October 20, 2017, NIH Record, Vol. LXIX, No. 21
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October 20, 2017 Vol. LXIX, No. 21 have adaptive mechanisms to it, such as the ‘revving up’ of our epinephrine and norepi- nephrine. This can be helpful in the short term, like if you have to run from a tiger or Murthy Discusses Chronic respond to an acute crisis. But over the long Stress, Solutions term, it can increase inflammation in the BY ELLEN O’DONNELL body and increase our risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, anxiety, depression and a Imagine that you are picking up a set of host of other illnesses.” weights at the gym, an overloaded bag at the During his tenure as surgeon general, grocery store or a small child. As you do this, Dr. Vivek Murthy (r) chats with NIH director Dr. Murthy took a “listening tour” across you’re building muscle mass, “but if you hold Francis Collins at Straus Lecture. America. The recurring theme he heard that weight for hours and hours, it may do was that “the stresses in people’s lives were damage to you—and that’s essentially what Straus Distinguished Lecture in the causing them great pain and they didn’t happens with chronic stress,” according to Science of Complementary Therapies always know how to deal with them...It former surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy. about “A Nation Under Pressure: The was so powerful to see how people would There is “an epidemic of stress in Public Health Consequences of Stress in react and come together when we talked America,” he says, but there are also tools America.” They addressed a packed Masur about stress and emotional well-being.” As a and skills that we can use to counter it and Auditorium and thousands more watching nation, “if we are not addressing stress and “enhance [our] ability to live a healthier, on videocast and Facebook Live. NCCIH’s emotional well-being, we are missing a major stronger, more fulfilling life.” annual Straus Lecture honors the center’s contributor to our health.” Murthy and NIH director Dr. Francis founding director. Collins spoke at this year’s Stephen E. Not all stress is bad, Murthy said. “We SEE STRESS, PAGE 8 UNHERALDED HEROES AN UPHILL CLIMB Woodruff Shares Personal Relay Changes Course, But Story as Caregiver to Son NeuRUNS Win Again BY DANA TALESNIK BY DANA TALESNIK They may not have The race to the the medical exper- finish was a bit tise, but nobody tougher than in else could be more years past. It was devoted to the a sunny, breezy patient. They’re afternoon on NSO in full glory. See story, p. 2. the informal Sept. 28 when 105 ALSO THIS ISSUE caregivers—the rel- spirited teams atives and friends participated in the 2017 Nobel Winners Are NIH Grantees .......3 of chronically ill 34th NIH Institute Annual Stetten, Chanock Lectures Announce patients—who self- Relay. But while This Year’s Speakers, Topics ................5 lessly spend many most previous Corps Deploys Members to Hurricane Sites ...7 grueling hours relays looped Judy Woodruff at NIH daily caring for You’d smile too if you around Bldg. 1, Digest ....................................9 their loved ones. were on winning team. this year’s event Milestones ...............................10 The caregiver role came about unex- was relocated due Volunteers ................................11 pectedly for Judy Woodruff, anchor and to construction. The new route behind the managing editor of PBS NewsHour, who Clinical Center was significantly shorter but Seen ....................................12 SEE WOODRUFF, PAGE 4 SEE RELAY, PAGE 6 BRIEFS NIH Veterans Day Celebration, Nov. 9 The entire NIH community is invited to join our military and Public Health Service colleagues to cel- ebrate Veterans Day and to recognize their service and continued contributions to the nation. This year’s celebration will be held on Thursday, Nov. 9 in Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10, from 10 to 11 a.m. The event will include a military band, remembrance table ceremony, exhibits from vet- eran-oriented companies and uniformed services organizations and more. NIH veterans and families of veterans are especially encouraged to attend. This year’s keynote speaker is Army Maj. Gen. (Ret.) James Gilman, who currently serves as chief executive officer of the Clinical Center. Welcoming remarks will be delivered by Navy Commander (Ret.) Jeff McCoy, director of the Division of Design and Construction Management, NIH Office of Research Facilities. National Symphony Orchestra Performs at CRC Sign language interpreters will be provided. On Sept. 19, the Clinical Center and the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences welcomed Individuals who need reasonable accommodation the full National Symphony Orchestra to Bldg. 10. The orchestra performed works by Beethoven, Bach to participate should contact Jayne Lura-Brown at and Brahms as well as Duke Ellington, Leroy Anderson, John Williams, Emmanuel Sejourne and Aaron [email protected] or (301) 594-5342 and/ Copland. It featured William Gerlach on trumpet, Eric Shin on vibraphone and Steven Reineke (shown or the Federal Relay (1-800-877-8339). To find above) as conductor. Their visit marks the NSO’s 18th time performing in the Clinical Center as a part of out more about how veterans contribute every its Sound Health initiative. NSO ensembles have scheduled performances at the Clinical Center Nov. 9 and Dec. 12. Below at left, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins welcomes the NSO to Bldg. 10. Below at right, day to the NIH mission, visit https://jobs.nih.gov/ patients, families, staff and visitors enjoyed the NSO concert both in the atrium and balconies above. veterans/vrf.htm. PHOTOS: MARLEEN VAN DEN NESTE Lecture on Electronic Health Records, Nov. 1 in Lister Hill Auditorium The next talk in the National Library of Medicine Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Lectures is titled “Transforming Electronic Health Records from Annoyances to Assistants: A Research Agenda for the Next Decade,” by Dr. James Cimino on Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Lister Hill Center Auditorium, Bldg. 38A. Cimino is a Heitkemper To Give NINR Director’s Lecture, Nov. 14 in Lipsett board-certified Dr. Margaret Heitkemper will present the fourth 2017 NINR Director’s internist and clinical Lecture on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. in Lipsett Amphitheater, informatician, cur- Bldg. 10. In her presentation “Symptom Science in Irritable Bowel rently a professor of Syndrome: Biomarkers to Intervention,” she will describe her program medicine and inau- of research that addresses the pathophysiology and biobehavioral gural director of the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the interaction of stress Informatics Institute and symptoms in children and adults. The lecture will be followed by an Dr. James Cimino at the University opportunity for questions and discussion. of Alabama- Birmingham School Heitkemper is professor and chair, department of biobehavioral nursing of Medicine. He has been carrying out clinical and health informatics, adjunct professor, division of gastroenterology, informatics research, building clinical informa- and co-director, Center for Innovations in Sleep Self-Management at the tion systems, teaching medical informatics and University of Washington. Her current studies are examining blood and medicine and caring for patients for more than 30 fecal metabolite levels, the microbiome and intestinal permeability in years. He was formerly chief of the Laboratory for men and women with IBS as well as peripheral markers of inflammation. Informatics Development at the Clinical Center and the National Library of Medicine. The NINR Director’s Lecture series is designed to bring the nation’s top nurse scientists to NIH to share their work and interests with a transdisciplinary audience. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.ninr.nih.gov/directorslecture. 2 • NIH RECORD • OCTOBER 20, 2017 NIH Grantees Win Nobel Prizes metabolism, fertility, mood and other physiological of life’s processes and identifying molecular conditions. For this reason, clock dysfunction targets for drug development,” said Collins. “NIH Four NIH grantees were honored with Nobel prizes is associated with various disorders, including is investing heavily in the further development of in early October, three in medicine and physiology insomnia, diabetes and depression. this technology through the NIH Common Fund’s and one in chemistry. Transformative High Resolution cryo-EM Program, “The work of these Nobel laureates to help us which aims to improve access for researchers The 2017 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine understand how our biological clocks work has through the creation of national service centers, went to grantees Dr. Jeffrey C. Hall of the University shone a light on the significance of circadian continued advancement of the technology and of Maine, Orono; Dr. Michael Rosbash of Brandeis rhythms on our health and is informing treatments developing the skills that researchers need to use University; and Dr. Michael W. Young of Rockefeller for sleep disorders, obesity, mental health disorders this technology.” University for their discoveries of molecular mecha- and other health problems,” said NIH director Dr. nisms controlling the circadian rhythm. Francis Collins. “NIH is proud to have supported Frank has received continuous funding from NIGMS this groundbreaking research.” since 1978, having received more than $25 million The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said, “The to date. paradigm-shifting discoveries by the laureates Young and Rosbash have received continuous established key mechanistic principles for the funding from NIH since 1975 ($17 million and $8 “One of the beauties of this prize is that it isn’t biological clock.” million, respectively) primarily from the National just looking backward at what happened in the Institute of General Medical Sciences and past, it’s also looking to the future,” said Lorsch. Sharing the chemistry prize with two other scien- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and “Recent advances in cryo-EM—made possible tists was grantee Dr.