Home > About Fogarty > Advisory Board > Report of the Director Archives > 05-16-2000
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
John E. Fogarty International Center
for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
Minutes of the Advisory Board
Forty-fifth Meeting
Table of Contents
- DHHS, NIH, and FIC Personnel Announcements
- FIC Budget
- FIC Programs and Initiatives
- FIC In-House Science Seminars
- Regional Activities
- Activities of FIC Staff Members
I. DHHS, NIH, and FIC Personnel Announcements
Dr. Melinda Moore has been named Deputy Director of the DHHS Office of International and Refugee Health. Dr. Moore comes to the position from the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Dr. Norman Bradburn is the new Director of the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE) at the National Science Foundation. SBE includes the NSF Division of International Programs. Dr. Bradburn, a leading researcher on survey methodology, replaces Dr. Bennet Bertenthal, who recently accepted a position at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Neal Nathanson, who has served as Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research (OAR) since May,1998, has announced that he will leave NIH on September 1 to return to the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Nathanson is known particularly for his contributions to the field of viral pathogenesis and epidemiology as the author of the definitive papers on the epidemiology of polio.
Dr. Richard Nahin has been named the first Director of Extramural Research, Training, and Review for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). Dr. Nahin has been with NCCAM since 1996, when it was the Office of Alternative Medicine.
II. FIC Budget
FY 2001 President's Budget As previously reported, the FY 2001 President's Budget provides $18.8 billion for NIH, an increase of $1 billion or 5.6% over the FY 2000 estimate. FIC's share was .26% or $48 million. This equates to a 10.5% increase over our current FY 2000 level of $43.5 million - adjusted for transfers and rescissions. Although the dollar level for FIC is small compared to the rest of the Institutes and Centers (ICs) of the NIH, the percentage increase is substantial. It represents the largest percentage growth among all the ICs, with the others ranging from 3.3% to 6.9%.
Highlights of the FY 2001 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (LHHSE) and Related Agencies Hearing: On March 1, Dr. Keusch testified before the House LHHSE Appropriations Subcommittee on the FIC FY 2001 President's budget. Chairman Porter, an ardent supporter of the NIH, has announced that he will not be a candidate for an 11th full term in 2000. His presence on the Committee will be strongly missed.
Committee members were very encouraged by the new direction and leadership role of the FIC. Some of the issues they raised included the adequacy of the Center's budget, given its mission; access to treatments and intervention; cultural implications and barriers to effective treatment and prevention; global disparities in health; research capacity building and FIC initiatives; and drug-resistant malaria. The Director's opening statement has been provided to Advisory Board members and can be found on the Internet.
Highlights of the FY 2001 Senate Appropriations Hearing The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee held the NIH hearings on March 30, 2000.
Dr. Kirschstein, Acting Director of NIH, was accompanied by the IC directors. Although there were no questions specifically directed to the FIC, all ICs were asked to describe for the written record their individual activities related to complementary and alternative medicine and their relationship with the new Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
FY 2001 Budget Resolution The numbers in the budget resolution document serve as a guide for overall FY 2001 spending. They form the basis for the spending allocations given to each of the appropriations committees and, in turn, to the subcommittees. The Senate Budget Committee, through the efforts of Senators Specter and Harkin, recommended an increased of $2.7 billion to the NIH budget - the third installment to keep the NIH budget on the road to doubling in five years. The House Budget Committee recommended only a $1 billion increase, equal to the increase in the President's Budget, and this $1 billion increase prevailed in Conference.
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III. FIC Programs and Initiatives
FIC Strategic Planning The executive summary of the FIC strategic plan, along with the full version, has been forwarded to the Advisory Board. Final revisions will be made following the Advisory Board's discussion.
International Guidelines for Research
Consultative Meeting: FIC sponsored a meeting March 20 at NIH to discuss new international guidelines for research assurance documentation. Participants from developing countries, research sponsors from other developed countries, NIH and other U.S. agencies considered a draft document developed by the NIH Office of Protection from Research Risks (OPRR) revising current guidelines for ethical assurance of research conducted in other countries under the sponsorship of the NIH. The meeting was an opportunity to solicit input from individuals who perform NIH-sponsored research in international settings, serve on ethics review committees, and have experience in developing international guidelines on ethical issues. OPRR agreed to revise the draft on the basis of the substantive discussions that occurred.
Second Global Forum on Bioethics in Research
The Second Global Forum on Bioethics in Research will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on October 14 and 15, hosted by the World Health Organization. Co-sponsors include FIC, other NIH institutes, CDC, the Pan American Health Organization and the United Kingdom Medical Research Council. The bioethics forum will follow immediately upon the Global Forum for Health Research Conference on Health Research for Development, at which FIC will present a paper on the impact of NIH international research and training support on health and science outcomes (the Rothman study).
Consultation on Medicine and the Media
FIC is sponsoring a consultation on issues that relate to science, the media and ethics. The meeting will take place at NIH on June 7 and will address the perceived inherent tension between scientists and the media. Participants will discuss whether the media plays a significant role in the success or failure of international research, reports research findings reliably and objectively, and whether concepts of ethics are frequently distorted and process misrepresented. The goal of the consultation is to determine how serious the problem is, how wide the gap may be between researchers and the media, and which, if any, issues are worth pursuing by FIC in order to narrow the gap and improve performance and responsible and accurate reporting.
Development of In-House Research Activities
FIC recently began discussions on the possibility of developing an in-house research program. The program would get underway with epidemiologic-based research on issues pertinent to international health (infectious diseases, nutrition, demographic trends); adaptation of research and interventions to diverse populations; and policy analysis (incorporation of micro-/macroeconomics of population-based interventions and it's relevance to health outcomes). After discussions with the Office of the Director, NIH, other NIH institutes and centers, and the NIH scientific directors, FIC is developing a more detailed research agenda with the goal of initiating studies in this fiscal year.
Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)
The first meeting of the 20 MIM-funded African investigators took place March 6-8 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to enable investigators to exchange information on progress to date. Presentations by principal investigators facilitated assessment of the current status of each project and review of funding. The investigators' meeting was followed by a MIM/TDR Task Force Meeting, at which funded projects were discussed. Initial 3-year funding by the Task Force will be evaluated in greater detail at the next meeting of the MIM/TDR Task Force, which is scheduled to take place in Harare, Zimbabwe in March 2001. FIC is coordinating plans for a workshop/symposium on the impact of insecticide resistance of malaria vector mosquitoes on control of transmission, which will take place at the Harare meeting. Finally, MIM, NIAID, NHLBI and FIC co-sponsored a workshop on the pathogenesis of malarial anemia May 11-12. The objective of the workshop was to foster collaboration between malariologists (including those conducting research in endemic areas) and hematologists with a mechanistic understanding of other types of anemia, in order to develop fresh approaches to understanding this important disease problem.
International Bioethics Education and Career Development Award
A Request for Applications (RFA) for a new FIC program in International Bioethics Education and Career Development appeared in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts in March. The program is supported jointly with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The RFA calls on domestic or international research institutions to develop or expand on current graduate curricula in international bioethics related to performing research in low-and middle-income nations. The deadline for receipt of applications was May 5 and proposals will be reviewed in July by the Center for Scientific Review. A copy of this RFA has been distributed to the Advisory Board.
International Studies on Health and Economic Development
An RFA for a new FIC Program in International Studies on Health and Economic Development will be announced in the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts in May. The program is co-sponsored by the World Bank, the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) and the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The RFA solicits research projects that examine the effects of health at the microeconomic level (individuals, households and enterprises) and at the macroeconomic level, e.g. aggregate growth (cross-country growth analysis), and explores how health finance and delivery systems are a source of variation in health outcomes. A copy of the RFA will be distributed to Board members upon announcement.
Ecology of Infectious Diseases
Seventy-nine full applications were received in response to the interagency (NIH, NSF, NASA, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S Geological Service (USGS)) RFA for the International Research and Training Program in the Ecology of Infectious Diseases. Of these, four applications have been determined to be non-responsive. A multi-disciplinary review panel will convene May 31-June 2 at NSF to review the 75 responsive applications.
AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP)
Nearly 60 new, competing renewal and competing supplement applications were received for the current competition of the AITRP. Applications will be reviewed for scientific merit by an NIAID review group and considered by the Advisory Board at the September 2000 meeting.
Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA)
Fourteen of the 58 applications received for the January 2000 application round were funded (24%). Fifty eight applications have been received for review by the Advisory Board at the May 16 meeting and FIC has received 69 applications for review next September. While the number of applications for the FIRCA continues to increase, applications for the AIDS-FIRCA remain low. Eight applications were received for the last round, of which three were funded. Only four AIDS-FIRCA applications were received for review in May 2000.
International Maternal and Child Health Research and Training Program (IMCHRT)
To date, over 40 letters of intent have been received in response to the RFA for this FIC/NICHD program. The RFA was issued simultaneously with, and is closely related to, the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research Program, supported by NICHD, NIAID, NCI, NIDCR, NIMH, FIC, NCCAM, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has contributed $15 million over a 3-year period to help establish the Global Network. This solicitation intends to establish an innovative and flexible research network that will be responsive to the most critical existing and emerging health needs and public health problems of women and children globally. While investigators may apply for a free standing IMCHRT or Global Network Award, first priority will be given to those meritorious applications that are linked. All but one letter of intent for IMCHRT have indicated that they also plan to apply for a Global Network award.
International Training and Research Program in Population and Health (ITRPH)
Eleven applications were received in response to the RFA for this program that was issued in December, 1999. All seven current grantees have reapplied. Applications will be reviewed for scientific merit in June and brought to the Advisory Board in September for second-level review. This initiative represents a collaborative effort by FIC, NICHD and NIA, a new funding partner. The intent of this program is to enable NIH grant recipients to extend the geographic base of their research and training efforts to developing countries and emerging democracies in support of population issues of mutual priority.
International Training and Research Program in Environmental and Occupational Health (ITREOH)
FIC, with its funding partners the National Institute for Environmental Health (NIEHS), the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health of the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency, is undertaking a program review of the ITREOH, now in its fifth year. Mr. Dan vander Meer, former Director of the NIEHS Office of Science Policy and Evaluation, is coordinating the review. An independent review panel is being formed and panel members will attend the next ITREOH annual network meeting, which will be held June 12-13 at NIH. Results of the review will be used to craft the RFA for the next ITREOH competition, which is planned for FY 2001.
Malaria Research and Training Program
Eight applications were received in response to the RFA for the Malaria Research and Training Program, most of which focused on African training on p. falciparum. Applications will be reviewed in July by a panel convened by NIAID.
International Research Scientist Development Award (IRSDA)
Six applications were received for the IRSDA, which will be reviewed in July. FIC currently is exploring modifications to this program to make it more attractive to postdoctoral level U.S. scientists interested in doing collaborative research in developing countries.
Minority International Research and Training Program (MIRT)
NIGMS reviewed 22 applications received in response to the RFA for the MIRT. FIC proposes to fund 11 awards, including three to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and two to Hispanic Serving Institutions (HIS). Supplements for two HBCUs and one HIS to form consortia with other funded programs will allow students from these institutions to continue to participate in the MIRT. FIC will offer approximately 10 one-year supplements for minority graduate student training in developing countries on projects related to health disparities.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
There are now two deadlines per year (October 28 and April 28) for JSPS-supported short-term awards (7-60 days) for U.S. scientists to do collaborative research in Japan. FIC has received four applications for awards under this program and two applications have been received for longer term (3-11 months) postdoctoral awards under the JSPS program.
Scholars in Residence Program
Since the February 8 Advisory Board meeting, the following scholars have been in residence: Dr. Ulf Smith, Medical Research University of Goteborg; Dr. Davor Solter, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology; Dr. Hans Zachau, University of Munich.
Network Meeting
FIC convened the annual network meeting of grantees and trainees of the International Training and Research Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases (ITREID) year three, and the Actions for Building Capacity in Support of the NIAID International Collaborations in Infectious Diseases Research (ABC/ICIDR), year one, on April 12-13 at NIH. The ITREID is co-funded by NIAID, the NIDCR and the NIH Office of Research on Minority Health. The meeting, which followed the NIAID annual International Collaborations in Tropical Diseases Research scientific meeting, enabled awardees and collaborating colleagues to exchange information on current projects and recent achievements. Highlights included 25 scientific posters that were presented by the trainees, breakout sessions that addressed common research training issues, and a plenary discussion of the FIC Strategic Plan.
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IV. FIC In-House Science Seminars
February 29 - Dr. Cathleen Enright, Department of State, ""The Recently Concluded Negotiation of the Biosafety Protocol under the Convention on Biodiversity;"
March 2 - Dr. William Lands, NIAAA, "Ethnic Food Choices in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion;"
March 17 - Dr. Rafael Flores, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), "CGIAR - A Model for International Research Collaborations;"
April 6 - Dr. Tom Quinn, Johns Hopkins University, "Infectious Agents in Chronic Diseases: Missing Links or Innocent Bystanders;"
April 27 - Dr. Lone Simonsen, Consultant to the Malaria vaccine Initiative, ""The Effectiveness of Insecticide-treated Nets on Reducing Malaria Morbidity and Mortality among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Fresh Look at the Data Underlying the Controversy;"
May 9 - Dr. Ivan Montoya, NIDA, "Conducting Mental Health Research in Latin America: Challenges and Opportunities."
V. Regional Activities
China
The Chinese Minister of Public Health, Dr. Zhang Wengkang, visited NIH on March 29 with five members of his staff. This was his first visit to the U.S. since assuming this position. He met with Secretary Shalala and CDC representatives in Atlanta, American Medical Association officials in Chicago, and with a group in Boston that is organizing a meeting in 2001 of Chinese medical practitioners from the U.S. and China. At NIH, Minister Zhang met with Dr. Ruth Kirschstein and several IC directors, and attended a working lunch with FIC senior staff to discuss FIC programs and interests related to China.
Egypt
FIC coordinated this year's review of proposals submitted to the U.S.-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund. The Fund, with support from the Governments of the U.S.and Egypt, funds biotechnology research projects submitted by teams of Egyptian and American scientists. FIC reviewed 34 health-related proposals with topics such as development of diagnostic kits for infectious disease agents, natural products screening, development of materials for bone reconstruction, and computer modeling of the spine. Final decisions regarding funding will be made at the meeting of the U.S.-Egypt Joint Board, which will be held in Washington in May.
European Union
FIC hosted the second meeting of the U.S.-European Union (EU) Joint Consultative Group (JCG) under the U.S.-EU Science and Technology Agreement February 23 at the Lawton Chiles International House. The meeting was co-chaired by the State Department and the Research Directorate of the EU. The two delegations discussed ongoing cooperative activities in a number of scientific and technological fields and proposed new activities. FIC, on behalf of the NIH, proposed new cooperation in malaria and bioethics. The JCG meeting was preceded on February 22 by a U.S.-E.U. "Lessons Learned" workshop.
Italy
The U.S.-Italy Science and Technology Review meeting was held in Rome in April. A six-person NIH delegation included representatives of NIAID, the NHLBI, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the NIH Office of the Director, and FIC. During their visit, the NIH representatives met with officials of various Italian health research institutions, reviewed activities between U.S. and Italian scientists, and identified new opportunities of mutual interest.
Japan
A series of meetings was held under the U.S. Japan Science and Technology Agreement between April 28-May 2. On April 28, FIC hosted a meeting of the U.S.-Japan Life Sciences Liaison Group, where the U.S. and Japanese sides reviewed 40 scientific proposals submitted by Japanese scientists for U.S.-Japan cooperation. Twenty-six of these were in health-related areas. In addition, the liaison group discussed ways in which the Structural Genomics Initiative, led in the U.S. by NIGMS and the U.S. Department of Energy, might best coordinate with similar efforts in Japan. Results of the Liaison Group meeting were reported at the U.S.-Japan Working Level Committee meeting on May 1 and the U.S.-Japan High-Level Committee meeting on May 2. The High-level Committee also discussed Aging, genomics and bioethics training and research.
Mexico
FIC is in the process of negotiating the renewal of the NIH-Mexican National Commission for Science and Technology (CONACYT) Collaborative Research Agreement for an additional five years. The new agreement proposes significant changes, including an increase in the number of Fellows at NIH under the Pan American Fellowship Program and an increase in the duration of the fellowship from one to two years. It is expected that the new agreement will be signed on May 19 in Washington, immediately following the U.S.- Mexico Binational Commission meeting.
Russia/NIS
FIC and NIAID organized a U.S.-Russia Workshop May 14-16 in Moscow on "Building and Sustaining cooperation in Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases Biomedical Research." Participants included key FIC and Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) grantees and their Russian/NIS partners. The workshop was supported by OAR, FIC, CRDF and the DHHS Biotechnology Engagement Program, which fosters development of research collaboration in priority public health areas between DHHS scientists and those formerly engaged in biological weapons-related research in Russia/NIS. The meeting preceded a CRDF symposium, also in Moscow, highlighting some of the most successful projects from their NIH-funded 1997-99 Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Program.
Spain
The third and last meeting of the U.S.-Spain Science and Technology Joint Fund was held in Madrid April 10-12. Representatives of various U.S. and Spanish government agencies reviewed joint proposals in diverse areas of S&T collaboration, submitted for the final year of funding by this program. Twenty of the approximately 65 proposals received in the area of life sciences were approved for funding. Other U.S. agencies participating in the review included NSF, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the USDA and the USGS.
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VI. Activities of FIC Staff Members
Dr. Gerald Keusch made a site visit for the Wellcome Trust to the Trusts' infectious diseases research centers in Hanoi and Bangkok March 26-31. Both centers are conducting high level clinical research on malaria and other important tropical infectious diseases. He identified and discussed opportunities for U.S. investigators to collaborate with the Centers' staff.
Dr. Keusch participated in the first meeting of the working group on Economics of Investing in Health of the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health of the World Health Organization. The meeting took place April 4 at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Keusch attended the Second Biennial W.H.R. Rivers Conference, "Placing Mental Health on the International Health Agenda" April 10 at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Arthur Kleinman, co-organizer of the meeting and Chair of the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard, will speak to the FIC Advisory Board on May 16.
Dr. Keusch was one of four panelists speaking on "Mobilizing Global Science and Technology to Address the Crises of Public Health in Development" at the Second Annual Harvard International Development Conference April 10-11 in Boston convened by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University.
Dr. Keusch participated as a discussant for the health agenda in a meeting of the Working Group "Globalization: Issues for a New Millennium" at the Symposium "Challenges and Priorities for the United Nations in the 21st Century." The symposium took place on April 12 at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Keusch and Dr. Kenneth Bridbord participated in a meeting convened by the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatraic AIDS Foundation on April 14 to discuss collaboration between programs working to prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV.
Dr. Keusch gave the Wesley W. Spink Lecture at the University of Minnesota on April 27. The title of his talk was "Malnutrition and Infection: Deadly Allies." Dr. Keusch also presented the medical grand rounds to the Department of Medicine, speaking about the emerging epidemic of E.coli 0:157:H7
Dr. Keusch attended the Antimicrobial Resistance Conference sponsored by the Tufts University School of Medicine, The Royal Society of Medicine Foundation in Illinois, and the Royal Society of Medicine in London May 4 in Washington, D.C. The Conferees discussed medical concern over antimicrobial resistance in man and animals.
Dr. Keusch delivered a lunchtime address at the 10th anniversary ORMH Conference on the challenges to reducing health disparities globally
Dr. Joel Breman participated in a meeting of the WHO International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE) February 15-17 in Geneva.
Dr. Breman gave a talk on February 22 at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C., entitled "A Hot Virus Odyssey: On the Trail of Smallpox and Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever."
Dr. Breman participated in an interagency review of guinea worm eradication activities at at the CDC in Atlanta on March 24 as a member of the WHO ICCDE.
Dr. Breman gave a seminar on NIH malaria research and training activities and the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria May 4 at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Kenneth Bridbord participated in a planning meeting for the next Global Research Network Meeting that deals with HIV prevention in Drug-Using Populations. The meeting is scheduled for July 5-7 in Durban, prior to the International AIDS Conference.
Mr. Robert Eiss attended the fourth meeting of the WHO Policy/Strategy Advisory Committee (PSAC) on March 30-31 in Geneva, supporting the Tobacco Free Initiative. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss guidelines for interaction with industry, as well as the establishment of an ad hoc scientific committee on tobacco product regulation. The PSAC, among other groups, will be consulted in the development of an NIH Tobacco Control Research and Training Program for FY 2001, directed toward the burden of tobacco consumption in developing nations.
Dr. Karen Hofman attended the Interactive Meeting on Genomics Research in the New Millennium: Emerging Concepts, Paradigms and Technologies at the Center for Biochemical Technology February 23-25 in New Delhi, India. Issues covered included the genetics of complex disorders, repetitive sequences, statistical genetics as well as ethical, legal and social issues. Based on this meeting, India appears to have a cadre of competent scientists in the field of molecular genetics and a network of institutes where this is taking place. Much enthusiasm was expressed for promoting U.S. collaborations with Indian scientist that would serve to enhance the current infrastructure.
Dr. Sharon Hrynkow represented NIH at the Joint Consultative Meeting under the U.S.-E.U. S&T Agreement. She highlighted the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria and bioethics in medical research as areas of potential strengthened cooperation.
Dr. Hrynkow presided at a Council on Foreign Relations session entitled "Global Health: Challenges for Biomedical Research" on March 9. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, NIAID, gave the presentation, which was co-sponsored by the Council's Study Group on Global Health Policy.
Dr. Hrynkow joined Dr. Ruth Kirschstein at a meeting with Secretary Shalala and Minister of Health Serra from Brazil on April 11 to discuss strengthened cooperation and priority health issues.
Dr. Hrynkow represented NIH at the annual meeting of the European Medical Research Council held in Reykjavik, Iceland April 12-15. She presented on NIH budget and priorities and on NIH/FIC trends in international collaborations.
Dr. Hrynkow represented FIC at a consultation with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, DHHS, to develop a DHHS Global Health Strategy.
Dr. Hrynkow joined Dr. Elke Jordan, NHGRI and Dr. Terrie Wettle, NIA, in representing NIH at the U.S.-Japan High Level Committee meeting on May 2 at the NASA Goddard Space Center. This meeting was held under the auspices of the U.S.-Japan S&T Agreement for the purpose of reviewing past U.S.-Japan activities in science and technology. Dr. Hrynkow provided comments on NIH's international bioethics initiatives.
Dr. Hrynkow took part in a panel convened by Representative John Crowley (D-NY) to discuss Infectious Disease and National Security. Dr. Hrynkow outlined current and proposed NIH expenditures and discussed the broader global health research agenda, including the shifting burden from communicable to non-communicable diseases.
Dr. Josefa Ippolito-Shepherd was an invited participant at the 4th International Evaluation of the Chagas Disease Control Program of Bolivia, sponsored by the PAHO/WHO Communicable Disease Program. The evaluation team, which included scientists from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Honduras and the U.S., looked at various aspects of the prevention and control program, including vector transmission through blood transfusion, and the health level of rural populations.
Dr. Richard Krause attended a meeting of the Environmental and Immunogenesis Panels under the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Medical Sciences Program in Tokyo in March to conduct a five-year review of the program as required by the original agreement between the two countries.
Dr. Krause accompanied Dr. Jack Whitescarver, Deputy Director of the NIH Office of AIDS Research, to London in April to meet with HIV clinical investigators and officials of the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM). The purpose of the meetings was to plan and develop the program for the next NIH-RSM Conference on Treatment of HIV/AIDS. This will be the fifth in a series of conferences during the past 15 years supported by the NIH and RSM on aspects of STDs and HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Kathleen Michels attended the workshop "Putting Mental Health on the International Health Agenda" April 10-11 in Boston. The workshop was sponsored by the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the World Health Organization Department of Mental Health.
Dr. Mark Miller gave a presentation entitled "Cross-cutting Research and Technical Assistance Needs for DOMI Vaccine Introduction, Economic Analysis," at the Diseases of the Most Impoverished Program Planning Meeting February 7-8 in Geneva. DOMI is a project to develop and deploy vaccines against enteric bacterial infections.
Dr. Miller lectured at the Eugene Lang New School for Social Research March 1 in New York City on "Vaccine Policy Analysis."
Dr. Miller presented a paper in April at the RIVM, in the Netherlands on "The Use of Economic/Epidemiologic Data to Formulate Policy on Vaccine Utilization.
Dr. Miller lectured at the Eugene Lang New School for Social Research March 1 in New York City on "Vaccine Policy Analysis."
Dr. Miller and Dr. Luis Salicrup attended the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) Andean Region Meeting for Dengue Control April 25-27 in Lima, Peru, where they gave a presentation on opportunities for NIH cooperation with Latin American scientists.
Dr. Joshua Rosenthal participated in the 7th annual meeting of the FIC-funded Suriname-Madagascar International Cooperative Biodiversity Group meeting at Dow Agrosciences in Indianapolis in March.
Dr. Luis Salicrup attended the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) Scientific Advisory Meeting held in Trinidad March 22-24. Discussions included the identification of ways to increase research collaboration between CAREC and NIH and a proposal to include Spanish Caribbean and Central American countries (Great Caribbean Initiative) in these collaborative efforts.
Dr. Salicrup attended the Colciencias Technical Meeting in Bogota, Colombia March 27-29. Colciencias, Colombia's major science & technology funding agency, has expressed interest in collaborating more closely with NIH.
Dr. Barbara Sina participated in the scientific advisory meetings organized by TDR in Burkina Faso and subsequently by NIAID to assess future needs for vector biology research.
Dr. Sudha Srinivasan attended the African Ministers of Health Conference on HIV/AIDS and Malaria April 13-14 in Atlanta. She was a speaker in the "Partnerships in Research" session, and she gave a presentation on FIC activities in HIV/AIDS and malaria, highlighting the MIM.
Ms. Natalie Tomitch served as the U.S. coordinator of the Health Working Group during the U.S.-Italy Science and Technology meeting held in Rome April 13-14.
Ms. Tomitch participated in a meeting of the U.S.-Spain S&T Joint Fund April 10-12 in Madrid.
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