FYI from the NHLBI Index
May 2010: Vol. 11, Issue 1
Summaries of Meetings
and Announcements of Upcoming Events
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's February Meeting
Upcoming NHLBI Workshops and Working Groups
Upcoming 2010 Events
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's February Meeting
February 2, 2010
Dr. Susan B. Shurin, Acting Director of the NHLBI, welcomed members to the 237th meeting of the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Advisory Council (NHLBAC).
Dr. Shurin introduced Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, NIH, who identified major opportunities for NIH investment and highlighted
recent contributions of the NIH, and the NHLBI in particular, to biomedical research.
Dr. Collins thanked Dr. Shurin for her many contributions to the NIH, including her current activities as Acting Director
of the NHLBI. Dr. Collins assured the Council that the search for a permanent Director of the NHLBI is under way and that he will be involved
personally in the process.
Dr. Collins discussed five areas of special opportunities for the NIH: high-throughput technologies, translational medicine,
benefiting health care reform, focusing more on global health, and reinvigorating and empowering the biomedical research community. He also noted
that the FY 2010 final NIH budget of $30.988 billion includes about $26.0 billion in spending outside the NIH. He expressed his appreciation for
the President’s FY 2011 budget request which seeks an increase of $1 billion over the FY 2010 budget level.
Dr. Shurin paid tribute to Dr. Marshall Nirenberg who died January 15, 2010, by acknowledging his extraordinary contributions
to biomedical science. While an investigator at the NIH, Dr. Nirenberg uncovered the RNA sequences that encode all 20 amino acids, for which
he received a Nobel Prize in 1968—the first NIH researcher and federal employee to receive the honor.
Dr. Shurin announced several leadership appointments within the NHLBI: Dr. Jodi Black as Deputy Director, Division of
Extramural Research Activities; Mr. James Schlicht as Legislative Liaison; Dr. Denise Simons-Morton as Director, Division for the Application
of Research Discoveries; Dr. Carl Roth as Acting Deputy Director; Ms. Sally McDonough as Director, Office of Communications; and Dr. Donna
DiMichelle as Deputy Director, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources.
Dr. Shurin reviewed the NHLBI FY 2009/FY 2010 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding plan. The Institute
received $763 million in ARRA monies, most of which has been obligated or committed. The NHLBI ARRA web
site (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/recovery/) summarizes the Institute's Recovery Act
policies and investments, and includes illustrative stories about researchers' use of NHLBI Recovery Act funds.
Dr. Neal S. Young, Chief, Hematology Branch, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research, reported on research progress in
areas related to aplastic anemia and other bone marrow failure syndromes. Dr. Young also serves as Director of the Trans-NIH Center for
Human Immunology, Autoimmunity, and Inflammation, the mission of which is to support cooperative research based on advanced technologies
in order to translate enhanced understanding of immune function and pathophysiology to the clinic. He summarized the Center's goals and
progress made in its first fully budgeted year.
Dr. Stephen C. Groft, Director, NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), briefed the Council on the mission and
activities of ORDR in working with NIH Institutes/Centers to coordinate and support rare diseases research, respond to research
opportunities for rare diseases, and provide information on rare diseases.
Dr. Manfred Boehm, Translational Medicine Branch, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research,
discussed research on a newly identified rare vascular disease known as Focal Artery and Joint Calcification in Adults disease,
an autosomal recessive disorder of vascular calcification. He also discussed research that led to increased understanding about
two other rare diseases—Prolidase Deficiency and Job's Syndrome—which involve defective wound repair and tissue remodeling.
Dr. Stephen C. Mockrin, Director, Division of Extramural Research Activities, presented the Annual Review of
Delegated Authorities from the NHLBAC report. Delegated authorities allow NHLBI staff to perform specific functions without
Council involvement, thereby adding flexibility and decreasing the burden on the Council. Dr. Mockrin reported that in FY 2009,
the Institute undertook 12 actions using its delegated authorities. The Council accepted the report and agreed to continue the
current policy of Delegated Authorities.
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.
Defining the Agenda for SC Trait
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: June 3 - 4, 2010
Contact: Dr. Jonathan Goldsmith
International COPD Genetics Workshop
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: July 13 - 14, 2010
Contact: Dr. James Kiley
Virtual Reality Technologies for Obesity and Diabetes Education and Behavior Change
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: July 15 - 16, 2010
Contact: Dr. Abby Ershow
Nutrition and Diet in Registry and Surveillance Studies of Hemoglobinopathies working Group
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: August 23 - 24, 2010
Contact: Dr. Ellen Werner
Annual Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Research Meeting
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: August 25 - 27, 2010
Contact: Dr. Harvey Luksenburg
Defining Molecular Pathways and Mechanisms That Predict CVD Risk Associated With Sleep Disordered Breathing
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 7 - 8, 2010
Contact: Dr. Daniel Lewin
Pediatric Sleep Disturbances and Their Contribution to Developmental Pathophysiology of Cardiometabolic Risk
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 9, 2010
Contact: Dr. Daniel Lewin
Personalized Approaches to Cardiovascular Medicine: New Directions for Improving Patient Care
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Date: September 28 - 30, 2010
Contact: Dr. Ahmed Hasan
Infection, Inflammation, and Thrombosis
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: September 2010 (Date to be Determined)
Contact: Dr. Ahmed Hasan
Upcoming 2010 Events
Date: May 11 - 12, 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD
Date: May 19 - 23, 2010
Location: Bloomington, MN
Date: May 26, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: June 4 - 6, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Date: June 11 - 13, 2010
Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
Date: June 18 - 20, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Date: June 24 - 27, 2010
Location: Denver, CO
Date: June 25 - 27, 2010
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Date: June 25 - 27, 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Date: July 8 - 11, 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Date: July 10 - 13, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: July 15 - 17, 2010
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Date: July 16 - 18, 2010
Location: Marco Island, FL
Date: July 23 - 24, 2010
Location: Rochester, MN
Date: July 26 - 31, 2010
Location: Orlando, FL
Date: July 30 - August 1, 2010
Location: Boston, MA
Date: September 10 - 12, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD
Date: September 21 - 24, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Date: September 22 - 26, 2010
Location: Orlando, FL
Please send us your feedback, comments, and questions by using the appropriate link on the page, Contact the NHLBI.
Note to users of screen readers and other assistive technologies: please report your problems here.
Contents | Feature
Articles | In the News | Events and Meetings | Research and Resources
All Issues | FYI Index | NHLBI Express
|