The 2004 Medicine for the Public lecture series features NIH physician-researchers working on the frontiers of medical discovery. The series presents the latest developments in medicine with an emphasis on current topics by speakers who can relate stories of science to the lay public. Sponsored by the Clinical Center, the series — now in its 28th year — is held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Clinical Center's Masur Auditorium. All lectures are free and open to the public.

Oct. 5, Dietary Supplements: What Do You Know? What Should You Know? — Dr. Paul M. Coates, director, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, will discuss what is known and not known about the health effects of dietary supplements, now used by more than 100 million Americans. Current knowledge about these supplements is incomplete and more needs to be done to determine what they do and can do, and to dispel common myths.

Oct. 12, Through the Looking Glass: The Future of Medicine and the Building of the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center — Dr. John Gallin, director, Clinical Center, and Robert Frasca, partner-in-charge of design, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, will examine the history of medical research from before Hippocrates until now; the history of the Clinical Center, the largest clinical research hospital in the world, and the first to situate research laboratories in close proximity to patient beds. Hear, from an architectural perspective, about the importance of environment in medical research and how an architect's interviews with scientists, administrators and patients led to the innovative design of the CRC.

Oct. 19 , Evidence-Based Education: Preventing Reading Failure in America— Dr. G. Reid Lyon, research psychologist and chief of the Child Development and Behavioral Branch at NICHD's Center for Research for Mothers and Children, will discuss the progress of a comprehensive study that examines children's reading abilities during the early years, including efforts to understand how to prevent reading failure.

Oct. 26, The Biomechanics of Human Movement: Could Leonardo da Vinci Fly? — Dr. Steven Stanhope, director, physical disabilities branch, CC rehabilitation medicine department, talks about the basic principles of biomechanics, the application of physics and mechanics to biological problems, and clinical movement analysis methods. Their value to medicine will be shown through a series of demonstrations and patient case studies.

Nov. 9, Addiction to Medications: What Are the Risks and Who Is Vulnerable? — Dr. Nora Volkow, director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, will present some of the latest research findings on the risks of misusing and abusing prescription drugs. Learn how to better assist physicians in treatment decisions and about responsible use of medications.

Nov. 16, Viruses, Vaccines, and Emerging Health Threats — Dr. Gary Nabel, director, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will talk about progress in acceleration of vaccine development for HIV/AIDS, SARS, smallpox, West Nile virus, and Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers. Learn about the new technologies for vaccine development, and how vaccines can be used to protect against emerging infectious diseases and biodefense threats.

For more information, call (301) 496-2563, or visit the Medicine for the Public web site at http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/about/news/mfp.shtml.