FILE COPY ecor U . S. DEPARTMENT OF November 9, 1971 HEAL.TH , EDUCATION , AND WELFARE Vol. XXIII, No. 23 NATIONAL. INSTITUTES OF HEAL.TH Dr. Herman N. Eisen Is Cancer Incidence Report HEW Sickle Cell Committee Recommends Guest Speaker at Annual Notes Some Significant Rate Changes in U.S. Allocation of Funds to Expand Program Freund Seminar Nov. 18 A preliminary report on cancer A program for expanding Federal activities diTected against sickle cell incidence in 1969 covering eight disease, in which both community-service aspects and research will re. major metropolitan areas and one ceive emphasis, has been recommended by the HEW Sickle Cell Disease entire state indicates some signif­ Advisory Committee in their icant changes of rates in the second report to Secretary Elliot United States since the last study L. Richardson. Dr. Mc(rumb Appointed was conducted in 1947. Sickle cell disease, a painful and In the report issued by the Na­ life-shortening inherited disease Fl( Special Assistant tional Cancer Institute's Biometry found almost exclusively among Branch, statisticians caution that black people, is a major health Dr. Fred R. McCrumb, Jr., the population and geographic problem here and abroad. was 1·ecently appointed special areas included in the two studies The committee, named _by Mr. assistant to the Director of the are somewhat different. Richardson to advise on Program Fogarty International Center, Dr. However, c e r ta in important objectives and priorities which will Milo D. Leavitt. trends are evident: involve NIH, HSMHA, and other Dr. McCrumb's primary as­ • The overall incidence of can­ Federal agencies, met here for the signment will be to develop a pro­ cer in men is increasing, a trend second time Oct. 7-8. gram of workshops and confer­ particularly marked among blacks, ences concerned with the preven­ while in women it is decreasing. Mrs. Aikens ls Chairman tive aspects of major human Dr. Eisen, a specialist in immunology, • The incidence of lung cancer 'l'he recommendations of the health problems. was chairman of the NIH Study Sec• has doubled in both men and wom­ committee, which is chaired by Dr. McCrumb has specialized tion on Allergy and Immunology. en of both races. Ruth L. Aikens, associate direc­ in infectious diseases and tropical • The incidence of cancer in tor for Health, National Urban medicine. The Eleventh Annual Jules blacks is substantially higher than League, N.Y.C., are concerned Conducted Plague Studies Freund Memorial Seminar will ( ee CANCER REPORT, Page 6) with goals and functional compo­ feature Dr. Herman N. Eisen nents of the program and alloca­ During service with the armed next Thursday, Nov. 18, at 1 Dr. David K. Johnson Heads tion of the additional $5 million re­ forces overseas, he carried out p.m., in the CC Jack Masur cently targeted by President field research on plague at the Auditorium. DRS Experimental Surgery Nixon for sickle cell disease. Institut Pasteur de Tananarive, nr. Eisen will discuss "Mye­ Section in Lab Aids Branch The committee recommended: Madagascar. loma PrO'teins as Antibodies and • That $2.5 million be allocat­ Also, as Commanding Officer Tumor-Specific Antigens." Dr. David K. Johnson has been ed for the establishment of up to of the U.S. Army Medical Re­ He heads the Department of named chief of the Experimental search Unit, Institute for Medi­ Surgery and Clinical Medicine Sec­ five comprehensive research and Microbiology at the Washington community service centers. cal Research, Kuala Lumpur, University School of Medicine, St. tion, Laboratory Aids Branch, Di­ Federation of Malaya, he con­ vision of Research Services. Each center would be organized Louis. around ongoing programs in sickle ducted studies on diseases of mili­ A specialist in immunology­ This section pro­ tary importance in Southeast Asia. vides experimental cell disease; and would bridge the especially antibody function, struc­ gap between fundamental re­ Between 1962 and 1967, nr. ture, and formation-Dr. Eisen surgery facilities McCrumb was professor of Inter­ and staff assist­ search, clinical application, and has been a member of the Com­ community service. (See DR. McORVMB, Page 6) mission on Immunization of the ance, special oper _ at iv e procedures, • That $1 million be allocated Armed Forces Epidemiological for the establishment of from 10 Board. a n d radiographic facilities for NIH to 20 model Screening and Edu­ Experience Noted investigators. cation Clinics in various regions He came to Washington Univer­ Dog, cat, and of the country. sity in 195'5 as professor of Med­ primate long-term These clinics would be for the icine (Dermatx>logy), and assumed holding facilities Dr. Johnson purposes of 1) screening, 2) de­ his present post in 1961. are available, along with physio­ finitive diagnosis of SCD, 3) edu­ Prior to coming to St. Louis, logical sampling and collection of cation of the population at risk he taught Industrial Medicine at specimens. The section is also re­ and of health personnel, 4) re­ New York University and was a sponsible for primate breeding ac­ ferral of patients with SCD to research assodate in immuno­ tivities. (See SICKLE OELL, Page 7) chemistry at the Sloan-Kettering Prior to his appointment as a Institute for Cancer Research. PHS Commissioned Officer, Dr. and officer in charge of the Spe­ He has been on the edi-torial Johnson held the rank of cap­ cialized Animal Colony. boards of Biochemistry, Journal tain in the iU.S. Air Force. Dr. Johnson received ·his of Immunology, Physiological R e­ He was assigned to the School D.V.M. degree from Michigan views, and the Proceedings of the of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks State in 1963, and his M.S. in Society for Experimental Biology Air Force Base, Tex., as chief Laboratory Animal Medicine from Dr. McCrumb raises horses in liberty­ ( See DR. EISEN, Page 7) of the Clinical Laboratory Branch Texas A&M in 1968. town, Md. where he makes his home. Page 2 November 9, 1971 THE NIH RECORD ecord Published biweekly at Bethesda, Md., by the Publications and Reports Branch, Office of Information, for the information of employees of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and circulated by request to interested writers and to investi­ gators in the field of biomedical and related research. The content is reprintable without permission. Pictures are available on request. The NIH Record reserves the right to make corrections, changes or dele­ tions in submitted copy in conformity with the policies of the paper and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. NIH Record Office ......................... ...... ......... Bldg. 31, Rm. 2B,O3. Phone 49-62125 Dr. Robert Q. Marston, NIH Director, spoke at the first convocation of Federal Editor ......... ... .. .......................... .. ............... .. ....................... .. Frances W. Davis City Colleg·e and the NIH Upward Mobility College, recently, held in the CC Jack Assistant Editor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ........ .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. Fay leviero Masur Auditorium. Dr. Andress Taylor, associate dean, Office of Experimental Staff Writer .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Ed Driscoll Programs at Federal City Colleg·e, welcomed the audience. James Robinson, mem• ber of the Upward Mobility Steering Committee at HEW, described the start of Staff Correspondents the Upward Mobility College program. Others active in the convocation and the campus college program are (I to r): Daniel Sorenson, chairman, Upward Mobility ADA, Nelson Sparks; BHME/ OD, Florence Foelak; CC, Ann Bain­ Steering Committee at HEW; Mr, Robinson; Eugene Kinlow, director, Office of bridge; DAHM, Laura Mae Kress; DBS, Faye Peterson; DCRT, Joan Upward Mobility, HEW; Robert P. Philleo, assistant director, Training and Em• Chase; DDH, Carolyn Niblett; DMI, Beverly Warran; DN, Evelyn Laz­ ployee Development, ODA; Norma Greene, director, Upward Mobility Colleg,? at zari; DPHPE, Eleanor Wesolowski; DRG, Sue Meadows; DRR, Jerry NIH; Dr, Taylor; Richard Striker, assistant deputy director of Training and Gordon; DRS, Robert Knickerbocker; FIC, Lois P. Meng; NCI, Eliza­ Employee Development, ODA, and Stephen B-ell, employee development specialist. beth Shollenberger; NEI, Julian Morris; NHLI, Bill Sanders; NIAID, Krin Larson; NIAMD, Katie Broberg; NICHD, Lloyd Blevins; NIDR, Sue Hannon; NIEHS, Elizabeth Y. James; NIGMS, Wanda Warddell; Open Season for Fed'/ Employees Health NIMH, Daniel Rice; NINDS, Anne Tisiker; NLM, Roger Gilkeson. Benefits Program to Start November 15 An "Open Season" for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Pro­ gram will start next Monday, Nov. 15, and teTminate on Dec. 31, instead NIH Television, Radio of the previously announced dosing date of Nov. 30. Program Schedule During this period, eligible em- ------------- -­ ployees may enroll, and employees under preparation at the Civil R adio already enrolled may change their Service Commission, will be de­ DISCUSSION: NIH plan, option, type of enrollment, or layed until later this month. A WGMS, AM-570~FM Stereo any combination of these. desk to desk distribution will be 103.5-Friday, about 9 :15 p.m. Three general plans are avail- made as soon as the pamphlet be­ November 12 able: Government-wide Service comes available. Judith M. S. Prewitt, DCRT Benefit Plan (Blue Cross~Blue Registration procedures will Subject: Picture Interpretation Shield), Government-wide