FYI from the NHLBI Index
May 2006: Vol. 7, Issue 1 Summaries of Meetings
and Announcements of Upcoming Events
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's
February Meeting
Upcoming NHLBI Workshops and Working Groups
Upcoming 2006 Events
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month and marks the kickoff of high blood pressure prevention and control
activities for the year. The 2006 theme is "Mission Possible: Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure." The NHLBI invites
community groups, civic and faith-based organizations, hospital outreach programs, public health departments, and workplaces
to join the "Mission" and renew activities to prevent and control high blood pressure.
The NHLBI has created a web site that provides information and tools to help you plan activities in your community.
An electronic Planning Kit includes ideas for activities with various groups. The site also includes an activity registry
where you can let others know what you are planning and get ideas from others. There are also links to NHLBI fact sheets
and other publications. For more information, visit http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhbpep_kit/.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's February Meeting
February 1, 2006
Dr. Nabel announced the selection of four new Council members: Victor J. Dzau, M.D., Duke University; Helen H. Hobbs, M.D., University
of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Joseph Loscalzo, M.D., Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Jennie R. Joe, Ph.D., M.P.H., University of Arizona.
Dr. Nabel also announced three new staff appointments: Dr. Christopher O'Donnell as Senior Advisor to the Director
for Genome Research, Ms. Nancy O'Hanlon as Deputy Ethics Counselor, and Ms. Sheila Pohl as Chief of Staff.
Three additional staff appointments, pending administrative clearances, were announced: Dr. Susan Shurin as
Deputy Director of the NHLBI; Dr. Alan Michelson as Associate Director for Basic Research; and Dr. Michael Twery as Acting
Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR), which is administered by the NHLBI. Dr. Nabel expressed
her appreciation to Dr. Carl Roth for his service as Acting Deputy Director over the past year and to Dr. Carl Hunt for his leadership of the NCSDR.
Dr. Nabel noted that February is American
Heart Month and encouraged everyone to wear a Red Dress pin on National Wear Red Day (Friday, February 3rd ) to show
support for women's heart health awareness.
Dr. Nabel highlighted several recent Institute initiatives, including a solicitation for genome-wide
association studies to identify genetic components that relate to heart, lung, and blood disorders; a Request for Proposals (RFP) for
research to maximize the scientific value of the biologic specimens from the Women's Health Initiative research studies; and an RFP
for large-scale genotyping of NHLBI cohorts.
The Institute has reviewed its policies for distribution of data from clinical trials and epidemiology
studies, and released a Request for Information seeking comments on its proposed modifications.
The NHLBI working budget for FY 2006 is $2.896 million, about $27 million less than the comparable figure in FY 2005.
Dr. Nabel explained in a recent letter to all NHLBI grantees that direct costs for noncompeting renewals of research project grants
will be scaled back in FY 2006 to 97.65 percent of their committed levels. This is being implemented across NIH.
Dr. Gregory Morosco, Director, Office of Prevention,
Education, and Control (OPEC) reviewed NHLBI efforts to coordinate the translation and dissemination of research findings to health
professionals, patients, and the public in order to provide public health benefits to the nation.
Ms. Terry Long, of OPEC, updated the Council on the achievements of The Heart Truth Campaign.
Dr. Paolo Sebastiani, Associate Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Adjunct Associate Professor
in the Bioinformatics Program in Boston University's School of Public Health, discussed her research about complex
genetic diseases, which are caused by the interplay of several genes and which can be modulated by exposure to environmental
factors. Dr. Nabel emphasized the need to have guidelines in place for the many genome-wide association studies that are on
the immediate horizon. She said the first step is the development of data access policies.
Full
minutes of Council meetings and summaries of the initiatives are available.
Upcoming NHLBI Workshops and Working Groups
PIO representatives will be accommodated on a space-available basis and will be responsible for their own travel expenses.
Ontologies for Cardiovascular Research
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: June 2006
Contact: Dr. Jennie Larkin
C-Reactive Protein Workshop
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: July 11-12, 2006
Contact: Dr. Denise Simons-Morton
Role of Airway Smooth Muscle in Airway Contraction, Inflammation, and Remodeling: Advancing Basic Knowledge to Clinical Relevance
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 11-12, 2006
Contact: Dr. Susan Banks-Schlegel
Combined NHLBI/ORD Workshop on Recognition and Treatment of Rare Inherited Arrhythmias
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 14-15, 2006
Contact: Dr. Dennis Przywara
Working Group: Cardiovascular Consequences of COPD
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 2006
Contact: Dr. Thomas Croxton
Workshop: Research Needs in Bronchiectasis
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 2006
Contact: Dr. Hannah Peavy
Upcoming 2006 Events
Date: May 24
Location: San Diego, CA
Date: June 1-3
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Date: June 7-10
Location: Aspen, CO
Date: June 10-11
Location: Winchester, VA
Date: June 10
Location: New York, NY
Date: June 13
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: June 23-24
Location: Washington, DC
Date: June 23-25
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Date: July 28-29
Location: Rochester, MN
Date: September 12
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: September 15-17
Location: San Franscisco, CA
Please send us your feedback, comments, and questions by using the appropriate link on the page, Contact the NHLBI.
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