HAPPENINGS: COME ONE, COME ALL
The
deadline for submitting poster abstracts for presentation at the NIH Research
Festival has been extended to 5:00 p.m., August
8, 2006. Please submit
your posters online. Posters in any area of research conducted within
the NIH Intramural Program will be considered for presentation, but the
Committee is
The
dates of this year's festival are October 17
through October 20 with poster sessions scheduled for October
17 and October 18. The opening plenary session on Tuesday, October 17,
at 9 a.m., will feature two examples of this year's "Bench to Bedside"
theme. Bill Gahl (NHGRI)
and Juan Bonifacino
(NICHD) will discuss disorders of lysosome-related organelles and Alan
Heldman (JHMI) and Steven
Sollott (NIA) will describe development of the taxol-coated stent
for treatment of coronary artery disease. Other events during this four-day
annual showcase of the NIH Intramural Program will include cross-cutting
symposia; special exhibits on resources for intramural research; the Job
Fair for NIH Postdoctoral, Research, and Clinical Fellows, with an opening
address by NIH Director Elias Zerhouni; the Festival Food & Music
Fair; and the Technical Sales Association scientific equipment tent show.
For
a preliminary schedule of events, meeting venues, and online poster registration,
go to the Research Festival
website. Applicants will receive e-mail confirmation of receipt of
their poster abstracts and will be notified of acceptance by
For
more information about poster registration, contact Paula Cohen, Research
Festival logistics coordinator, at 301-402-4507 or by e-mail.
Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Clinical Research
Registration
for the 2006–2007 "Introduction
to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research" begins
August 1.The
deadline for registering is October 6, 2006.
The course will run from October 16,
2006, through February 20, 2007. Classes will be held
on the NIH campus on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 5:00 p.m. to approximately
6:30 p.m. There is no charge for the course; however, the textbook Principles
and Practice of Clinical Research is suggested as supplemental reading.
A certificate will be awarded upon successful completion of the course,
including a final exam.
Nearly 800 students registered for the 2005–2006
program, which was also broadcast to several domestic and international
locations. For additional information or to register, visit the course
website or
call the NIH Clinical Center, Office of Clinical Research Training and
Medical Education at (301) 496-9425. An e-mail confirmation
will be sent to those accepted into the program.
If you require reasonable accommodations to participate in this activity,
call (301) 496-9425 during the business hours of 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
at least seven business days before the event.
Course Objectives:
To become familiar
with the basic epidemiologic methods involved in clinical research
To be able to discuss
the principles involved in the ethics of clinical research, the legal
issues in clinical research, and the regulations involved in human subjects
research, including the role of IRBs in clinical research
To become familiar
with the principles and issues involved in monitoring patient-oriented
research
To be able to discuss
the infrastructure required in performing clinical research and to have
an understanding of the steps involved in developing and funding research
studies
The course is designed for physicians and other health professionals
training for a career in clinical research. Interested persons are strongly
encouraged to take a course in biostatistics such as STAT 200 or STAT
500 currently offered at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the
Sciences (FAES).
The National Institutes of Health/Foundation for Advanced Education
in the Sciences (NIH/FAES) is accredited by the Accreditation Council
for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education
for physicians.
Frontier
Science: September 19 Symposium
Showcases
Pioneer Award Progress
by Sarah Goforth
 |
A
Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.) bioengineer is looking at the brain
on millisecond-long time scales to understand how rapid changes in neural
circuits relate to psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and hopelessness.
Nearby at the University
of California, Santa Barbara, an evolutionary psychologist is applying
the tools of evolutionary biology, cognitive science, anthropology, neuroscience,
and psychology to study human motivation.
Meanwhile at the University
of Arizona in Tucson, a biochemist is using her understanding of how gene
expression is controlled in plants as a foundation for the study of similar
pathways—some of which are associated with disease—in people.
On the East Coast, a neurobiologist at Duke
University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., is blending molecular, behavioral,
and computational approaches to study how songbirds learn to make music.
His work could provide a foundation for new vocalization disorder treatments
in humans.
At Rockefeller University
in New York, a biochemist and expert in the study of telomeres is developing
a new system for studying the biological response to DNA damage.
And across the Atlantic
at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, a computational
biologist uses powerful mathematical models to understand how flu viruses
and other pathogens evolve.
What do these varied and
accomplished people have in common?
They are among last year's
recipients of the NIH Director's Pioneer
Awards, which recognize exceptionally creative scientists who bring
their talents and expertise to bear on some of the biggest challenges
in biomedical research.
Traditional NIH grants support
research projects, but Pioneer Awards support individual researchers and
allow an unusual degree of freedom to innovate and take risks. NIH made nine awards in 2004, the first year of the program,
and 13 more in 2005.
The 2005 awardees will present
their progress at the second annual NIH Director's Pioneer Award Symposium
on Tuesday, September 19, in Masur Auditorium, Building
10. The symposium will also feature the announcement of the third class
of Pioneer Award recipients.
The day will kick off at 8:15 a.m. with opening
remarks by NIH Director Elias
Zerhouni and Jeremy
Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences,
who shares responsibility for overseeing the Pioneer Award program. Next
come talks by the class of 2005:
Vicki L. Chandler,
University of Arizona
Hollis T. Cline,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.
Leda Cosmides,
University of California, Santa Barbara
Titia de Lange,
The Rockefeller University
Karl Deisseroth,
Stanford University
Pehr A.B. Harbury,
Stanford University School of Medicine
Erich D. Jarvis,
Duke University Medical Center
Thomas A. Rando,
Stanford University School of Medicine
Derek J. Smith,
University of Cambridge and Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Giulio Tononi,
University of Wisconsin Madison Medical School
Clare M. Waterman-Storer, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif.
Nathan D. Wolfe,
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore
Junying Yuan, Harvard Medical School, Boston
Their research
is described here.
Capping the event, from
3:40 to 5:30 p.m., will be a poster session by 2004 and 2005 Pioneers
and members of their labs, along with a concurrent reception. Attendance
is free, and no registration is required. Click
here for the agenda
For an overview
of the Pioneer Award and its history as part of the NIH
Roadmap for Medical Research.