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B ~ C 0 R a Still The Second Best Thing About Payday Katz Sees Directorship as H I G H L I G H ,T., S Campus' Major Unseen Construction Chance to Make a Difference By Robert Bock Project-'NIH Business System' NIH Business By Rich McManus " I viewed it as a tremendous challenge," Community Plans said NIAMS director Dr. Stephen Katz about New System here is a large construction project on campus that began accepting his institute's direct orship in last September and will likely last for the next 5 years, 1995. "It was an opportunity t o take all consuming the attention of hundreds of workers, costing an Human vs. Ape T that I had learned in science and medicine estimated $50 million over 5 years, and affecting the daily activi Differences Probed and make a greater impact than I ever had ties of at least 5,000 NIH'ers. Unlike the turned earth, diverted before." traffic and unsettled parking prompted by construction of the new Clinical Research Center and laboratory Bldgs. 50 and 40, this He came to NIAMS from the National STEP Plans Session project- the NIH Business System (NBS)-is going up without the Cancer Institute, where he served as chief On Addiction usual signs visible to the average employee. And unlike the new of the Dermatology Branch, a position he buildings, the new system will eventually affect everyone who continues to hold. An expert in cancerous works at NIH. and inflammatory disorders of the skin, NCI, Japan Society If you purchase a pipette, prepare travel papers, pay bills, loan Katz has demonstrated that skin is a critical Collaborate or move a piece of equipment, or seek the advice of an outside part of the immune system. In particular, Against Cancer expert, you use a piece of infrastructure often taken for granted his work'has focused on Langerhans cells. called the Administrative Data Base, or ADB, which has been These outermost sentries of the immune around for the last 22 years. An invention of technical wizards at system occur in the outside layer of the the former Division of Computer Research and Technology (now New Executive skin, but frequently report back to immune Officer for NCCAM CIT), it was once a novel tool for handling the approximately cells within the body. 150,000 transactions a day in such fields as inventory, procure SEE KATZ, PAGE 8 ment, property, travel, human resources and central accounting. Rowley To Give Pittman Lecture SEE BUSINESS SYSTEM, PAGE 6 Mammography Oxygen Atom Makes Difference Dr. Janet D. Row ley, who is internationally Screening Offered recognized for her work on leukemias and Sugar Chemistry, At Least, Separates lymphomas, will present the NIH Director's Man from Primate Ancestors Margaret Pittman Lecture in the By Rich McManus Wednesday here is a ubiquitous sugar molecule on the cells of humans Afternoon Lect ure Tthat differs only by the lack of a single oxygen atom from a Series, Wednesday, cousin sugar commonly found on cell surfaces of our nearest Apr. 26, at 3 p.m. in genomic ancestors, the great apes. Thus far, it is the sole genetic Masur Auditorium, difference- species-wide- disti nguishing man from chimp, Bldg. 10. The title orangutan, gorilla and bonobo. And from a ll other mammals of her t alk is studied so far. "Cancer Cytogenet The sugar in question is sialic acid, which has long been known ics: Is it Passe?" U.S. Department to take two major forms-Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc. While both of Health and have been found in all mammalian cells, including apes, the latter Follow ing the Human Services appears only in trace amounts in humans, probably due to meat D1: Janet Rowley development of National Institutes consumed in the human diet. Thus, while humans are missing banding techniques of Health this common form of sialic acid, their closest evolutionary in the 1970's, Row ley and her colleagues cousins- the great apes- express it in amounts similar to other led the w ay in characterizing a w ide variety April 18, 2000 animals. SEE ROWLEY , PAGE 2 Vol. LIi, No. 8 SEE HUMAN VS. PRIMATE, PAGE 4 ROWLEY, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of specific translocations associated with subgroups STEP Plans Session on Addiction of leukemias and lymphomas. Her research demon A Science for All session entitled "Addiction: O ld strated the fundamental role of somatic genetic Problems, N ew Science," will be presented by the alterations in the pathogenesis of human tumors and their clonal development. Subsequently, her labora staff training in ext ramural programs committee on tory and many others have utilized modern molecu Thursday, Apr. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon in the lar techniques to identity and characterize the Neuroscience Center Bldg., 6001 Executive Blvd., Conf. Rm. C. Dr. Huber R. altered growth regulatory genes at the sites of these Alcoholism, caffeine and nicotine dependence, and Warner has been chromosomal abnormalities, in both hematopoietic named associate and solid tumors. The results are already being various forms of drug a buse have major social and director of the widely used in diagnosis, prognosis and patient economic influence today, touching nearly Biology of Aging management, and recently have demonstrated that everyone's family or associates. The session will Program at the their ultimate promise is leading to specific thera explain what is mea nt by addiction, dependence and National Institute pies. abuse; what is known about the development a nd on Aging. BAP In addition, Rowley is a forerunner in applying the underlying mechanisms of addictive disorders: and funds basic current strategies for prevention and treatment. The i-esearch to polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and other molecular techniques to featured speakers w ill be: Dr. Mark Goldman, identify and University of South Florida; Dr. George Koob, characterize the clinical work. The precision and sensitivity of such Scripps Research Institute; and Dr. M a rc Schuckit, genetic and tools have brought a bout a revolution in clinical environmental oncology. This is especially important in establish University of California, San D iego. factors that play a ing an accurate diagnosis and prognosis, along with All IH'ers are welcome. Seating is on a fi rst role in aging and a reasonable treatment plan. come, first-served basis. No advance registration is are risk factors Rowley has served on numerous boards, including necessary. Inform the STEP office ar 435-2- 69 for age-related most recently as chair of the board of scientific about any need for sign language interpretation or pathology. counselors for the ational Human Genome reasonable accommodation by M onday, Apr. 24. Ill Warner expects the program to Research Institute, as well as the National Cancer M anaging t he Writing of Others expand its Advisory Board, National Cancer Institute and the research in the American Board of Medical Genetics. She is a past If you spend seemingly endless hours rewriting areas of func president of the American Society of Human material that comes across your desk, you may want tional genomics, Genetics and is presently on both the scientific and to attend " Managing the Writing of Others'' ro learn stem cells, use of medical advisory boards of the Howard Hughes a writing, coaching and reviewing process. Using microarray Medical Institute. She is also a member of a number the techniques from the class, you will reduce t he analysis, and gene of societies including the National Academy of time you spend reworking documents and increase and cell replace Sciences. Rowley is the cofounder and coeditor of writing productivity. For course details, visit http:// ment therapy. He the journal Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer and trainingcenter.od.nih.gov/. Iii joined NIA in 1984 to manage sits on the editorial boards of numerous scientific the Molecular publications. Biology Program, She has received many honors and awards, includ and the following ing the Charles S. Mott Prize from the General N I H A f 0 A □ year was pro Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the Albert Published biweekly at Bethesda, Md .• by the Editorial Operations moted to chief of Lasker Clinical Research Award, and the N ational Branch, Division of Public Information, for the information of the Molecular and Medal of Science, presented by President Clinton. employees of the National b1Stitutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Ser,•ices. The content is reprintable without Cell Biology Rowley has been a visiting scientist at Oxford and Branch. In 1988, permission. Pictures may be available on request. Use of funds for distinguished visiting professor at Memorial Sloan priming this periodical has been approved by the director of the he became deputy Kettering Cancer Center and the Mt. Sinai School of Office of Management and Budget through Sept. 30, 2000. associate director Medicine. She has received honorary degrees from a for the BAP. He NIH Record O ffice Phone 496-2125 spent 20 years at number of institutions. Bldg. 31, Rm. 2B03 Fax 402-1485 the University of The lecture series honors Dr. Margaret Pittman, Minnesota as a who was named, in 1958, chief of the Laboratory of Web address professor in the Bacterial Products in the Division of Biologics http://www.nih.gov/ncws/NIH-Record/archives.htm department of Standards, which was part of NIH at the time. She Editor The NIH Record reserves biochemistry is recognized for her significant contributions to Richard McManus the right to make before moving to microbiology, including work on the development of [email protected] corrections, changes, or NIA. pertussis and tetanus toxin vaccines. She was also deletions in submitted Assistant Editor copy in conformity with the first woman to hold the position of lab chief at Carla Garnett the policies of che paper NIH.