FYI from the NHLBI Index

May 2010: Vol. 11, Issue 1
Summaries of Meetings
and Announcements of Upcoming Events

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's February Meeting

Upcoming NHLBI Workshops and Working Groups

Upcoming 2010 Events


 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council's February Meeting

February 2, 2010

Dr. Susan B. Shurin, Acting Director of the NHLBI, welcomed members to the 237th meeting of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council (NHLBAC).

Dr. Shurin introduced Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director, NIH, who identified major opportunities for NIH investment and highlighted recent contributions of the NIH, and the NHLBI in particular, to biomedical research.

Dr. Collins thanked Dr. Shurin for her many contributions to the NIH, including her current activities as Acting Director of the NHLBI. Dr. Collins assured the Council that the search for a permanent Director of the NHLBI is under way and that he will be involved personally in the process.

Dr. Collins discussed five areas of special opportunities for the NIH: high-throughput technologies, translational medicine, benefiting health care reform, focusing more on global health, and reinvigorating and empowering the biomedical research community. He also noted that the FY 2010 final NIH budget of $30.988 billion includes about $26.0 billion in spending outside the NIH. He expressed his appreciation for the President’s FY 2011 budget request which seeks an increase of $1 billion over the FY 2010 budget level.

Dr. Shurin paid tribute to Dr. Marshall Nirenberg who died January 15, 2010, by acknowledging his extraordinary contributions to biomedical science. While an investigator at the NIH, Dr. Nirenberg uncovered the RNA sequences that encode all 20 amino acids, for which he received a Nobel Prize in 1968—the first NIH researcher and federal employee to receive the honor.

Dr. Shurin announced several leadership appointments within the NHLBI: Dr. Jodi Black as Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research Activities; Mr. James Schlicht as Legislative Liaison; Dr. Denise Simons-Morton as Director, Division for the Application of Research Discoveries; Dr. Carl Roth as Acting Deputy Director; Ms. Sally McDonough as Director, Office of Communications; and Dr. Donna DiMichelle as Deputy Director, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources.

Dr. Shurin reviewed the NHLBI FY 2009/FY 2010 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding plan. The Institute received $763 million in ARRA monies, most of which has been obligated or committed. The NHLBI ARRA web site (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/recovery/) summarizes the Institute's Recovery Act policies and investments, and includes illustrative stories about researchers' use of NHLBI Recovery Act funds.

Dr. Neal S. Young, Chief, Hematology Branch, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research, reported on research progress in areas related to aplastic anemia and other bone marrow failure syndromes. Dr. Young also serves as Director of the Trans-NIH Center for Human Immunology, Autoimmunity, and Inflammation, the mission of which is to support cooperative research based on advanced technologies in order to translate enhanced understanding of immune function and pathophysiology to the clinic. He summarized the Center's goals and progress made in its first fully budgeted year.

Dr. Stephen C. Groft, Director, NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research (ORDR), briefed the Council on the mission and activities of ORDR in working with NIH Institutes/Centers to coordinate and support rare diseases research, respond to research opportunities for rare diseases, and provide information on rare diseases.

Dr. Manfred Boehm, Translational Medicine Branch, NHLBI Division of Intramural Research, discussed research on a newly identified rare vascular disease known as Focal Artery and Joint Calcification in Adults disease, an autosomal recessive disorder of vascular calcification. He also discussed research that led to increased understanding about two other rare diseases—Prolidase Deficiency and Job's Syndrome—which involve defective wound repair and tissue remodeling.

Dr. Stephen C. Mockrin, Director, Division of Extramural Research Activities, presented the Annual Review of Delegated Authorities from the NHLBAC report. Delegated authorities allow NHLBI staff to perform specific functions without Council involvement, thereby adding flexibility and decreasing the burden on the Council. Dr. Mockrin reported that in FY 2009, the Institute undertook 12 actions using its delegated authorities. The Council accepted the report and agreed to continue the current policy of Delegated Authorities.

Full minutes of Council meetings and summaries of the initiatives are available.

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Upcoming NHLBI Workshops and Working Groups

PIO representatives will be accommodated on a space-available basis and will be responsible for their own travel expenses.

Defining the Agenda for SC Trait

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: June 3 - 4, 2010
Contact: Dr. Jonathan Goldsmith

International COPD Genetics Workshop

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: July 13 - 14, 2010
Contact: Dr. James Kiley

Virtual Reality Technologies for Obesity and Diabetes Education and Behavior Change

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: July 15 - 16, 2010
Contact: Dr. Abby Ershow

Nutrition and Diet in Registry and Surveillance Studies of Hemoglobinopathies working Group

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: August 23 - 24, 2010
Contact: Dr. Ellen Werner

Annual Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Research Meeting

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: August 25 - 27, 2010
Contact: Dr. Harvey Luksenburg

Defining Molecular Pathways and Mechanisms That Predict CVD Risk Associated With Sleep Disordered Breathing

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 7 - 8, 2010
Contact: Dr. Daniel Lewin

Pediatric Sleep Disturbances and Their Contribution to Developmental Pathophysiology of Cardiometabolic Risk

Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Date: September 9, 2010
Contact: Dr. Daniel Lewin

Personalized Approaches to Cardiovascular Medicine: New Directions for Improving Patient Care

Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Date: September 28 - 30, 2010
Contact: Dr. Ahmed Hasan

Infection, Inflammation, and Thrombosis

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Date: September 2010 (Date to be Determined)
Contact: Dr. Ahmed Hasan

 

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Upcoming 2010 Events

American Sleep Apnea Association Sleep Apnea & Trucking Conference 2010

Date: May 11 - 12, 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD

Mended Hearts 58th Annual Convention

Date: May 19 - 23, 2010
Location: Bloomington, MN

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council 238th Meeting

Date: May 26, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD

It’s My Heart 2nd National CHD Conference

Date: June 4 - 6, 2010
Location: Houston, TX

Alpha-1 Association 2010 19th Annual National Education Conference

Date: June 11 - 13, 2010
Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL

Children's Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD) Foundation chILD Conference 2010

Date: June 18 - 20, 2010
Location: Houston, TX

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy 2010 Annual Connect Conference

Date: June 24 - 27, 2010
Location: Denver, CO

Pulmonary Hypertension Association Conference and Scientific Sessions

Date: June 25 - 27, 2010
Location: Garden Grove, CA

Platelet Disorder Support Association 10th Annual ITP Conference

Date: June 25 - 27, 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV

National Marfan Foundation 26th Annual Conference

Date: July 8 - 11, 2010
Location: Houston, TX

Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, Inc. National Patient and Family Conference

Date: July 10 - 13, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD

TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) International Recognition Days

Date: July 15 - 17, 2010
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

American Association for Respiratory Care AARC Summer Meetings

Date: July 16 - 18, 2010
Location: Marco Island, FL

Klippel Trenaunay Support Group Support meeting

Date: July 23 - 24, 2010
Location: Rochester, MN

Barth Syndrome Foundation 2010 International Scientific, Medical & Family Conference

Date: July 26 - 31, 2010
Location: Orlando, FL

Scleroderma Foundation 2010 National Conference

Date: July 30 - August 1, 2010
Location: Boston, MA

PXE International, Inc. 2010 Biennial Conference

Date: September 10 - 12, 2010
Location: Bethesda, MD

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. 38th Annual Convention

Date: September 21 - 24, 2010
Location: Washington, DC

National Lymphedema Network 9th NLN International Conference

Date: September 22 - 26, 2010
Location: Orlando, FL

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