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2011 Dr. Shurin's Messages
December
NHLBI-supported research highlighted at the American Society of Hematology meeting in San Diego
Dr. Susan Shurin - December 15, 2011
This past weekend, I attended the 2011 American Society for Hematology meeting in San Diego. Two NHLBI-supported studies were featured at the plenary session. ASH sponsored a press conference entitled "Assessing Therapeutic Strategies and Improving Quality of Life for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease," which I moderated. NHLBI investigator Dr. George Daley gave an outstanding lecture in honor of E. Donnell Thomas, "Hematopoietic, Embryonic, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Diseases, Myths, and Medicine."
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Status of paylines
Dr. Susan Shurin - December 8, 2011
The NHLBI is functioning under a Continuing Resolution with a decrease of 1.5 percent from FY 2011 allotment, and our fiscal situation remains tenuous. I would like to outline how we are dealing with this.
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November
NIH updates Sleep Disorders Research Plan
Office of the Director - November 15, 2011
The new 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan builds on scientific advances that link sleep problems to health and safety risks and identifies research opportunities over the next three to five years to spur new approaches for preventing and treating sleep disorders.
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October
NHLBI grantee Elodie Ghedin named 2011 MacArthur Fellow
Office of the Director - October 18, 2011
Congratulations to Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, on receiving a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant. A parasitologist and virologist specializing in computational and systems biology, Dr. Ghedin was recognized for using genomic studies to reveal critical information about human pathogens, including fostering international collaborations that aim to improve public health in tropical climates and around the world.
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September
National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month Observations
Dr. Susan Shurin - September 30, 2011
As we come to the end of National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month, I want to share some noteworthy items about continuing efforts to improve the lives of people with this disease.
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Lancet article and UN high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases
Office of the Director - September 20, 2011
This week, world leaders meet at the UN High-level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. NHLBI Office of Global Health Director Dr. Arun Chockalingam and Deputy Director Dr. Cristina Rabadán-Diehl are attending. NHLBI Acting Director Dr. Susan Shurin co-authored a commentary in the journal Lancet in conjunction with the meeting.
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Former Jackson Heart Study Scholar to appear on TV program this Sunday
Office of the Director - September 20, 2011
Angel S. Byrd, a former NHLBI-supported Jackson Heart Study Scholar and current M.D./Ph.D. candidate at Brown University, will be appearing on BET to talk about her career path and inspire other students to consider research.
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Ms. Kathleen O'Sullivan joins the NHLBI as executive officer
Dr. Susan Shurin - September 12, 2011
It is my pleasure to announce that Ms. Kathleen O’Sullivan has accepted the position of Executive Officer, NHLBI, and officially assumed her new duties on Thursday, September 8. Kate brings with her a unique combination of in-depth knowledge and broad experience gained in senior level management and administrative positions in the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Air Force, as well as formal education in engineering science, national resource strategy, and business administration.
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August
Biomedical scientific workforce inclusion
Dr. Susan Shurin - August 25, 2011
By now I expect that you are all aware of the article and commentary in the current issue of Science about the effect of race on the probability of receiving NIH funding. The article by Donna Ginther reported that among PhD applicants for NIH grants, black applicants are significantly less likely to receive funding than white applicants or those of Asian or Hispanic heritage.
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Remembering Dr. William Kannel, Framingham Heart Study Pioneer
Office of the Director - August 23, 2011
We are saddened by the passing of William B. Kannel, M.D., a dedicated public servant who died this weekend of colon cancer at the age of 87 after an esteemed 60-year career in cardiovascular epidemiology. Dr. Kannel transformed health globally as a leader of the groundbreaking Framingham Heart Study, which defined heart disease's major risk factors—a term Kannel coined—including high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and cigarette smoking.
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Dr. Shurin participates in White House sickle cell disease roundtable
Office of the Director - August 12, 2011
The White House and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently convened about 100 faith and community leaders, sickle cell disease patients and family members, and experts in the field to discuss raising awareness and educating communities about sickle cell disease, a serious blood disorder that affects an estimated 72,000 Americans.
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July
Article Highlight: Sickle Cell Disease in The New York Times
Office of the Director - July 1, 2011
An article in yesterday's New York Times profiles a young woman in Florida who is living with sickle cell disease and discusses the treatment advances that have been made in the past few decades, including the use of penicillin to prevent infection, transcranial Doppler to reduce the risk of stroke, hydroxyurea to reduce crises and complications, and stem cell transplant as a cure for some.
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June
Children and Clinical Studies video screened at Genetic Alliance meeting
Dr. Susan Shurin - June 28, 2011
Congratulations to Vicki Pemberton and team, whose video about children in research studies from the NHLBI-hosted Children and Clinical Studies Web campaign was one of six short films selected to be shown at the annual Genetic Alliance conference. It's a real pleasure to see this project continuing to be recognized.
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A special visitor to the NHLBI
Office of the Director - June 27, 2011
Greg Goldman, an 8th grader from Williston, Vermont, recently visited the NIH as part of a year-long school research project on congenital heart defects. Before touring the campus, he met with Dr. Gail Pearson, a pediatric cardiologist and director of the NHLBI Program in Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Research, to learn about the NHLBI and its support for research on heart development and congenital heart defects.
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Dr. Shurin receives prestigious Hopkins alumni award for government service
Office of the Director - June 13, 2011
NHLBI Acting Director Dr. Susan Shurin received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service from The Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association. One of the university's highest honors, the award is given to selected alumni in appreciation of their service to the public.
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The NHLBI Advisory Council welcomes six new members
Dr. Susan Shurin - June 8, 2011
I am proud to announce the newest members of the NHLBI Advisory Council. Dr. Jonathan R. Alger, Coletta Barrett, Dr. Ivor Benjamin, Dr. Naomi Luban, Dr. Polly Parsons, and Dr. Gilbert White will join the 12 existing council members for the first time during next week’s council session.
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May
HHS Announces Sickle Cell Disease Initiative
Office of the Director - May 27, 2011
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced an HHS-wide initiative to improve care for people with sickle cell disease. With this initiative, HHS seeks to build upon existing activities and increase collaborations across government agencies. The NHLBI looks forward to participating in this important collaboration.
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NIH stops clinical trial on combination cholesterol treatment
Office of the Director - May 26, 2011
The NHLBI has stopped AIM-HIGH, a clinical trial studying a blood lipid treatment, 18 months earlier than planned. The trial found that adding high-dose, extended-release niacin to statin treatment in people with heart and vascular disease did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and stroke. Dr. Shurin discusses the early termination of the trial in this brief video.
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Dr. Shurin and others testify before Senate subcommittee on FY 2012 NIH budget
Office of the Director - May 16, 2011
Dr. Susan Shurin joined NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and several Institute directors to testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and respond to questions on the Fiscal Year 2012 NIH Budget.
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Moscow Trip Report
Dr. Susan Shurin - May 4, 2011
I went to Moscow last week to attend two meetings: The U.S.-Russia Scientific Forum on April 25-27, sponsored by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Foundation for the NIH; and with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Noncommunicable Diseases on April 28-29, in preparation for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) September 2011 meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.
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April
Dr. Shurin Meets with Women Medical Students
Office of the Director - April 15, 2011
NHLBI Acting Director Susan B. Shurin, M.D., recently met with a group of women medical students in a retreat-style setting in Reston, Va. The event, the Women's Empowerment Institute, was co-sponsored by the American Medical Student Association and the American Medical Women's Association.
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HHS Announces Initiative to Reduce Health Disparities
Office of the Director - April 13, 2011
On Friday, April 8, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched an initiative aimed at reducing racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States.
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NIH Releases Strategic Plan for Obesity Research
Office of the Director - April 1, 2011
The NIH has released its plan to encourage diverse scientific studies to combat the U.S. obesity epidemic. The Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research identifies a range of research opportunities to continue the search for the causes of obesity, develop effective and practical interventions for prevention and treatment, reduce health disparities, and inform policy. Obesity is of particular concern to the NHLBI.
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March
Early-Career Researchers Join the NHLBI DIR through Stadtman Tenure-Track Recruitment Program
Office of the Director - March 23, 2011
The NHLBI Division of Intramural Research has hired two highly talented early-career scientists through the NIH's first search for Earl Stadtman investigators. Launched in 2009-2010 and named for a late NIH biochemist who mentored several Nobel laureates, the Stadtman program is a trans-NIH initiative offering tenure-track positions across all areas of biomedical research.
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Cold Spring Harbor Early Stage Investigator Regional Meeting
Dr. Susan Shurin - March 15, 2011
Four NIH Institute directors, as well as senior NIH staff responsible for peer review and grants management, traveled to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island on Mar. 14 to meet with over 300 early-stage investigators about careers in biomedical research. This was a unique opportunity for us to interact with assistant professors and those completing post-doctoral fellowships -- Ph.D.s, M.D.s and M.D./Ph.D.s -- from research institutions throughout the Northeast.
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Solicitation for Collaborative Projects on Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases
Office of the Director - March 15, 2011
NIH's Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Disease (TRND) program has announced its second solicitation for collaborative projects.
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Dr. Shurin Gives Keynote at Personalized Medicine and Cardiovascular Research Conference
Office of the Director - March 3, 2011
Leaders from academia, industry and government recently came together on the campus of George Washington University (GWU) for the conference, New Frontiers in Personalized Medicine: Cardiovascular Research and Clinical Care. In a keynote address, NHLBI Acting Director Susan B. Shurin, M.D., discussed the challenges inherent in trying to understand the role of genetics in cardiovascular disorders.
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Pair of Journal Articles Advances Understanding of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Office of the Director - March 2, 2011
Two papers published online last week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation report the prevention and reversal of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in lab mice with congenital heart disease, providing insight into the nature and potential treatment of a spectrum of related conditions. In separate but related studies, researchers uncovered signaling pathways in mice that lead to the birth defect known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in which heart muscle cells enlarge and cause ventricle walls to thicken.
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NHLBI Celebrates American Heart Month 2011
Office of the Director - March 2, 2011
During American Heart Month 2011, the NHLBI led an array of activities intended to not only raise awareness of women's heart disease and help Americans take charge of their heart health, but also to highlight the research being conducted to further understand cardiovascular disease and improve public health.
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February
Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program -- Exceptional Clinical Researchers Sought for Exciting New Program
Dr. Susan Shurin - February 10, 2011
I am delighted to announce that the NHLBI is participating in the Lasker Clinical Research Scholars program. The program represents an historic partnership between the NIH intramural and extramural communities and the Lasker Foundation. The goal is to bridge the widening gap between cutting-edge research and improved patient care, and to nurture the next generation of clinical researchers.
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January
Dr. Shurin Witnesses Renewal of Historic U.S.-China Agreement
Office of the Director - January 31, 2011
On Jan. 19, representatives from the U.S. and China signed an extension to the U.S.-China Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology. First signed in 1979, the agreement has fostered more than three decades of intergovernmental cooperation in biomedical research as well as in physics, chemistry, energy, industrial technology, and other critical areas.
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