August l, 1995 Vol. XLVII No. 16 "Still U.S. Department of Health The Second and Human Services Best Thing About Payd4y" National Institutes of Health IH Recori More Than a Place to Sleep NCl's Stephen Katz Children's Inn Celebrates Fifth Anniversary To Direct NIAMS By Rich McManus r. Stephen I. Karz, an internation­ he Children's Inn at NIH D ally known dermatologist and marked its fifth birthday July 11 immunologist, has been appointed T with a daylong outdoor gala on director of the National Institute of the hoedown/rodeo theme; kids, hope Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin and home were the featured values and Diseases, effective Aug. 1. He succeeds Merck & Co. Inc., as usual, brought the Dr. Michael D. Lockshin, acting direc­ grandest gift-its second $500,000 tor, and Dr. Lawrence E. Shulman, the challenge grant, chis atop a construction first and founding director of the gift of $3. 7 million char built rhe institute, which marks its 10th anniver­ structure in the first place. sary in 1996. Taking advantage of the inn's woodsy In making the seclusion on campus, the party-divided announcement, into a breakfast thank-you feast for NIH NIH director Dr. employees, a lunchtime cookout/carnival NCI Pediatric Branch chiefDr. Philip Harold Varmus for pediatric patients and ocher young­ Pizzo oversees a child's attempt to blow out said, "Dr. Katz's sters, and an evening hoedown/barbecue, the candles on the inn's fifth birthday cake. outstanding hosted by ABC-TV's Cokie Roberts (an tremendously to the warmth we can scientific and inn board member) for corporate provide children participating in clinical credentials givers-took place under a large cent pediatric research." Thanking the and effeccive erected on a hillside overlooking the 36- children, families, scaff and volunteers leadership skills room mn. who make the inn a special place, he make him a clear Dr. Stephen Katz Reps. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) and singled our the contributions of the choice for chis Connie Morella (R-Md.) dropped in at many NIH'ers who volunteer there: important post. He has demonstrated a noon ro offer congratulations, as did "They complete the circle of compassion commitment to building strong scientific NIH director Dr. Harold Varmus, who, chat forms che core of the inn." programs at che NIH. He will provide quipping char the scene "looks like the Gephardt, whose wife Jane is on the excellent leadership at rhe NlAMS." set of Bonanza," said the inn "adds (See INN ANNIVERSARY, Page 6) (See NIAMS DIRECTOR, Page 5) New Pertussis Vaccines NIDDK's Rall, Robbins Recall 40-Year Careers Shown Effective, Safe By Jane DeMouy n two large clinical trials supported en Jack Robbins first set foot on the Clinical Center's Eight North in Iby NIAID, researchers in Italy and 954, he laid claim to one cf only two working labs on rhe floor. T he Sweden have shown char three new hospital was only a year old, and the soft-spoken young researcher had left vaccines are highly effective in protecting Memorial Hospital and Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York ro help establish the infants against pertussis (whooping Clinical Endocrinology Brarrch (CEB) for the fledgling National Institute of Arthritis cough) and have fewer side effects than and Metabolic Diseases, now NIDDK. the currently used vaccine. Pertussis is His friend Ed Rall, who had shared his scudies of thyroid function and thyroid an extremely contagious respiratory cancer in Rulon Rawson's lab at Sloan-Kettering, joined him a year later to head the disease that worldwide afflicts more than CEB. Rall recalls char his present office- a divided space che size of two walk-in 50 million people and causes about closers-was rhen the library, conference room and lunch room. Eight North also 350,000 deaths each year. was home to two animal rooms, "marvelously new at the time," Rall remembers. The new vaccines are known as "acellu­ The CEB would come to be known as "one of rhe most extraordinary labs in the lar" vaccines because they contain only world." Bue at the time, neither Rall nor Robbins suspecced they were standing on the specific parts of the pertussis bacce­ the brink of an era. rium thought to be importanc for "Ir was really just rhe beginning of the grand rise of American biomedical science," immunity, in contrast to "whole-cell" recalls NIH alumnus Jesse Roth, now director of geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins vaccines rhat employ whole, killed Medical School. "The science was simpler, che rimes were simpler. There was a pertussis organisms. continuous flow of young minds coming through, and a growing NIH research In the rwo randomized, double-blind budget," he adds. The two thyroid experts had already done groundbreaking work trials char coincided with severe pertussis characterizing thyroxine-binding proteins and treating thyroid cancer with radioactive epidemics in both countries, three iodine by calculating a whole body radiation dose. Each enjoyed cremendous respect acellular vaccines demonstrated efficacies for his encyclopedic knowledge of his field. Each had an open, inquiring mind fed by of 84 percent, 84 percent and 85 percent, Bach, Brahms, and books outside the realm of science. (See PERTUSSIS, Page 10) (See RALL AND ROBBINS, Page 4) page2 The Record August I, 1995 Program Trains Minority Students, Professors By Bob Kuska On college campuses across America, ate, to join them in the session. The summer is usually reserved for rest and idea is that two work better than one in relaxation. Bur 29 college srudencs and exporting the science. professors recently put their vacation Although the majority of participants plans on hold to visit the NIH campus are African American, the program also and immerse themselves in curring-edge reaches out co Native Americans, science. Hispanics, and other minorities. Their recent stay in Bethesda was part One of the themes of this year's spring of an ongoing course called "Minority session was the Human Genome Project Faculty-Studenc Partnerships in Biotech­ and the burgeoning field of molecular nology." Held twice each year, the genetics. Participants met with program trains students and professors NCH GR director Dr. Francis Collins mainly from historically Black colleges in and other NCHGR staff during their the latest topics and techniques in stay, toured NCHGR intramural biotechnology. research laboratories in Bldg. 49, and Dr. Lee Van Lenten has retired after 24 W ith this intensive training seminar, learned the dos and don'ts of performing years with the Public Health Service, 19 of program organizers say they hope to experiments using recombinant DNA them with NIGMS. At the time ofhis create "a ripple effect" when participants technologies. retirement, he was serving as acting chiefof head back to campus in the fall. "Many Although most srudents said they had the Pharmacological and Physiological historically Black colleges don't have the heard previously about the Human Sciences Branch, NIGMS, where he financial resources to keep up with all of Genome Project, they said coming to administered a portfolio ofresearch grants the advances in biotechnology," said in the area ofphysiology and trauma and Freddie Brown, a retired NIH research bztrn injury. He also administered the chemist who coordinates the program "Coming to NIH for just 1 NIGMS Medical Scientist Training through the Foundation for Advanced week opens the door to a Program grants. Van Lenten received his Education in the Sciences. "What we're A.B. from Colgate University and his M.D. hoping is parcicipants will learn a world most would have never from Yale University School ofMedicine. technique, go home and share their seen or heard about. .. " During his career, he was awarded two knowledge with others, establish labora­ Commendation Medals and an Outstand­ tories, or just know where to go to NIH helped chem better understand the ing Service Medal. collaborate with those who do have the scientific and ethical issues arising from resources." che project. "Most of what I knew about Launched in 1989, the Minority the Human Genome Project came from Faculty-Student Partnership already has reading Time and Newsweek, where they The NIH Record brought l 65 students and faculty co just talked about it in general terms," Published biweekly at Bethesda, Md., by the Editorial NIH from 70 different colleges. said Augustus Billy of Florida Memorial Operations Branch, Division of Public Information, for rhe information ofemployees of the National lnsrirures of According to Brown, roughly one-third College. "Hearing about the Human Health, Department of Health and Human Services. The of the students return to NTH for Genome Project here has really opened content is rcprinrablc without permission. Pictures may be available on request. Use of funds for printing this internships and seven have moved on to my eyes a !or. Hearing the talks has periodical has been approved by the director of the Office of medical school. Yet, two-thirds of the simplified it and helped me get an idea of Managcmenr and Budget through Sep<embcr 30, I 995. students have never heard of NIH prior how I can become a part of it." NIH Record Office Correspondents: to enrolling in the course. Participants also were outspoken about Bldg. 31, Room 28-03 CC, Sara Byars Dr. Ron King of the National Center che benefits of the Minority Faculcy­ Phone 6-2125 DCRT, Mary Hodges for Human Genome Research, which Scudent Partnership. When asked about Fax 2-1485 DRG, J udirh Grover FlC, Irene Edwards cosponsored the latest session with the coming to NIH, che students responded Editor NCI, Pacricia A. Newman National Institute of Neurological in unison, "This program needs to be Richard McManus NCHGR, Leslie Fink Disorders and Stroke, said he isn't bigger." [email protected] NCRR, Lori Mulligan NE.I , Linda Huss surprised by these statistics.