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March 30, 2012, NIH Record, Vol. LXIV, No. 7 MARCH 30, 2012 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LXIV, NO. 7 Brace for More BRAC-Related Commuting Challenges ou may have noticed some roadway changes to support the integration of Wal- ter Reed Army Medical Center with the National Naval Medical Center. Already ABOVE · What is IT? See p. 2 for hints. Y we experience long waits to exit onto Rockville Pike in the evenings and additional congestion in the mornings, adding time and frustration to our daily commute. For features the estimated 18,000 NIH staff who work on the Bethesda campus along with our patients and visitors, it will only get worse before it gets better. 1 Roadway construction to support Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) for the new NIH Urges Employees to Explore Alternatives to Car Commutes Walter Reed National Military Medical Center started earlier this month. Ex- 3 pect additional delays related to con- Collins To Keynote TEDMED Talks struction of new turn lanes and par- 5 tial widening of Wisconsin Ave., Jones ‘Feedback’ Features Child Care Bridge Rd., and Cedar Ln. Portions of Question Rockville Pike and Connecticut Ave. in 12 Bethesda and North Chevy Chase will NIH’s CFC Success Celebrated see construction work for 3 years. see brac, page 6 One of the busiest intersections in the nation— departments Rockville Pike at Cedar Lane— will get busier. Former NIH Colleagues Kuller Outlines Difficulties in Fighting Briefs 2 Daytons Collaborate on Novel of Iran The Obesity Epidemic Feedback 5 By Rich McManus By Trisha Comsti Digest 9 Dr. Andrew Imbrie Dayton, a senior investi- The rise and spread of obesity in the United Milestones 10 gator at FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation States is a serious concern for everyone, young Seen 12 and Research in Bldg. 29 for the past 18 years, and old alike. In 2009, 36 percent of U.S. seems to have had no real choice in becoming adults and 17 percent of children were obese. a novelist. Obesity, which is defined as excess body fat, has become a major problem over the past 30 After all, the Philadelphia native, going back years as it is associated with increased rates of many generations, has been steeped all his life cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. in family stories stretching to the Colonial era; his 7th great-grandfather was acting Pennsyl- Dr. Lewis H. Kuller gave the 2012 Robert S. vania Gov. James Logan (1736-1738). Gordon, Jr. Lecture Feb. 15 on “The Obesity Epidemic: Why Have And since 1976, We Failed?” He is dis- when he met his tinguished universi- Iranian-born wife ty professor of public Elahe Talieh Day- health at the Univer- ton while both were sity of Pittsburgh. in immunology class at the Univer- Kuller shared the sity of Pennsylvania dire fact that “there (“That’s where guys is no evidence that go to pick up chicks,” we have slowed the The NIH Record is recyclable he quipped), he has obesity epidemic.” as office white paper. Dr. Andrew I. Dayton Dr. Lewis H. Kuller see daytons, page 4 see obesity, page 8 tion and infertility. • Scientists are investigating many potential uses of me to treat a variety of diseases including diabe- tes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and inflammatory diseases. In laboratory studies, I also briefs showed powerful inhibitory activity against colorec- tal cancer cells. STEP Forum on Bioethics, Apr. 17 • According to an ancient doctrine going back to the The staff training in extramural programs (STEP) time of Galen and Dioscurides, what I look like sug- committee will present a Current Controversies gests the parts of the body that my healing proper- in Medicine forum on the topic “Bioethics—Why ties may be applied to, so I may be good for treating Should We Care?” on Tuesday, Apr. 17, from 9 a.m. diseases affecting all parts of the body. to noon in Rockledge II, Rms. 9112-9116. • Even though my medicinal properties have not been Basic human values influence decisions in medi- proven, there is wide belief in them and collectors cine and science. Do you know what determines have been depleting my wild populations for over whether clinical research or a trial is ethical and 250 years. who is involved in making this decision? How has • States near NIH’s headquarters have established our understanding of research ethics evolved? special programs to protect me and only my binomial The speakers will discuss current practices and scientific name will be accepted as a correct answer. address bioethical issues that affect us all. Send your guesses about this year’s IT to green@ mail.nih.gov. by Friday, Apr. 20. NIH Plans Earth Day 2012 Celebration, Apr. 26 We are done with the “Winter That Wasn’t” and Lectures To Provide Training in Protocol many plants are rushing through an exception- Navigation ally early spring. Like the plants, the Office of Research Facilities, Division of Environmental The inaugural lecture for the IRP Protocol Navigation Training Program will be held Monday, Apr. 2 from 1 The NIH Record is published biweekly at Protection and the IC Green Teams are also busy. Bethesda, MD by the Editorial Operations We are planning for NIH’s next big Earth Day to 3 p.m. in the first floor conference room of Bldg. Branch, Office of Communications and event, to be celebrated on Thursday, Apr. 26. 50. The program is a trans-NIH effort to develop Public Liaison, for the information of resources and tools and to provide training for intra- employees of the National Institutes of Consider volunteering your green ideas, time and Health, Department of Health and Human mural staff involved in protocol development, writing, Services. The content is reprintable without talents to the Earth Day planning committee. If in- coordination and management. Speakers will include permission. Pictures may be available upon terested, contact Danita Broadnax at broadnaxd@ Dr. Dan Kastner, NHGRI scientific director; Dr. Howard request. Use of funds for printing this pe- mail.nih.gov. Be sure to check out http://nems. Austin, chair of the NIDDK/NIAMS institutional review riodical has been approved by the director nih.gov for a full list of Earth Day activities. of the Office of Management and Budget board; and members of the NIH Office of Human through September 30, 2012. Subjects Research Protections. All will be available to To receive alerts to our latest issue, send ‘IT’ Biodiversity Awareness Contest answer questions from the audience. Refreshments an email to [email protected] with the will be served. words “Subscribe NIHRECORD” in the It is time to reveal some clues about the mystery message body. organism featured in the Office of Research Minority Health Month Observed, Apr. 19 NIH Record Office Bldg. 31, Rm. 5B41 Facilities’ annual Earth Day “Name IT Contest.” IT Phone (301) 496-2125 is always an organ- In honor of National Minority Health Month, the Fax (301) 402-1485 ism that has some- National Institute of Minority Health and Health thing to do with Web address http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov Disparities will host the first NIH Minority Health drug discovery or Promotion Day on Thursday, Apr. 19 from 10 a.m. to Editor medicine and that 4:30 p.m. in the Clinical Center’s south lobby and Richard McManus may be threatened Masur Auditorium. The day-long celebration will [email protected] by overharvest- highlight the work that NIH institutes and centers, Associate Editor ing, invasive federal agencies and local NIH grantees are doing to Carla Garnett species, habitat improve minority health. [email protected] destruction, Among the activities planned are a poster session Staff Writer pollution or other Jan Ehrman environmental of work to address the health of minority communi- [email protected] factors. IT provides ties; an exhibit of health promotion resources from various agencies; and a speakers forum focusing on The NIH Record reserves the right to a living example make corrections, changes or deletions in of the importance social determinants of health and the work of agen- submitted copy in conformity with the to NIH’s mission cies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, policies of the paper and HHS. of protecting biodi- the Department of State, the Department of Justice, versity. the Department of Transportation and the Depart- NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health ment of Housing and Urban Development to improve Some clues about this year’s IT (above) : minority health and eliminate health disparities. Visit • Native Americans traditionally used me as a www.nimhd.nih.gov for details. stimulant and to treat headaches, fever, indiges- 2 NIH RECORD MARCH 30, 2012 2 MARCH 30, 2012 MARCH 30, 2012 VOL. LXIV, NO. 7 TEDMED Talks To Stream Live at NIH Stem Cell Investigator Sasai To Give Sayer Lecture, Apr. 16 TEDMED 2012, an offshoot of the popular TED Dr. Yoshiki Sasai, a pioneer in stem cell conference series that addresses innovations in research, will deliver the 6th annual Sayer health and medicine, will be simulcast live to Vision Research Lecture on Monday, Apr. 16 at the NIH community in Wilson Hall, Bldg. 1 on 10 a.m. in Natcher Conference Center. The talk Wednesday, Apr. 11 and the morning of Thurs- is titled “Self-Organization of Neural Structures day, Apr. 12. in Three-Dimensional Stem Cell Cultures.” The Sayer lecture series honors leaders in interdisci- The simulcast, which is open to all NIH staff, will plinary approaches to vision research. Following kick off at 8:45 a.m. Apr. 11 with a session fea- the talk, the National Eye Institute will host an turing NIH director Dr.
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