|
 |
       |
 |
 |
 |
|
Back to > About NIH > Get Involved at NIH > News Bulletins |
|
|
|
 |
|
NIH Public Liaison News Bulletin - November 2001
Fall 2001 COPR Meeting Summary The sixth meeting of the Director's Council of Public Representatives (COPR) met on October 23, 2001. NIH Acting Director Ruth Kirschstein, M.D., welcomed five new members and recognized Mr. Douglas Yee, who agreed to extend his tenure on COPR for another year. Dr. Kirschstein discussed the recent appointments and departures of NIH officials; the status of the NIH budget; the dedication of buildings honoring Representatives Paul Rogers and Louis Stokes; a week-long visit to NIH by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson; a symposium celebrating 50 years of neuroscience research; and a promising new AIDS vaccine candidate, which will soon begin phase I clinical trials. NIH response to the September 11 attacks was also discussed. COPR members reported on recent activities including visits to research foundations, attendance at award ceremonies, participation in a review of research proposals and in scientific meetings, efforts to promote an understanding of the NIH grant process at institutions in Hawaii, and the development of workshops for future conferences on biomedical research. Ms. Debra Lappin, who chaired the COPR Working Group on Human Research Protections, summarized the recommendations of COPR's recently completed report, which was presented to Dr. Kirschstein. NIH presenters included Stephen Straus, M.D., Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Mark Rohrbaugh, Ph.D., J.D., Acting Director of the NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT); Theodore Roumel, Assistant Director of OTT; and Wendy Baldwin, Ph.D., Deputy Director for the NIH Office of Extramural Research.
NIH Public Liaison Meetings, Events and Programs NIMH Responds to Post-September 11th Mental Health Needs The National Institute of Mental Health has been active on many fronts in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, coordinating with other agencies and officials throughout the government, as well as directly reaching out to both those immediately involved in the disasters and the general American public. Key roles for NIMH have included providing information on the potential mental health impact of the attacks; providing information on evidence-based approaches to addressing acute and long-term mental health needs; and planning a research agenda to clarify how we can avoid complications, improve national response, and better address consequences in the future. Numerous documents for the public about trauma, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and anxiety-related topics are available on the main NIMH Web site, http://www.nimh.nih.gov, and in particular on these pages:
In addition, the Institute continues to provide ongoing technical assistance and consultation for disaster teams, as well as to those who are planning mental health screening and treatment for the public. While communities are pressed to deal with immediate problems, it is important to learn what we can from this terrible tragedy. To fund further research, NIMH is utilizing multiple research mechanisms. In doing so, the Institute fully recognizes the primary need to attend to the victims and survivors and to coordinate with local assistance efforts. Information about research funding is on the NIMH Web site at http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/index.cfmgrants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-01-012.html [Research in Response to Terrorist Acts Against America-Addendum to PA-91-04, Rapid Assessment Post-Impact of Disaster (RAPID) Research Grant Program]. NIH Educational Materials Available for K-12 Teachers The NIH Office of Science Education (OSE) is disseminating materials for people who teach kindergarten through 12th grade. The first distribution was held on October 25-27 at the National Science Teachers Association's Western Area Convention in Salt Lake City. OSE has also distributed free NIH Curriculum Supplements and other NIH educational material at the National Middle School Association's 28th Annual Convention and Exhibit in Washington, DC, and at the National Association of Biology Teachers National Convention and Exhibition in Montréal, Quebec, in Canada. Another distribution is planned for the National Science Teachers Association's Southern Area Convention on December 6-8 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. Teachers are invited to Booth #906. THE EYE SITE Tour Continues THE EYE SITE, the National Eye Institute's (NEI's) traveling exhibit on low vision, continued a nationwide tour that began in southern California in April 2001. After completing a five-mall tour in Los Angeles, THE EYE SITE stopped in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM, and in Henderson, NV. An identical exhibit visited Chesapeake, VA; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Asheville, NC. The original exhibit has left Nevada and will be displayed at Animas Valley Mall in Farmington, NM, until November 30. Planning is now underway for 2002 tours in the New England area; New York City; Florida; the Washington, DC, metropolitan area; Colorado; and the San Francisco Bay area. For more information, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/nehep/eyesite. NEI V I S I O N Traveling Exhibit Tour Extended NEI's V I S I O N traveling exhibit tour remains on display at the West Virginia University Eye Institute through July 2002. V I S I O N was developed as the centerpiece of NEI's Celebration of Vision Research. It premiered in 1993 and has been seen by more than four million people in 26 cities across the country. For more information, contact Jean Horrigan at (301) 496-5248 or by e-mail at jh@nei.nih.gov. NIDA Sponsors Stress and Drug Abuse Conference These are stressful times, particularly for people who are more vulnerable to substance abuse or may be recovering from an addiction. Studies have reported that individuals exposed to stress are more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs or undergo relapse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will sponsor a meeting to discuss the relationship between stress and drug abuse and to present a comprehensive research portfolio that better informs the public about how we prevent and treat drug abuse and addiction. The meeting will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Beverly Jackson or Michelle Muth at (301)-443-1124. NIAAA Director Delivers Address at CADCA's Plenary
Session The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will cosponsor National Leadership Forum XII, convened by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). Enoch Gordis, M.D., will give his final CADCA address as the Director of NIAAA before approximately 2,000 community representatives. During the three-day event, NIAAA will also sponsor workshops on media and the prevention of alcohol use and abuse among youth, alcohol prevention policy and interventions, and early interventions with "high risk" youth who use alcohol. For more information, contact Kelly Green Kahn at (301) 443-0347 or by e-mail at kgreenka@mail.nih.gov. Press Conferences on State of the Science The NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) will hold press conferences disseminating statements generated during two State-of-the-Science Conferences. The State-of-the-Science Conference on Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for Diagnosis and Therapy, co-sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, will be held in January. The State-of-the-Science Conference on Management of the Clinically Inapparent Adrenal Mass (Incidentaloma), co-sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will take place in February. ERCP, which combines the use of x-rays and an endoscope (a long, flexible, lighted tube), is used by physicians to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. The conference will address how ERCP compares with other diagnostic tools in diagnosing gastrointestinal disorders such as gallstone disease, pancreatic and biliary malignancy, and pancreatitis. Clinically adrenal masses, which are usually discovered by accident, occur in the adrenals, which are two triangular glands on top of each kidney. Most masses cause no health problems, but a small proportion can lead to a number of serious hormonal diseases, and about 1 out of every 4,000 adrenal masses is cancerous. The conference on clinically inapparent adrenal masses will assess the current knowledge and help health care providers and the general public make informed decisions about this important public health issue. Experts will present the latest research to an independent, non-federal panel, which will draft a statement and present it to the conference audience. The press conference will conclude each meeting. The public is invited to attend both meetings, which will be held at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. Admission is free. For more information, visit the NIH Consensus Development Program Web site at http://consensus.nih.gov or contact John Bowersox at (301) 496-4819 or by e-mail at bowersoj@od.nih.gov.
NIH Public Liaison Announcements-Fall 2001 Native American/Alaska Natives 2002 Calendar The 2002 Walking a Good Path, a calendar produced for Native Americans and Alaska Natives by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is now available. The calendar integrates images and quotations into its drug education messages to convey and reinforce Indian pride. Material presented in the calendar aims to increase the audience's knowledge and awareness of the signs, symptoms, and physiological effects of various drugs. To order this calendar, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686 and ask for publication #AVD143. NIDA Office of Science Policy and Communications
Receives Director's Award The Special Populations Educational Outreach Workgroup of the NIDA Office of Science Policy and Communications received the 2001 NIH Director's Award for its innovative efforts in developing and disseminating science-based information on drug abuse and addiction to racial and ethnic minority communities. Efforts have included publications, public service announcements, and conferences, among other outreach efforts. Bridging Science and Culture to Improve Drug Abuse
Research in Minority Communities The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) sponsored a conference focused on the dissemination of research findings on drug abuse and addiction in racial and ethnic minority communities. The conference provided a forum for researchers, practitioners, students, and community leaders to share research needs, concerns, and opportunities. For more information, contact Sheryl Massaro at (301) 594-6148. NIAAA Launches a New Web Site on Underage Drinking The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has unveiled a new Web site, http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org, to focus on its Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free initiative. The site features the nationwide efforts of a coalition that works to prevent the use of alcohol by children aged 9 to 15 years. The coalition consists of more than 30 governors' spouses, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, several federal agencies, and public and private organizations. Information on the Web site includes statistics, prevention resources, research findings, publications, breaking news, and access to experts to answer questions. Log on to find out what activities your governor's spouse is conducting in your home state. For more information, e-mail leadership@alcoholfreechildren.org. NICHD Conducts National Listening Session on Mental
Retardation The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), at the request of Surgeon General David Satcher, has been coordinating the planning and implementation of the Surgeon General's Initiative on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation. A public survey on this topic, which was posted on the Surgeon General's Web site, brought hundreds of responses from the public. On October 10, NICHD conducted the Surgeon General's National Listening Session, a two-way audio/video conference between the NIH campus and four regional sites around the country (Birmingham, Alabama; Madison, Wisconsin; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Portland, Oregon). At this session, the Surgeon General, NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D., a distinguished panel of experts, and representatives from 29 different federal agencies and 72 non-government organizations listened to approximately 40 self-advocates, family members, and health professionals about the wide range of health disparities that face persons with mental retardation. During the Listening Session, and for the following week, individuals were urged to send e-mail messages to the Surgeon General. More than 300 people participated in the Listening Session, and others saw a live videocast on the World Wide Web. Anyone interested in viewing the Listening Session videocast may do so by visiting http://videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp?c=4&s=91. A Surgeon General's Conference on Health Disparities and Mental Retardation, based on the large amount of information obtained from the public, will be held in December of this year. The Conference will lead to a public report and recommendations for future action. For more information on the Surgeon General's Initiative, go to http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/mentalretardation or contact Sue McDermott, M.D., at (301) 435-3427.
News from the NIH Offices of Public Liaison NIAID "Bridges the Gap" Increasing participation of minority investigators in virtually all fields of biomedical research is a continuing NIH and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) priority. NIAID sponsored its sixth workshop, "Bridging the Gap for Underrepresented Minority Scientists," on October 4 and 5. Established in 1993, the 2-day seminar is designed to nurture the careers of young minority investigators currently funded by NIAID under various minority training and research supplemental awards. The program acquaints participants with techniques to assist them in making a transition to the next step in a research career. Discussion topics included the grant-peer review process, an overview of intramural and extramural research, networking, and career opportunities and options. In attendance were 37 investigators from 14 states and 23 institutions. Five investigators are currently in postdoctoral assignments in NIAID intramural laboratories. For more information, contact James Hadley at (301) 496-5717. NIAAA Provides Science-Based Information to the
Maryland Legislature The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) answered an invitation from the Maryland House of Delegates' Special Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse to share research information about the consequences and correlates of early-onset alcohol use. The Committee has requested input from NIAAA in the past when forming policy about 0.08 blood levels, and NIAAA expects future requests as the Committee continues work on a variety of important, alcohol-related issues. The Special Committee meets monthly when the Maryland Legislature is not in session. Committee members and staff attended a presentation by Geoffrey Laredo, Director of NIAAA's Office of Policy, Legislation, and Public Liaison, titled "Early-Onset Drinking: Consequences and Implications." Other topics on the October 16 agenda included alcohol-related results from the Maryland Youth Survey and the prevalence and treatment of alcohol-related injury at the Johns Hopkins University shock/trauma center. For more information, contact Geoffrey M. Laredo at (301) 443-6371 or by e-mail at glaredo@willco.niaaa.nih.gov. NIAAA Supports Meeting of the National Drug Prevention
League The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) hosted the National Drug Prevention League's (NDPL's) upcoming meeting, which focused on underage drinking prevention. NDPL is a national private-sector association of 30 national and major regional organizations. NIAAA provided education and support to help member associations better understand and work on the alcohol issue. In addition to presentations by several NIAAA staff, meeting participants heard from representatives of the Center on Substance Abuse Prevention, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. For more information, contact Kelly Green Kahn at (301) 443-0347 or by e-mail at kgreenka@mail.nih.gov. Seventh Constituent Conference The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will host a conference at the Westfields Conference Center. The conference will provide NIDA and constituent representatives the opportunity for dialogue and give NIDA the chance to receive and respond to the concerns and research recommendations from the field. NIDA also uses this setting to present the field with its latest research findings. This year's theme, "Blending Research and Practice," represents NIDA's commitment to ensuring that clinicians and researchers form closer ties and jointly participate in all levels of research and its application into practice. NIDA expects the leadership from 68 organizations involved in the drug abuse and addiction field to attend this conference. For more information, contact Jane Holland at (301) 443-6036. New Publications for the Public Updated Publications on Children and Alcohol The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has updated two publications about alcohol and children and has released Spanish versions of both. A panel of researchers with expertise in alcohol abuse and dependence and related prevention programs were brought together to develop the manual, Keep Kids Alcohol Free: Strategies for Action. This manual illustrates science-based prevention strategies and ideas for implementation in the home and school, and it also provides guidance and real-world examples to individuals and groups who are interested in starting prevention campaigns in their communities. The manual delivers strategies that work as well as suggested resources for additional information. The popular publication How Does Alcohol Affect the World of a Child? is an attractive, concise, and easy-to-read brochure that pulls together a range of statistics on alcohol use by children and its impact on their health and well-being, along with the broader impact of alcohol use on society. This brochure is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, administrators, school counselors, and other citizens concerned about keeping children alcohol-free. Each foldout page focuses on a specific, relevant topic, and an "Ask Yourself" section is included. For copies of either publication, write NIAAA, Willco Building, Suite 409, 6000 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892-7003, or call (301) 443-3860. The How Does Alcohol Affect the World of a Child? brochure may also be downloaded from the NIAAA Web site at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov. Research Report Series: Prescription Drugs-Abuse
and Addiction (Spanish) The National Institute on Drug Abuse has released a Spanish version of the Research Report Series: Prescription Drugs-Abuse and Addiction, which provides concise but detailed research findings of national interest regarding the increasing trend in prescription drug abuse. The publication focuses on why these drugs are prescribed, how they work in the brain and body, and what happens with improper use. Interactions of prescription drugs with other drugs and alcohol, abuse rates among various populations, and information about diagnosing and treating prescription drug abuse also are covered. Report Series: Prescription Drugs-Abuse and Addiction is geared to the educated lay public, particularly the elderly, and it includes a list of references and resources for further information. Contact the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686 and ask for PHD866S.
|
| This page was last reviewed on: 5/9/2007 |
|
 |
|
 |
National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
 |
 |
