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• Science Highlights
• NIBIB News
• Funding Opportunities & Updates
• Names in the News
• Conferences & Meetings
• The NIH Corner

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Science Highlights

Biologically Active Nanofibers: Paralyzed Limbs Move Again

(a) Schematic representation of self-assembling nanofibers with biologically active molecules on their surface. The nanofibers measure 6 to 8 nanometers in diameter—approximately 6,000 times thinner than a human hair. (b) Bundles of the individual nanofibers forming a network as seen through a microscope (magnification bar = 200 nanometers). These networks assemble spontaneously when the molecules are injected into the site of spinal cord injury, creating the therapy for damaged nerve extensions.

Researchers have developed a new material that enables mice with severe spinal cord injuries to regain movement in their paralyzed limbs within weeks. In combination with existing technologies, this new approach could considerably improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury in people.

Previously, scientists discovered that a five amino acid chain (IKVAV) promotes growth of nerve extensions. Dr. John Kessler and colleagues from Northwestern University and University of Toronto engineered a scaffold that when exposed to electric charge in tissues, self-assembles from a liquid state into a dense network of cylindrical nanofibers containing IKVAV on their surface, termed IKVAV peptide amphiphile (PA). PAs are molecules of protein and fatty components made in a way that allows them to self-assemble into three-dimensional structures within the body. Kessler’s recent study, supported in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), examined whether this scaffold could assist recovery after spinal cord injury.

Twenty-four hours after severe spinal cord injury that left their hind limbs paralyzed, mice were given an injection of IKVAV PA. The timing was chosen to emulate the delay of medical intervention people might experience after a serious injury. Nine weeks later, some of the mice treated with the scaffold began using their hind legs again. These astonishing results suggested that IKVAV PA had multiple and lasting biological effects.

As reported in the April 2, 2008, issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, IKVAV PA reduced scar formation and nerve cell death while enhancing growth of neural extensions. Kessler’s group found that IKVAV PA treatment suppressed the growth of nerve cells that create scar tissue, which impedes growth of nerve extensions. On the other hand, the scaffold promoted the survival of cells that aid the repair of damaged nerve extensions.

Most importantly, the bioactive scaffold improved the growth of nerve extensions up and down the spinal cord, leading to recovery of both sensation and movement. At 11 weeks after injury, new nerve fibers grew through the injury site and connected with the spinal cord. This long-term effect came as a surprise to researchers because it is known that the scaffold is biodegraded within a couple of weeks.

Self-assembly into nanofibers is a unique feature of IKVAV PA. Remarkably, injection of IKVAV or laminin—the human protein in which IKVAV is found—without the scaffold did not produce the same recovery benefit as IKVAV PA. For example, scar reduction occurred only with IKVAV PA, suggesting that the nanostructure of the scaffold plays a biological role, possibly by exposing cells to a high density of IKVAV molecules.

In this study, IKVAV PA enabled only partial recovery of function, but improving the stability and mechanical properties of the scaffold could significantly enhance its performance. In the future, researchers will be able to design scaffolds with various bioactive molecules instead of IKVAV on their surface, instructing cells to behave in a desired way. Thus, although it might not yet represent a miraculous cure for paralysis, the biologically active nanofiber technology could become an important tool for treatment of spinal cord and other devastating injuries.

Related Links:

Spinal Cord Injury: Hope Through Research – How is Research Helping Spinal Cord Injury Patients?
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/detail_sci.htm#106273233

Nanofiber Scaffolds
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/HealthEdu/eAdvances/10Jun05

Hybrid PET/MRI Scanner Improves Cancer Studies and Drug Development

A combined PET/MRI image shows a lymphoma tumor in a mouse's groin area. The top image shows localization (red) of an imaging agent (18F-FDG) in the tumor on top of a simultaneously recorded MR image showing bowels (dark ovals) and spinal cord (center top bright spot). The bottom MR image (recorded minutes later) shows a quantitative map of diffusive water movement within the tumor. Image credit: Thomas Ng and Daniel Procissi, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

Researchers have combined two of the most powerful imaging tools currently available—magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)—into one system that simultaneously acquires MRI and PET data. The new system will permit better monitoring of such dynamic processes as tumor response to chemotherapy and could enhance drug development in animal studies of disease.

Researchers use PET and MRI in clinical and basic research. PET tracks the movement of specially designed molecules called radiotracers through the body, giving information on the concentrations of these molecules, but cannot provide data on how the radiotracers affect surrounding tissue. MRI provides high-resolution images of soft tissue using a strong magnetic field. Problems arise when investigators try to correlate data from PET and MRI. Images obtained on separate systems must be aligned using software that looks for identical landmarks on the two images, a challenge when it comes to organs that move such as the stomach, heart, lungs, or bladder. Separate systems also mean that data are gathered at different points in time. Drug uptake or distribution of an imaging agent often occurs in a matter of seconds or minutes, leaving little time to switch from a PET to an MRI scanner.

To overcome these challenges, collaborators from the University of California, Davis; California Institute of Technology; University of Tubingen; and Harvard University created the hybrid system. They reported their results in the March 11, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers built a PET insert that slides into the MRI scanner utilizing components that minimize magnetic and electronic interference between the two.

The team conducted a series of experiments to measure interference between the two imaging systems when operated simultaneously. They found that the MRI system had no effect on PET’s spatial resolution, but PET did experience a slight decrease in sensitivity (<10% reduction in the fraction of radioactive decay events detected by the PET scanner inside the MRI). The team also imaged a test pattern both with and without the PET insert and found that the insert had little effect on MRI image quality.

"The combined PET/MRI scanner provides highly complementary information that allows you to study different aspects of a biological system aligned in both space and time," explains Simon Cherry, Director of the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging, University of California, Davis. "Because biological systems are complex, dynamic systems, this provides powerful opportunities to ask questions about the validation of new therapeutics, diagnostics, and biomarkers that are very hard to answer using separate imaging systems."

Studies on mice with leg tumors demonstrated the PET/MRI system’s potential to differentiate between malignant tissue, dead tissue, and swelling within a tumor. The researchers were also able to perform whole-body animal imaging with the system. This step is important for imaging cancer metastasis, observing immune responses to cancer, and detecting plaques in blood vessels. Whole-body imaging also allows assessment of structural and physiological alterations across organ systems. In nonclinical drug studies, for instance, drug researchers would be able to track the effectiveness of a drug over time in the same animal.

Read the full article at http://www.nibib.nih.gov/HealthEdu/eAdvances/28May08.

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NIBIB News

NIBIB Director Participates in 2008 South African PhD Project Conference

NIBIB Director Dr. Roderic Pettigrew recently traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to give a keynote address and participate in the first conference held for the South African PhD Project. His inspirational presentation, “Revolutions in Science: A Personal Journey,” covered the road he personally traveled in his life, from growing up in Albany, Georgia, to his years at Morehouse College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to becoming the Director of the NIBIB. The South African PhD Project is an initiative of the National Research Foundation (NRF), a national agency modeled after the National Science Foundation that supports basic and applied research in South Africa through funding of research projects and programs, human resource development, and national facility management. This major campaign aims to increase the number of South African Ph.D.s five-fold by 2025, and the conference gathered 300 young researchers from around the country as the potential first batch of the project. The goals of the South African PhD Project are to increase the number of qualified South Africans for critical positions in academia, public and private sector organizations; provide a hub for nurturing peer and mentor support networks; increase the number and diversity of role models and mentors; contribute towards development of a more equitable private and public sector workforce; and foster collaborative private public partnerships for human capital development in South Africa. To learn more about the South African PhD Project and the National Research Foundation, visit http://www.nrf.ac.za/.

Roderic Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D., gives a keynote address at the 2008 South African PhD Project Conference. Dr. Pettigrew talks to conference participants following his presentation.

2007 NIBIB Summer Intern Receives Purdue’s Prestigious G.A. Ross Award

Steven learned intubation techniques at the National Naval Medical Center during his 2007 internship.

Steven Lee, a 2007 Biomedical Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP) participant, has received the G.A. Ross Award, a top academic honor from Purdue University. The award is given each year to a graduating senior in recognition of “an exemplary pattern of student life” as measured by high academic achievement, outstanding leadership, strength of character, and overall contributions to Purdue University.

Lee’s confident, yet friendly banter gives the initial impression that he is a typical college student. But further inquiry on academics, his future, and his humanist outlook exposes a character that is nothing short of extraordinary. He is mature beyond his years, with a clear vision for the future. Lee believes his participation in NIBIB’s 10-week BESIP program elevated his academic credentials and was an important factor in his selection for the Ross award. It also helped him make important decisions about his academic and professional future.

Lee recalls, "I was introduced to the M.D./Ph.D. program during my sophomore summer internship at the Indiana University School of Medicine. I was actually leaning away from doing the program, but it just so happened that the [BESIP] mentor I was working with—Dr. Mark Knepper—was an M.D./Ph.D., and we talked about the program benefits, but also about all the time required to get the degree."

Lee believes that as knowledge expands, the perceived lines between the disciplines fade, and understanding the dynamics and the interdisciplinary nature of biomedical science will be critical to solving medical challenges. He explains, "The problem comes when you have so much information that you don’t know how to handle it all. Tackling that kind of problem is going to take people who have the insight to look at the big picture and handle things from a global perspective."

The compassionate "natural leader" highlighted in his Ross Award nomination comes to light as he talks of his life goals. "A person hopes to practice medicine for 20 to 30 years, and you want to make a strong impact in the field. It’s possible to improve people’s lives, not just currently, but in the future, and I think the research aspect of the M.D./Ph.D. program will really help me do that," says Lee.

Already committed to that goal, after spending his spring break helping deliver health services to people in Quito, Ecuador, Lee’s summer is already booked. This time, it’s a trip to Guatemala where he will immerse himself in Spanish language for four hours each day and, outside the classroom, help locals through service in a social health care program.

Dr. Robert Lutz, BESIP Director, comments, "Steven was an outstanding BESIP intern. He represents the quality of all former and future BESIP interns and is a shining example of the wonderful students that bioengineering programs across the country are producing. It makes me feel confident and secure that the future of biomedical research is in great hands."

To read the full interview with Steven Lee, visit
http://www.nibib.nih.gov/Training/UndergradGrad/besip/home/StevenLeeInterview.

Point-of-Care Technology Network Shares First Year Progress and Plans

NIBIB Staff and POCT Research Network Members. From l to r: Front Row—Gonzalo Domingo of Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH); Tala de los Santos of PATH; NIBIB Deputy Director Belinda Seto; Charlotte Gaydos of Johns Hopkins University; NIBIB Director Roderic Pettigrew; Gerald Kost of University of California, Davis; Joseph Clark of University of Cincinnati. Back Row—Bernhard Weigl of PATH; Ben Hindson of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Fred Beyette of University of Cincinnati; Mary Sullivan of Johns Hopkins University; Joany Jackman of Johns Hopkins University.

In 2007, the NIBIB launched a Point-of-Care (POC) Technologies Research Network to facilitate the development and application of these technologies to health care. These technologies would be developed through collaborative efforts among clinicians, biomedical researchers, and engineers by merging scientific and technological capabilities with clinical needs. To this end, NIBIB funded four Centers within the Network, each with a different POC diagnostic focus but bound through common goals and objectives. On March 7, 2008, researchers from each of the four Centers came together in Bethesda to share their early efforts and future plans.

POC Technology and the Future
NIBIB’s Director, Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, noted that POC has the potential to change health care delivery and to expedite diagnosis and clinical testing of diseases/conditions and ultimately may reduce health care costs. The idea of establishing a POC Network emerged from a workshop sponsored by NIBIB in April 2006, which focused on improving health care accessibility through POC testing and new technologies. POC testing refers to the timely provision of clinical diagnostic information in decentralized (i.e., non-hospital) settings such as the primary care physician’s office or the patient’s home, or in low-resource environments including natural disaster sites and economically disadvantaged areas. POC testing fits nicely into the emerging theme of decentralized health care delivery, with its emphases on a patient-centered approach, decreased dependence on hospitals, increased emphasis on primary care and home health care, and cost-reduction.

Critical Need for POC Centers
Dr. Gerald Kost, Principal Investigator (PI) of the University of California, Davis-Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) POC Technologies (POCT) Center, focuses on rapid multipathogen detection and national disaster readiness. His team’s initial work involves the development of POC devices that accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening, bloodstream infections. To illustrate the need for such technologies, Dr. Kost pointed to the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the absence of POC diagnostic devices in the field; their availability at the disaster site could have greatly enhanced triage and mobilization efforts. One of the challenges in the development of these technologies is stability under less-than-ideal conditions (e.g., ambient temperatures), a point emphasized by Dr. Bernhard Weigl of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and PI of the Center to Advance POC Diagnostics for Global Health. Dr. Weigl noted that in low-resource settings, facilities such as running water and reliable power sources may not be available, and any new POC device must be stable in order to be useful. Most importantly, however, is the diagnostic accuracy of the POC testing; as Dr. Kost stated, "POC testing is not an excuse for inaccuracy." In addition, as indicated by Dr. Charlotte Gaydos, PI of the Center for POC Technologies for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) at Johns Hopkins University, the new testing must be acceptable to the target population. Dr. Gaydos and her colleagues are collecting data from patients seen in the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center emergency rooms (ER) pertaining to their willingness to use new POC STD testing. These researchers face a challenge: the development of new technologies that are affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid, robust, and transportable, while at the same time deliverable to and maintainable by those who are meant to use them.

"Time is Brain"
Somewhat unique among the four Centers is the POC Center for Emerging Neurotechnologies, led by Dr. Fred Beyette of the University of Cincinnati. This group focuses on bringing POC testing to the ER doctor with rapid and reliable information related to a neurologic emergency. Dr. Joseph Clark, co-PI of the Center, explained that 1 million brain cells die every minute during a stroke; an initial correct diagnosis results in a 91 percent likelihood of a good outcome (i.e., the ability to carry out all usual duties and activities). Conversely, an incorrect diagnosis results in only a 53 percent likelihood of a good outcome. Thus, correct diagnostic information needs to be made available to ER clinicians quickly, or as Dr. Clark stated, "Time is brain."

More long term, however, is the use of these newly developed technologies in a wider arena. A common challenge noted by all the Centers was the lack of a shared language between, for example, clinicians and engineers. This obstacle may be initially difficult, but as the multidisciplinary research teams at each of the Centers work to bring prototype technologies into the testing phase, the realization of potential field products supports a common understanding through common goals.

NIBIB Holds First Meeting of Quantum Grantees

NIBIB Staff, Quantum Grantees, and Grantee Collaborators From l to r: Front Row—Mary Dickinson and Karen Hirschi of Baylor College of Medicine; Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University Health Services; NIBIB Director Roderic Pettigrew; Raoul Kopelman of University of Michigan; Mehmet Toner of Massachusetts General Hospital. Back Row—Shuvo Roy and William Fissell of Cleveland Clinic; Daniel Orringer of University of Michigan; NIBIB Extramural Science Program Director William Heetderks; NIBIB Quantum Grant Project Officer Albert Lee.

The NIBIB recently held its first Quantum Grantee Meeting. The goal of the high impact-high risk Quantum Program is to make a profound advance in health care by solving or substantially improving targeted major health care problems within approximately 10 years. As such, NIBIB Director Roderic Pettigrew likens these research projects to “medical moon shots.” The Quantum awards are made in two phases. In Phase I, grantees establish functional interdisciplinary teams and determine feasibility of the proposed concept and work. Grantees who are successful in competing for Phase II awards are expected to achieve first-in-human demonstrations by the end of Phase II. The meeting brought together the Phase I grantees and NIH staff to share initial successes and future plans. Grantees include Dr. Mehmet Toner of Massachusetts General Hospital; Dr. Karen Hirschi of Baylor College of Medicine; Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University Health Services; Dr. Raoul Kopelman of the University of Michigan; and Dr. Shuvo Roy of the Cleveland Clinic.

Circulating Tumor Cells Captured: Preventing Metastases
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, known for its use in automobile crash sensors and high-definition DLP TVs, is the basis for fabricating a microchip that may greatly improve early detection of cancer cells circulating in the blood and help determine the effectiveness of targeted therapy. Microfabricated posts within the point-of-care device are coated with antibodies that specifically bind to proteins on the surface of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Remarkably, most of the targeted cancer cells stick to the posts while billions of other cells in the blood pass by. These cells are so rare (they are found at levels of one cancer cell in a billion normal cells) that locating one is like “finding a needle in a moving haystack,” notes Dr. Toner, who is developing the microchip to isolate CTCs from whole human blood. Collected CTCs are available for further analyses, including detecting genetic mutations for targeted therapeutics and evaluating metastatic potential. Early detection of CTCs may allow prevention of metastatic disease, which is the cause of death in 90% of cancer patients.

Stem Cell Therapy: Prospects for Stroke and Diabetes
A treatment that restores lost function to the almost 700,000 victims of stroke is the broad conceptual goal of Dr. Karen Hirschi’s team. Her team aims to recreate the brain regions involved in the generation of new neurons—neurogenesis niches—and transplant them into brain areas affected by stroke. Using sophisticated imaging techniques and complex analysis software, her research team has laid the groundwork for this effort by mapping cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in neurogenesis niches, defining the neurovascular architecture, and characterizing the blood flow hemodynamics that stimulate and support neural stem cell function. A three-dimensional blueprint of such a niche is under development.

Another Quantum grantee is taking a different approach to the therapeutic use of stem cells. Dr. Anthony Atala is working on utilizing stem cells collected from amniotic fluid to treat diabetes by regenerating pancreatic beta cells. Amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells, which can be collected and banked during pregnancy or at delivery, are self-renewable and have the ability to differentiate into numerous tissues. "Unlike human embryonic stem cells, AFS cells do not form tumors and retain a normal genetic phenotype," explains Dr. Atala. Undifferentiated AFS cells transformed with the Pdx1 gene—critical for pancreatic cell development—can generate pancreatic islets and produce insulin. When injected into diabetic mice, these cells can restore glucose regulation. The next step is to demonstrate that this can be done in primates as well.

Nanoparticles to Define and Eliminate Brain Tumors
Despite notable progress in treating many cancers, effective treatment of malignant brain tumors remains a daunting challenge. As a frontline therapeutic step, surgical removal of malignant brain tumors is often incomplete due in part to the inability to visually distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue during surgery. An additional major problem is the small, undetected tentacle-like tumor projections into healthy tissue. The residual tumor tissue typically leads to tumor recurrence and death. To address both of these problems, Dr. Raoul Kopelman is developing multifunctional nanoparticles that carry components capable of selectively targeting and visibly marking tumor cells so that the tumor can be readily seen with the naked eye, improving its bulk surgical resection. Subsequently, a therapeutic agent on the nanoparticle will be used to kill residual tumor cells using laser-activated photodynamic therapy. The combined diagnostic and therapeutic nanoparticles bind to tumor cells via a tumor-specific peptide and deliver the visible dye plus a molecular weapon called a photosensitizer that selectively kills the tumor cells when activated by light. According to Dr. Daniel Orringer, a neurosurgeon collaborating with Dr. Kopelman, this technology will address a critical roadblock that has long hindered successful treatment of brain cancer.

Dialysis May Give Way to Artificial Kidneys
Hemodialysis is a life-saving procedure for patients with failed kidneys; however, it requires trips to a treatment center three times a week and is physically taxing. Renal transplantation is the treatment of choice, but only 20 percent of people with kidney failure will live long enough to receive a transplant. Dr. Roy is developing the next best thing—an implantable device that replaces kidney function. The bioartificial kidney has two key components: a hemofilter that filters toxins from the blood followed by a bioreactor with living kidney tubule cells that pumps filtered water and necessary salts back into the blood. The filtration membrane of the device is being developed using MEMS technology. Precise control of size, density, and distribution of pores on the membrane enables blood filtration within the body. This ambitious 10-year project may improve the quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease while significantly decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.

NIBIB Participates in NIH’s "Take Your Child to Work Day"

Dr. Albert Lee hosts the game show "What is Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering?" On April 24, 2008, NIH hosted the annual "Take Your Child to Work Day." This event is designed to introduce children ages 8–15 to the world of biomedical research and to the wide array of skills and services needed to support it. NIBIB hosted two sessions for this event. The morning session, entitled "What is Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering?" was led by Dr. Albert Lee. The session introduced participants to concepts in both fields in an interactive game show format and tested their knowledge of science achievements and possibilities, such as growing replacement body parts. Following the game show, the children participated in an experiment to measure lung capacity and became virtual surgeons by performing knee replacement surgery using a computer game.

Dr. Henry Eden introduces Professor Ribbit to the participants in the "Fun with Biomedical Imaging" session. Two virtual surgeons perform knee-replacement surgery. An afternoon session entitled "Fun with Biomedical Imaging" was held at the Laboratory of Bioengineering and Physical Science. Participants were fascinated by the demonstrations and explanations of infrared imaging, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy provided by Dr. Richard Leapman and his staff. The children were especially happy to meet Professor Ribbit, an Australian tree frog that became the subject for some of the non-invasive infrared imaging demonstrations.

NIBIB Hosts Congressional and Advocacy Staff Visit

Dr. Terry Philips of NIBIB’s Nanoscale Immunodiagnostics Laboratory discusses lab-on-a-chip diagnostic capabilities with tour visitors.

On June 3, 2008, NIBIB welcomed Congressional health care staff and representatives from various patient advocacy groups for an overview and tour. The visitors received an overview on the Institute from NIBIB Director Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D.; a presentation on radiofrequency ablation technology from Bradford Wood, M.D., of the Imaging Sciences Program at the Clinical Center; and a tour of the Nanoscale Immunodiagostics Laboratory, part of NIBIB’s Laboratory of Bioengineering and Physical Science, given by Richard Leapman, Ph.D., and Terry Philips, Ph.D., Sc.D.

NIBIB collaborates with the Coalition for Imaging and Bioengineering Research (CIBR) to host several tours a year aimed at introducing Congressional staff and patient advocacy group members to the NIH and its research programs.

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Funding Opportunities & Updates

Point-of-Care Technologies for Disaster Care

The UC Davis-LLNL POC Technologies Center invites applications for exploratory projects in the area of new POC technologies that address unmet clinical needs in critical-emergency-disaster care, with focus on multiplex pathogen detection in human whole blood for use in situations of disaster triaging, decision making, management, and treatment. Additional information is available at http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/pathology/poctcenter/solicitations/UCD-POCTC-08.pdf.

NIH Roadmap for Medical Research

The NIH Roadmap is a series of far-reaching initiatives designed to build on the progress in medical research achieved through the doubling of the NIH budget. NIBIB plays a significant role in Roadmap activities in many areas. More information on current NIH Roadmap funding opportunities is available at nihroadmap.nih.gov/grants/index.asp.

NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research is a cooperative effort among the 16 NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices that support neuroscience research. By pooling resources and expertise, the Blueprint supports the development of new tools, training opportunities, and other resources to assist neuroscientists in both basic and clinical research. More information on current NIH Blueprint funding opportunities is available at neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/blueprint_funding/index.htm.

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Names in the News

New Faces

Ms. Chris Marie Davis has joined NIBIB as a Grants Management Specialist in the Grants Management Office.

Ms. Terry Green has joined the NIBIB Director’s Office as the Office Manager.

Ms. Eunica Haynes has joined NIBIB as a Grants Management Specialist in the Grants Management Office. Ms. Haynes was hired through the NIH Administrative Fellows Program.

Mr. Joe Mosimann has been appointed Director, Office of Financial Management.

Ms. Sonal Sampat has joined NIBIB as a Biomedical Engineer in the Division of Inter-Disciplinary Training.

Farewell

Ms. Lillian Ashley, Office Manager in the NIBIB Director’s Office, has retired after 42 years of service in the federal government.


 

Awards

Two members of the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering recently received awards.

Augustus O. Grant, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center, has received the American Heart Association’s Gold Heard Award. This award is conferred annually to one or two individuals who have rendered distinguished service in advancing the objectives of the American Heart Association (AHA). Recipients of this award are selected primarily for their continued and significant contributions over time to national AHA programs.

Dr. Grant has also received the 2008 Duke Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award.

David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and Poussaint-Satcher-Cosby Chair in Mental Health at Morehouse School of Medicine, has received the William J. Gies Award. This award recognizes contributions to and support of global oral health and education initiatives. William J. Gies was a pioneer in dental education.

Two NIBIB Grantees were recently honored with awards:

Christine Schmidt, Ph.D., The Laurence E. McMakin, Jr., Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, is the recipient of the first Chairmen's Distinguished Life Sciences Award, one of four new Life Sciences Awards sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This prestigious national award is based on discovery and innovation in the life sciences and moving innovative technologies into the clinic. Dr. Schmidt is recognized for her research achievements in the area of neural engineering.

Nicholas A. Peppas, Sc.D., the Fletcher Stuckey Pratt Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, has received the Pierre Galletti Award from the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Peppas was recognized "for seminal contributions and visionary leadership in biomaterials science and engineering and for pioneering work on drug delivery that has led to numerous biomedical products and devices."

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Conferences & Meetings

SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences
August 4–7, 2008, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
www.siam.org/meetings/ls08/index.php

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
October 2–4, 2008, St. Louis, MO
http://bme.wustl.edu/BMES2008/index.htm

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
October 9–12, 2008, Salt Lake City, UT
http://www.sacnas.org/confNew/confClient/

Neuroimaging in Obesity Research
October 27–28, 2008, Bethesda, MD
http://www3.niddk.nih.gov/fund/other/neuroimaging2008/

Neuroscience 2008
November 15–19, 2008, Washington, DC
http://www.sfn.org/am2008/?CFID=18156990&CFTOKEN=20546877

Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2008
November 30–December 5, 2008, Chicago, IL
http://rsna2008.rsna.org/

Women’s 2008 Leadership Symposium
It’s Your Responsibility: How to Lead and Impact Policy:
Enhancing the Role of Women in Medical and Biological Engineering
December 4–5, 2008, Chicago, IL
http://www.aimbe.org/content/index.php?pid=389

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The NIH Corner

NIH Director Announces Enhancements to Peer Review

NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, M.D., recently announced critical changes to enhance and improve the NIH peer review system. The initiatives were presented at the June 6 meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Director and are designed to reflect NIH’s response to thousands of comments, opinions, and criticisms received throughout the year from both the internal and external NIH communities. The intent of these changes is to "fund the best science, by the best scientists, with the least administrative burden."

The Implementation Plan Report consists of four main priorities:

• Priority 1 - Engage the Best Reviewers: Increase flexibility of service, formally acknowledge reviewer efforts, further compensate time and effort, and enhance and standardize training.
• Priority 2 - Improve Quality and Transparency of Reviews: Shorten and redesign applications to highlight impact and to allow alignment of the application, review and summary statement with five explicit review criteria, and modify the rating system.
• Priority 3 - Ensure Balanced and Fair Reviews Across Scientific Fields and Career Stages.
  • Support a minimum number of early stage investigators and investigators new to NIH, and emphasize retrospective accomplishments of experienced investigators.
  • Encourage and expand the Transformative Research Pathway.
  • Create a new investigator-initiated Transformative R01 Award program funded within the NIH Roadmap with an intended commitment of a minimum of $250 million over 5 years.
  • Continue the commitment of—and possibly expand the use of—the Pioneer, EUREKA, and New Innovator Awards. NIH will invest at least $750 million in these three programs over the next 5 years.
  • Reduce the burden of multiple rounds of resubmission for the same application, especially for highly meritorious applications.
• Priority 4 - Develop a Permanent Process for Continuous Review of Peer Review.

For more information about enhancing peer review at NIH and to learn about the implementation plan, please visit http://enhancing-peer-review.nih.gov.

Director of National Human Genome Research Institute Steps Down

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has announced his intention to step down on August 1 to explore writing projects and other professional opportunities.

Dr. Collins has served as NHGRI's director since April 1993. He led the Human Genome Project (HGP) to its successful conclusion in 2003 and subsequently initiated and managed a wide range of projects that built upon the foundation laid by the sequencing of the human genome. Dr. Zerhouni announced that Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., the current deputy director of NHGRI, will be appointed acting director of NHGRI on August 1. His appointment will assure a seamless transition during the formal search process for a permanent NHGRI director.