Environmental Health

• Environmental Health Researchers Kick off Breast Cancer Sister Study
  When: September 2004
  Where: Nationwide
  Institute: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

  Sisters share a lot more than secrets and laughter. They also share genes and at least some elements of lifestyle. Scientists already know that if a woman has breast cancer, her sister has a much higher chance of developing the disease, too. That’s why the NIEHS is kicking off the Sister Study, which hopes to glean more information about environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer. Researchers believe ingredients in many common products interfere in the role of hormones, possibly contributing to breast cancer development. But studies have not been able to establish a strong link. More

  Next Steps
  For information or to join, call toll-free (877) 474-7837 or visit www.sisterstudy.org.  

Population Groups

• Latino/Latina Community to Hear about HIV Vaccine Research
  When: October 7–10, 2004
  Where: Washington Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center, Seattle, WA
  Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  Latinos and Latinas can learn more about HIV vaccine research and what this means for them at an upcoming conference presentation by NIAID HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign representative Dennis Torres. Mr. Torres will collaborate with Gary Chovnick, M.P.H., Seattle HIV Vaccine Trial Unit, to speak at el Encuentro, a conference sponsored by the non-profit National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization (LLEGÓ).

  Next Steps
  For more information, contact Matthew Murguía at (301) 435-7164 or visit the conference Web site at www.llego.org/pages_e10/e10_main.htm. Registration costs $100–$200, depending on status.  

Cancers

• Web Chat on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Cancer
  When: September 20, 2004
  Where: Nationwide
  Institute: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

  People interested in hearing from experts about complementary and alternative medicine will have the opportunity during an hour-long Web chat session. NCCAM Director Stephen E. Straus, M.D., will address topics related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in treating cancer and how to find reliable information on this topic. More

  Next Steps
  More information is available at http://nccam.nih.gov/news/upcomingmeetings/index.htm or www.plwc.org.  

• Environmental Health Researchers Kick off Breast Cancer Sister Study
  When: September 2004
  Where: Nationwide
  Institute: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

  Sisters share a lot more than secrets and laughter. They also share genes and at least some elements of lifestyle. Scientists already know that if a woman has breast cancer, her sister has a much higher chance of developing the disease, too. That’s why the NIEHS is kicking off the Sister Study, which hopes to glean more information about environmental and genetic causes of breast cancer. Researchers believe ingredients in many common products interfere in the role of hormones, possibly contributing to breast cancer development. But studies have not been able to establish a strong link. More

  Next Steps
  For information or to join, call toll-free (877) 474-7837 or visit www.sisterstudy.org.  

Complementary and Alternative Medicine

• Web Chat on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Cancer
  When: September 20, 2004
  Where: Nationwide
  Institute: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)

  People interested in hearing from experts about complementary and alternative medicine will have the opportunity during an hour-long Web chat session. NCCAM Director Stephen E. Straus, M.D., will address topics related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in treating cancer and how to find reliable information on this topic. More

  Next Steps
  More information is available at http://nccam.nih.gov/news/upcomingmeetings/index.htm or www.plwc.org.  

Drug Abuse

• Future Addiction Research is Topic of Convention
  When: October 22, 2004
  Where: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
  Institute: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  Experts from many scientific disciplines will discuss recent findings and future research on addiction at a mini-convention sponsored by NIDA, Frontiers in Addiction Research. Sessions are open to the public as well as scientists and include:
  

  • Behavioral Neuroscience of Nicotine Addiction.
    
    
  • Creative Directions in Imaging.
    
    
  • Poster Presentations.
    
    
  • Mechanisms of Brain Resiliency and Repair.
    
    
  • The Role of Glutamate in Drug Addiction.
    
    
  • Keynote Speaker: Jacob A. Waletzky Award Recipient Presentation.
  
  The mini-convention will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, a nonprofit organization of physicians and scientists in basic research who study the brain and nervous system. The Jacob A. Waletzky Award is granted annually by the Society for Neuroscience to a young scientist researching in this field. More

  Next Steps
  Registration is required and costs $25 before 6 p.m. Pacific Time on October 8, or $35 thereafter. More information is available at www.masimax.com/frontiers2004.  

• Drug Harm Exhibit at Times Square in New York City
  When: September 14, 2004–February 1, 2005
  Where: One Times Square, New York City, NY
  Institute: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

  An exhibit on the historic and contemporary connections between global drug trafficking and terrorism is opening at One Times Square in New York City and will run for four-and-a-half months. Entitled Target America: Drug Traffickers, Terrorists, and You, it is geared toward students, but large attendance by the general public is expected because of the high profile tourist location.
  
  One of the exhibit's features is a Memorial Wall to individuals, famous and ordinary, who have lost their lives to drug abuse or addiction. Another section covers Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) topics, such as drug production and trafficking. The exhibit is coordinated by the DEA. Other agencies involved include NIDA, which has developed information and graphics for a photomural wall and the Memorial Wall, along with several other federal and private agencies.
  
  The free exhibit is open every day of the week, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. More

  Next Steps
  For further information, call (212) 337-1265 or visit www.usdoj.gov/dea/deamuseum/website/index.html.  

Eyes and Vision

• V I S I O N Traveling Exhibit Visits Nashville, TN
  When: May 29–October 3, 2004
  Where: Nashville, TN
  Institute: National Eye Institute (NEI)

  V I S I O N, a traveling exhibit on eye-brain coordination and research into protecting sight, is visiting the Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The exhibit explains how the eye focuses light, how we perceive motion and color, and how the brain processes visual information into a meaningful picture. More

  Next Steps
  Visitors can see the exhibit Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and
  Sunday 12:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Find more information on the V I S I O N exhibit Web site at www.nei.nih.gov/education/visionexhibit/index.asp or visit the Adventure Science Center Web site at www.adventuresci.com, or call the center at (615) 862-5160.  

• THE EYE SITE Exhibit on Low Vision Will Visit 16 Malls in 2004
  When: March 1–October 16, 2004
  Where: Las Vegas, NV; Cheyenne, WY; Owensboro and Ashland, KY; Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; Presque Isle, ME
  Institute: National Eye Institute (NEI)

  To help people understand low vision (vision problems that interfere with a person's ability to perform everyday activities) and to explain what people with vision loss can do to stay independent, NEI developed THE EYE SITE: A Traveling Exhibit on Low Vision for Shopping Centers. The exhibit will visit 16 shopping malls during 2004, in Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, and Wyoming. More

  Next Steps
  Members of the public can visit the exhibit during regular business hours at any mall on the tour. For more information, visit THE EYE SITE Web site at www.nei.nih.gov/nehep/eyesite.  

HIV/AIDS

• Latino/Latina Community to Hear about HIV Vaccine Research
  When: October 7–10, 2004
  Where: Washington Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center, Seattle, WA
  Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  Latinos and Latinas can learn more about HIV vaccine research and what this means for them at an upcoming conference presentation by NIAID HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign representative Dennis Torres. Mr. Torres will collaborate with Gary Chovnick, M.P.H., Seattle HIV Vaccine Trial Unit, to speak at el Encuentro, a conference sponsored by the non-profit National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization (LLEGÓ).

  Next Steps
  For more information, contact Matthew Murguía at (301) 435-7164 or visit the conference Web site at www.llego.org/pages_e10/e10_main.htm. Registration costs $100–$200, depending on status.  

• Conference Highlights HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  When: September 28, 2004
  Where: Howard University Blackburn Center, Washington, DC
  Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  A conference entitled Promoting Life, Health, and Happiness: Preventing HIV/AIDS and other STDs will strive to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The event, which is free and open to the public, will also inform participants about available resources that focus on prevention strategies, risk reduction, testing, and treatment. Through its participation, the NIAID HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign will enhance its outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and reach 400–500 students and health professionals from the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area with information about the hope, promise, and progress of HIV vaccine research. The conference is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Howard University Department of Health, Human Performance & Leisure Studies. More

  Next Steps
  For more information, contact Matthew Murguía at (301) 435-7164.  

Minority Outreach

• Conference Highlights HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases
  When: September 28, 2004
  Where: Howard University Blackburn Center, Washington, DC
  Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  A conference entitled Promoting Life, Health, and Happiness: Preventing HIV/AIDS and other STDs will strive to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The event, which is free and open to the public, will also inform participants about available resources that focus on prevention strategies, risk reduction, testing, and treatment. Through its participation, the NIAID HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign will enhance its outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and reach 400–500 students and health professionals from the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area with information about the hope, promise, and progress of HIV vaccine research. The conference is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Howard University Department of Health, Human Performance & Leisure Studies. More

  Next Steps
  For more information, contact Matthew Murguía at (301) 435-7164.  

Population Groups

• Small Steps. Big Rewards. Campaign for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
  When: September 29, 2004
  Where: Paradise Valley Hospital, National City, CA
  Institute: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in some Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Small Steps. Big Rewards. Two Reasons I Find Time to Prevent Diabetes...My Future and Theirs is a new multilingual diabetes prevention campaign tailored for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, launched by NIDDK's National Diabetes Education Program. The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented—and small steps bring big rewards. More

  Next Steps
  To attend the launching ceremony or for more information, contact TaWanna Berry, NDEP Deputy Director, NIH, at (301) 496-3583 or ndep@nih.gov.  

^ TOP OF PAGE

Visit MedlinePlus for consumer-friendly health information you can trust from the National Library of Medicine at NIH.

The NIH Public Bulletin is published monthly. If you would like to be notified when new issues are posted, please subscribe to the Bulletin listserv.