Sisters of Women with Breast Cancer
Being Recruited for Pilot Study
When: Ongoing
Where: Tampa, FL; Phoenix, AZ; St.
Louis, MO; Providence, RI
Institute: National Institute of
Environmental Sciences (NIEHS)
The NIEHS recently began recruiting sisters of women with
breast cancer in and around Tampa, FL; Phoenix, AZ; St. Louis,
MO; and Providence, RI, for a pilot study that will examine
the factors that cause sisters to have up to twice the risk
of breast cancer as other women. With what is learned during
the initial recruitment in the four cities, the Sister Study
will go national next spring, hoping to find 50,000 sisters
for questioning and simple tests that can be continued for
ten years. Prospective volunteers and others may find out
more by visiting the Sister Study Web site at www.SisterStudy.org
or by calling (877) 4SISTER.
NIEHS is also developing a proposal for a multi-center research
effort aimed at studying breast cancer and the environment
both in test animals and human volunteers, which would allow
the two types of studies to reinforce and provide feed-back
to each other.
"Project: Out of the Box"
Brings Health, Science Awareness to Fourth Graders
Where: South Dakota, Hawaii, Maryland,
Washington, DC
Office: NIH Office of the Director
(OD) Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO)
Fourth graders in three states and the District of Columbia
will receive a healthy surprise from the NIH. "Project:
Out of the Box," a trans-NIH health and science initiative,
provides students from special populations in South Dakota,
Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington, DC, with surprise boxes
filled with health information and materials every two months.
Piloted by the OD EEO, the initiative is designed to promote
health awareness and to get children interested in science,
health professions, and the work of the NIH. The project began
after the November 2001 NIH-Hawaii Research Partnership Site
Visit, when Acting NIH Deputy Director Yvonne Maddox, Ph.D.,
began sending surprise packages that highlighted various national
health observances to a Honolulu elementary school she had
visited. The packages were so popular that "Project:
Out of the Box" is being expanded to include three additional
elementary schools. For more information, contact Hilda Dixon
at (301) 402-4157.
NIH Extramural Loan Repayment Programs
When: January 31, 2003, deadline
Applications are now being accepted for the NIH Extramural
Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs). The LRPs may repay up to a
maximum of $35,000 a year towards each participant's outstanding
eligible educational loan debt, depending on total eligible
repayable debt. Actual loan repayments are based on the proportion
of a participant's qualifying educational loan debt relative
to his/her salary or compensation, at the time the Loan Repayment
Program contract begins. In return, participants must sign
a contract agreeing to conduct qualified research activities
for at least fifty percent of their work effort for a minimum
of two years. Participants may competitively apply for additional
one-year renewal contracts and may continue to receive loan
repayment benefits, subject to the approval of the NIH Loan
Repayment benefits represent taxable income for participants
and are paid in addition to any salaries and benefits earned
through the employer or host research institution.
If you are interested in being considered for the Clinical
Research LRP, the Pediatric Research LRP, the Health Disparities
Research LRP, or the Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers
from Disadvantaged Backgrounds during fiscal year 2003 your
entire application and required supporting documentation (including
recommendations, educational loan information with current
account statements, and promissory notes or disclosure statements)
must be received by January 31, 2003. Additional information
can be obtained at the following Web site: www.lrp.nih.gov,
by calling the LRP Helpline at (866) 849-4047, or by sending
an e-mail to LRP@NIH.GOV.
"Drugs and Your Body" Initiative
Reaches Out to Students, Teachers, Parents
Institute: National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA)
NIDA recently launched "Heads Up: Real News About Drugs
and Your Body," a two-year school-based science education
partnership with children's publishing company Scholastic,
Inc. The initiative, which began in October, is designed to
reach more than 7.5 million students ages 12 to 15, their
parents, and their teachers by providing accurate, science-based
information about commonly abused drugs and their health effects
on the brain and other parts of the body. All materials have
been designed for students aged 12 to 15, including posters
and a magazine. Teachers' editions of each magazine will offer
lesson plans, extension activities, and additional resources.
Visit www.drugabuse.gov
and www.scholastic.com/headsup
or contact Sheryl Massaro (301) 594-6146 for additional information.
Lecture on "Genetics of Communication"
Available Online
Institute: National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Millions of Americans suffer from speech and language disorders.
NIDCD scientist Dr. Dennis Drayna recently explained how genes
affect the ability to communicate and discussed his research
on stuttering and tone deafness as part of the NIH 2002 Medicine
for the Public lecture series. Dr. Drayna's lecture, "The
Genetics of Speech and Communication Disorders," is available
on the NIH Web site at http://videocast.nih.gov/ram/medpublic092402.ram.
The lecture will also be available on demand through the ResearchChannel,
a video programming service. For information about this broadcast,
go to the ResearchChannel's NIH page at http://www.researchchannel.org/program/displayinst.asp?collid=178
and click first on 2002 Medicine for the Public Lecture
Series and then on the lecture title.
NIH Offers Scholarships to Individuals
from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
When: February 28, 2003 deadline
Program: NIH Undergraduate Scholarship
Program (UGSP)
The NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP) announces
that it is now accepting applications for the 20032004
academic year. The application deadline is February 28,
2003. For more information regarding the program and application,
please log on to http://ugsp.info.nih.gov
or call (800) 528-7689. You may submit an application on-line
or request to have one mailed.
The UGSP offers competitive scholarships of up to $20,000
per year to students from disadvantaged backgrounds that are
committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social
science-health related research. The program is designed to
improve access to education leading to research careers for
those who have had fewer opportunities than others. The program
seeks to provide an incentive for exceptional scholars to
pursue research careers at the NIH.
NIH Brings Latest Biomedical Discoveries
to Classrooms
When: February 2003
Where: Los Angeles, CA
Office: NIH Office of Science Education
(OSE)
K12 science teachers can bring the latest biomedical
discoveries into their classrooms, thanks to workshops that
are being conducted nationwide by the OSE. These workshops
feature the NIH Curriculum Supplements, which are teacher's
guides to hands-on activities on health-related science topics.
Sessions range from one-hour introductions to day-long workshops
that are conducted in partnership with local education organizations.
In February 2003, tentative workshops are scheduled with
the Los Angeles Unified School District and the University
of Southern California School of Dentistry. A new supplement
for grades 1 and 2 on oral health, called "Open Wide
and Trek Inside," will be the topic. Workshops in November
and December 2002 were held at science teacher meetings in
El Paso, TX; Cincinnati, OH; Portland, OR; Honolulu, HI; and
Albuquerque, NM.
In addition to the workshops, NIH science education resources
are displayed at the teachers' conferences via the NIH Science
Education Exhibit Booth. Sponsored by OSE, the exhibit provides
a forum for the 27 Institutes and Centers that comprise the
NIH to showcase and disseminate their free science education
materials to teachers and school administrators throughout
the country.
Look for information about the NIH Science Education Exhibit
Booth at http://science.education.nih.gov/exhibits.
Information about the NIH Curriculum Supplements is available
at http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements.
NIH Resources Promoted to Increase
Minority Input in Science, Research
When: December 2002
Where: San Juan, PR; Saint Thomas,
VI
Office: NIH Office of Equal Opportunity
and Diversity Management (OEODM)
The OEODM is working to bring NIH information and resources
to organizations and institutions nationwide to increase minority
participation in all aspects of science and research. The
OEODM coordinates outreach activities with Institutes and
Centers across NIH to promote NIH educational resources, training
opportunities, scholarships, research to eliminate health
disparities, and more. Activities include coordinating briefings
for minority-oriented organizations and institutions; organizing
panel presentations and speaking engagements at educational,
science, research, technology, and engineering conferences;
and coordinating outreach meetings on the NIH campus.
Organizations and institutions interested in OEODM-organized
outreach activities can fax requests to Lawrence Self, Director,
Office of Equal Opportunity, at (301) 402-0994 or contact
Pedro J. Morales, Assistant Director for Outreach and Recruitment
Programs, at (301) 594-9756 or via e-mail at moralesp@od.nih.gov.
Recent outreach activities include:
- December 6, San Juan, PR: Briefings on NIH training and
educational opportunities for the Metropolitan University
and the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Society of Neuroscience.
Participating NIH Institutes and Offices include the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National
Cancer Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, and
OEODM.
- December 36, Saint Thomas, VI: OEODM staff talked
about ensuring diversity in research at the Sixteenth
Annual Counseling and Treating People of Colour Conference.
- December 711, San Juan, PR: NIH staff made panel
presentations on educational resources, scholarships, training,
and internship opportunities at the Technology Tools for
Teaching and Learning Conference. Representatives from OEODM,
National Cancer Institute, Office of Science Education,
and the NIH Loan Repayment and Scholarship programs attended.
Conference to Focus on Diabetes Prevention
in American Indian Communities
When: December 1013, 2002
Where: Denver, CO
Institute: National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Diabetes Prevention in American Indian Communities: Turning
Hope Into Reality is the focus of a conference sponsored
by the NIDDK and hosted by the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee
on December 1013, 2002, in the Adams Mark Hotel, Denver,
CO. About 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference,
with presentations by community members and researchers on
topics related to diabetes prevention, what has been accomplished
so far with diabetes grant programs, and what is needed for
the future prevention and treatment of diabetes. Workshops
include prevention strategies, clinical interventions, program
evaluations, and information sharing. Exhibits and poster
sessions will provide networking opportunities for the diabetes
community, Tribal Leaders and Indian Health Program Workers.
Yvette Roubideaux, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, College
of Public Health, University of Arizona, and former President
of the American Association of Indian Physicians, is the Chair
of the Planning Committee. Other sponsors are the Indian Health
Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and
the American Diabetes Association. Additional information
is available on the Web site at http://diabetes2002.niddk.nih.gov.
Symposium on Stroke to Address Early
Treatment
When: December 1213, 2002
Where: Arlington, VA
Institute: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
In an effort to fundamentally change how stroke is recognized
and treated in the United States, the NINDS has partnered
with a number of nationwide organizations on several initiatives.
One of the most significant of these efforts is the Institute's
national public education campaign: "Know Stroke: Know
the Signs, Act in Time." The NINDS recently won two prestigious
awards for an educational film on stroke developed as a part
of the campaign.
On December 1213, 2002, the NINDS will be sponsoring
a follow-up scientific symposium to its highly successful
1996 symposium, Rapid Identification and Treatment of Acute
Stroke. The upcoming symposium is entitled Improving
the Chain of Recovery for Acute Stroke in Your Community
and will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Arlington,
Virginia (Crystal City). The goal of the symposium is to unify
the medical community in the recognition that early treatment
works and should be more widely available for all stroke patients.
The symposium will address the various barriers to acute stroke
treatment and offer ideas for increasing the number of stroke
patients treated in this country. For more information, see
the symposium Web site at www.StrokeSymposium.org
or call the NINDS at (800) 352-9424.
National Children's Study (NCS) Working
Group Liaison Network to Launch
When: December 17, 2002
Where: Baltimore, MD
Institute: National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
A major study of the effects of children's environments on
their health and development is being planned by the NICHD,
along with other federal partners. More than 20 working groups,
each with specialized tasks in their areas of expertise, are
working on different aspects of the study. These groups include
non-Federal members of the research community, but in order
to increase the amount of organized public involvement, one
member of each working group is being appointed to answer
questions and facilitate input from research advocates and
other members of the public. NICHD is sponsoring a kick-off
reception for this network on December 17, 2002, as part of
the NCS Assembly meeting, where members of the research advocacy
community and others can meet their liaisons and establish
ongoing contact. For further information about the study and
the Assembly meeting, go to: www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov
or contact Lisa Kaeser at (301) 496-0536.
Conference to Present Data on Dietary
Supplement Use in the Elderly
When: January 1415, 2003
Where: Bethesda, MD
Sponsors: Office of Dietary Supplements
(ODS), National Institute on Aging (NIA)
A two-day conference and workshop sponsored by the ODS and
NIA will present current data about dietary supplement use,
including vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals and other
dietary supplements in the elderly. In addition, conference
participants, speakers, and panels of experts will guide the
development of a research agenda in this area. Thematic topics
include monitoring and data needs; factors influencing the
decision to use dietary supplements; aging physiology; and
evidence-based studies on select dietary supplements that
have significant public health implications in the elderly
population.
Researchers, health care practitioners, educators, policymakers,
and students are encouraged to attend this conference. For
more information, including registration, please visit www.scgcorp.com/dsuse/index.asp
or contact Susie Warner, The Scientific Consulting Group,
Inc., by phone (301) 670-4990) or e-mail swarner@scgcorp.com.
The registration deadline is December 27, 2002.
New Kidney Disease Prevention Program
Focuses on African Americans at Risk
Where: Baltimore, MD; Cleveland,
OH; Jackson, MS; Atlanta, GA
Institute: National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
The NIDDK has initiated the National Kidney Disease Education
Program (NKDEP) to promote the prevention of kidney disease
through improved diagnosis and treatment of people at high
risk. Coalition-building efforts in four cities began during
October in Baltimore, MD; Cleveland, OH; Jackson, MS; and
Atlanta, GA. The pilot prevention program is being designed
to reach African Americans at high risk for kidney disease
and the primary care providers who treat them. Techniques
of social marketing and physician education are being combined
in different ways depending on the needs of the coalition
for each city. Evaluation of each program will elicit successful
techniques for improving diagnosis and treatment to prevent
progression to kidney failure, prior to the launch of a national
program in 2004.
Kidney disease rates have doubled since 1990 and are expected
to double again by 2010. In 1999, 424,000 people required
dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. Diabetes and hypertension
are the most common causes of kidney failure. The direct economic
cost of health care for kidney failure is about $18 billion
per year in the U.S. More information is available on NIDDK's
Web site, www.nkdep.nih.gov.
NIH Launches Native American Powwow
Outreach Initiative
Where: Virginia, Maryland, Washington,
DC
Office: NIH Office of the Director
(OD) Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO)
The NIH is reaching out to American Indian communities through
the Native American Powwow Outreach Initiative, a successful
pilot program launched in spring 2001 by the NIH Office of
the Director (OD) Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEO).
All NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) participate in this initiative
by providing staff support and/or information and materials.
As part of the initiative, NIH staff attends powwows within
a 250-mile radius of the NIH and distributes NIH publications
that deal with health concerns of interest to American Indian
communities. Information on specific medical conditions can
also be requested and is obtained from the appropriate IC
or Office and forwarded to the requestor. Requests have come
from a variety of sources, from individuals, to a mobile unit
that works in Appalachia with American Indians, to an American
Indian community minister. In addition to health information,
copies of current NIH job listings are distributed and a list
of potential applicants is compiled. Resumes that are submitted
are circulated to NIH Institutes and Centers for employment.
During 2001-2002, NIH staff participated in 15 powwows in
Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. For more information,
contact Hilda Dixon at (301) 402-4157.
Interagency Autism Meeting Open to the
Public
When: November 22, 2002
Where: NIH Campus
The NIH sponsored an Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
(IACC) meeting on November 22, organized by the National Institute
of Mental Health. Committee members include representatives
from several institutes of the NIH, other Federal agencies,
nonprofit organizations, and families of individuals with
autism spectrum disorders. The mission of the IACC is to facilitate
the efficient and effective exchange of information about
autism activities among the member agencies and between them
and public members; to serve as a forum for enhancing public
awareness of the member agencies' activities, programs, policies
and research; and to serve as a forum for bringing important
matters of interest forward for discussion.
The November meeting was held on the NIH campus in Bethesda,
MD. The session was open to the public, with attendance limited
to space available. Further information about the IACC, including
membership roster, reports from previous meetings, and contact
information, can be found at www.nimh.nih.gov/iacc/index.cfm.
Presentation Addresses Nursing Research,
Practice in Hispanic Community
When: November 22, 2002
Where: Guayama, PR
Institutes/Offices: NIH Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
Management (OEODM); Warren Magnusson Clinical Center, Nursing
Department; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Representatives from the NIAMS Community Health Center discussed
the application of nursing research and practice in a Hispanic
community during a bilingual presentation to the Health
Science Education Congress in Puerto Rico. The clinic
is the NIH's first community-based clinic and is devoted specifically
to health disparities research in rheumatic diseases. The
OEODM coordinated the presentation in response to a request
from the School of Nursing, Inter-American University, Guayama
Campus. Organizations and institutions interested in similar
OEODM-organized outreach activities can fax requests to Lawrence
Self, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, at (301) 402-0994
or contact Pedro J. Morales, Assistant Director for Outreach
and Recruitment Programs, at (301) 594-9756 or via e-mail
at moralesp@od.nih.gov.
Annual Epilepsy Research Lecture Established
When: November 12, 2002
Where: Washington, DC
Institute: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
The NINDS has established an annual research lectures series
about epilepsy in honor of the wife of Congressman Steny Hoyer,
Judith, who had the disorder. A number of nonprofit organizations
concerned with epilepsy co-sponsored the Inaugural Judith
Hoyer Epilepsy Research Lecture, which took place on November
12, 2002, in the Mumford Room of the Library of Congress'
Madison Building. Noted epilepsy investigator Jerome Engel,
Jr., M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California at Los Angeles,
spoke on the topic, "New Attitudes and New Approaches
to Treating Epilepsy." For more information, contact
the NINDS Office of Communications and Public Liaison at (301)
496-5751.
New Network of Minority Research Investigators
Established
When: November 78, 2002
Where: NIH Campus
Institute: National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases' (NIDDK)
The NIDDK's new Office of Minority Research Coordination
has established the Network of Minority Research Investigators
(NMRI). Preliminary planning meetings have focused on various
methods of communication and strategies to improve the competitiveness
of minority researchers. The major objective of the network
is to encourage and facilitate the participation of members
of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups in the
conduct of biomedical research in the fields of diabetes,
endocrinology, metabolic diseases, digestive diseases, nutrition,
and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. More information
about the NMRI is available at www.nmri.niddk.nih.gov.
NIH Mental Health Experts Share Expertise
at State Meetings
When: OctoberNovember 2002
Where: Mississippi, Idaho, Utah
Institute: National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH)
The NIMH has been bringing research updates to several state-level
meetings in recent months, each hosted by an Outreach Partner
from the NIMH Constituency Outreach and Education Program
(www.outreach.nimh.nih.gov).
Dr. Grayson Norquist, Director of the Division of Services
and Intervention Research (DSIR), was the keynote speaker
at the November 4 meeting of the Mental Health Association
of Mississippi, "Summit on Best Practices for Mental
Health Prevention and Recovery". Via videoconference,
on October 31 Dr. Ben Vitiello presented a talk on "Depression
in Children and Adolescents" to 13 satellite sites throughout
Idaho, hosted by the Idaho State University Institute of Rural
Health. Dr. Vitiello is Chief of the Child & Adolescent
Treatment & Preventive Intervention Research (DSIR/CATPIRB).
On October 18, Acting NIMH Director Dr. Richard Nakamura presented
the keynote address at the National Alliance for the Mentally
Ill Utah's annual "Bridges to Hope" conference.
NIMH Experts Participate in Workshop
on Mental Illness Awareness in Classroom
When: November 2, 2002
Where: Orlando, FL
Institute: National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH)
Neuroscientists, K-12 teachers, and representatives from
NIMH participated in a workshop on "Mental Illness Awareness
in the Classroom" at the annual meeting of the Society
for Neuroscience (SFN) in Orlando, Florida. Organized by the
SFN Committee on Neuroscience Literacy, the workshop was held
on November 2.
Dr. Richard Nakamura, Acting Director of NIMH, delivered
the keynote presentation. Other NIMH speakers described the
Institute's outreach and public dialogue efforts, especially
its Constituency Outreach and Education Program (www.outreach.nimh.nih.gov),
and demonstrated the CD-ROM "The Brain's Inner Workings"
(www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/braincd.cfm).
NIMH also distributed publications and materials about child
and adolescent mental health to all the participants (examples
at www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/childmenu.cfm).
The SFN web page on neuroscience literacy is http://apu.sfn.org/content/Programs/NeuroscienceLiteracy/index.html.
NIH Represented at Community Meeting
on Accessing Federal Health Resources
When: October 31, 2002
Where: Brooklyn, NY
Institutes: National Institute on
Aging (NIA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and
National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD)
Representatives from three NIH Institutes participated in
a community meeting held in Brooklyn, NY, to help community-
and faith-based organizations better understand how to access
services and resources through the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). Scientists from the NIA, NICHD,
and NIMH addressed the health topics of exercise and older
people, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and victims and perpetrators
of violence. The meeting, entitled Direct from DC: The
U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesAccessing
Resources for YOUR Community, included more than 1,000
citywide service providers, leaders from community- and faith-based
organizations, and local and state government officials who
were invited to hear HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and representatives
from a number of HHS agencies speak.
What is the Patient Understanding:
Health Literacy Lecture Addresses this Major Public Health
Issue
When: October 21, 2002
Where: NIH Campus
Institute: National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Dean Schillinger, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California
at San Francisco-San Francisco General Hospital, lectured
on "Babel Babble: What is the Doctor Saying? What is
the Patient Understanding?" on October 21, 2002. Health
literacy is a specific area of health communication that focuses
upon the degree to which individuals have the capacity to
obtain, process, and understand basic health information and
services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Individuals
who have challenges of literacy, language, or access to health
information are at greater risk for disease and have increased
likelihood of misusing medication. Health literacy is a major
public health need. For more information, send an e-mail to
marin_allen@nih.gov.
New Jersey Health Forum Promotes Heart,
Circulatory Health for Senior Citizens
When: October 21, 2002
Where: New Jersey
Institute: National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
An estimated 200 New Jersey residents attended a health forum
dedicated to the promotion of heart and circulatory health
for senior citizens. Dr. Teri Manolio, Director, Epidemiology
and Biometry Program, Division of Epidemiology and Clinical
Applications, NHLBI, presented an overview of the NIH and
stressed the importance of its activities relative to public
health. She provided examples of recent cardiovascular disease
research advances and discussed how lifestyle choices can
improve health and well being. Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen
(R-NJ), in conjunction with St. Barnabas Medical Center, hosted
the health forum. In recent months, at the request of other
members of Congress, the NHLBI has also participated in public
health forums in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Rhode Island. For more
information about NHLBI participation in local health forums,
send an e-mail to NHLBI.listens@nih.gov.
Mental Health Topics in NIH 2002 Medicine
for the Public Series Lectures
When: October 2002
Where: NIH Campus
Institute: National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH)
Two recent NIH Medicine for the Public lectures at the NIH
were presented by NIMH scientists. On October 1, Dr. Dennis
Charney spoke on "Coping with Anxiety and Depression
in Uncertain Times." Dr. Charney is Chief of the Mood
and Anxiety Disorders Program at NIMH, and Chief of its Experimental
Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch. Dr. Jay Giedd, Chief
of Brain Imaging for the NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch, spoke
about "The Teen Brain" on October 15.
Sponsored by the NIH Clinical Center, the Medicine for the
Public lecture series features physician-researchers and is
intended to help the public understand the latest developments
in medicine. Lectures are free, open to the public, and can
be viewed worldwide at any time after presentation through
the NIH videocast service at www.videocast.nih.gov.
Details about the lecture series are at www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/mfp/series.html,
including biographical information about Dr. Charney and Dr.
Giedd. In addition, information about the NIMH Mood and Anxiety
Disorders program is at http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/mood,
and an NIMH description of the teenage brain can be found
at www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/teenbrain.cfm,
as part of the Science on Our Minds series (www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/soms.cfm).
Town Meeting on Breast Cancer and Environment
Held in California
When: October 78, 2002
Where: Marin County, CA
Institute: National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
The NIEHS held a Town Meeting in Marin County, California
to obtain input into proposed NIEHS breast cancer research
related to environmental factors. The Institute is particularly
interested in ideas on breast cancer and the environment because
it recently began recruiting sisters of women with breast
cancer in Tampa, FL; Phoneix, AZ; St. Louis, MO; and Providence,
RI, for a major study on why sisters have increased risk of
breast cancer (see next item for more details).
The Town Meeting in California was part of a longstanding
series of town meetings the NIEHS holds around the country
each year to focus attention on unique environmental health
issues. Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., Director of the NIEHS and the
National Toxicology Program, led the town meeting at the invitation
of the Marin Breast Cancer Watch, a grassroots organization
dedicated to finding the causes of breast cancer and preventing
its spread. Janice Barlow, executive director of the Marin
Breast Cancer Watch, also spoke. The meeting featured open
microphone sessions, where community members and groups shared
their concerns, and a series of panel discussions that brought
together community members and researchers.
Upcoming Town Meetings are planned on January 78, 2003,
in San Antonio, Texas, and on February 2728, 2003 in
Miami, Florida. For more information about meeting times and
locations, contact Geraldine Wolfe by e-mail at wolfle@niehs.nih.gov
or by phone at (919) 541-3373, or visit www.niehs.nih.gov/od/tndates.htm.
Additional information about the upcoming meetings is also
available in the Upcoming Public Events section of this Bulletin.
Address Focuses on Efforts to Educate
Public on HIV Vaccine Research
When: September 12, 2002
Where: Washington, DC
Institute: National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Public education about HIV vaccine research to encourage
participation in clinical trials and the role of NIAID and
its Vaccine Research Center in the global war against HIV/AIDS
were the focus of a recent NIAID address to the Congressional
Black Caucus Health Braintrust. The Braintrust is an annual
event that draws state and local leaders and the public from
around the nation to Washington, D.C. each fall. Chad Womack,
Ph.D., a Vaccine Research Center fellow addressed these issues
during a panel entitled "Global HIV/AIDS Update 2002:
Together We Can, Together We Will." For more information,
contact James Hadley, (301) 496-5717.
NIH Reaches Out to Minority Scientists
from Oklahoma's Langston University
When: September 4, 2002
Where: NIH Campus
Representatives from Oklahoma City's Langston University
discussed the potential for collaborative support from the
NIH for their research program and faculty during a recent
visit to the NIH campus. The OEODM organized the outreach
meeting, which included representatives from throughout NIH
as well as university's president and members of its senior
faculty. Organizations and institutions interested in similar
OEODM-organized outreach activities can fax requests to Lawrence
Self, Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, at (301) 402-0994
or contact Pedro J. Morales, Assistant Director for Outreach
and Recruitment Programs, at (301) 594-9756 or via e-mail
at moralesp@od.nih.gov.
Instructional Materials Provided to
Elementary School Classes
When: August 2002
Where: Suddlersville, MD
Institute: National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases
As part of its outreach efforts, NIAID's Office of Special
Populations and Research Training in the Division of Extramural
Affairs participated in the Suddlersville Elementary School
Health Fair held in Suddlersville, MD. The fair culminated
a six-week Queen Anne's County Migrant School Program, which
focused on nutrition, reading, mathematics, and language skills.
The program was targeted to 268 children, ranging from infants
to 9th grades. The program was conducted by 25 teachers and
56 support staff and volunteers. The program is supported
with Federal grants received under the Title I and Head Start
for the purpose of providing daycare and education to the
children of migrant workers. While the majority of the students
are from South America, approximately 85 percent of the students
in K9 have English as a second language. The Office
also adopted a fifth grade class providing instructional materials
on disease areas handled by NIAID and other NIH Institutes.
For more information, contact James Hadley at (301) 496-5717.
Public Representatives Attend Working
Group on Future Sarcoidosis Research
When: August 2223, 2002
Where: Rockville, MD
Institute: National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
The NHLBI convened a working group on future directions in
sarcoidosis research. Investigators with expertise in pulmonary
diseases (especially sarcoidosis), genetics, and other associated
areas reviewed the current status of what is known about the
disease, identified gaps in research, pinpointed obstacles
to progress, and explored other areas of research that may
be applicable to sarcoidosis. Representatives from patient
support groups and other organizations concerned about sarcoidosis
stressed the critical need for improved diagnosis and treatment.
They also shared experiences from their efforts to increase
community awareness of sarcoidosis. The disease is due to
inflammation, which can appear in almost any organ but most
often starts in the lungs or lymph nodes. Its cause is unknown.
For more information about the working group, send an e-mail
to NHLBI.listens@nih.gov.
Community Liaison Group Established
at NIAID Rocky Mountain Laboratories
Where: Hamilton, MT
Institute: National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
NIAID's Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) has announced the
formation of a Community Liaison Group, made up of more than
20 civic and community leaders from the Hamilton, MT, area
where the facility is located. The group meets regularly with
RML administrators to ensure an open dialogue with the community
as the laboratories plan for the growth of its research programs.
The planned growth includes the building of an integrated
research facility that includes offices, conference rooms,
and a high-containment laboratory for conducting research
that will lead to a better understanding of agents of bioterrorism
and the development of diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines
to protect citizens from those agents. The group also assists
in planning a series of community open houses. For more information
about the community liaison, contact James Hadley at (301)
496-5717.
Report Focuses on Women's Health
Institute: National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Women's Health in the U.S.: Research on Health Issues Affecting
Women focuses on infectious, immunologic, and allergic
diseases that fall under the research mandate of NIAID. The
report covers the impact of and research agenda for HIV/AIDS,
autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, and sexually
transmitted diseases. You can view this report at www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/womenshealth/womenshealth.pdf
or place an order for a
copy at www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/orderforms/order.htm.
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