The National Institutes of Health (NIH) campuses host a variety of events that inform, challenge, and unite the biomedical research community. IRP investigators lead or participate in many of these events, and they regularly present their work at scientific conferences at the NIH and around the world. We invite you to learn about (and possibly join us in) some of our upcoming events. Unless otherwise noted, times listed are Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Join us on November 20 for a Women in Science panel discussion organized by NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), featuring an all-woman panel of NIH institute directors and special guest NASA Astronaut Kathleen “Kate” Rubins, Ph.D., M.S. The dynamic discussion will highlight the journeys of accomplished women in science, explore their experiences, and offer valuable insights to inspire the next generation of women pursuing careers in STEM. NCATS Director Dr. Joni Rutter will also sit down with Rubins for a fireside chat to talk about her experiences in space and beyond. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from trailblazing leaders about the challenges and rewards of a career in science, and how they’re shaping the future for women in research and innovation.
Lipsett Amphitheater, NIH Building 10; and NIH videocast
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) will host a half-day symposium, “Exploring the Impact of Whole Person Health,” to celebrate the Center’s 25th anniversary on Monday, December 2, 2024. The event will feature a Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Therapies by Patricia M. Herman, N.D., Ph.D., titled “The Economic Impact of Whole Person Health.” In addition, there will be two sessions considering the impact of real-world models of whole person health care: “The Potential Clinical Impact of Whole Person Health” and “The Challenges and Promise of Whole Person Health Research.” We welcome researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to join us for the symposium. A reception will follow the symposium. Please register to attend.
Pain is central to countless clinical conditions and lies at the intersection of multiple urgent health crises: 7.4 percent of U.S. adults suffer from high-impact chronic pain, pain is central to the country’s opioid epidemic, and there are massive health disparities in pain. Placebo effects are also largest in pain, pointing to the importance of the psychosocial context surrounding pain and its treatment. However, as pain is inherently subjective, we must determine whether psychological factors shape pain through meaningful biological mechanisms, or whether they simply alter decision-making and pain reports without altering underlying biology.
Dr. Atlas will review a body of work focused on the impact of expectations, instructions, and learning on pain and pain-related neurobiological responses. This work indicates that parallel brain pathways, including both pain-specific and domain-general brain circuits, mediate the effects of psychological factors on pain. She will also present new data that sheds light on how social factors shape pain assessment, with implications for mitigating health disparities in pain.
In this presentation, Dr. Scholz will discuss her lab's approach to tackling complex neurodegenerative diseases using modern genomic tools, focusing on Lewy body dementia, a major research area in her lab. She will showcase how we have gained crucial insights into the genetic architecture of this understudied form of dementia by applying genome sequencing and transcriptomic analyses. By integrating multi-omic data and employing cutting-edge analytical methodologies within a systems biology framework, Dr. Scholz's research team has been able to identify risk genes and understand their functional consequences.
The central theme of the Scholz lab’s work on neurodegenerative diseases is to pinpoint molecular information that is particularly relevant for translational applications. This includes highlighting critical pathways commonly affected across the neurodegenerative disease spectrum, identifying opportunities for drug repurposing, and delineating targets for therapeutic development. Her research team's ultimate goal is to translate genomic advances from the lab into clinical practice and trials, thereby improving outcomes for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
The goal of the NCI RNA Biology Initiative is to establish a collaborative environment that promotes the swift exchange of information and expertise regarding the structure, function, and biological significance of RNA. Our objective is to leverage this collective knowledge to advance the development of novel diagnostics and therapies. We actively foster synergistic collaborations among NCI and NIH intramural investigators, as well as between our researchers and the broader RNA community.
The symposium offers the opportunity to learn more about the current status of RNA biology in development and disease, share research, network with leading figures in the field and discuss the use and implications of these advances for clinical applications.
Organized by the NCI RNA Biology Initiativethis symposium will bring together internationally renowned experts in the field of RNA biology, with the focus on:
RNA Processing
RNA Structure and Mechanism
Non-classical RNAs
RNA Therapy
This page was last updated on Friday, October 20, 2023
