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Major NIH Lectures

The constant exchange of ideas is crucial to progress in medical research. Findings in one field often unexpectedly affect thinking in others. To encourage this exchange of ideas in its own laboratories, NIH hosts more than 1,200 scientific lectures each year by its own researchers and by distinguished visiting scientists from other research institutions. Here are a few highlights of the many lectures NIH hosted in 2008 and 2009.

The NIH Director's Lectures
As part of NIH’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, the Director’s Lectures feature leading researchers from around the globe. Nominated by scientists and interest groups throughout NIH, the NIH Director specifically approves these annual lectures.

  • “Genomic Variation and the Inherited Basis of Common Disease”—David Altshuler, March 31, 2010. Videocast.
  • “Mouse Models of Human Disease: From Cancer to Neuropsychiatric Disorders” — Mario Capecchi, March 11, 2010. Videocast.
  • "The Novel Physiology of Bone"—Gerard Karsenty, December 9, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Neurobiology of Rett Syndrome and Related Disorders"— Huda Zoghbi, June 17, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Transcriptional Mechanisms of Drug Addiction"— Eric Nestler May 6, 2009. Videocast.
  • "A Pediatrician's Perspective on the Human Genome Project and Genomic Pediatrics"— D. Holmes Morton, December 17, 2008. Videocast.
  • "From Worms to Mammals: Genes that Control the Rate of Aging"—Cynthia Kenyon, February 20, 2008.
    Videocast.

Astute Clinician Lecture
This annual lecture, begun in 1998 and part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, honors a U.S. scientist who has observed an unusual occurrence, and by investigating it, has opened an important new avenue of research. The lectureship exemplies how astute clinical observations can lead to innovative research.

  • “Marfan Syndrome and Related Disorders: From Molecules to Medicines”—Harry Dietz, January 14, 2009. Videocast.
  • “Fevers, Genes, and Histories: Adventures in the Genomics of Inflammation”—Daniel Kastner, November 18, 2009. Videocast.

David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture
This annual lecture honors the late Dr. David E. Barmes, a World Health Organization expert in oral health, special expert for international health in the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Office of International Health, and ardent spokesman for global health. Established in 2001, the lecture series is jointly sponsored NIDCR and NIH's Fogarty International Center.

  • “Globalization and Health: The Role of Knowledge in an Interdependent World"—Julio Frenk, December 15, 2009. Videocast.
  • "The U.S. Commitment to Global Health"—Harold Varmus, December 16, 2008. Videocast.

Cantoni Memorial Lecture Series
This lecture series honors Giulio Leonardo Cantoni, who joined the National Institutes of Mental Health in 1954 as the Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology, now the Laboratory of General and Comparative Biochemistry. He directed that laboratory until 1994.

  • "Chromatin Remodeling in Neurodegeneration and Neuronal Repair"—Li-Huei Tsai, September 21, 2009. Videocast.

James Cassedy Memorial Lecture
To honor the distinguished historian of medicine and long-time National Library of Medicine (NLM) staffer Jim Cassedy, the NLM History of Medicine Division sponsored the first annual James Cassedy Memorial Lecture in 2008.

  • "The Information RX"— Nancy Tomes, July 7, 2009.
  • "Medicine by the Numbers: Revisiting James Cassedy's America"—Robert Martensen, July 15, 2008.

John W. Diggs Lecture
Established in 1995 to honor the late Dr. John W. Diggs, former NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research. The lecture is sponsored by the NIH Office of Intramural Research, the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, and the NIH Black Scientists Association.

  • "Beating the Odds: Preparing Minorities for Research Careers in the Biomedical Sciences"—Freeman Hrabowski, November 17, 2008. Videocast.

John Doppman Memorial Lecture for Imaging Sciences
This annual lecture honors the memory of a devoted physician, researcher, and teacher who spent more than 30 years at NIH and was chief of the Clinical Center's Diagnostic Radiology Department.

  • "Oncologic Imaging: Endless Horizons"—Hedvig Hricak, February 25, 2009. Videocast.

R.E. Dyer Lecture
Established in 1950 in honor of former NIH director Dr. Rolla E. Dyer, a noted authority on infectious diseases. The lectureship, part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, features internationally renowned researchers who have contributed substantially to medical as well as biological knowledge of infectious diseases.

  • “The Paradox of Immunity”—Jeffrey Ravetch, March 10, 2010. Videocast.
  • "Viral Forecasting"—Nathan Wolfe, September 24, 2008. Videocast.
  • "Pathogen Recognition and Signaling in Innate Immunity"—Shizuo Akira, May 7, 2008. Videocast.

Robert S. Gordon Lecture in Epidemiology
Named in honor of Robert S. Gordon, Jr., former Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and Special Assistant to former NIH Director James Wyngaarden, it is part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Topics focus on clinical research and epidemiology.

  • “What Do We Do When Studies Disagree?”—Julie Buring, May 12, 2010. Videocast.
  • "Epidemiology at the Interface of Science, Policy, and Politics: Are New Directions Needed for Epidemiology Training Today?"—Leon Gordis, June 3, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Personalizing Cancer Prevention"—Alice S. Whittemore, April 16, 2008. Videocast.

George Khoury Lecture
Organized by NIH scientists to honor the memory of Dr. George Khoury, who was highly regarded as a superb scientist and caring mentor of the postdoctoral fellows in his laboratory. This annual lecture is part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series.

  • "Gridlock on the Genomic Beltway: How Epigenetic Gene Silencing Shapes our Cellular Phenotypes"—Frank J. Rauscher, III, October 14, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Regulation of p53 in Mammalian Cells"—Carol Prives, January 23, 2008. Videocast.

Joseph J. Kinyoun Lecture
Established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 1979 to honor Dr. Joseph J. Kinyoun, who established in 1887 the Laboratory of Hygiene on Staten Island, the predecessor of the National Institutes of Health.

  • "Microbe Hunting in the 21st Century"—W. Ian Lipkin, October 8, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Dendritic Cells: A Key Target for Vaccine Science"—Ralph M. Steinman, November 20, 2008. Videocast.

Florence Mahoney Lecture on Aging
Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, the series recognizes Mrs. Mahoney's lifetime commitment to medical research and its benefits to people worldwide. Florence Stephenson Mahoney is widely known for her dedicated efforts in shaping national health science policy, particularly with respect to aging.

  • "Stress and Health: From Molecules to Societies"—Dr. Robert Sapolsky, October 28, 2009. Videocast.
  • "Normal and Neoplastic Stem Cells"—Irving L. Weissman, June 18, 2008. Videocast.

G. Burroughs Mider Lecture
Established in 1968 in honor of the first NIH director of laboratories and clinics. The lecture, part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, is presented by an NIH intramural scientist to recognize and appreciate outstanding contributions to biomedical research.

  • "Sorting It All Out: Signal-mediated Protein Trafficking in the Endosomal-Lysosonal System"—Dr. Juan Bonifacino, December 3, 2009. Videocast.
  • “Genetics and the Shapes of Dogs"—Elaine Ostrander, October 22, 2008. Videocast.
  • "Interleukin 10: Protection From Friendly Fire on the Battlefield of Host Defense"—Alan Sher, February 13, 2008. Videocast.

Margaret Pittman Lecture
Part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series, the lecture is given by a researcher dedicated to advancing and improving the careers of women scientists. Since 1994 when this annual lecture began, every speaker has exemplified the intelligence, scientific excellence and drive that made Margaret Pittman a leader as the first female laboratory chief at NIH.

  • “Tuning Depression Circuits Using Deep Brain Stimulation”—Helen Mayberg, February 17, 2010. Videocast.
  • “HSF and the Balancing Act between Neurodegeneration and Cancer”—Susan Lindquist, June 10, 2009. Videocast.
  • “Stem Cells of the Skin: Their Biology and Clinical Potential”—Elaine Fuchs, April 30, 2008. Videocast.

J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture
The NIH Director’s Cultural Lecture, part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series was renamed in 2008 in honor of Joseph “Ed” Rall, who helped to define NIH’s modern intramural research program and, in the 1950s, to establish a stable academic-like community within a rapidly expanding government agency.

  • “An Afternoon with Maya Angelou”—Maya Angelou, September 23, 2009.
  • “The Science of Failure in Medicine”—Atul Gawande, February 11, 2009. Videocast.
  • “From the Big Bang to the Novel Prize and on to James Webb Space Telescope”—John C. Mather, November 28, 2008. Videocast.

Sayer Vision Research Lecture
Dr. Jane Sayer, an NIH research scientist in NIDDK, established the Sayer Vision Research Lecture and Award at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with NEI, to honor her family and the memory of her parents, Winthrop and Laura Sayer. The lecture and award series will provide an opportunity for honorees to explore areas of interdisciplinary collaboration that may lead to advances in diverse medical specialties relevant to vision research.

  • "Stem Cell Potency—Finding Embryonic-like Cells in the Aged Adult Retina"—Sally Temple, October 20, 2008.

DeWitt Stetten Jr., Lecture
Established by NIGMS in 1982 and presented annually in honor of Dr. Stetten, the third NIGMS director, this annual lecture is part of the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series.

  • "Intra- and Inter-Species Cell-to-Cell Communication in Bacteria"—Bonnie Bassler, October 21, 2009. Videocast.
  • "The Molecular Basis of Eukaryotic Transcription"—Roger D. Kornberg, October 29, 2008. Videocast.

Matilda White Riley Lecture
Named for noted NIH social scientist who died in 2004 at age 93 to honor her extraordinary life and work in behavioral and social research.

  • "Looking for Causes in All the Wrong Places: Upstream Social Determinants of Downstream Health Disparities"—John B. McKinlay, June 19, 2008. Videocast.
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This page last reviewed on May 11, 2011

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