Catalytic Events

NOVEMBER

GIVING THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE

November has turned out to be a salute to NIH investigators as we honor four of our colleagues in high-profile lecture events sponsored in part by the Office of Intramural Research (OIR).

First up is the annual Astute Clinician Lecture on November 6. Mariana Kaplan, chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch and Deputy Scientific Director at NIAMS, will deliver a lecture titled “Heart of the Matter: Unraveling Cardiovascular Disease in Autoimmune Disorders.” Kaplan's research focuses on immune dysregulation, organ damage, and premature vascular disease in systemic autoimmunity. The talk, part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, is at the Lipsett Amphitheater, Building 10, from 2–3 p.m.

Next up is NIDDK’s annual John Daly Lecture on November 7. Carole Bewley, chief of the NIDDK Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, will deliver a lecture on the topic of natural products. Bewley specializes in the discovery of biologically active natural products, and she has harvested such samples in underwater dives in marine environments. Indeed, this named lecture honors John Daly, who himself captured poison dart frogs for study. Bewley's lecture will be in the Lipsett Amphitheater from 2–3 p.m.

Then, on November 13, the OIR will host “part 2” of the National Academy of Sciences mini-symposium, which each year recognizes NIH staff elected to the prestigious NAS. Part 1 was held during the NIH Research Festival in September with three PIs. Part 2 features Sandra Wolin, chief of the NCI RNA Biology Laboratory, and Steven Rosenberg, chief of the NCI Surgery Branch. This set of 40-minute wisdom-filled talks will be in the Masur Auditorium, Building 10, from 2–3:30 p.m.

A reception will follow each event. Each lecture will be available for viewing on NIH VideoCast.

One more date to remember is November 28, Thanksgiving, a time when we can all be thankful for being a part of the amazing NIH mission, among other things.

NIH LAB MANAGERS WORKING GROUP INFORMATIONAL TALKS

November 14: Assessment of New Laboratories: Rollout of the NIH BaseLINE Program and An Update on NIH LMWG initiatives

• noon-1 p.m.
• Join the virtual meeting on Teams

December 12: Revitalizing Mentoring at NIH and NIMH Mentorship Program: A Template for Fostering Career Connections

• noon-1:00pm
• Join the virtual meeting on Teams

Contact the NIH Lab Managers Working Group at LMWG@nih.gov with questions.

2024 ANITA B. ROBERTS LECTURE: “ MOSQUITO IMMUNITY AND MALARIA TRANSMISSION.”

• Thursday, November 14, noon–2 p.m.
• Attend virtually via NIH VideoCast

Carolina Barillas-Mury (NIAID) is the featured speaker at the 2024 Anita Roberts Lecture where she will present a talk titled “ Mosquito Immunity and Malaria Transmission.” Read more about this catalytic event here.

THE EXCEPTIONS: NANCY HOPKINS, MIT, AND THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Author and journalist Kate Zernike and MIT professor Nancy Hopkins present a hybrid discussion and Q&A sponsored by the Porter Book Club, Women Scientists Advisors, and Women Scientist Fellows.

• Wednesday, November 20
• (Part 1) Building 10, Lipsett Amphitheater: 9:30–11 a.m. or attend via NIH VideoCast
• (Part 2, fireside chat) Building 35, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, Room 610: 1:30–3 p.m. (in person only)

A New York Times notable book, "The Exceptions" recounts the fight of sixteen women scientists at MIT against sexism to achieve equal opportunity–a fight that went on to have far-reaching impacts nationwide. In the first part of the event, listen to a conversation between Kate Zernike and Professor Nancy Hopkins where we will hear about Professor Hopkins' research, career, and work to promote gender equity in academia. The conversation will be followed by a Q & A session and a reception. Part two will feature an in-person only fireside chat at the Porter Neuroscience Research Center.

Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Eva Hellsberg at eva.hellsberg@nih.gov.

DECEMBER

NCCIH 25TH ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF WHOLE PERSON HEALTH

• Tuesday, December 2, 1–4:30 p.m.
• Building 10, Lipsett Amphitheater, or attend virtually at NIH VideoCast
• Register for the symposium here

This event will feature the annual Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Therapies from 1–2:15 p.m. where Patricia Herman of Pardee RAND Graduate School will give a talk titled “The Economic Impact of Whole Person Health.”

Following the lecture there will be two sessions considering real-world models of the impact of whole person health care: “The Potential Clinical Impact of Whole Person Health” and “The Challenges and Promise of Whole Person Health Research.” NCCIH welcomes researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to join for the symposium. A reception will follow.

Patricia Herman, senior behavioral and social scientist at RAND, will discuss the economics of whole person health and make the case for transforming health care from a disease-centric approach to a whole person model. Herman will explore health and health care utilization for a hypothetical patient over her life from age 40 to 80 years under two care scenarios: conventional care versus a whole person care approach. She will illustrate how an investment beginning in early middle age to support a healthy diet, physical activity, and stress management can plausibly lead to improved health and well-being, as well as reduced health care spending.

FAES ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING

The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) offers online asynchronous academic courses and online live workshops at affordable costs for the biomedical community. Register here to attend the following courses virtually and for more information.

December 4, noon–12:30 p.m.: Leveraging AI in Education: Utilizing AI to Streamline Content Creation and Enhance Course Design

December 12, noon–12:30 p.m.: Virtual Information Session covering FAES Spring Courses and Workshops 

Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to take FAES classes should contact registrar@faes.org. Requests should be made at least five days in advance of the course start date. Please send questions to FAES by email at registrar@faes.org.

UPCOMING 2024–2025 EVENTS

NIH DIRECTOR’S SEMINAR SERIES 2024–2025

• Fridays, noon–1 p.m.
• Building 1, Wilson Hall, 3rd Floor, or attend virtually via NIH VideoCast
• Click here for the full schedule

December 6: Neural and psychological influences on pain and its assessment, Lauren Atlas (NCCIH)

January 10: Unleashing the potential of genomics to unravel Lewy body dementia and related diseases, Sonja Scholz (NINDS)

2024–2025 WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON LECTURES

• Most Wednesdays through June; 2–3 p.m.
• Building 10, Lipsett Amphitheater, or attend virtually via NIH VideoCast 

The NIH Director’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series (WALS) is the highest-profile lecture program at the NIH. All lectures are in Lipsett Amphitheater (Building 10) and broadcast via NIH Videocast except where noted. Lectures will be archived.

November 6: Astute Clinician Lecture: Heart of the Matter: Unraveling Cardiovascular Disease in Autoimmune Disorders, Mariana J. Kaplan (NIAMS)

November 20: DeWitt Stetten Jr. Lecture: Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Glycinergic Neurotransmission, Sudha Chakrapani (Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine)

December 4: NIH Director’s Lecture: Mechanisms of Phage Derived Protein Antibiotic, William (Bil) Clemons, Jr. (California Institute of Technology)

December 11: Rolla E. Dyer Lecture: Structure-Based Vaccine Antigen Design, Jason McLellan (The University of Texas at Austin)

December 18: Rare Retinoblastoma Contributed Over 50 Years to Understanding Cancer: Can We Now Reach Every Child?; Brenda Gallie (University of Toronto)

January 8: Navigating Uncharted (Neuroimmune) Waters; Jonathan Kipnis (Washington University in St. Louis)

See the full season on the WALS website and view the archives dating back more than 20 years.

2025 DEMYSTIFYING MEDICINE LECTURE SERIES

• Tuesdays, January 7–May 27, 2025, 3–4:30/5 p.m.
• Attend virtually via NIH VideoCast. A special hybrid event will be held on January 28.
• Click here for the full schedule and to sign up for email notifications

The 2025 Demystifying Medicine Series, now in its 23rd year, kicks off on January 7 when former NIAID director Anthony Fauci presents a talk titled “Infectious Disease Forecast.”

Sponsored by FAES and NIH, the lectures will include presentations on pathology, diagnosis, and therapy in the context of major disease problems and current research. Primarily directed toward graduate students, clinicians, and program managers, this series is designed to help bridge the gap between advances in biology and their application to major human diseases. Each session includes clinical and basic science components presented by NIH staff and invitees. All students, trainees, fellows, and staff are welcome to participate.