Community Liaison
Council Meeting Minutes
July 15, 2004, 45:45 p.m.
Natcher Conference Center, Room D
National Institutes of Health
DRAFT
HANDOUTS
- Agenda
- June 17, 2004 CLC Meeting Minutes
- NIH Roadmap for Medical Research (Slide copies)
- NEWS2USE, Issue 7, July 2004 (Office of Research Services)
WELCOME
Tom Gallagher, Director, Office of Community Liaison (OCL),
Office of the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and Co-Chair, Community Liaison Council (CLC), welcomed
members and guests.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dr. Gallagher reminded the members that there would be no
CLC meeting in August. He said that the next meeting would
be on September 16, 2004.
Presentation on the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research
by Dushanka Kleinman, D.D.S., M.Sc.D., Assistant
Director for Roadmap Coordination, OD, NIH
Dr. Gallagher remarked that NIH Director, Elias Zerhouni,
M.D., had initiated a project to create a Roadmap
setting priorities for medical research in the 21st century.
[The NIH Roadmap is an integrated plan to
deepen our understanding of biology, stimulate interdisciplinary
research teams, and reshape clinical research to accelerate
medical discovery and improve people's health http://nihroadmap.nih.gov.]
Dr. Gallagher introduced Dr. Kleinman, Assistant Director
for Roadmap Coordination, to provide information about the
Roadmap's development and progress to date. Dr. Kleinman said
that Dr. Zerhouni had initiated this project to address evolving
public health challenges, to rapidly increase the pace of
discoveries, to disseminate the best science practices by
transferring innovations to health care providers, and to
develop more rapid translation from labs to patients and back.
She noted that current public health challenges included the
change from acute illnesses predominating to chronic conditions
that now demand most medical resources, the aging of the population,
health disparities (differences in both access to medical
treatment and in the quality of treatment received), emerging
and re-emerging diseases (e.g., SARS), and biodefense.
Dr. Kleinman said that the Roadmap was conceived by Dr.
Zerhouni, and developed by the directors of the 27 NIH institutes,
centers, and program offices and by participants from stakeholder
organizations, scientists within and outside the NIH, and
health care providers. She explained that during a series
of five meetings, discussions had centered on today's scientific
challenges, roadblocks to progress, how to overcome the roadblocks,
and identifying what could not be accomplished by any single
institute but was the responsibility of the NIH as a whole.
Their questions and discussions focused on finding the most
compelling initiativesthose that pursued by the NIH
from 2004 through 2014 would have the most impact on the progress
of medical research. In this process, three major themes emerged:
new pathways to discovery, research teams of the future, and
re-engineering the clinical research enterprise. Their overarching
question became "Can the NIH afford NOT to do it?"
Dr. Kleinman went on to explain that the Roadmap included
a new framework of priorities, a set of initiatives focusing
on the quality of a healthy life for people globally, and
a vision for a more efficient and productive system of biomedical
and behavioral research. She stressed that other challenges
and opportunities had emerged from this process, including
how clinical research information was recorded, new standards
for clinical research protocols, modern information technology
platforms for research, new models of cooperation between
NIH and patient advocates, and new strategies to re-energize
the clinical research workforce.
New Pathways to Discovery
Dr. Kleinman described new pathways to discovery
that were centered on basic research challenges. The workforce
needed to find new ways to work as teams and partners. She
cited initiatives that combined different scientific disciplines,
for example, the National Centers for Biomedical Computing,
which comprise computer and computational scientists and experimental
and clinical biomedical and behavioral researchers. Dr. Kleinman
mentioned software yet to be developed that would acquire
and manipulate databases and enable data and sample sharing
across studies and institutes. By enhancing the efficiencies
of clinical research networks through informatics and other
technologies, she suggested, researchers would be better able
to broaden the scope of their inquiries. Nanomedicine would
integrate biomolecular processes into therapy development
and would include new tools and a vocabulary for shared use
by engineers and biologists.
The potential outcomes include, according to Dr. Kleinman,
the development of research tools such as molecular libraries,
imaging probes, and novel assays that can recognize advanced
diseases; the discovery of biological markers to monitor disease
progression and predict treatment response; and the identification
and validation of novel biological targets for therapeutics
development.
Research Teams of the Future
Dr. Kleinman described the initiative of creating exploratory
centers for interdisciplinary research. These centers would
be encouraged to form teams of biomedical researchers and
practitioners, economists, physicists, mathematicians, sociologists,
engineers, and others. Such interdisciplinary teams could
take previously unexplored avenues to solve the puzzles of
complex diseases and conditions and would find new ways to
maximize creativity.
Dr. Kleinman noted that the National Centers for Biomedical
Computing would function as incubators, conducting core research
and developing and deploying tools designed to solve particular
biomedical problems. The establishment of Driving Biological
Projects will allow experimental biomedical and behavioral
researchers to interact with and drive the computational research
in the Centers, and provide the means to begin cutting-edge
projects for which no outside funding is yet available.
She also noted an initiative named the NIH Director's Pioneer
Award Program that encourages innovation, risk taking, and
new applications and gives researchers the freedom to set
their own research agendas. She said that this initiative
offered $500,000 per year for five years in support of exceptionally
creative individual scientists.
Reengineering Clinical Research
Another program that Dr. Kleinman described was the trans-NIH
Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Career Development Program
(K12), which supports up to five years of training for the
development of investigators from a variety of disciplines.
This initiative offers project-specific training, core didactic
courses, mentored research, experience in team settings, tuition
support, and protection of time for faculty and mentors to
devote to the program.
As a means to reengineer the clinical research enterprise,
the NIH has established an investment goal for translational
research to stimulate the bed-bench interface. This goal is
to make a sufficient investment in a modest number of programs
that facilitate research at various institutions or regional
translational research centers. Within the NIH, Dr. Kleinman
noted that some institutes lack established networks. The
plan supports the creation of networks that would link institutes.
[Another aspect of this reengineering process is the integration
of clinical research networks. At the core of this vision
is the need to develop new partnerships of research with
organized patient communities, community-based health care
providers, and academic researchers. This also includes
the need to build better integrated networks of academic
centers linked to a qualified body of community-based physicians
who care for groups of patients interested in working with
researchers sufficiently large to quickly develop and test
new interventions http://nihroadmap.nih.gov.]
Dr. Kleinman stressed the importance of streamlining the
basic research to clinical trial process, including testing
the safety of molecules and novel therapies, and the transfer
of research to the delivery of care. This requires that discoveries
be quickly transformed into drugs, treatments, or methods
for prevention. A National Electronic Clinical Trials/Research
Network (NECTAR), promoting "communities of research," would
be created and linked using existing networks to share common
data standards, informatics, and to address questions beyond
their traditional scope.
Dr. Kleinman said that one percent of the total NIH budget
has been earmarked for the Roadmap initiatives for the next
five years. Strategic initiatives to be funded under the NIH
Roadmap would address critical roadblocks and knowledge gaps
that currently constrain rapid progress in biomedical research.
She emphasized the big return expected on this big investment
and the need for regular progress evaluation. Dr. Kleinman
said that there needed to be an intense understanding of the
benefits of this undertaking by all those involved.
Dr. Gallagher thanked Dr. Kleinman for her presentation.
Questions and Discussion
Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association, noted that this
concept redefines the mission of the NIH. She wondered whether
there was competition among the 27 institutes. While directors
had discretion over institute funds, Dr. Kleinman answered
that together they had decided these initiatives were the
responsibility of the NIH as a whole. The Roadmap would be
a unique effort that no institute, center, or other entity
could carry out, either alone or in a group, and it would
benefit the entire NIH.
Dr. Gallagher noted that this collaborative initiative would
promote a significant change in the way the NIH did business.
He added that a vital skill today is working well with others.
Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association, commented favorably
on Dr. Kleinman's report and the accompanying slide presentation.
He noted that it was refreshing to see that the NIH had looked
at the overall means of achieving success. Dr. Kleinman noted
that each institute had submitted proposals, and each had
been evaluated in terms of their potential success. Of the
Roadmap, Mr. Schofer said, "It's remarkable."
J. Paul Van Nevel, NIH Alumni Association, wondered whether
future budget cuts would affect the support of this initiative.
Dr. Kleinman said that appropriation and authorization extended
for the next two years and that grants had been initiated
for this and the next fiscal year. She said the NIH would
watch this closely. However, as Dr. Zerhouni remarked, "There
is no wrong time to do the right thing."
Tom Robinson, Parkwood Residents Association, asked Dr.
Kleinman to elaborate on nanomedicine. Dr. Kleinman said this
initiative was an opportunity to look at the emerging miniaturization
technology. A partnership of the physical and biologic sciences
would study biosystems from the molecular level up. She said
that this technology had tremendous potential in the development
of nanomedical tools that would allow scientists to scan for
the presence of infectious agents and develop miniature devices
to destroy them, or to diagnose, treat, and prevent a wide
range of diseases.
Dr. Gallagher remarked that he wanted the community to be
informed about the wonderful scientific work being done on
the campus.
Presentation on the NIH Reforestation Plan
by Lynn Mueller, Chief, Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping
Team, Facilities Operations Branch, Division of Property Management,
NIH
Lynn Mueller Chief, Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping Team,
NIH, told the CLC that during his 26-year career at the NIH
he became the leader of the Grounds Maintenance and Landscaping
Team in 1991. He said that he had frequently answered individual
queries about trees on the campus; and he thought that it
would be useful to have a publication to provide this information.
Mr. Mueller passed out NEWS2USE, a newsletter produced by
the NIH Office of Research Services (ORS). Referring to his
newsletter article, "Saving Trees While Construction Blooms,"
he noted the tree policy of the NIH's Office of Research Facilities
Development and Operations (ORF). He said that campus trees
were protected even when construction was ongoing. Under this
policy, he said, no tree could be removed without being examined.
He added that trees found to be in decline included those
with core or root rot and crown hazards.
Mr. Mueller said that the tree preservation policy has been
documented since 1991 in the NIH Master Plan and has been
presented to the National Capital Planning Commission. The
policy requires that any tree lost on the campus be replaced
on a one-for-one basis with a tree of three-inch diameter,
usually of the same native species. Mr. Mueller reported that
during the planning of construction projects the architects,
engineers, and landscapers presented a component that assessed
the impact on mature trees. At the outset, he said the objective
was to try to save existing trees by leaving them in place
or by transplanting them.
Mr. Mueller reported that the NIH has 7,000 trees. He brought
a diagram displaying the location and size of each tree on
campus and the corresponding identification number tagged
on each tree. He said that from 1991 to 2003 there was a net
gain of trees: The landscaping team planted 2,759 more trees
than were lost. During 2004 alone, an additional 1,170 trees
had been planted—a net gain of 1,166 native trees. Except
for 50 mature trees, he said, seedlings had been planted along
the restored creek bed in the northeast quadrant near Building
21 and Rockville Pike. He noted that this area would not be
mowed because it was part of a conservation zone. He added
that soon many native plants would sprout.
Questions and Discussion
Ms. Miller asked the size of a seedling. Mr. Mueller said
that those with a diameter less than one inch and less than
knee-high were counted as seedlings. Ms. Miller asked Mr.
Mueller whether seedlings were purchased to conserve funds
and if he had enough funds in his budget to cover the costs
of these projects. Mr. Mueller answered that he had to justify
landscaping expenditures and that he had sufficient funds
to purchase materials. He noted that except for government
personnel inspections, the landscaping and maintenance work
was contracted out.
Mr. Schofer inquired about the sycamore trees near the old
tennis court. Mr. Mueller said the soil had become dry during
recent droughts, when the county had imposed water restrictions.
Because the trees were located at the top of a hill, the lack
of water had caused their decline. Mr. Schofer asked what
commercial products were used on plants. Mr. Mueller said
that RoundUp was the only herbicide used and that some plants
were treated with Safer Soap. Otherwise, he said no pesticides
or prevention products were used. Mr. Schofer asked why fungus
was not treated. Mr. Mueller said the NIH had raised its tolerance
and was taking an environmental approach that limited the
use of pesticides and herbicides. He noted that there was
a good crop of beneficial insects on campus, including preying
mantises, which helped to control the pest insect population.
Mr. Mueller said that the Maryland Department of Agriculture
inspected each year and that their reviews and comments had
been favorable.
Jonathan Ashwell, M.D., a guest NIH employee and local resident,
asked about the replacement of the white oak south of the
South Drive gate area at Old Georgetown Road. Mr. Mueller
reported that this tree had appeared outwardly healthy, but
that the Resistograph® evaluation had shown a viable perimeter
only two inches thick and a rotten core. Mr. Mueller said
the tree would be replaced by a water oak. In addition, Dr.
Ashwell had noticed an area where foliage had been damaged
on the north side of the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research
Center: He described it as a "dirt infield." Mr. Mueller explained
that grounds equipmentJohn Deere Mules and Cushmanswere
often driven along this area and not on Old Georgetown Road.
He said that, regrettably, small plants had been affected
by this traffic.
Nancy Hoos of Sonoma Citizens Association asked Mr. Mueller
whether he kept aerial photos and records of the campus' tree
canopy. Mr. Mueller said that Montgomery County monitored
the percent of the county covered with trees. Dr. Gallagher
noticed salt-damaged ivy near the path at Building 1, and
he wondered if there was a way to prevent this. Mr. Mueller
said that the materials used on campus were designated as
environmentally friendly. He said that a product gentle on
the landscape, magnesium chloride from the Dead Sea, was used.
Mr. Mueller noted that contractors removed snow and there
was thus a potential for using too much product. He said that
each November he met with the crew to go over conservation
procedures.
Harvey Eisen, Ph.D., Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association,
asked about removal of a tree with exposed roots that was
leaning at a 30-degree angle and entangled with another tree.
He said it was located west of the fence construction staging
area in the southwest quadrant. To help locate its precise
location, Dr. Eisen offered to look at the identification
tag on the tree and report its number to Mr. Mueller.
Lucy Ozarin, M.D., Whitehall Condominium Association requested
that more trees be planted on the south side of campus. Mr.
Mueller thought that a few more would be planted after September
1. He said that trees would be relocated when they are dormant
in November or December. Dr. Gallagher mentioned that more
than 40 white pines had been planted in the southwest quadrant.
Dr. Ozarin said that the area where more trees were desired
was near the chain link fence east of that particular stand
of pines and behind Whitehall Condominiums and the immediate
neighboring condominium complex.
Mr. Mueller noted that when the perimeter fence was installed,
it was woven around the trees, with a minimal loss of only
four or five trees. He said that the current Northeast Tunnel
project had been designed to have the least impact on the
existing trees.
Dr. Gallagher thanked Mr. Mueller for his presentation.
Round Robin Discussion Items
by CLC Members
Dr. Gallagher asked if any members had items to present.
Ms. Hoos asked Stella Serras-Fiotes, ORF, NIH, if she could
give an update on the noise problems associated with the John
Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center and Building 37.
Ms. Serras-Fiotes said there were two separate noise issues.
The architects and engineers had studied the Porter research
center problem and proposed a solution. A screen designed
to absorb the sound was to be placed around the fan housings.
The process involved designing the screen and obtaining cost
estimates. Dr. Gallagher asked whether the screen would mask
the stacks at the top of the center. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said
that only the fan noise would be treated with the proposed
screening.
Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that the NIH Division of Property
Management would check noise levels in both peak and off-hours
during the last two weeks of July at Building 37. She will
report the results to the CLC in September. Lesley Hildebrand
requested that the levels be taken during the evening and
at night as well. Dr. Gallagher said that the noise was constant
and often was amplified by moisture in the air. Ms. Serras-Fiotes
said the levels would be checked when the background traffic
noise was at its lowest level. Mr. Schofer said Montgomery
County was responsible for measuring noise levels according
to EPA requirements. Dr. Ashwell asked whether the measurements
would determine if there was a problem or how to deal with
the problem. Ms. Serras-Fiotes answered that the measurements
would be used to pinpoint the problem and to lead to a solution.
Dr. Ashwell said he had been at the top level of Building
37 and he knew it was the source of the noise. He wondered
what would happen if the engineer did not find the problem.
Ms. Hoos added that there were numerous types of noise and
ways to characterize them—not only in decibels. Although
these noises did not exceed county guidelines, Ms. Serras-Fiotes
said that the NIH would address the noise concerns.
Ms. Hildebrand asked if it had been determined whether the
Visitors' Parking Facility would be available outside of business
hours for use by non-NIH visitors. Ms. Serras-Fiotes said
that remained on the list of items yet to be addressed. Ms.
Hildebrand asked Dr. Gallagher if he had an update on neighbors'
access to the campus after the perimeter fence gates became
operational. Dr. Gallagher reiterated that the fence and gates
would not be operational before October. Details of non-government
employee access to campus were being worked on and considered.
Ms. Serras-Fiotes said that operational procedures were under
review and that the gates and procedures would be tested and
monitored before implementation. Dr. Gallagher said information
about closure and operations would be available in advance
and would be communicated both internally to NIH employees
and externally to the community.
Ms. Serras-Fiotes announced that work on the West Drive
entrance would begin on July 19 and the site work on the small
security check facility and driveway expansion would start
July 26. She said that construction traffic would access the
area via West Drive and that hours of operation, dust, and
noise were planned to create only minimal disruption.
Mr. Schofer asked for assurance that the wooden building
near the multilevel parking facility for Buildings 31 and
33 would be removed upon completion of the nearby construction.
Ms. Serras-Fiotes said the structure had been built solidly
to house mockups of labs to be built in Building 33 and that
it would be removed when this phase was completed.
Dr. Ozarin asked whether the NIH would soon be painting
the exterior side of the fence that faces the back of the
Whitehall Condominium property. Anthony Clifford, ORF, NIH,
said that this project had been discussed earlier that day.
He said that the fence would either be painted or that section
of it would be replaced this year. He thought the project
could be timed to coincide with work on the south lawn drainage
problem. Mr. Clifford said there was soil erosion at the south
perimeter fence caused by water run off from the parking lot
at Building 41. He said that a new catch basin and gravel
field would be installed, followed by landscaping of the hill
and regrading the area of erosion. Mr. Clifford offered to
notify Dr. Gallagher when the fence painting or replacement
project was scheduled.
Dr. Gallagher reported to Mr. Clifford that trucks had again
been moved to the parking lot at Building 41. Mr. Clifford
said that these surplus vehicles were to be collected by the
General Services Administration, and, in the meantime, they
were to be stored at the Poolesville facility instead of on
the main campus.
ACTION ITEMS
- Ms. Serras-Fiotes said she would report the results of
the noise measurements and solutions to the CLC in September.
- Mr. Clifford offered to notify Dr. Gallagher when the
chain link fence project was scheduled
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.
FUTURE MEETING
The next CLC meeting is scheduled to take place September
16, 2004.
CLC Members Present
- Lorraine Bell, Palladian Partners, Inc.
- Harvey Eisen, Ph.D., Edgewood Glenwood Citizens Association
- Tom Gallagher, Ph.D., OCL, OD, NIH
- Jeanne Goldstein, Montgomery County Civic Federation
- Lesley Hildebrand, Huntington Terrace Citizens Association
- Nancy Hoos, Sonoma Citizens Association
- Debra Liverpool, YMCA, Bethesda-Chevy Chase/Ayrlawn
- Marilyn Mazuzan, Town of Oakmont
- Ginny Miller, Wyngate Citizens Association
- Walter Mitton, OCL, OD, NIH
- Lucy Ozarin, M.D., Whitehall Condominium Association
- Tom Robertson, Parkwood Residents Association
- Sharon Robinson, OCL, OD, NIH
- Ralph Schofer, Maplewood Citizens Association
- Randy Schools, Recreation & Welfare Association
- Stella Serras-Fiotes, ORF, NIH
- Deborah Snead, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center
- J. Paul Van Nevel, NIH Alumni Association
Guests
- Jonathan Ashwell, M.D., Sonoma Resident
- Anthony Clifford, ORF, NIH
- Danny Douck, Edgewood Resident
- Sumitra Siram, representative from Congressman Van Hollen's
Office
- Chris Williams, The Gazette
- Ron Wilson, ORS, OD, NIH
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