Departments

From the Deputy Director for Intramural Research

Celebrating Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at NIH

BY MICHAEL GOTTESMAN, DDIR, AND ROLAND OWENS, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OIR

In May, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is a good time to reflect on how researchers from these groups have enriched the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP).

From the Annals of NIH History

Walter Thomas Lingenfelter (1948–2021)

BY MICHELE LYONS, OD

In 1954, six-year-old “Tommy” Lingenfelter visited the NIH Clinical Center to have his heart evaluated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI’s) cardiac-surgery team. His parents were told that he might not live past 18 years old. But after two successful heart-valve replacement surgeries—one in 1958 and another in 2006—and a long-lasting association with NIH, he lived more than 50 years beyond what was expected. Sadly, Walter Thomas Lingenfelter died on March 2, 2021, just a few weeks shy of his 73rd birthday.

Colleagues: Recently Tenured

Meet your recently tenured colleagues: Grégoire Altan-Bonnet (NCI-CCR), Bevil Conway (NEI), Cari Kitahara (NCI-DCEG), Eros Lazzerini Denchi (NCI-CCR), Susan M. Lea (NCI-CCR), Sung-Yun Pai (NCI-CCR), Udo Rudloff (NCI-CCR), Leorey N. Saligan (NINR), and Lei Shi (NIDA)

Research Briefs

Read about scientific advances and discoveries by NIH scientists: engineered immune cells may prevent cancer spread; new way to test for deadly brain disease; adolescents may develop addictions faster than young adults; bacteriophage treatment rescues mice from multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae; mosquito protein may inhibit some dangerous viruses; and more.

Research Briefs: Chernobyl

NCI: HIGHER CANCER RISK CONTINUES AFTER CHERNOBYL

BY MICHAEL TABASKO

In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in northern Ukraine exposed millions of people in the surrounding region to ionizing radiation, a known carcinogen. The scope of radioactive contamination was well-documented, but the technology to study the genomic and molecular effects on those exposed did not exist at the time. Scientists from NCI led two international studies that shed new light on how radiation exposure affects human DNA.

Broadening Your Audience Beyond Your Specialty Area

BY JENNIFER KAGAN

Science communication has never been more important than during the past year. If we want people to trust the science, we have to help them to understand it.

News You Can Use

Down the Drain

Tips for Keeping Hazardous Waste Out of the Sanitary Sewers

BY CRAIG UPSON, OD

The valuable research and support activities performed at NIH produce an array of waste products. Whether they are hazardous or nonhazardous, all must be managed appropriately. It’s the responsibility of everyone at NIH to know what can and cannot go down the drain.

The SIG Beat

NEWS FROM AND ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC INTEREST GROUPS

Three New SIGs: Asian American Pacific Islander Health Scientific Interest Group; Precision Oncology Interest Group; and Cancer Metabolism Interest Group.

Photographic Moment

Cherry Blossoms at NIH

Cheery cherry blossoms help to chase away the COVID blues. These blossoms are outside the NIH entrance near the Metro.

Announcements

News about events, deadlines, lectures including: Accepting Applications for Master’s of Professional Studies in Data Science; virtual lectures; WALS talks; NLM History of Medicine Lectures, and more.