NIH Director's Town Meeting, Dec. 16 in Masur Auditorium

The third NIH Director's Town Hall Meeting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 16 with Dr. Elias Zerhouni, from noon to 1 p.m. in Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10. All employees are invited to attend. Questions submitted prior to the Dec. 1 deadline for online feedback will help guide the topics of discussion. Sign language interpretation will be available and accommodations can be made for those needing special assistance. For more information, contact Carol Jabir at jabirc@od.nih.gov or (301) 496-1776.

Zerhouni Gives Doppman Lecture

NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni, a radiologist by training, gave the third annual John Doppman Memorial Lecture in Lipsett Amphitheater on Oct. 22. Doppman, who died in 2000, was the longtime head of the Clinical Center's diagnostic radiology department. Zerhouni's lecture was titled, "Imaging Research Trends and 21st Century Needs."

Biology + Computers = BISTI Symposium

Some 600 experts in biology, medicine, computer science and other fields gathered at the Natcher Conference Center last month for a major symposium, sponsored by the NIH Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI), titled "Digital Biology: The Emerging Paradigm." Among the attendees were keynote speakers Dr. Sydney Brenner (above), a Nobel Prize-winning pioneer in genetics and molecular biology and distinguished professor at the Salk Institute, and Dr. Nathan Myhrvold (below), Microsoft's former chief technology officer and now managing director of the entrepreneurial firm Intellectual Ventures. More than 200 presentations by representatives from government, academia and industry from around the world provided a broad look at contemporary issues arising from the convergence of biomedical and computational research. The BISTI symposium was the culmination of a week-long series of meetings, which also included "satellite" events held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation as well as a workshop for scientists interested in applying for new federal funding establishing the NIH National Centers for Biomedical Computing, part of the recently unveiled NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.

Holiday Cards Benefit Inn

You can order holiday cards decorated by young patients from the Children's Inn at NIH, with proceeds benefitting the home-like residence for youngsters being treated here. There are four designs to choose from; each was created by NIH pediatric patients. The designs are available in boxed sets of 25 and can be personalized at no extra charge.

To see the cards, visit www.childrensinn.org and follow the instructions on the home page. Orders can be placed by printing out and faxing the order form, by filling it out on online, or by calling Anne Swire, director of development and public relations at the inn, at (301) 451-9453.

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture

The series then takes a holiday break before resuming on Jan. 7, 2004, with a talk by Nobel laureate Dr. John Fenn.

For more information or for reasonable accommodation, call Hilda Madine, (301) 594-5595.

NCI's Kohn Lectures on Ovarian Cancer

Dr. Elise C. Kohn, principal investigator, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, will deliver a lecture titled, "Molecular Targeted Therapeutics and Proteomics in Ovarian Cancer," on Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall, Bldg. 1. The talk is organized by the women's health special interest group, sponsored by the Office of Research on Women's Health. Sign language interpretation will be available.

BIG Meeting Schedule for 2004

The NIH chapter of Blacks In Government will hold monthly meetings in 2004 at the following times and places: Jan. 22, 6001 Executive Blvd./Rm. D; Feb. 26, 31/6C Rm. 6; Mar. 25, 31/6C Rm. 6; Apr. 29, 31/6C Rm. 6; May 27, Natcher/Rm. D; June 24, EPN/Rm. H; July 29, 31/6C Rm. 6; Aug. 26, 31/6C Rm. 6; Sept. 23, Natcher/Rm. F1/F2; Oct. 28, 31/6C Rm. 6; Nov. 18, Natcher/Rm. F1/F2.

Meetings, which last from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., are open to all NIH employees. For more information, contact Jacque Ballard, chapter president, (301) 435-3795.

Tae Kwon Do Beginner's Class

The NIH Tae Kwon Do School is offering a beginner's class for adults and mature teens starting Jan. 12. The curriculum combines traditional striking arts, forms and sparring with emphasis on self-defense. No experience is necessary. Class will meet in the Malone Center (Bldg. 31C, B4 level, next to the NIH Fitness Center) from 6 to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and will continue for about 2 months until participants can be integrated into the regular school training. Dues are $40 per quarter and a uniform costs $30. Interested persons are welcome to watch regular training sessions. For information call Andrew Schwartz, (301) 402-5197 or visit http://www.recgov.org/r&w/nihtaekwondo.html.

Film Festival Earns $55K for NIH Charities

The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival held in August raised a record $55,000 for several NIH charities this year. Comcast recently presented the check to NIH officials and patients at the Children's Inn. Shown are (from l) Candace Street, Special Love/Camp Fantastic; Ricky Webster, 14; Bob Deutsch, Comcast Outdoor Film Festival; Therese Clemens, Friends of the Clinical Center; Mario Mason, 9; Craig Snedeker, Comcast of Montgomery area vice president and general manager; Corey Lee, 9; Anne Swire, Children's Inn; Randy Schools, R&W president. "We hope that this donation will help the Children's Inn, Camp Fantastic/Special Love, and Friends of the Clinical Center continue to provide the wonderful services that help so many families through NIH," said Snedeker. More than 85,000 people attended the 10-day free film festival this year on the grounds of Strathmore Hall Arts Center. The proceeds were raised from corporate sponsorships, donations by moviegoers and from the proceeds of food sales during the festival.