bonhamv@nih.gov.

Scientific Interest Groups

NIH Scientific Interest Groups (SIGs) are assemblies of scientists with common research interests. These groups engage with their members via LISTSERVs; sponsor symposia, poster sessions and lectures; offer mentoring and career guidance for junior scientists; help researchers share the latest techniques and information; act as informal advisors to the Deputy Director of Intramural Research (DDIR); provide advice for the annual NIH Research Festival; and serve as hosts for the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Most of these groups welcome interested non-NIH scientists.

SIGs form and evolve regularly as new scientific trends arise. Information about group activities or new groups is published in the NIH Catalyst and on the DDIR Web Board (NIH-only). Central coordination for the groups is provided by the Office of Intramural Research. The NIH also hosts Scientific LISTSERVs and intramural organizations. For more information and a list of SIGS, go to https://oir.nih.gov/sigs.