March 6, 2020 Vol. LXXII, No. 5

amino acid that has gone awry and typically results in 30 years less life expectancy for those who have it, said Barabino. Cases of SCD are predicted to rise by 30 percent Barabino Sorts Out Mechanics between 2010 and 2050, she added. of Sickle Cell Disease Normal red blood cells are like the fittest BY RICH MCMANUS person at your gym, the one who is endlessly strong and flexible. Traffic jams are bad enough—remember “The red blood cell is a marvel in both the mass campus exit during Jan. 7’s structure and function,” said Barabino, who snow?—but what if they occurred in blood directs CCNY’s Laboratory on Vascular and vessels throughout the organs of your Orthopedic Tissue Engineering Research. “It body, from the eyes, to the liver, to the gall has a bi-concave discoidal shape that permits bladder, on down? the membrane to deform while maintaining That is what sickle cell crisis inflicts on a constant surface area without stretching. the millions of people worldwide who have Its flexible dumbbell shape allows it to pass sickle cell disease (SCD), including some Dr. Gilda Barabino accepts honorary plaque through vessels with a diameter half the size 100,000 Americans, said Dr. Gilda Barabino, from NIH principal deputy director Dr. of the red blood cell itself.” dean of engineering at the City College of Lawrence Tabak, who introduced her lecture. “It’s not often that one can introduce a WALS But in SCD, red blood cells become New York, at a Jan. 28 talk in the Wednesday lecturer who is a dean at their alma mater [City deformed in low-oxygen conditions and Afternoon Lecture Series. College of New York],” he said. adopt a sickle shape, their once-flexible SCD is a painful disease caused by a single PHOTO: DR. MARIE A. BERNARD SEE SICKLE CELL, PAGE 4

Potential Treatment Found for NEW NEUROTECHNOLOGIES Alcoholic Liver Disease Shanechi Explores How to BY ERIC BOCK Decode Mood An anti-inflammatory called hyaluronic BY DANA TALESNIK acid 35 (HA 35) might one day protect Sometimes it seems almost unpredict- patients from the able. Our mood is often affected by many complications of conditions and moderate alco- variables. Could it holic liver disease, really be possible Puppies provide therapy for doctors as well as said Dr. Laura to predict and patients. See story, p. 12 Nagy at NIAAA’s control our 24th annual Mark ALSO THIS ISSUE mental state? Keller Honorary Such a prospect Upcoming WALS Talks Feature Nobelist Lecture in Lipsett could bring relief Allison, Dyer Speaker Cooper ...... 3 Amphitheater on to the many REAL ID Act Gets Real Here on Oct. 1. . . . .5 Jan. 28. who suffer from “We’re in the New Deputy Director for NIMHD...... 7 neuropsychiatric planning stage Dr. Laura Nagy disorders, includ- Flint Water Scientist To Lecture at NIH. . . . .8 Dr. Maryam Shanechi for conducting a ing the millions Digest...... 9 pilot clinical trial, to see whether providing of people in the United States who have HA 35 to healthy adults before a single Milestones...... 10 treatment-resistant major depression. alcoholic drink can protect the gut,” said Dr. Maryam Shanechi is pioneering work Seen...... 12 SEE NAGY, PAGE 8 SEE SHANECHI, PAGE 6 BRIEFS

Scholarly Publishing Mar. 18 NIDA Director Receives AMA’s Davis Award Symposium: Elevate Your Research Visibility NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow received the American Medical Association’s 2020 The NIH Library will host a Scholarly Publishing Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Symposium on Wednesday, Mar. 18 from 9 a.m. to Government Service in the category Member noon in Lipsett Amphitheater, Bldg. 10. of Executive Branch in Career Public Service. Experts will share their insights and advice on how Recognizing Volkow’s dedication to public you can make your research more visible. Topics service, the award is considered one of the include Author Identifiers That Improve Research most prestigious that honors local, state and Visibility (Laure Haak, executive director of ORCID); federal career and elected officials. Volkow Preprints: Pros and Cons (John R. Inglis, executive was recognized for her contributions to the director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press field of addiction research. As one of the and bioRxiv co-founder, and Pritty Joshi, NIH health world’s leading experts on the science of science policy analyst); and Social Media: How to addiction, she pioneered the use of brain Increase Research Visibility (César Berrios-Otero, imaging to investigate the toxic effects and JoVE representative and Jennifer Dorsey, NCI social properties of drugs of abuse. NIDA director Dr. Nora Volkow (c) holds her award media coordinator). in the company of ABC News reporter Deborah The award ceremony, held Feb. 11 at Roberts and AMA board chair Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld. The event will also be videocast live at https:// the Grand Hyatt Washington hotel, was videocast.nih.gov/. attended by more than 500 health sector For more information, contact Cindy Clark at cindy. representatives, including members of Congress and administration officials. [email protected] or call (301) 496-1080. Check for program details and updates at https://www. NCCIH’s Integrative Medicine Research Lecture for NIH adult employees, contractors, fellows and nihlibrary.nih.gov/scholarly-publishing-symposium. Series (see https://nccih.nih.gov/news/events/ patients and NOAA employees. The spring course IMlectures). Two other lectures in the series are will be offered from Mar. 31 to May 12. For details, New Approaches to Pain and Mental scheduled for May 11 and June 30. visit http://www.nihsail.org/training/. Health Featured in NCCIH Talks The in-class sessions are held on the NIH campus This spring, the National Center for Complementary Women’s History Month Workshop Set, and the onboard (on the water) sessions are held and Integrative Health offers several lectures on the Mar. 10 in Wilson Hall at Selby Bay on the South River near Edgewater, theme of “Novel Approaches at the Intersection of The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will Md. Participants must be able to provide or arrange Mental Health and Pain.” celebrate Women’s History Month with “The Whole for their own transportation to both the in-class At the first talk, on Woman 2020 Vision Workshop” featuring keynote and onboard sessions. If you are interested in the Tuesday, Mar. 24, speaker Dr. Janine Clayton, director of the Office course and would like more information, contact at 11 a.m. in Lipsett of Research on Women’s Health. The workshop will NIHSA at [email protected]. Amphitheater, Bldg. be held on Tuesday, Mar. 10 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in If you are an experienced sailor and would like to 10, Dr. Eric Garland will Wilson Hall, Bldg. 1. charter NIHSA boats, contact the group at www. speak on “Mindfulness- Clayton will present nihsail.org/rating about joining the club and doing Oriented Recovery “30 Years of a check-out sail. NIHSA is always looking for experi- Enhancement: Women’s Health enced volunteers to help with both in-class and Restructuring Reward Breakthroughs.” onboard instruction. Processing in Addiction, Other topics and pre- Stress and Pain.” senters include views NIH Publishes New ‘NOSIs’ on wellness with the In some of our most NIH recently published two Notices of Special Dr. Eric Garland pressing “diseases Employee Assistance Program, mentoring Interest (NOSIs) announcing administrative of despair,” such as supplements to expand the scope of funded addiction and chronic pain, the brain’s capacity with the NIH Training Center, FEVS data and investigations on U3 populations and sex/gender to experience pleasure and extract meaning from influences. natural sources becomes disrupted. Opioid misuse women at NIH with can become a way to try to hold onto a shrinking EDI/Data Analytics. The first NOSI, Administrative Supplements for Dr. Janine Clayton sense of well-being. There will also be a Research on the Health of Women of Understudied, panel discussion on Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Garland has developed a nondrug intervention Populations, announces support of biomedical for opioid misuse that unites mindfulness medi- work and life balance led by the Office of Intramural Training and Education. research highlighting health disparities among tation, cognitive behavioral therapy and positive women of U3 populations. psychology. A member of the NIH HEAL Initiative Sign language interpreters will be provided. multidisciplinary working group, Garland is Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable The second NOSI, Administrative Supplements for professor and associate dean for research at the accommodation to participate should contact Joy Research on Sex/Gender Influences, announces University of Utah College of Social Work, director Gaines at [email protected] or the Federal Relay, support of research highlighting the impact of sex/ of the Center on Mindfulness and Integrative (800) 877-8339. gender influences in human health and illness. Health Intervention Development and a licensed psychotherapist. His Ph.D. in social work is from the The due date for both applications is Jan. 26, 2021. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Interested in Learning How to Sail? More information is available from the Office of The lecture, which will be videocast, is part of The NIH Sailing Association (NIHSA), an R&W sup- Research on Women’s Health. ported club, offers an Introduction to Sailing course

2 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 Cooper’s research program examines the effec- WALS Talks Feature Nobel tiveness of multilevel strategies for advancing health equity in the United States and sub-Saharan Laureate Allison, Dyer Africa. She has conducted observational studies to describe attitudinal barriers to equitable health Lecturer Cooper status and health care among patients from diverse racial and ethnic groups, and to elucidate mech- The NIH Director’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture anisms, such as the quality of social relationships, Series (WALS) will host the second of three NIH for racial and socioeconomic disparities in health Director’s Lectures on Mar. 11, followed by the status and health care. annual Rolla E. Dyer Lecture on Mar. 18. Both presentations are expected be held in the newly The Dyer Lecture was established in 1950 in honor renovated Masur Auditorium, Bldg. 10, at 3 p.m. of former NIH director Dr. Rolla E. Dyer, a noted authority on infectious diseases, and features On Mar. 11, the Director’s lecture will be presented internationally renowned researchers. by recent Nobel laureate Dr. James P. Allison, chair and Regental professor, department of immunol- For lecture information and reasonable accommo- ogy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. His talk is titled dation, contact Jacqueline Roberts, (301) 594-6747 or [email protected].

On Mar. 18, the Dyer Lecture will be given by Dr. Lisa A. Cooper of Johns Hopkins University.

the 2018 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, which he shared with Dr. Tasuku Honjo, “for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.” Among his most notable discoveries are the determination of the T-cell receptor structure and that CD28 is the major costimulatory molecule that allows full activation of naïve T cells and prevents anergy in T-cell clones. ON THE COVER: Near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Allison’s current work seeks to improve immune Nobel laureate Dr. James P. Allison, who A research participant is prepared for fNIRS, which checkpoint blockade therapies currently used by speaks at NIH on Mar. 11, was the subject of a assesses brain activation during motion capture, at recent film titledJim Allison: Breakthrough. clinicians and identify new targets to unleash the the NIH Motion Analysis Lab. immune system in order to eradicate cancer. IMAGE: NIH On Mar. 18, the Dyer Lecture will be presented “Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer Therapy: The NIH Record Historical Perspective, New Opportunities and by Dr. Lisa A. Cooper, Bloomberg distinguished Prospects for Cures.” professor, health and health care equity and Since 1949, the NIH Record has been published James F. Fries professor of medicine at Johns biweekly by the Editorial Operations Branch, Allison has spent a distinguished career studying Hopkins University. Her talk is titled “Deep and Office of Communications and Public Liaison, the regulation of T-cell responses and developing Wide: The Voyage to Discover Local and Global National Institutes of Health, Department of Health strategies for cancer immunotherapy. He earned Health Equity.” and Human Services. For editorial policies, email editor or phone (301) 496-2125. Editor: Rich McManus Transit Benefit Increases for NIH’ers [email protected] The Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS) announces that the mass Associate Editor: Carla Garnett transit benefit has increased to $270 per month due to the recently approved 2020 federal [email protected] spending bill. The increase allows NIH-eligible Transhare members to receive a transit Staff Writers: Eric Bock • [email protected] benefit up to a maximum of $270 per month, with no tax implications, for commuting cost Dana Talesnik • [email protected] coverage. The allowance does not cover parking fees. Subscribe via email: Follow: For Transhare users, the NIH Parking Office will automatically adjust transit benefits [email protected] http://nihrecord.nih.gov/ for Transhare members who have approved commuting costs in the CAPS system greater Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps Facebook “f” Logo CMYK / .eps The NIH Record than $265. Transhare members should have seen this adjustment to their SmartBenefits is recyclable as account starting Feb. 1. mixed paper. Some members who take MARC, VRE, MTA commuter bus or a vanpool will need to take additional actions to make this increase effective. An email with further instructions will be sent to those identified by DATS as taking one of these modes of transportation. For more information, email [email protected] or call (301) 496-5050.

NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 • 3 their children in to be evaluated. Many died When her team introduced L-glutamine before coming in for diagnosis.” powder to the rodents’ drinking water, To illustrate the acuteness of the suffering the animals benefited in bone volume and associated with SCD, Barabino showed a reduced damage to liver and spleen. painting by Haitian artist Hertz Nazaire of a Barabino is confident that studies of face literally blossoming with pain, watered cell and tissue biomechanics will provide by its own tears. telltale signs of SCD progression and help In studies of red blood cell subpopula- investigators discriminate between health tions, Barabino and her colleagues have and disease. identified four types, distinguished by red Looking to the future, she is heartened cell density, that correlate with cell age. They by the NHLBI-led Cure Sickle Cell Initiative Barabino chats with audience members after have noticed the marginating of stiffer cells at NIH, “which links lots of partners. A her lecture. Among those looking on are NIA to vessel walls, while the more flexible cells comprehensive approach is needed for such deputy director Dr. Marie A. Bernard (l). flow within the middle of a vessel. a complex disorder.” PHOTO: DR. MIA ROCHELLE LOWDEN Their goal is to exploit this mechanical There is also an American Society of finding by extracting from blood the stiffer Hematology SCD Initiative and a National Sickle Cell cells. The ability to discriminate between Academies of Sciences, Engineering and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 affected and non-affected cells also offers Medicine Project on SCD, on whose govern- membranes distorted due to polymerization a way to monitor disease progression, she ing committee she sits. of beta hemoglobin. Like a pileup of bumper explained. “That is also a very comprehensive cars in an arcade, the sickled cells block Her team is also studying bone project, and a report is due soon,” Barabino traffic, leading to vaso-occlusion, a hallmark involvement in SCD, which has some com- said. of SCD. monalities with osteoporosis, Barabino said. Media attention to SCD is also bur- Sickled cells are both stiff and sticky, Using a transgenic mouse model of SCD geoning at the moment, with the recent 60 exhibiting abnormal adhesion, Barabino that replicates the organ damage suffered by Minutes special on NIH trials and a January noted. “Adhesion can impede the passage humans, the scientists are gaining insights article in the New York Times on a 16-year- of other cells, leading to obstruction, and into bone pathology. old girl participating in the world’s first SCD permanent damage can result.” In examinations of the microarchitecture gene therapy trial. The interior traffic jams can include of mouse femoral trabecular bone and “There is great promise, but a lot of adherent reticulocytes—younger red blood cortical bone, the researchers have discov- unknowns,” Barabino concluded, stressing cells—and white cells, said Barabino, in ered loss of volume, thickness and strength the value of different perspectives when addition to cells that are stiffened and mis- in SCD mice as compared to controls. attacking a medical problem. shapen due to the aggregation of hemoglobin Bone quality rapidly declines with age, said The full talk is available at molecules. Combined, these factors result in Barabino. “Older [SCD-affected] bones are https://videocast.nih.gov/summary. increased blood viscosity, or thickness, and particularly deteriorated.” asp?live=35109&bhcp=1. impaired blood flow. Currently, there are two FDA-approved drugs for treating SCD, hydroxyurea and glutamine. The former appears to reduce cell adhesion within 2 weeks of administration to SCD patients, said Barabino. There are curative therapies, too, including transfusion and bone marrow transplantation. But they are expensive and ill-suited to the low-income parts of the world where SCD is most common. Barabino recounted attendance at an international SCD meeting held in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin, Africa, where world leaders in SCD research met at the country’s National Sickle Cell Center. “What stood out for me was the level of incidence,” Barabino said, “and the lack of “There is great promise, but a lot of unknowns,” Barabino said of research on SCD. access to diagnosis and treatment. There PHOTO: DR. MIA ROCHELLE LOWDEN were stories of mothers who couldn’t bring

4 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 Society of Toxicology Lauds NINDS’s Jett Dr. David Jett, director of the NIH Countermeasures STARTS OCT. 1 Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Program Get Ready for REAL ID and program director in NINDS’s Division of Translational Research, recently received the 2020 Starting Oct. 1, NIH will no longer accept driver’s licenses or other forms of identification Society of Toxicology from visitors seeking to enter campus unless those credentials are compliant with the (SOT) Translational REAL ID Act. Congress passed the act in 2005; it established minimum security stan- Impact Award. dards for state-issued licenses and identification cards. As a federal agency, NIH cannot He was recognized for admit visitors without an acceptable form of ID. his efforts to develop These same standards apply to NIH staff who forget their ID badge and must access safer and more NIH facilities as a visitor. effective treatments Patients, regardless of identification, will continue to be allowed on campus upon for highly toxic agent exposure. He received verification of their status on a protocol with the admissions office at the Clinical Center. the award Mar. 15 at REAL ID-compliant forms of ID that will be acceptable for visitor admission to NIH SOT’s annual meeting facilities include: in Anaheim. • REAL ID Driver’s License or State Identification Card (generally, a star in the upper Jett earned his Ph.D. right corner of the credential will indicate it is REAL ID-compliant) in neuropharmacol- • Passport or passport card ogy and toxicology Dr. David Jett • HSPD-12 PIV or CAC card from the University of • Permanent resident card Maryland School of Medicine in 1992. He then conducted postdoctoral • Federally Recognized, Tribal-Issued Photo ID research at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg • Canadian Provincial Driver’s License or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card School of Public Health, where he later joined the • USCIS Employment Authorization card (I-766) faculty and led a laboratory focused on organo- • Other less common documents (e.g., Merchant Mariner credential) phosphorus pesticides. Some additional pointers for visitors entering NIH facilities starting Oct. 1: Jett joined NINDS in 2002 as a program director • Look for the REAL ID star on your license to make sure the license is valid in the Office of Minority Health and Research, • Children under age 17 do not need ID if accompanied by guardian with a valid ID working on efforts to increase diversity in the • Patient caregivers will need to have valid identification neuroscience workforce. • NIH staff who forget their ID badge will need a REAL ID-compliant document to Based on his expertise and the events of 9/11, he enter NIH facilities soon received a request to create a program to Common reasons to obtain REAL ID include: support development of new drugs for treating victims of chemical exposures after terrorist • You want to fly with only your state-issued ID (e.g., driver’s license) attacks and other mass-casualty emergencies. Jett • You need to visit a secure facility, such as NIH, and do not have a personal identity then moved to the Office of Translational Research verification (PIV) card, passport or another approved ID. where he designed and developed CounterACT, Reasons you may not need a REAL ID include: seeking out NIH experts from other institutes and • You only need your ID for purposes of identification and have another form of ID centers to help build the program. (e.g., PIV card or passport) for accessing federal facilities like NIH Since CounterACT’s first year of funding in 2006, • You do not mind bringing your passport along when you fly or visit federal facilities Jett and his team of NIH scientists have recruited starting Oct. 1 more than 100 of the nation’s top laboratories into the program, including investigators with such Driver’s licenses differ from state to state diverse areas of expertise as epilepsy, lung disease, dermal toxicology, ophthalmology and metabolic REAL ID was implemented by each state’s department of motor vehicles. As a result, diseases. Their research has resulted in more than driver’s licenses and identification cards are not uniform in appearance across states. 1,400 publications in peer-reviewed journals. However, all REAL ID-compliant state driver’s licenses will have a star imprinted in the The program has facilitated discovery of several upper right corner. promising drug candidates. One drug supported Maryland and D.C. are requiring all individuals who are eligible for REAL by CounterACT, Seizalam, was recently approved ID-compliant documents to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identifica- for treating seizures after a mass-casualty event in tion card. Maryland and D.C. offer “limited use” credentials, which are not acceptable for which nerve agents are used. flying domestically in the United States or for entering an NIH facility. In addition to his NIH work, Jett also serves as Virginia allows its residents the option to obtain a REAL ID-compliant creden- adjunct professor in the department of chronic tial, which can be used to enter an NIH facility. Virginia also allows a non-REAL disease epidemiology at Yale School of Public ID-compliant credential for driver’s licenses or identification cards that are not accept- Health and contributes his expertise to the scientific community on various advisory panels, as an edito- able for federal purposes. rial board member of the journal Neurotoxicology, guest editor for Neurobiology of Disease and as a reviewer for many other journals.

NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 • 5 “We guide and stimulate the brain the significance of these regions on emotion. with the very activity we’re trying As the decoders scanned patients’ brains, to modulate and control,” she said, the most recurring region was the orbitof- “basically closing the loop.” rontal cortex. This has never been done before, But decoding is not enough for closing at least not for psychiatric disorders. the loop, which also requires knowing how Closed-loop stimulation has been to change the stimulation for a desired successfully applied to neurological outcome. Thus, Shanechi currently is conditions such as Parkinson’s building a data-driven modeling framework disease by identifying a biomarker, for this network that can predict how stim- and then turning stimulation on and ulation changes neural activity and thus the off depending on whether the bio- mood symptoms. To get informative data for marker is above or below a threshold. fitting these models, “you want to stimulate But mental states are largely the brain in a way that excites it across all distributed across networks, not frequency bands,” she said. “Therefore, you at single sites. So a local biomarker want some sort of white-spectrum input, just may not work in this case. Instead, like white noise.” Shanechi currently is building a data-driven modeling framework that can predict how stimulation changes neural targeting mood would require She designed clinically safe white-spec- activity and thus mood symptoms. decoding it by aggregating informa- trum waveforms that start with pulses, then PHOTOS: MARLEEN VAN DEN NESTE tion across the network. Shanechi set allow for stochastic changes in amplitude out to build a dynamic model to track and frequency to mimic white noise. Testing Shanechi mood variabilities and guide how to has already begun with encouraging results CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 modulate stimulation in real time for accurately predicting how neural activity within a feedback controller. changes in response to changing stimulation. to model and decode mood variations, efforts “Even if we know someone’s mood per- The next step is building closed-loop con- that ultimately could enable modulating fectly, we still wouldn’t know how to change trollers and testing them in people. Shanechi brain networks to treat neuropsychiatric it toward the therapeutic target level,” said is also working to develop multiscale models disorders. Shanechi, whose honors include Shanechi. A neural decoder would monitor of brain network activity. the MIT Technology Review’s top 35 innova- changing mood, though researchers would “We know that behavior involves not only tors under age 35, is an assistant professor also need to design a feedback controller to small-scale neural processes measured with of electrical engineering and neuroscience guide the stimulation parameters toward spiking activity of neurons,” she said, “but at the University of Southern California desired levels. also larger-scale integrated neural processes and director of USC’s Neural Systems Recent work with epilepsy patients measured with field potentials.” Engineering Lab. She spoke at a recent showed investigators that they could The modeling challenge here is that NIMH Director’s Innovation Speaker Series decode mood variations in human subjects. the signals have fundamentally different lecture in the Neuroscience Center. Shanechi collaborated with Dr. Edward characteristics. Large-scale field potentials One type of brain-machine interface Chang, a neurosurgeon at UCSF, to obtain such as ECoG are continuous with slower (BMI) that Shanechi’s lab works on allows brain and mood data from these patients. time scales, she explained, while small- the brain to manipulate devices, such as While the patients were in the hospital scale spikes are binary-valued with fast motor-neural prosthetics for paralyzed getting monitored for seizures across millisecond timescales. The new models patients. multiple brain regions, they intermittently must describe all these signals together and “We also spend a significant amount of completed electronic mood questionnaires account for their different characteristics. time developing a new generation of BMIs while hooked up to an electrocorticography Shanechi’s lab has built a multiscale that aim to do the opposite,” said Shanechi. (ECoG) machine. This gave Shanechi’s team decoder that can combine information from “So instead of allowing the brain to control a data set to then start identifying specific spike-field signals at different timescales an external device, you now want to control network sites to decode and model. to improve accuracy and an algorithm to the state of the brain itself to treat neuro- With the algorithms they built for each extract behaviorally relevant dynamics from psychiatric disorders, for example, using network, Shanechi tested her model from the these signals. The new algorithms are all electrical stimulation.” brain recordings of 7 people. extendable to mental states and adaptable to For some patients, stimulating a certain “In every single individual, we could closed-loop control. brain region can alleviate depression significantly decode their mood variations, Shanechi continues to test these models symptoms. Some patients, however, don’t therefore opening the possibility of personal- while developing new ones, with the respond to this open-loop electrical stimu- ized therapies for mood disorders,” she said. ultimate goal of helping us better understand lation. Shanechi’s team instead focuses on Their decoder largely recruited the dynamics across the brain that would lead to closed-loop stimulation, to adjust stimulation brain’s limbic regions, said Shanechi, which new neurotechnologies and other therapies in real time based on decoding a mood state. was consistent with other studies showing to treat psychiatric disorders.

6 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 Webb Hooper Appointed HIV/AIDS. She comes to NIH from the disparity populations. NIMHD Deputy Director School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve The recipient of numerous NIH and University, where she was professor of foundation grants, Webb Hooper also has Dr. Monica Webb Hooper has been selected oncology, family medicine and community won several honors and awards for her as deputy director of the National Institute health, and psychological sciences. She work, including international recognition on Minority Health and also served as associate from the Society of Research on Nicotine Health Disparities. Set to director for cancer dispar- and Tobacco. begin her appointment on ities research and director A native of Miami, Webb Hooper has Mar. 15, she joins NIMHD of the Office of Cancer authored more than 80 peer-reviewed pub- as the institute celebrates Disparities Research at lications and book chapters. She earned her its 10th anniversary. the NCI-designated Case undergraduate degree in psychology from “I cannot express Comprehensive Cancer the University of Miami, her Ph.D. in clinical in words my elation to Center. health psychology from the University of have the opportunity As a licensed clinical South Florida and completed an internship to work closely with health psychologist, she in medical psychology at the University of [NIMHD director] Dr. led an active research Florida Health Sciences Center. [Eliseo] Pérez-Stable and lab focused on chronic his leadership team to disease prevention, health contribute to NIMHD’s behavior change, tobacco mission and vision,” said use, weight management Webb Hooper. “I am and obesity, stress VOLUNTEERS deeply committed to the Dr. Monica Webb Hooper processes, biobehavioral study of minority health interventions and social and to the ultimate elimination of health determinants of health. disparities. It will be a great privilege to Notably, Webb Hooper’s group was the NCI Seeks Cancer Patients serve NIMHD as the deputy director and to first to conduct a randomized intervention National Cancer Institute researchers are testing be a part of the NIH community.” study of tobacco use in African Americans a new treatment in people with liver cancer Webb Hooper is a leader in minority that effectively delineated a method to (hepatocellular carcinoma) or biliary tract health and cancer-related health disparities create culturally specific interventions with carcinoma. The treatment uses tremelimumab research. Her work spans multiple disparity demonstrated long-term success. Her work given in combination with durvalumab and/ or trans-arterial catheter chemoembolization. populations, including African Americans, highlights the importance of moving beyond Participants do not pay for tests, treatments or Hispanics/Latinos, persons of less socio- one-size-fits-all approaches, particularly for procedures. Travel may be reimbursed. Contact economic privilege and people living with behavioral interventions involving health the Clinical Center Office of Patient Recruitment at 800-411-1222 (800-877-8339 TTY/ASCII) or [email protected]. Refer to study 16-C-0135. Read more at https://go.usa.gov/xpEKb. ‘DEMOCRATIZING HEALTH DATA’ NIMHD Director’s Seminar Hosts Patients with Anemia Sought Boulware, Mar. 12 NHLBI is conducting an investigational treatment As part of its 10th anniversary activities, NIMHD will host Dr. L. study with eltrombopag to help patients with Ebony Boulware as the next Director’s Seminar Series speaker. Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA). For more infor- She will present “Where Clouds Meet the Ground: Democratizing mation, call the Clinical Center Office of Patient Health Data to Address Community Health Equity” on Thursday, Recruitment, 866-444-2214 or email [email protected]. Mar. 12 at 3 p.m. in Lipsett Amphitheater, Bldg. 10. gov, or if you need accommodation, the Federal Relay Service (https://www.federalrelay.us/fed- Boulware is the Eleanor Easley chair at the School of Medicine and eral-relay-services). Refer to study 20-H-0021. chief of the division of general internal medicine in the department Read more at https://go.usa.gov/xdNyc. of medicine at Duke University. A general internist and clinical epidemiologist, Boulware empow- Patients with OI Needed for Study ers families and doctors with knowledge and tools to make healthy NICHD researchers seek individuals with osteo- decisions and better manage chronic diseases. genesis imperfecta (OI) for study participation. The talk will be videocast at https://videocast.nih.gov. Now enrolling children up to age 12 and people with OI of any age who were previously seen To learn about the NIMHD Director’s Seminar Series, visit at NIH. For more information, call the Clinical https://nimhd.nih.gov/news-events/conferences-events/ Center Office of Patient Recruitment, 1-866- directors-seminar-series/. 444-2214 (TTY for the deaf or hard of hearing: 1-866-411-1010) or email [email protected]. Read For reasonable accommodation, call (301) 402-1366 or the Federal Dr. L. Ebony Boulware more at https://go.usa.gov/xEYjh. Refer to study Relay, 1-800-877-8339. 18-CH-0120.

NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 • 7 role in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. One of them is the hepatocyte, ‘WHAT THE EYES DON’T SEE’ “the workhorse of the liver.” Hepatocytes perform key roles in metabolism, detoxifica- Seminar by Doctor Who tion and protein synthesis. Exposed Flint Water Crisis Another is the Kupffer cell, Nagy said. They reside in a capillary called the Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician sinusoid. A type of white blood cell, Kupffer and scientist whose research exposed cells are the first line of defense against the lead water crisis in Flint, Mich., will bacteria and byproducts of digestion be the next Nagy’s lab is also studying death of hepatocytes that come from the intestines, such as guest speaker in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis. lipopolysaccharides (LPS). in the NIMH PHOTOS: CHIA-CHI CHARLIE CHANG After a person drinks an alcoholic Director’s beverage, the liver begins to metabolize Innovation Nagy and convert ethanol—the chemical name Speaker CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 for alcohol—into acetaldehyde and then Series. Her Nagy, professor of molecular medicine at the acetate. Nagy said this process produces talk, “What Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine reactive oxygen species, which leads to a the Eyes Don’t at Case Western Reserve University and staff “perfect storm of damaged macromolecules.” See: A Story member in the departments of inflammation Over time, the liver cannot eliminate the of Crisis, and immunity, and gastroenterology and macromolecules. Resistance hepatology at the Cleveland Clinic. Chronic drinking increases the amount of and Hope in LPS that enter the liver from the intestines. an American w w w When Kupffer cells are exposed to LPS, they City,” will Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, “Not all heavy drinkers progress release TNF-α, an inflammatory cytokine. be held on whose research exposed TNF-α spurs an immune system response, Thursday, the lead water crisis along this timeline. There’s which helps clear injured or dead hepato- Mar. 19 at 3 in Flint, Mich., will be the NIMH Director’s likely an association between cytes. Repeated LPS exposure increases the p.m. in Masur Innovation Speaker on genetics and environment in the inflammatory response. Auditorium, Mar. 19. Nagy guessed that an anti-inflammatory Bldg. 10. Get a progression of the disease.” compound—HA 35—might be a good drug behind-the-scenes look at the science and ~DR. LAURA NAGY candidate for patients with alcoholic liver continuing story of social justice behind disease. In one animal study, her lab fed mice one of the worst public health emergen- w w w the equivalent of several beers per day, along cies in the U.S. Alcoholic liver disease is a serious health with HA 35. Evidence suggested a “protective Hanna-Attisha is an associate problem resulting from the overconsump- effect of HA 35” and a decrease of cytokines. professor of pediatrics and human tion of alcoholic drinks over long periods. “HA 35 protects the gut and liver from development and C. S. Mott endowed The liver’s primary jobs are to make proteins ethanol” in rodent models, she said. “We’ve professor of public health at Michigan that are essential for blood clotting and to completed a safety and tolerance trial and State University College of Human filter blood that comes from the digestive there’s potential therapeutic value, most Medicine. She also is founder and director tract and remove toxins from the blood- likely in moderate disease situations.” of the MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital stream and store energy. Nagy’s lab is also studying death of Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an Patients with alcoholic liver disease first hepatocytes in patients with severe alcoholic innovative and model public health develop steatosis, the abnormal retention of hepatitis. There are several ways hepatocytes program established to address the Flint fats in the liver. Steatosis is usually revers- can die, including necrosis and apoptosis. water crisis. ible if people reduce their consumption of Necrosis refers to cell death caused by In 2016, she was named one of Time alcohol. They next develop inflammation, external factors, such as an alcohol-induced magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in then cirrhosis, a condition where scar tissue injury, while apoptosis means programmed the World for her role in bringing aware- replaces normal liver tissue. cell death. They are studying pathways that ness to the crisis in Flint and leading the “Not all heavy drinkers progress along might prevent necrosis. recovery efforts. this timeline. There’s likely an association The Keller Lecture is a tribute to Mark This free event is open without prior between genetics and environment in the Keller’s pioneering contributions to the field registration to all NIH staff and the public progression of the disease. This is typically of alcohol research. The lecture acknowl- and will be webcast at https://videocast. a slow progression over 20 to 30 years,” edges the advances scientists are making in a nih.gov. For details, visit https://www. Nagy said. wide range of alcohol-related research. nimh.nih.gov/news/events. There are several cell types that play a

8 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 DIGEST

The researchers recruited 699 AMSM participants, ages 13-18 years, from an ongoing trial, called SMART, that is evaluating existing HIV prevention programs. Participants provided data on their age, race/ethnicity and place of residence. Researchers developed a questionnaire to assess their socioeconomic status and evaluate HIV transmission risk, communication with physicians and attitudes toward getting tested for HIV. Almost half of the participants were Latino or black. Although most of the participants had a regular clinician, few had conversations with them about same-sex behavior, sexual orientation and HIV testing. The researchers also noted that older AMSM were more likely to report getting tested than their younger counterparts. Among several factors that encouraged AMSM to get tested for HIV, patient-clinician conversations were the most crucial. The researchers suggested some nonverbal ways to facilitate physician conversa- tions, such as adaptations in the office environment to reflect inclusivity. HIV infection goes undiagnosed in 51.4 percent of HIV-positive 13- to 24-year- olds, and 4 out of 5 new infections in this age range occur in men who have A top-down view of a little-known ocean-dwelling creature most sex with men. Sexual and gender minority teenagers have a disproportion- commonly found growing on dead hermit crab shells ate risk of acquiring HIV because they face certain structural barriers that IMAGE: ANDY BAXEVANIS, NHGRI prevent them from getting tested. Lack of knowledge about legally being able to consent for testing and the social stigma of being outed are some of Study Shows How Marine Animal Produces the contributing factors. This study speaks to the urgency of the Department of Health and Human Services program Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for Unlimited Eggs, Sperm Over Its Lifetime America, which focuses on four strategies, including early diagnosis. A little-known ocean-dwelling creature most commonly found growing on dead hermit crab shells may sound like an unlikely study subject for Maternal Obesity Linked to ADHD, Behavioral researchers, but this animal has a rare ability—it can make eggs and sperm Problems in Children for the duration of its lifetime. This animal, called Hydractinia, does so because it produces germ cells, which are precursors to eggs and sperm, Maternal obesity may increase a child’s risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity nonstop throughout its life. Studying this unique ability could provide insight disorder (ADHD), according to an analysis by researchers from NICHD. The into the development of the human reproductive system and the formation of researchers found that mothers—but not fathers—who were overweight or reproductive-based conditions and diseases in humans. obese before pregnancy were more likely to report that their children had been diagnosed with ADHD or to have symptoms of hyperactivity, inatten- “By sequencing and studying the genomes of simpler organisms that are tiveness or impulsiveness at ages 7 to 8 years old. Their study appears in the easier to manipulate in the lab, we have been able to tease out important Journal of Pediatrics. insights regarding the biology underlying germ cell fate determination— knowledge that may ultimately help us better understand the processes The study team analyzed underlying reproductive disorders in humans,” said Dr. Andy Baxevanis, the NICHD Upstate KIDS director of NHGRI’s computational genomics unit and co-author of the paper. Study, which recruited mothers of young infants In a study published in the journal Science, collaborators at NHGRI, the and followed the children National University of Ireland, Galway, and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine through age 8 years. In Bioscience at the University of Florida, Augustine, reported that activation this analysis of nearly of the gene Tfap2 in adult stem cells in Hydractinia can turn those cells into 2,000 children, the study germ cells in a cycle that can repeat endlessly. team found that women who were obese before In comparison, humans and most other mammals generate a specific number pregnancy were approx- of germ cells only once in their lifetime. Therefore, for such species, eggs and imately twice as likely sperm from the predetermined number of germ cells may be formed over a to report that their child long period of time, but their amount is restricted. An international team of had ADHD or symptoms researchers has been studying Hydractinia’s genome to understand how it of hyperactivity, inatten- comes by this special reproductive ability. Researchers found that mothers who were overweight or obese before pregnancy were tion or impulsiveness, Interestingly, the Tfap2 gene also regulates germ cell production in humans, more likely to report that their children had compared to children of in addition to its involvement in myriad other processes. However, in humans, been diagnosed with ADHD. women of normal weight the germ cells are separated from non-germ cells early in development. Still, IMAGE: RAWPIXEL/GETTY before pregnancy. despite the vast evolutionary distance between Hydractinia and humans, The authors suggest that, both share a key gene that changes stem cells into germ cells. if their findings are confirmed by additional studies, health care providers may want to screen children of obese mothers for ADHD so that they could Less Than a Quarter of At-Risk Adolescent Boys be offered earlier interventions. Ever Get Tested for HIV The authors also note that health care providers could use evidence-based Less than one in four adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) ever strategies to counsel women considering pregnancy on diet and lifestyle. get tested for HIV, research funded by NIMHD has reported. The study, led Resources for plus-size pregnant women and their health care providers are by Dr. Brian Mustanski of Northwestern University, appeared Feb. 11 in the available as part of NICHD’s Pregnancy for Every Body initiative. journal Pediatrics.

NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 • 9 MILESTONES

NIDCR Director Somerman careers and to pushing for greater diversity in the scientific workforce. “Not surprisingly, a very large Celebrated Upon Her number of Martha’s former trainees have gone Retirement on to enormously successful careers around the world,” said Tabak. BY ANNA MARIA GILLIS Collins’s song for Somerman—he often writes one A song, a surprise video and a story about a bear for retiring directors—drew inspiration from Crosby, marked the retirement celebration for Dr. Martha Stills, Nash & Young. To the tune of Teach Your Somerman, who stepped down as director of Children, Collins sang: the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research on Dec. 31 after more than 8 years of “Martha taught her students well, and you can tell, service. Speakers at the party, which was held They learn to aim high. recently in the Porter Neuroscience Research She mentors, she opens doors, their science soars, Center, highlighted some of Somerman’s contribu- She takes them so high.” tions to her field. NIDCR director Dr. Martha Somerman (c) watches a humorous video produced to mark Somerman’s penchant for running—Tabak said it “We can definitely say that Martha is not a her retirement. was hard to keep up with her—was the inspiration dabbler, nor has she ever been,” said NIH director for the surprise video that followed Collins’s Dr. Francis Collins. “She has advanced the science remarks. Staff from many of NIDCR’s divisions and worked tirelessly on behalf of the dental Dr. Lawrence Tabak, NIH principal deputy director and Somerman’s lab participated in some variant research community and a whole generation of and NIDCR’s acting director as of Jan. 1, described of running on the video to honor their outgoing dental professionals.” Somerman as an integrator, “one who understands director. multiple specialties and how they influence each Somerman is internationally recognized for her other, and can foster these collaborations. And about that bear? Collins regaled the audience with a little-known fact about Somerman. When she was dean of the University of Washington • • • School of Dentistry, one of her largest, hairiest patients was treated at Seattle’s zoo. Edwina, a “[Martha] has advanced the science and worked tirelessly Malayan sun bear, broke a tooth and needed a root on behalf of the dental research community and a whole canal. “Martha was part of the team that treated generation of dental professionals.” her,” said Collins. In the coming year, while Somerman ensures her ~NIH DIRECTOR DR. FRANCIS COLLINS students and mice have soft transitions from her NIH lab, she “will continue to serve the human com- • • • munity, but I hope she will volunteer to help the National Zoo with the dental care of its residents,” expertise on the regulators that control devel- “Martha’s NIDCR 2030 priorities have set a course opment of dental and craniofacial tissues; her for a future where dental, oral and craniofacial said Collins. “They will be fortunate bears indeed. intramural lab has identified genes and associated health and overall health will be better integrated,” “Here at NIH, Martha has served with great factors that promote periodontal regeneration. added Tabak. “She recognizes and encourages all creativity, always seeking to make something new,” Among her many accomplishments at NIH was of us to see how the well-being of our oral cavity concluded Collins. “We are in your debt.” establishing the Dental, Oral and Craniofacial links to any number of medical conditions that Tissue Regenerative Consortium “to get research previously appeared to be unrelated.” NICHD’s Basser Honored out of the lab and into the clinic and, along the way, advance the exciting and promising field of Collins and Tabak noted that Somerman has been Dr. Peter Basser has been elected to the National regenerative medicine,” said Collins. deeply committed to training the next generation Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his work in of oral health researchers at every level of their developing diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and streamline tractography, which enables neurosurgeons to visualize and avoid sen- sitive structures within the brain. Diffusion tensor MRI measures the diffusion of water molecules, which can be used to probe the struc- ture and architecture of brain tissue. It is used by neurologists and radiologists to diagnose stroke, cancer and other brain disorders. Basser is associate scientific director for imaging, At left, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins sings in honor of Somerman at her retirement party. At right, Dr. Peter Basser behavior and genomic celebrating are (from l) Drs. Lawrence Tabak, Helene Langevin, Collins, Somerman, Bruce Tromberg integrity at NICHD. and Eliseo Pérez-Stable. Membership in NAE honors those who have made PHOTOS: CHIA-CHI CHARLIE CHANG outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education.

10 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 Leder taught a course on DNA replication, tran- factor-receptor complex initiates signaling cas- scription and translation at NIH for the Foundation cades that cause the cell to start dividing, creating for Advanced Education in the Sciences. This was new cells and tissues. Today, research on growth brand new science and the course was invariably factors, their receptors and their activity provides packed. He was a chairman of the FAES depart- potential treatment targets for cancer, severe burns ment of chemistry, FAES vice president from 1970 and other diseases. to 1971, and FAES president from 1971 to 1973. Cohen earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and In 1980, Leder left NIH for Harvard Medical School, chemistry in 1943 from Brooklyn College, which he where he was founding chairman of the genetics noted he could only attend “because of its no-tui- department, a position he held until his retirement tion policy.” He later received his master’s degree in in 2008. He also became a senior researcher at the zoology from Oberlin College and his doctorate in Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1986. biochemistry from the University of Michigan. Leder was recognized for his achievements with Following a brief time at the University of the Lasker Award (1987), the National Medal of Colorado, he moved to Washington University Science (1989), the Israeli Harvey Prize (1983), the in St. Louis, where he did pioneering work with World-renowned molecular geneticist Dr. Philip Leder died Feb. 2. Dutch Heineken Prize (1990) and election to both Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini. Together they isolated the National Academy of Sciences and the National nerve growth factor (NGF), which enhances the Academy of Medicine. His research supported growth of nerve cells, and created antibodies that Pioneering Geneticist Leder Nirenberg’s Nobel Prize in 1968, and he was a inhibited NGF’s activity. Mourned guiding force for Dr. Tasuku Honjo, his NIH postdoc in the early 1970s, who would win a 2018 Nobel Cohen became an assistant professor of biochem- Dr. Philip Leder, among the world’s most accom- Prize for cancer therapy. istry at Vanderbilt in 1959. He stayed there for more plished molecular geneticists, died on Feb. 2 at than 40 years and received funding from NICHD for age 85. His work with Nobel laureate Dr. Marshall Leder is survived by his wife of 60 years, Aya most of his career, from 1964 until 1999. Nirenberg—which definitively elucidated the triplet Leder; his children, Micki, Tani and Ben; and 8 grandchildren. At Vanderbilt, Cohen discovered, isolated, purified nature of the genetic code and culminated in its full and sequenced epidermal growth factor (EGF), deciphering—helped set the stage for the revolution which stimulates the growth of epithelial and similar in molecular genetic research that Leder himself cells. He later identified EGF’s target receptor and would continue to lead for the next three decades. discovered its mechanism of action, specifically Leder’s scientific career at NIH and later at Harvard signaling cascades that led to cell growth. brought forth breakthroughs in genetic engineer- Researchers began targeting growth factor recep- ing, immunology and cancer research. Career tors to enhance or inhibit these cascades to treat highlights included the development of the first breast and other cancers, corneal ulcers and severe recombinant DNA vector system to meet specified burns. Cohen discovered 20 other growth factors safety standards, which he used to clone the gene and developed a method of preventing necrotizing for globin (the first cloned mammalian gene), and a enterocolitis in a rodent model. series of experiments involving the c-myc gene and Burkitt’s lymphoma that proved that the deregula- In 1986, Cohen and Levi-Montalcini earned the tion of a normal gene can cause cancer. Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine and the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for Leder first came to NIH in the 1950s as an their growth factor discoveries. Cohen received undergraduate intern in Dr. Martha Vaughan’s lab in the National Medal of Science the same year. He the National Heart Institute (NHI). Upon receiving was elected to the National Academy of Sciences his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1980 and the American Academy of Arts and in 1960 and doing a residency at the University of Sciences in 1984. He retired from Vanderbilt in Minnesota Hospitals, he returned to NIH in 1962, 2000 as distinguished professor emeritus of this time as a postdoctoral fellow in the Public biochemistry. Health Service and working in Nirenberg’s labora- tory in NHI’s section of biochemical genetics. NICHD recognized Cohen in 2007 for his many Dr. Stanley Cohen in 2007 discoveries on growth factors, including his In a 2012 interview with the American Society NICHD-funded discovery of EGF, with a Hall of for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leder PHOTO: NICHD Honor Award. This award program, which ran from described the early 1960s at NIH as the most NICHD’s 40th anniversary in 2003 through 2010, exciting moments of his life. “I would go to bed Nobel Laureate Cohen, honored individuals who exemplified scientific thinking about the next day’s experiments and curiosity and service to others. then jump out of bed in the morning and rush to Longtime NICHD Grantee, Dies the laboratory,” he said. “I stayed late at night. It Cohen had been living at a retirement community was a lot of work, but the intellectual excitement Dr. Stanley Cohen, a former researcher at in Nashville for several years. He is survived by his was enormous.” Vanderbilt University and longtime NICHD grantee, wife, his two children and stepchild from his first died Feb. 5 at the age of 97. marriage and two grandchildren. Leder joined the Weizmann Institute in Israel as a visiting scientist in 1965 and 1966; returned to Cohen’s work on growth factors—naturally NIH as a research medical officer in the National occurring proteins that stimulate cells to divide Cancer Institute from 1966 to 1969; became head and form tissues—sparked a new field of science. of the section on molecular genetics in NICHD’s Each growth factor has its own target receptor, Laboratory of Molecular Genetics in 1969; and then a special site on the cell surface where only that rose to chief of that lab in 1972. growth factor will bind. Once in place, the growth

NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020 • 11 SEEN

Pumped for puppies. NIH director Dr. Francis Collins (l and above) makes new friends at the event. Below, NIDDK director Dr. Griffin Rodgers cuddles a Hero Dog.

NIH UNLEASHED! Inn at NIH, whose on-site companion dog Zilly oversees the affair. ‘PuppyCam’ Event Brings Fur, Throughout the event held on the FAES Terrace in Fun to Campus Bldg. 10, NIH live-streamed on Twitter a group of PHOTOS: CHIA-CHI CHARLIE CHANG service-dogs-in-training and therapy dogs while For the third year in a row, NIH experts gave brief talks on mindfulness, stress NIH hosted PuppyCam, a live reduction and pet therapy. event held Feb. 13 in conjunc- Two-legged participants included NIH director Dr. tion with Hero Dogs, Inc., an Francis Collins, NIDDK director Dr. Griffin Rodgers, organization that “improves NHGRI director Dr. Eric Green, NCCIH director Dr. quality of life for our nation’s Helene Langevin and other leading NIH scientists. heroes by raising, training and placing service dogs and other highly skilled canines, free of There were 30,000 live views, and the video had charge with lifetime support of the partnerships.” nearly 47,000 views and was still growing on Twitter just days after the event. The event is also sponsored by the Children’s

Above, NHGRI director Dr. Eric Green permits a pup’s smooch. At right, NIDCR’s Drs. Melissa Riddle (l) and Elise Rice enjoy the puppies.

12 • NIH RECORD • MARCH 6, 2020