January–February 2023 | NIH Intramural Research Program

Bugs, the Brain, and Behavior

The Gut Microbiome’s Role in Addiction

We’ve all had that gut feeling, a prescient awareness telling us that something is amiss—or conversely that something is perfectly right indeed. But could our gut also influence us in other ways, such as how we engage in addictive behaviors?

From the Deputy Director for Intramural Research

Alignment of Methods with Hoped-for Outcomes

With 2023 upon us and so many extraordinary human and philosophical resources around us, we must seize the opportunity to bring these “shining stars” into alignment to make our world brighter and clearer for all people.

Portraits Reflect the Rich Diversity of NIH’s Workforce

Walk down the hallway to the NIH Library in Building 10, and you’ll come across a set of eye-catching stylized portraits splashed with red, blue, orange, and gold. Featured is a cultural mosaic of individuals who stand in contrast to the “white walls” or “dude walls” common to many academic and research establishments that are adorned by paintings and photographs of mostly white men. The vibrant display is part of the NIH UNITE initiative’s “Power of an Inclusive Workplace Recognition Project,” which was created to highlight a wide range of NIH employees.

Harnessing Exposome Data to Predict Disease

NIEHS Researchers Identify Environmental Exposures Associated with Type 2 Diabetes

Efforts led by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have demonstrated how knowledge of the exposome, or the totality of our environmental exposures, can be harnessed to transform research on human health and disease.

Toxic Protein and Aging Combine Forces to Drive Brain Disease

NIA Study Suggests New Therapeutic Targets for Pair of Age-Related Illnesses

Aging wears down all parts of our bodies, from our bones to our brains. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s the main risk factor for neurological illnesses like Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

News Briefs

New Director of NCATS: Joni L. Rutter, Ph.D.

Joni L. Rutter—who went from being Deputy Director of NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) in 2019, to Acting NCATS Director in 2021, to being named the official Director in November 2022—is excited to be leading NCATS into a future where more treatments will be delivered to all people more quickly.

From the Annals of NIH History

NIH Families Had to Fight for Their Right to Vote

Case Worked Its Way Up to the Supreme Court

When 20-year-old Edward Tabor tried to register to vote at the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Elections office in February 1968, he saw his application, and his parents’ voter cards, destroyed in front of him. The subsequent protest by the Tabor family and their neighbors eventually reached all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

Workshops and Trainings for NIH IRP Faculty, PIs, Staff Scientists, and Staff Clinicians

Once upon a time, the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) offered a two-day “New PI” course for new tenure-track investigators. The course taught them how to lead and manage a research group and especially how to work with and mentor trainees. This year OIR, with the help of the Office of Intramural Training and Education, is offering such courses that are open to all NIH faculty—PIs, Staff Scientists, and Staff Clinicians.

Colleagues: Recently Tenured

Meet your recently tenured colleagues: : Ursula Buchholz (NIAID, pictured), Nicholas Guydosh (NIDDK), Senthil Muthuswamy (NCI-CCR), Tonya White (NIMH), and Sabrina Wong (NINR).

Research Briefs

Read about NIH scientific advances and discoveries by intramural scientists: experimental cancer vaccine slows tumor growth; and live tracking of immune cell signaling; how cadmium exposure affects heart development; bridging the gap between genetics and ADHD; how brain activity is fine-tuned; some cancer and autoimmunity drugs may increase susceptibility to sars-cov-2 infection.

From the Fellows Committee

A Culture of Integrity: Ethical Expectations for NIH Trainees

Let’s take a moment to review what you as a trainee need to know about NIH ethics expectations and policies.

COVID-19 Timeline at NIH (November-December 2022)

COVID-19 Research and Activities at NIH

Highlights of the COVID-19-related activities that were going on at NIH in November and December 2022.

Photographic Moment

Bringing Home the Gold

NCI Staff Scientist Naomi Huang is a member of the Chinese Taipei women’s curling team, which recently won a gold medal at the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championship in Canada.

Obituaries 2022

Former NIH scientists and other NIH-affiliated people who died in 2022 (including some who died in 2021 but were not in last year’s listing).

Announcements: Kudos

FOUR NIHERS ELECTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE IN 2022

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced the election of 90 regular members and 10 international members during its annual meeting in October 2022. Four are from NIH: Carlos Blanco, Eugene V. Koonin, Bruce J. Tromberg, and Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque.

Announcements

News about the January 11 webinar on racial and ethnic equity; workplace civility and equity survey; WALS lectures; Demystifying Medicine lectures; Management Intern Program; and more.

This page was last updated on Sunday, January 8, 2023