DOCSLIB.ORG

June 21, 2013, NIH Record, Vol. LXV, No. 13

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
June 21, 2013, NIH Record, Vol. LXV, No. 13 JUNE 21, 2013 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LXV, NO. 13 From New Vantage Ex-Director Zerhouni Surveys Value of NIH Research By Rich McManus ABOVE · Ever see the Fan Dance? Attendees at the recent Ethnic Food Fair enjoyed a early 5 years removed from his NIH directorship, Dr. Elias Zerhouni returned to performance. See story on p. 12. N campus June 4 to offer his views about how to value NIH research economically features in an era of flat federal research budgets. His remarks at the end of a day-long meeting on that topic, conducted by the scientific review management board (SMRB), included 1 vintage observations from the veteran of academia (Johns Hopkins), government (he NIH’s Value Is in Meeting Society’s was NIH director from 2002 to 2008) and industry (he is president of global research Expectations, Zerhouni Says and development at French pharmaceuti- 3 cal firm Sanofi). FDA’s Rubin Chooses Challenging For example, his comment that “it’s not Commute very smart to go to the grocery store in 5 an F-16 [fighter jet] when you can go on a Teenage Patient Excels at Charity bike,” both brought the house down and il- Golf Tourney lustrated the occasional mismatch between 12 drug costs and human benefit; he was es- Ethnic Food Fair Draws Crowd pecially critical of expensive cancer drugs, stacked one on top of another, that might Former NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni gives see zerhouni, page 6 remarks at June 4 SMRB meeting in Bldg. 1. departments Soundtrack of the Mind Technology Revolution Does Music Fine-Tune the Brain? Data, Devices and Networks Promoting Briefs 2 By Carla Garnett Smarter Health Care Digest 10 By Dana Steinberg Milestones 11 Music reaches into our deepest self, or so Feedback 11 Plato declared some 2,300 years ago. We’ve Imagine a doctor appearing on a computer been wondering about music’s effect on us screen that sits atop a sensing robot; the robot ever since. In the last decade in particular, a locates a collapsed patient, takes her vital signs growing number of scientists have taken up and instantly transmits test results to the doc- the quest to chart music’s course in the body, tor. The technology for this 21st century phy- starting at the top—the brain. According to sician already exists and demonstrates what’s Dr. Aniruddh Patel, associate professor of psy- possible in modern medicine when we com- chology at Tufts bine computer and University, there’s human innovation no better time for with communica- music cognition tion networks. research. Health care is a “What measurable $2.7 trillion indus- impacts do musical try that continues listening and musi- to grow. “If you use cal training have information tech- on brain function?” nology in the most he asked May 13 efficient manner, in his talk for the The NIH Record is recyclable you can [probably] as office white paper. Dr. Aniruddh Patel National Center for Dr. Ram Sriram save $100 billion,” see music, page 8 see tech revolution, page 4 briefs Graduate & Professional School Fair, July 17 The NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair will be held on Wednesday, July 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Natcher Conference Center. The fair provides an opportunity for NIH summer interns (especially those in college) and postbacs, as well as other college students in the D.C. area, to prepare for the next step in their careers by explor- ing educational programs leading to the Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., M.D./Ph.D., and other graduate and professional degrees. More than 100 colleges and universities from across the U.S. will be sending representatives in hopes of recruiting NIH trainees. The day will also include workshops on getting into graduate and professional school, M.D./ Ph.D. programs, interviewing and careers in public health, psychology and dentistry. Exhibits will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:45 pm. A list of participating institutions and registration The NIH Record is published biweekly at information can be found at https://www.training. A robin laid eggs in a bike helmet at MLP-7. Above, Bethesda, MD by the Editorial Operations nih.gov/gp_fair. Branch, Office of Communications and Public the nest on May 28; the image below is from May Liaison, for the information of employees of 20. By the end of May, the eggs had hatched. the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. The content is Bike Helmet Hosts Bird Nest in Campus Garage reprintable without permission. Pictures may be available upon request. Use of funds for Home is where the—helmet is? An opportunistic printing this periodical has been approved by robin recently built a nest in a bike helmet in the the director of the Office of Management and Lister Hill Center garage, MLP-7. Budget through September 30, 2013. “Hopefully, the nest can remain undisturbed for To receive alerts to our latest issue, send an another 3-4 weeks for the chicks to fledge,” noted email to [email protected] with the words “Subscribe NIHRECORD” in the message body. ORS landscape architect Lynn Mueller, who for- warded these photos last month to the NIH Record. NIH Record Office Bldg. 31, Rm. 5B41 Phone (301) 496-2125 Fax (301) 402-1485 “While I was on vacation last week, a colleague Web address http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov [Teresa Przytycka] noted this nest on the B1-level NIH Ski Club Honors Bingaman of the 38A garage,” said Kimberly Tryka, staff Editor scientist at NLM/NCBI. “The bike is on the north Richard McManus In mid-May, the NIH R&W Ski Club presented [email protected] side of the garage. Her photo [from May 20] shows Bob Bingaman (l) with an award, on his 70th two eggs. Mine [from May 28] has three eggs. I Associate Editor birthday, in recognition of his 30 years of leading didn’t see a bird.” Carla Garnett the club and providing members with a lifetime [email protected] of memories in exotic locations all over the world. Followup on May 31: “The eggs in the bike helmet Staff Writers Bingaman, an NIH retiree, has coordinated trips have hatched,” reported Mary Herron, also of NLM. Jan Ehrman “Everyone on the elevator was talking about it.” [email protected] to at least 56 ski areas in 14 countries including such world-renowned places as Chamonix (France) Dana Steinberg and St. Moritz (Austria) and the lesser known [email protected] Tatranska Lomnica (Slovakia). The trips were per- Belle Waring fect for skiers and non-skiers alike as time for tours [email protected] was planned in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, The NIH Record reserves the right to make Beijing, Budapest and Sydney, to name a few, and corrections, changes or deletions in submitted copy in conformity with the policies of the at sites such as Normandy, the Eiffel Tower and paper and HHS. the Coliseum. Bingaman has been an integral part of R&W’s programs over the years. Also on hand NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health for the award were R&W President Randy Schools (c) and NLM retiree Richard Banvard. For more information about the Ski Club and how to join, call (301) 496-6061 or email [email protected]. 2 NIH RECORD JUNE 21, 2013 2 JUNE 21, 2013 JUNE 21, 2013 VOL. LXV, NO. 13 FDA’s Steven Rubin chooses an ambitious, but beautiful, route for his commutes to Bldg. 29A. Rubin Makes a Habit of Biking to Work (Story in an occasional series on NIH’ers who embrace alternative commuting modes) While many NIH’ers cycled to work on May 17 Rubin’s riding partner for many for national Bike to Work Day, some make bik- years was the late Dr. Phil Snoy, ing to work a regular routine. an FDA veterinarian who was Steven Rubin, a senior investigator with FDA’s well-known on campus for his athletic pursuits. This tree in Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, front of Bldg. 29A was planted in bikes 20 miles each way to the NIH campus sev- his memory. eral times a week, year round. From his home in Frederick County, Md., he drives about 25 min- utes along back roads to Poolesville, then bikes photos: dana steinberg the rest of the way, part of it along the scenic mantown. But on those days, he still keeps a bike on campus to ride between his C&O Canal. office and the bus stop. He picks up the canal by Seneca Aqueduct (mile His main motivation for biking to work? Exercise. “My metabolism is plummet- marker 23) and rides to mile marker 17, Swain’s ing,” he said. “I’d look a complete mess if I didn’t [cycle]. It just feels good and it’s Lock. “It’s a beautiful ride along the narrow trail a good way to start the day. When I don’t bike in, I just don’t feel right.” with the Potomac River on one side and the canal on the other, riding past rapids and spec- Rubin always enjoyed biking. In college, he and friends enjoyed competitive tacular scenery,” he said. “There are blue herons, mountain biking. Later, he began riding road bikes. Since 2004, he has consis- vultures, turtles, snakes, deer, the occasional tently biked to work. “The idea of combining biking with an actual way to get to red fox and [this time of year] hissing Canada work is appealing,” he said.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • September 26, 2014, NIH Record, Vol. LXVI, No. 20
    SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LXVI, NO. 20 ‘Sweep’ Under Way for Select Agents, Toxins By Rich McManus ABOVE · You would smile too if you were rompted by the Food and Drug Administration’s July 1 discovery of vials of about to foil the flu. See story on p. 8. Psmallpox virus in Bldg. 29A, NIH has embarked on Operation Clean Sweep, a two-part, top-to-bottom inventory of all NIH laboratories that starts first with all features institutes and centers, followed by an audit conducted by specialists in occupational safety and health. 1 After discovery of 12 boxes containing 327 vials of infectious agents such as small- Comprehensive Search Under Way For Mislaid, Forgotten Samples pox, dengue, influenza, Q fever and rickettsia, NIH director Dr. Francis Collins in- formed employees, “We have developed a plan of action for the conduct of this search. 3 It requires investigators to examine all freezers, refrigerators, cold rooms, storage Blaser To Give Kinyoun Lecture shelves and cabinets, as well as all other areas of storage such as offices associated 5 with laboratories.” Keller Lecture Highlights Alcohol The IC portion of the sweep has two parts, said Jeff Potts, NIH biorisk manager in Research the Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS). “In phase 1, research staff at 12 all NIH facilities are responsible for going through their areas to search for unregis- BIG Training Session Targets STEM, tered select agents [such as Ebola, anthrax and H5N1 bird flu]. They must also inven- Personal Health tory all human pathogenic material that is handled at BSL [biosafety level] 2 or higher, human blood and body fluids and any toxins.” This is scheduled to be done by Sept.
    [Show full text]
  • August 7, 2009, NIH Record, Vol. LXI, No. 16
    AUGUST 7, 2009 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LXI, NO. 16 ‘Improve the System’ NIH Hosts H1N1 Flu Summit By Belle Waring ABOVE · Why do some dogs have short legs? Scientists think they know. See p. 9. n July 9, NIH hosted the White House’s H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit, O jointly led by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, DHS Secretary Janet Napoli- features tano and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “I’m very grateful that all of you are taking this seriously,” President Obama said by 1 telephone link from L’Avila, Italy. “Although FAES Stays Ambitious at 50 we were fortunate not to see a more serious 3 situation in the spring, the potential for a NCMHD Holds First Health significant outbreak in the fall is looming.” Disparities Seminar The meeting assembled about 500 emer- 5 gency managers, educators, school nurses ORWH Examines Metabolic and public health officials from around the Dysfunction country, including Dr. Nicole Lurie, nomi- 12 nated as assistant secretary for prepared- Jeter’s Leaders Take ‘All-Star’ Break ness and response; Dr. Francis Collins, At NIH HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (l), DHS Secre- nominated as director of NIH; and Dr. Ray- tary Janet Napolitano (c) and Education Secretary nard Kington, acting director of NIH. Arne Duncan team up at NIH for a summit on flu. see flu summit, page 10 departments Ambitious Plans in Offing Policy To Govern Research that NIH Funds FAES Marks 50th Year at NIH Final Stem Cell Regulations Issued Briefs 2 By Rich McManus By Carla Garnett Digest 9 Milestones 11 As remarkable an invention of the federal NIH released its final Guidelines for Human government as NIH is—a common descriptor Stem Cell Research on July 6.
    [Show full text]
  • November 2, 2018, NIH Record, Vol. LXX, No. 22
    November 2, 2018 Vol. LXX, No. 22 environment often perceived as hostile is not only utterly inappropriate but also has serious consequences,” including some women actually quitting science at a time ‘Harassment Does Not Work when it is already hard to recruit them. Here,’ New Policy States “These are difficult topics to discuss,” BY RICH MCMANUS Collins allowed, “and that may have inhib- ited us in the past, but we’re done with that… Just days before NIH rolled out a com- Harassment does not work here. We don’t prehensive effort to define and address believe this is something we can tolerate.” workplace harassment in all its forms, The session, part of NCI’s Center for representatives of the National Academies Dr. Frazier Benya (l) and Tom Rudin of NASEM Cancer Research Grand Rounds Lecture of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Series, included presentations by Dr. (NASEM) presented findings and rec- committee, and acting chief of staff Dr. Frazier Benya, senior program officer for ommendations of a NASEM report on Carrie Wolinetz. NASEM’s committee on women in science, sexual harassment of women in science “This is an incredibly important topic engineering and medicine, and Tom Rudin, to a large and keenly interested Lipsett and lots of things are happening right now,” director for NASEM’s board on higher Amphitheater audience. said Collins. “This has been on our minds education and workforce. Sitting in the front row were NIH director for a long time. Sexual harassment is simply “Like cancer, sexual harassment affects Dr. Francis Collins, who opened the 2-hour- unacceptable.” us all,” said CCR director Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • June 13, 1989, NIH Record, Vol. XLI, No. 12
    June 13, 1989 Vol. XU No. 12 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health e The Director's Legacy Wyngaarden Steers NIH Away from Reefs of Adversity, Mediocrity By Rich McManus For example, we have far beccer relations with Second of two-part Jeries Congress than with the administration. As long as I have been here, there have been only Many of NIH director Dr. James B. two exceptions co a hold-the-line budget men­ Wyngaarden's biggest battles during his tality. AIDS is one, and chat. was imposed by 7 ½-year tenure fell into the category of "cry­ an epidemic. The ocher is the human genome ing to prevent adverse things from initiative." happening." At the root of many of these Clearly impatient with the bureaucracy, struggles is NJH's idenricy: ls it che crown Wyngaarden said it often seems as though jewel of federal intellectual enterprise or just "the chief function of all who hold positions another government agencyJ above me in che deparcmenc is co say no." "I don't chink intramural NIH can prosper Frustrations and all, however, he is happy if it is treated like any ocher government co have been director. bureaucracy," Wyngaarden said. "NIH is the 'Tm very pleased to be here," he said. "l one shining exception co the blatant medi­ don't regret it for an instant. It has been a ocrity of mosc federal laboratories. very positive experience bur ic takes its coll. "We have cried co operate as much like a The pressure is relentless and you have co university as we can," he continued.
    [Show full text]
  • June 23, 1992, NIH Record, Vol. XLIV, No. 13
    June 23, 1992 Vol. XLIV No. 13 "Still U.S. Department of Health The Second and Human Services Best Thing About Payday" National Institutes of Health 'The Year of Women'e Recoti� NewBy Susan CancerJenks and Frances Therapy Taylor Applied To Brain Tumors in Animals By Carla Garnett In a new application of gene therapy, NIH Women in Science Careers Vow to Take Charge, Ride the Tide scientists have borrowed a gene from the her­ Nearly all the scientists, physicians and pesvirus, inserted it directly into brain tumors academicians assembled to speak at the recent forum on women in science careers had some­ in animals and destroyed the tumors with an antiviral drug. Results of the study, conducted thing basic in common with more than by intramural investigators at NCI and 90 percent of their audience-they were NINDS appeared in the June 12 issue of female. Science. By contrast, the discussion focused on an "Essentially, what we've done is change a area that has been primarily dominated by males-upper-echelon positions in biomedfcal tumor genetically, so that it's like a her­ NIH's pesvirus," said Dr. Kenneth Culver, the NCI careers. Sponsored by Office of Research on Women's Health, the 2-day scientist who conceived the new gene therapy Dr. Vivian Pinn, director of NIH's Office of technique. "Potentially, this approach may workshop "Women in Biomedical Careers: Research on Women's Health, greeted participants have wide application to many other types of Dynamics of Change" began to fill in the at the recent workshop, "Women in Biomedical tumors.
    [Show full text]
  • July 28, 2017, NIH Record, Vol. LXIX, No. 15
    July 28, 2017 Vol. LXIX, No. 15 Gawande began by relaying one of the best pieces of advice he received: say yes to everything before age 40. The idea is “you are experimenting in your life and paying Data Is Critical for Better attention to what really gives you energy.” Care, Expanded Access, Says What he loves is solving problems related to “how we deliver health care and access Gawande to health care” and “understanding how we BY ERIC BOCK create better outcomes of care.” There are 60,000 different ways the body Over the past century, there have can fail and medicine has developed 4,000 been many breakthroughs in science and surgical procedures and 6,000 drugs to medicine. In many cases, however, those treat those failures, according to surgeon, breakthroughs aren’t applied in patient New Yorker staff writer and public health care, Gawande said. researcher Dr. Atul Gawande. Typically, the response when doctors “That volume of knowledge and skill has fail to do something properly has been exceeded the knowledge of any one clinician more training. If training doesn’t work, to know how to manage it. We are all part of doctors face mandates, pay-for-per- groups of people delivering health care,” he formance programs and malpractice explained during a wide-ranging discussion regulations, he said. These programs have with NIH director Dr. Francis Collins in only modest effects. Masur Auditorium recently. Dr. Atul Gawande speaks in Masur Auditorium. Gawande advocates a different SEE GAWANDE, PAGE 6 Staff stop by the NIH Library’s booth to try out Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • November 1, 2019, NIH Record, Vol. LXXI, No. 22
    November 1, 2019 Vol. LXXI, No. 22 “Scientists’ Mind-Body Problems: Lobotomy, Science and the Digital Humanities,” the 2019 NLM James Cassedy Lecture in the ALL IN THEIR HEADS History of Medicine delivered Sept. 19 by Dr. Miriam Posner, assistant professor in the When Faces Made the Case information studies department at UCLA. for Lobotomy “This whole lecture is the story of BY CARLA GARNETT different modes of proof coming in and out of fashion,” she said. “We find ourselves now If you were mentally ill back in the late in a time when data and statistics claim an 1930s to late 1950s, doctors might have tried enormous amount of cultural authority. One to cure you by drilling a hole in your brain of the central questions of digital humanities and disconnecting the thalamus from the is, what can statistics capture and what kind frontal lobe. They may have been convinced of meaning eludes these methods?” A drawing from Dr. Walter Freeman’s book, to employ this drastic surgery by eccentric In the mid-20th century, lobotomies were Psychosurgery in the Treatment of Mental Disorders and Intractable Pain, shows his neuroscientist Dr. Walter Freeman, “the commonly practiced “on tens of thousands icepick-inspired transorbital lobotomy world’s greatest proponent and pioneer of of mentally ill people,” Posner pointed out. instrument. lobotomy,” who used portraits as scientific “We now think of lobotomy as an atrocity proof of concept. and rightfully so, but it’s also important to Posner was compelled to examine the Why did the medical community back then understand how a lot of very smart, educated surgery’s history, and Freeman’s career, accept what seems preposterous to us now? people could have believed otherwise during by a photo—and then more photos and old That was the fascinating question in the procedure’s prime.” SEE LOBOTOMY, PAGE 6 THE BIGGER PICTURE NCCIH Celebrates 20th Charon Espouses Power of Anniversary Narrative Medicine BY ELLEN O’DONNELL BY DANA TALESNIK An anniver- Everyone has a sary—especially a story to tell.
    [Show full text]
  • July 24, 2020, NIH Record, Vol. LXXII, No. 15
    July 24, 2020 Vol. LXXII, No. 15 Exposure and Effects,” the final installment in the Office of Dietary Supplements 2019- 2020 Seminar Series. MIXED MEDIA MESSAGES Media frequently broadcast health information that, to Joe and Jane Public, Do Conflicts in Health seems at odds, Nagler said, describing the Communication Shake Your examples above. “In our experience, the Confidence? conflict and controversy often co-occur, but they don’t always,” she said. “It’s possible BY CARLA GARNETT to have information that is in conflict, but Should I eat fish for better heart health or where there is not necessarily heated dispute worry more about the mercury it contains? or disagreements.” How about alcoholic beverages—is a glass An associate professor in the of red wine good for me or not? When Dr. Rebekah Nagler of the University of Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass should I start having regular mammo- Minnesota discussed conflicting health Communication at the University of grams—at age 40, 45, 50? And should I go messages at a recent ODS seminar. Minnesota, Nagler has conducted research annually or every 2 years? PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA on public health messaging for more than No doubt most of us have confronted a decade. Her work has been supported health headlines that presented us with To offer insights on how the public by NCI as well as the Office of Research conflicting options. What, if any, effect receives and processes such mixed on Women’s Health via its Building did the conflict have on your confidence messages, NIH grantee Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • June 26, 2020, NIH Record, Vol. LXXII, No.13
    June 26, 2020 Vol. LXXII, No. 13 James Gilman, CEO of the Clinical Center. were worried about bringing the virus home.” He introduced her detective story—part of a After thanking a Hospital Epidemiology new lecture series by the Covid-19 scientific Service (HES) staff she called “amazing” GLOVES OFF interest group—on a day (including its former head, when the CC had screened Dr. David Henderson, who As in Hospitals, So in Homes: its 100,000th visitor. semi-retired 5 months ago), Avoiding Coronavirus “That’s an astonishing Palmore embarked on what Infection number,” he said. “But she called the CC’s “quirky we followed the playbook timeline with Covid-19,” BY RICH MCMANUS written by Tara Palmore. beginning on New Year’s The take-home messages—let’s call them The virus has slipped in once Eve, when “vague news of stay-at-home messages—came fast and thick or twice, and we were able undiagnosed pneumonia in during Clinical Center epidemiologist Dr. to do contact-tracing later Wuhan reached us, involv- Tara Palmore’s May 20 lecture on how NIH’s [18 contact studies over 9 ing a few dozen people.” hospital first became aware of a rising threat weeks turned up 4 cases Ten days later, the new from a novel coronavirus, then took steps to of secondary infection of virus’s sequence was posted, keep it not quite out of the CC, but away from staff by patients or other and on Jan. 22, the Clinical staff, some of whom, in Center began screening patients, none of whom, so far, have been Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • November 2, 2007, NIH Record, Vol. LIX, No. 22
    NOVEMBER 2, 2007 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LIX, NO. 22 Meeting the Requirements of HSPD-12 NIH Badging Effort Works to Accommodate Crowds By Rich McManus ABOVE · Passing judgment on a two-step? CFC 2007 asks NIH’ers to rate something ast spring, NIH committed to an enormous task: provide new identification cards other than science. See story, p. 16. L by the end of October to more than 5,500 employees, both new hires and old features hands, plus a constant flow of contractors, fellows, summer students, tenants, volun- 1 teers, special guests and others who need the NIH Copes with New ID Badging Requirements cards to enter campus every day. Complicating the challenge has been NIH’s 3 need to comply with Homeland Security Pres- Coller To Give ‘Astute’ Lecture idential Directive (HSPD) 12, which man- NIH Grantees Win Nobel Prize dates—for all federal workers, contractors and affiliates—background investigations, -re 5 gardless of how long you have worked for the Secretary Leavitt Pays Call on NIH Queue forms for new badges in Bldg. 31. federal government, fingerprinting and 8 see badging effort, page 6 NIH Research Festival Celebrates Belated 20th Year NIH Treatment a Family Affair for Burlings By Rich McManus 16 CFC Gets Off to a Lively Start On Friday, Sept. 14, the first anniversary of his initial visit to NIH, Patrick Burling of Newtown Square, Pa., was hale and hearty, so confident of his beloved Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of departments success in the following Monday evening’s clash with the Redskins that he presented the fiercely Briefs 2 partisan hometown fans who staff the Clinical Feedback 11 Center’s department of transfusion medicine (DTM) with genuine Eagles jerseys.
    [Show full text]
  • June 10, 2011, NIH Record, Vol. LXIII, No. 12
    JUNE 10, 2011 The Second Best Thing About Payday VOL. LXIII, NO. 12 Warm, Gracious Ceremony Official Portrait of Former Director Zerhouni Presented By Rich McManus ABOVE · A vintage bicycle was among the attractions at Bike to Work Day. See story he portrait constructed of below. T words—even the ones razz- features ing him for his taste in fine clothes and fast cars—had to be at least 1 as satisfying to former NIH direc- Laughs and Deep Respect Mark Portrait Presentation tor Dr. Elias Zerhouni as the one completed with brushstrokes, as 3 he returned to campus May 20 to Ceremony Honors NIH Communicators preside over the presentation of his official portrait in Bldg. 1. 10 At a 50-minute ceremony in Wil- High Blood Pressure Found to be NIH director Dr. Francis Collins (l) and Dr. Nadia Zerhouni More Prevalent Among Youth son Hall, a gathering of past and undraped the official portrait of Dr. Elias Zerhouni. present institute, center and Office 12 of the Director officials embellished the image of Zerhouni—whom artist Steve Craig- Police Awareness Day Succeeds Despite Downpour head had placed standing and smiling alongside a desk—with warm evocations of the former director’s character and intellect. “Elias has been gone from NIH for 2½ years, but his impact is with us every day,” departments see zerhouni, page 6 STEP Forum Looks at DNA Sequencing and Briefs 2 Its Role in Patient Milestones 9 Care Digest 10 By Trisha Comsti Seen 12 Our genes can tell us a lot of things. They can tell us the likeli- hood of developing NCI director Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • June 11, 2021, NIH Record, Vol. LXXIII, No. 12
    June 11, 2021 Vol. LXXIII, No. 12 school] was my first encounter with being and more than 30 years pursuing medical excluded. I attribute the lapse in my career research as a full-time profession. path to my feelings of being excluded.” That No stranger to NIH, Valantine served for UNRAVELING HEALTH DISPARITIES and other teen distractions at the time—“the 6 years since 2014 as the agency’s first chief Swinging Sixties, the Rolling officer for scientific work- Valantine Discusses Genomics Stones, the Beatles”—also force diversity while also in Organ Transplantation may have contributed to maintaining a lab as a senior BY CARLA GARNETT her less than enthusiastic investigator in NHLBI’s embrace of textbooks. intramural research A decades-long career in medicine and “That’s my story and I’m program. She returned to research never occurred to an adolescent sticking to it,” Valantine her post as professor of Hannah Valantine. Born in Banjul in the quipped, smiling. medicine and cardiology at small West African nation of The Gambia, A job in a microbiology Stanford Medical Center in 13-year-old Hannah and her family relocated lab put her back on an spring 2020. to London, where she was the only youngster achievement-filled educa- In her NIH virtual lecture, of color in her high school. Within a student tional trajectory that has led “Inclusive Excellence in population of 500 adolescents, her sense of to an M.D. degree, cardiology Biomedical Research— isolation took a toll. fellowship at Stanford Applying Genomics to “My academic struggles at age 18 were University, her own lab Dr.
    [Show full text]