November 17, 2017, NIH Record, Vol. LXIX, No. 23
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November 17, 2017 Vol. LXIX, No. 23 Jamison says she never misses a day’s dose and is baffled by the fact that medical residents today are largely unaware of the drug’s effectiveness in many patients. Survivors Discuss Suicide’s Joining her in a discussion of suicide was Stubborn Persistence, Dese’Rae L. Stage, an artist and activist who Mismanagement knew by the age of 15, when her own suicidal BY RICH MCMANUS thoughts were exacerbated by a friend who took her own life, “that this was going to be Suicide is one of the leading causes of death my field for the rest of my life.” in the United States, remaining stubbornly Stage was 23 when that life nearly ended. high on the list of medical causes of mortality She had “run away to New York City to join even as deaths from stroke, AIDS, heart the circus” when, despondent over a physi- disease and leukemia have fallen. cally and emotionally abusive relationship, Two people who have survived encoun- Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison of Johns Hopkins she tried to kill herself. ters with this wily enemy of life led off In an attempt to get past the trauma of the 12th season of the NIMH Director’s University School of Medicine, lamented the experience, to surmount the “invisibility Innovation Speaker Series on Oct. 5 at the medicine’s disinterest in lithium, the only and erasure” one feels in the aftermath, she Neuroscience Center. drug that has yet proven effective in sig- set out to find others like herself. That led to Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Dalio professor nificantly decreasing suicide attempts and creation of the web site Live Through This in mood disorders and co-director of the completed suicide in patients with manic (livethroughthis.org), a gallery of portraits Mood Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins depression/bipolar illness such as herself. SEE SUICIDE, PAGE 4 Dr. Alan Leshner touts communication at NIH. Institute directors support CFC. See p. 12. Lori Stokes with NIH director Dr. Francis Collins Scientists Need Public’s ALSO THIS ISSUE Briefs ....................................2 ‘GENTLEMANLY, BUT ALSO TOUGH’ Support to Continue Progress, Leshner Says Mother Runs 10K for Son, Children’s Inn .....3 Stokes Family, NIH Director BY ERIC BOCK Ollmann Saphire To Give Kinyoun Lecture ....5 Honor Congressman’s Legacy NIH Honors Work of Physician Assistants ....7 BY CARLA GARNETT Science has made fantastic progress on virtually every front and, to continue, NINDS Holds Nonprofit Forum ..............9 An hour could not contain all of the fond scientists need the public’s support, argued remembrances that NIH and its broad Dr. Alan Leshner. Digest ...................................10 community holds for the late former “We need the public badly. They are the Milestones ................................11 Congressman Louis Stokes, who died in 2015 ultimate receptors for the products of our Seen ....................................12 SEE STOKES, PAGE 6 SEE LESHNER, PAGE 8 BRIEFS Open Enrollment for NIH Leave Bank Medicine and the Marvin Zelen Leadership Award in Three NIH’ers Elected to NAM Fall open enrollment for the NIH Leave Bank runs Statistical Science. He is also an ASA fellow. Three NIH scientists are among 80 new members until Dec. 11. The membership period will begin on In August—with coauthor Dr. Ruth Pfeiffer, also a elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Jan. 7, 2018. senior investigator in the Biostatistics Branch—Gail Election is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes The Leave Bank is a pooled bank of donated annual published a new book as part of the Monographs on Statistics and Applied Probability Series by CRC individuals who and restored leave available to eligible members. It have demonstrated acts like insurance for your paycheck and amounts Press. Absolute Risk: Methods and Applications in Clinical Management and Public Health draws on outstanding profes- to paid leave for members who have exhausted all sional achievement of their own sick and annual leave and are affected the investigators’ expertise and seminal achieve- ments in modeling absolute risk. and commitment to by a personal or family medical condition. service. Established in 2012, the Peace award is given yearly The Leave Bank differs from the Voluntary Leave Dr. Christine Grady Transfer Program (VLTP) in that the bank is a to a statistical scientist who has made seminal contributions with important societal impact. is chief of the depository of leave; leave is distributed to members department of who are approved to be leave recipients. The VLTP, bioethics at the on the other hand, requires a direct donation from Clinical Center. donor to recipient. An advantage of the Leave Bank Dr. George Koob is that eligible members may receive leave to cover is director of the time out of the office without awaiting donations National Institute from coworkers. on Alcoholism and To become a Leave Bank member, access the Dr. Christine Grady Alcohol Abuse. Dr. Integrated Time and Attendance System (ITAS) John Mascola is during open enrollment and enroll under “Leave director of the Vaccine Research Center. Bank Membership.” If you are a 2017 Leave Bank “These newly elected members represent the member, your membership will automatically most exceptional scholars and leaders in science, continue into 2018, unless you opt out. The yearly NIBIB Mobile App Explains Scans medicine and health membership contribution is one pay period’s in the U.S. and around worth of annual leave accrual. The membership Understanding Medical Scans is a free app for the globe,” said contribution will automatically be waived if you lack mobile devices that offers helpful explanations of NAM president Dr. sufficient leave. common medical imaging procedures. Developed Victor Dzau. “Their For more information visit http://hr.nih.gov/leave- by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and expertise will help our bank or contact (301) 443-8393 or LeaveBank@ Bioengineering, the new tool’s goal is to explain to organization address od.nih.gov. patients what to expect during a medical scan and today’s most pressing how each type of scan can help with both diagnosis health challenges and Gail Receives ASA’s Karl Peace Award and treatment. inform the future of Dr. Mitchell H. Gail, Five types of medical scans are described in the health and health care senior investigator app: positron emission tomography (PET), com- to benefit us all.” in the Biostatistics puterized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance New members are Branch of NCI’s imaging (MRI), ultrasound and x-ray imaging. The elected by current Division of Cancer app uses question-based navigation, images and members through Epidemiology & videos to highlight each of these state-of-the-art a process that Dr. George Koob Genetics, received technologies. An additional topic within the app recognizes individ- the 2017 Karl E. is the role of imaging in biomedical research. uals who have made major contributions to the Peace Award Developed with the layperson in mind, it may be advancement of the medical sciences, health care for Outstanding helpful for patients and family members in formu- and public health. Statistical lating questions about pending procedures. Contributions for Established originally the Betterment of The app can be downloaded onto an Apple or as the Institute of Society from the Android device, making medical imaging informa- Medicine in 1970 American Statistical Association at the recent Joint tion easily available anywhere. Visit https://www. by the National Statistical Meetings in Baltimore. nibib.nih.gov/ or search Understanding Medical Academy of Sciences, Scans at the Apple store or on Google Play to NAM addresses The award recognizes Gail’s seminal contributions download the app. critical issues in to the development of statistical methodology health, science, and their application to epidemiology and clinical NIH Community College Day, Nov. 21 medicine and related medicine, particularly risk prediction, HIV incidence policy and inspires estimation, genetic epidemiology and the design, NIH Community College Day will take place on positive actions execution and analysis of cancer treatment and Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Natcher across sectors. prevention trials. Notable is his work to develop the Conference Center. To register and for more infor- landmark Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, also mation visit www.training.nih.gov. The event will known as the Gail Model, which is widely used in provide community college students and faculty Dr. John Mascola counseling women on their risk of breast cancer. an opportunity to visit campus and learn about careers and training opportunities in biomedical In addition, Gail’s contributions have been recog- and health care fields. nized with his election to the National Academy of 2 • NIH RECORD • NOVEMBER 17, 2017 Mother of Patient Runs 10K for Son, Children’s Inn at NIH BY ERIC BOCK In September, Carly Israel-Agin was passing through airport security when her son’s school called. Her 8-year-old, Desi Borstein, had a rapidly increasing NICHD’s Basser Honored fever. She went straight to his Dr. Peter Basser (l), senior investigator who heads the school and administered a painful Carly Israel-Agin with her son Desi Borstein section on quantitative imaging and tissue sciences shot that broke the fever. at the National Institute of Child Health and Human The next morning, Israel-Agin Development, accepted the Victor M. Haughton did something she’d never done before: she “We are so grateful when doctors are Award for his groundbreaking work on diffusion tensor imaging at the October annual meeting of ran a 10K. willing to admit they need help,” Israel- the American Society of Functional Neuroradiology “Desi’s super brave and I figured if he Agin said. in Portland, Ore.