>> I WOULD LIKE TO
CALL TO ORDER THE 85th MEETING
OF THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH.
I'M MARTINA SCHMIDT AND SERVE AS
THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY FOR THE
NCCIH ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD AS A
HYBRID MEETING.
THIS MEANS I DON'T HAVE MANY OF
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF
WITH ME IN THE ROOM WHILE THOSE
WHO CAN'T BE WITH US IN PERSON
INCLUDING THE PUBLIC MUST ATTEND
VIRTUALLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THIS
IS NOT A SECOND TIME THE SECOND
TIME WE HAVE AN IN-PERSON
COMPONENT AND WE'RE EXCITE ABOUT
THIS.
THIS MEETING IS RECORDED AND
BROADCAST TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO FINISH BY 4:00
P.M. AND THIS IS OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC VIA LIVE NIH VIDEO CAST.
THE COUNCIL IS CONVENED BY THE
TITLE 42 THAT GOVERN THE NIH IN
GENERAL AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ACT AND CLOSED SESSION WAS HELD
HELD THIS MORNING AND CLOSED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE SUNSHINE
ACT.
THIS WILL INCLUDE THE OPENING
PROCEDURAL REMARKS FOLLOWED BY
THE NCCIH DIRECTOR REPORT.
AT NOON WE'LL BREAK FOR LUNCH.
AFTER LUNCH THERE'LL BE AN
UPDATE ON THE RESEARCH PROGRAM
PRESENT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR
DR. SHURTLEFF AND THEN WE'LL
TALK WITH ENHANCING THE FAIRNESS
AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PEER
REVIEW.
WE'LL FINISH OUR PRESENTATIONS
BY PRESENTING TWO CONCEPTS TO
COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND CLEARANCE
BY COUNCIL.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
TODAY WILL BE TO APPROVE THE MAY
2023 COUNCIL MINUTES WHICH WAS
PROVIDED TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS
VIA THE ELECTRONIC COUNCIL BOOK
AND A COPY I BELIEVE IS
CURRENTLY PLACED ON THE SCREEN.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO
FINALIZE THE MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE
COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES?
NO?
OKAY.
IF NOT, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO
APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FOR
THE MAY 2023 COUNCIL MEETING.
ALL IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND AND
FOR THOSE IN THE ROOM AS WELL AS
ELECTRONICALLY FOR THOSE WHO
ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
ANY OPPOSED?
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THAT'S IT AND I'LL HAND IT OVER
TO DIRECTOR LANGEVIN FOR HER
COMMENTS.
>>IT'S MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT MY
DIRECTOR'S REPORT TO COUNCIL.
IT'S BEEN BUSY SINCE WE LAST MET
IN MAY AND I'LL START WITH
GENERAL NIH WIDE NEWS AND AN A
VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF NEWS.
THE FIRST IS DR. BERTAGNOLLI HAS
BEEN NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT
BIDEN AND IS NOT CONFIRMED YET.
SHE'S CURRENTLY THE OF THE
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE.
THE NEXT STEP IS SHE'LL BE
MEETING WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS AND THERE'LL BE A
HEARING AND THEN SENATE AND THEN
IF SHE'S CONFIRMED AT THAT POINT
SHE'LL BECOME THE NIH DIRECTOR.
WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN
FOLLOWING THIS ALONG.
UNTIL HER NOMINATE IS CONFIRMED,
DR. LARRY TABAK WILL CONTINUE AS
ACTING DIRECTOR AT NIH.
AND DR. BERTAGNOLLI WILL REMAIN
NCI DIRECTOR.
WE ALSO HAD QUITE A FEW NEW
ARRIVALS AT NIH.
WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR OF THE
OFFICE OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.
HE WAS IN THE DIVISION OF
MILITARY PERFORMANCE AT THE
UNITED STATES ARMY RESEARCH
INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MEDICINE.
DR. PASIAKOS LED A PROGRAM TO
REFINE DIETARY PROTEIN
REQUIREMENTS FOR SOLDIERS AND
DEVELOPED TARGETED DIETARY
SUPPLEMENTS TO RETAIN MUSCLE
MASS-HIS INTEREST MUSCLE
PHYSIOLOGY, BIO ENERGETICS OF
EXERCISE AND METABOLISM AND
EXCITED TO WORK WITH HIM AS YOU
KNOW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
NCCIH AND THE OFFICE OF DIETARY
SUPPLEMENTS IS A STRONG ONE BY,
FOR EXAMPLE, A PROGRAM WHICH
YOU'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT.
WE HAVE OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF THE
INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, A SUCCESSOR
TO DR. TONY FAUCI.
DR. MARRAZZO COMES FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM.
HER RESEARCH IN DISCOVERY AND
IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE FOCUSSED
ON THE HUMAN MICROBIOME
SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO
FEMALE TRACT INFECTION AND USING
PRPE AND MICROBECYTES AND THE
MANAGEMENT OF SEXUALLY
TRANSMITTED DISEASES.
WE'RE SO THRILLED TO WELCOME
DR. MARRAZZO.
AND WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR OF
THE OFFICE OF OB SR AND
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL
SCIENCES RESEARCH.
ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT PARTNER
AT THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.
DR. SIMONI JOINS US FROM
WASHINGTON, SEATTLE AND WAS A
PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
PSYCHOLOGY.
SHE'S A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
WITH MORE THAN 25 YEARS IN
EXPERIENCE IN RESEARCH FOCUSSED
ON HEALTH DISPARITIES AND
RESEARCH ON POPULATIONS SOCIALLY
MARGINALIZED.
HER INTERVENTION RESEARCH HAS
EXAMINED CHRONIC ILLNESS USING
MIXED METHODS AND CLINICAL
TRIALS AND PEER SUPPORT AND
PROVIDER TRAINING AND COUNSELING
AND M-HEALTH.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH DR. SIMONI ON OUR JOINT
INTERESTS.
IT'S BITTER SWEET TO ANNOUNCE
THE RETIREMENT OF DR. PATTI
BRENNAN WHO HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC
COLLEGIATE NIH.
SHE'S GOING TO BE RETIRING AT
THE END OF THE MONTH AS DIRECTOR
OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF
MEDICINE.
DR. BRENNAN HAS BEEN A CHAMPION
OF BIO TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPING
NIH'S INFORMATICS AND
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS AREA.
SHE'LL BE GREATLY MISSED AND WE
WISH HER WELL ON HER RETIREMENT.
THERE HAS BEEN AN RFI, REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION THAT IS STILL
ACTIVE IN WRITING COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS ON UPDATING THE NIH
MISSION STATEMENT.
THE MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE
ENTIRE NIH.
YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE
THAT THE PROPOSED REVISION OF
THE MISSION STATEMENT WOULD BE
TO SEEK FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT THE NATURE AND BEHAVIOR OF
LIVING SYSTEMS AND TO APPLY THAT
KNOWLEDGE TO OPTIMIZE HEALTH AND
PREVENT OR REDUCE ILLNESS FOR
ALL PEOPLE.
CAN SEE THE WORD PREVENTION IS
NOT NEW AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT THAT.
INPUT IS SOUGHT ABOUT THE
PROPOSED REVISED MISSION
STATEMENT AND YOU'RE WELCOME OR
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO SUBMIT
COMMENTS.
WE RELEASED LAST MARCH THE NIH
WIDE PLAN UPON DIVERSITY, EQUITY
AND INCLUSION.
THIS PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR
ADVANCING EFFORTS IN A
TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE
MANNER OFFER THE NEXT FIVE
YEARS.
OUR STRENGTH AS AN AGENCY IS
DERIVED IN LARGE PART FROM OUR
DIVERSITY AND BROAD RANGE OF
PERSPECTIVES.
SO THIS IS SO IMPORTANT AS WE
PLAY A ROLE IN FOSTERING A
CULTURE WHERE WE ALL FEEL
WELCOME.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
DOCUMENT WE'LL ALL BE ABIDING BY
VERY CLOSELY.
THERE ALSO HAS BEEN A
RECOMMENDATION ON RESPONSIBLE
STEWARDSHIP ON PERSONAL HEALTH
DATA AND THESE ARE IMPORTANT
RECOMMENDATION COME FROM THE
RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WHICH NEXTRAC PROVIDING
INFORMATION TO THE NIH DIRECTOR
IN THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR THE
DISCUSSION OF SAFETY, SCIENTIFIC
SAFETY AND ETHICAL ISSUES
ASSOCIATED SPECIFICALLY WITH
EMERGING BIO TECHNOLOGY.
ENGAGING WITH PARTICIPANTS AND
COMMUNITIES EARLY AND OFTEN
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE USE OF
PERSONAL HEALTH DATA IS
CONTEMPLATED.
IMPROVING HOW RESEARCHERS INFORM
AND GAIN CONSENT FROM
PARTICIPANTS ON THE USE AND
SHARING OF THEIR HEALTH DATA
ESPECIALLY IN THE LONG TERM.
ENSURING THAT BIOETHICS IS
INTEGRATED INTO RESEARCH TO
INFORM THE RETURN OF THE VALUE
FROM THE STUDIES INCLUDING A
RESEARCH RESULT TO PARTICIPANTS
AND COMMUNITIES.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF
RESEARCH.
ARPA-H HAS CREATED A PROGRAM TO
DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS FOR TISSUE
REGENERATION IN OSTEOARTHRITIS.
IT'S REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AND
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE HOW
THE ARPA-H PROGRAM ARE GETTING
LAUNCHED AND FOR ALL LISTENING,
ARPA-H IS CURRENTLY HIRING
PROGRAM MANAGERS.
THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
IS THIS HOW ARPA-H WORKS.
THEY HIRE PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM
THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND WORK
AT ARPA-H FOR THREE YEARS.
AND THESE PROGRAM MANAGERS ARE
HIRED IN ORDER TO ESSENTIALLY
MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
SO THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING
MODEL THAT THEY ARE PURSUING.
THE AREAS OF FOCUS THAT THEY'RE
LOOKING FOR INCLUDE HEALTH
SCIENCES FUTURES, EXPANDING
WHAT'S TECHNICALLY POSSIBLE,
SCALING SOLUTIONS, PROACTIVE
HEALTH, KEEPING PEOPLE FROM
BEING PATIENTS AND RESILIENT
SYSTEMS BUILDING INTEGRITIED
HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS.
YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THE THEMES
ARPA-H ARE INTERESTED IN ARE
VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH HOW WE
THINK ABOUT OUR FULL PERSON
HEALTH, RESILIENCE AND
PREVENTION.
KEEPING PEOPLE FROM BEING SICK.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED YOU
SHOULD CONTACT THE LINK ON THE
SLIDE.
WE'RE EXCITED NIH HAS
ESTABLISHED MATERNAL HEALTH
RESEARCH CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
FOR MATERNAL HEALTH.
NCCIH IS PART OF THIS EFFORT
CALLED IMPROVE.
$24 MILLION HAS BEEN AWARDED SO
FAR TO ESTABLISH THE CENTERS FOR
EXCELLENCE.
WE'VE NOT YET HAD CO-FUNDED S
BUT WE'RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON
THIS BECAUSE IT'S POSSIBLE WE'LL
BE ABLE TO GO FUND SOME
APPLICATIONS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THE OPPORTUNITY.
NIH LAUNCHED TRIALS FOR
POST-ACUTE COVID SYNDROME.
ONE IS RECOVERED VITAL TESTING A
LONGER COURSE OF PAXLOVID TO SEE
IF IT'S HELPFUL TO HELP PEOPLE
RECOVER FROM LONG-TERM SYSTEMS
AS WELL AS RECOVER-NEURO WHICH
IS TRAINING AND SIMULATION
INTERVENTIONS FOR BRAIN FOG THAT
A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN THAT IS
PERSISTENT AFTER HAVING COVID.
THERE'S TWO ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS
RECOVERY SLEEP LOOKING FOR
CHANGES IN SLEEP PATTERNS WHEN
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH
LONG COVID AND AUTONOMIC RELATED
TO SYMPTOMS OF REGULATION OF
HEART RATE AND WE GET
HYPOTENSION PROBLEMS AND
BREATHING AND DIGESTION.
MORE COMING SOON FOR THAT.
THERE'S ALSO A VERY EXCITING NIH
COMMON FUND HUMAN VIROME PROGRAM
AND NCCIH IS LEADING ONE OF THE
PROGRAMS THE CHARACTERIZATION OF
FUNCTIONAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
VIRUSES AND THE HUMAN MICROBIAL
HOSTS.
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
THE INHABITANTS WITHIN US LIKE
THE MICROBIOME AND IT'S A
DIFFERENT FRONTIER WHEN YOU
THINK OF VIRUSES.
NOTICES TO INTEND TO PUBLISHING
WERE RELEASED JUNE AND THERE
WILL BE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
EXPECTED IN THE FALL ON THIS.
THE SMART HEALTH AND ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE AND ADVANCED DATA
SCIENCE IS A CO-FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN NIH AND NSF
CONTRIBUTING TO THIS.
THE PROPOSAL DEADLINE THE NEXT
IS GOING TO BE NOVEMBER 9.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO
SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TRANSFORMATIVE HIGH-RISK,
HIGH-REWARD ADVANCES IN AND
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING,
MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS AND
BEHAVIORAL AND/OR COGNITIVE
RESEARCH TO ADDRESS PRESSING
QUESTIONS IN THE MEDICAL AND BIO
MEDICAL COMMUNITIES.
FINALLY, THERE IS AN NIH VIRTUAL
TOUR THAT HAS BEEN NOW POSTED ON
OUR WEBSITE AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT I INVITE YOU ALL
TO TAKE A LOOK.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY NAVIGATE
THROUGH THE NIH CAMPUS.
IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY FUN TO DO
SO PEOPLE CAN REALIZE ALL THE
ACTIVITIES GOING ON ON CAMPUS
WHICH HAS BEEN GOING ON
THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, REALLY.
I INVITE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS.
NOW FOR SOME NCCIH STAFF
UPDATES.
WE'RE HAPPY TO WELCOME DR. HALL
AS A NEW SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
OFFICER.
DR. HALL RESOURCE RECEIVED HER
Ph.D. FROM CORNELL MEDICINE
STUDYING THE FUNCTION IN SOCIAL
HIERARCHY AND BEHAVIORS TO
CHRONIC SOCIAL STRESS.
A FUN FACT IS THAT SHE'S A
HARPIST AND USED TO PLAY MUSIC
FOR PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL NEW STAFF
MEMBERS ARRIVING IN THE OFF THES
DIRECTOR AND OF PEOPLE LEAVING
THE DIVISION OF EXTRAMURAL
RESEARCH.
I'M ALSO LISTED HERE OUR NEW
DIRR STAFF CONTINUE TO HAVE A
HOST OF WONDERFUL TRAINEES THAT
COME AND SPENT TIME AT THE POST
BACCALAUREATE LEVEL AND POSTDOC
LEVEL.
FINALLY SOME BUDGET UPDATES.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS
BUDGET TABLE THE GOOD NEWS IS
THAT WE DID QUITE WELL IN FY23.
WE WERE PROJECTED TO AWARD 16%
MORE RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS IN
COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDS MORE
THAN LAST YEAR.
EQUATING TO APPROXIMATELY 10
MORE AWARDS THAN LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
PART OF THIS WAS IN THANKS TO
THE ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION WE
RECEIVED THAT WAS APPROPRIATED
SPECIFICALLY TO NCCIH AND
EARMARKED FOR PAIN-RELATED
RESEARCH ACKNOWLEDGING THE
IMPORTANT WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING
IN THIS AREA.
SO THE PERHAPS LESS GOOD NEWS IS
THAT WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF
SIGNALS FROM CONGRESS WE MAY
LOOK AT TIGHT BUDGETS GOING
AHEAD.
WE WILL GET MORE DETAILS ON THIS
IN THE NEXT COUNCIL ROUND.
WE HAVE BEEN WANTED TO MAKE SURE
WE SEND A SIGNAL TO THE RESEARCH
COMMUNITY TO GET READY FOR SOME
POSSIBLE TIGHTENING OF BUDGETS
COMING UP.
I WANT TO MENTION WE'VE BEEN
ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR
CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW
SURVEY.
IT'S BEEN CONDUCTED FOR THE
CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL, CDC
AND RUNS PERIODIC SURVEYS THAT
INCLUDE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE USE
OF COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
APPROACHES.
WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE DR. MAYHAN
HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US OUR
IMMUNOLOGIST AND GOT VALUABLE
INFORMATION FROM THE SURVEY AND
WE ARE NOW PLANNING TO INCLUDE
SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
PERTAINING TO WHOLE PERSON
HEALTH IN THE SURVEY.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
NOW SOME PROGRAM NEWS, I'M
DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE
RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTER TO
BUILD AN OPEN ACCESS REPOSITORY
AND DATABASE FOR ANATOMICAL AND
PHYSIOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF ACU
POINTS HAS BEEN MADE TO DOCTORS
NAPADOW AND HIMER.
THE ROLE IS TO CREATE A ROSETTA
STONE TO CONNECT CLASSICAL
KNOWLEDGE OF ACU POINT LOCATIONS
TO CURRENT AND EVOLVING
PHYSIOLOGICAL DATABASES.
SO THIS PROJECT WILL BE VERY
EXTENSIVE AND CONTAIN FOUR
DIFFERENT CORES.
THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL
EAST MEDICINE CORE TO COORDINATE
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE LOCATION AND
USAGE OF ACU POINTS FROM
CLINICIANS AND ACUPUNCTURE
RESEARCHERS AND HAVE BROAD
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT
WITHIN THE WORLDWIDE ACUPUNCTURE
COMMUNITY.
AND THE CORE AUCKLAND WILL
CONDUCT INFORMATION BASED ON
RECONSTRUCTED MRI IMAGES.
DATA CORPS WILL BUILD THE ACU
POINT DATABASE FROM THE
ANATOMICAL MAPPING DATA AND
INTEGRATE THE ANATOMICAL DATA
WITH EXISTING PHYSIOLOGICAL
DATABASES SUCH AS THE SPARK
DATABASE WHICH MAPS THE
PERIPHERAL ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT
THE AUTONOMIC SYSTEM AND THE
ATLAS PROGRAM OR HUB MAP AND
OPEN NEURO.
THIS SAY -- IS A HUGE
UNDERTAKING AND IT WILL BE
IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT WHAT
HAPPENS AT THESE POINTS IN THE
BODY WHEN YOU STIMULATE THEM AND
A CORPS WILL BUILD ACU POINT
THAT DEFINE NOMENCLATURE SYSTEMS
INCORPORATING THE TRA ADDITIONAL
EAST-ASIAN MEDICINE AND BIO
MEDICAL ANATOMY SYSTEM.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS PROJECT
THAT SO IS GOING TO FILL A HUGE
GAP IN THE SCIENCE OF
ACUPUNCTURE.
WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE
THE FUNDING OF THE RESEARCH
ACROSS NATIONAL CENTER FOR
COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
HEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING AT THIS COUNCIL ABOUT
FOR YEARS.
FINALLY WE'RE FUNDING THESE
CENTERS.
THESE ARE SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THE GOAL IS TO CREATE A VIRTUAL
RESOURCE CENTER INSTITUTION
PARTICULARLY SCHOOLS OF
COMPLIMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
HEALTH PRACTICES.
WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING THE
COMPETITIVENESS AND THE SUCCESS
OF GRANT APPLICATIONS TO
PROPOSALS IN THE AREAS TO
INCREASE THE ABILITY TO DESIGN
PROJECTS, TO TAKE PROJECTS TO
THE POINT OF VIEW OF COMPETITIVE
GRANT APPLICATIONS, STUDY
DESIGN, IN TERMS OF EVEN
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, REALLY
HELPING IDENTIFY FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES AND RESPOND TO
THEM.
THIS CENTER IS GOING TO BE
AWARDED TO DR. PATRICIA HERMAN
AND IAN COULTER AT THE RAN
CORPORATION AND WILL TAKE
ADVANTAGE AND BUILD UPON THE
SUCCESSFUL PREVIOUS CENTERS RAND
DONE IN THE AREA IN THE DOMAIN
OF HEALTH POLICY.
NOW WE'LL APPLY THE MODEL TO
CLINICAL RESEARCH.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND WE BOARDED NEW STUDIES TO
THE COLLABORATORY PROGRAM A NEW
REQUEST FOR APPLICATION FOR NEW
STUDIES HAVE BEEN FUNDED
INCLUDING ONE THAT NCIIH IS
FUNDING THE REMOTE TAI CHI FOR
OSTEOARTHRITIS AND PRAGMATIC
TRIAL.
DR. WONG IS LEADING THIS EFFORT
AS WELL AS DR. LAVRETSKY AND BOB
SAFER.
AND THERE ARE THREE OTHER
PROJECTS FUNDED FOR PRAGMATIC
TRIALS.
ONE FUNDED BY NCCIH ON
BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS AND
STAFFING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE
THE ADOPTION OF THE ABCDE BUNDLE
IN THE ICU.
ONE ON HEAR HEALTH FUNDED BY
NHLBI AND ONE ON SURGICAL ACP OR
INCLUDING COMPLETION, ACCURACY
AND DISSEMINATION OF ADVANCED
CARE PLANNING.
THESE ARE NOT ALL PROJECTS THAT
NICHD IS FUNDING BUT CO-LEADING
THE PRAGMATIC TRIALS
COLLABORATIVE WITH THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE ON AGING.
WE'RE HAPPY THIS IS CONTINUING
AS THIS HAS TRANSITIONED FROM
THE COMMON FUND THIS USED TO BE
A COMMON FUND PROGRAM AND IT'S
ENTIRELY A TRANS-NIH PROGRAM
NCCIH IS CO-LEADING.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE
THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO
PURSUE.
ALSO WE HAVE FUNDED NEW STUDIES
ON FOSTERING MENTAL, EMOTIONAL
AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AMONG
CHILDREN IN SCHOOL AGED
SETTINGS.
TWO STUDIES.
ONE ON YOUTH CIVIC LEADERSHIP,
ENGAGEMENT AND MINDFULNESS TO
SUPPORT FUNCTIONING AND WELL
BEING OF YOUTH OF COLOR AND ONE
ON TALKING CIRCLE FOR NATIVE
AMERICAN YOUTH AND ONE ON FOOD,
BODY AND MIND INTERVENTIONS.
SO BOSTON UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY
OF TEXAS AND MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY.
.
THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT IS RESEARCH NETWORKS TO
PROMOTE MULTIDISCIPLINELY
MECHANISTIC STUDIES FOR PAIN AND
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
IT'S A COLLABORATIVE WITH
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING.
NCCIH IS FUNDING THE
PAIN-FOCUSSED INTERVENTIONS
INCLUDING MUSIC MECHANISMS AND
TECHNOLOGIES NETWORKS AND WE ARE
LOOKING FORWARD TO DEVELOPING
THIS VERY IMPORTANT AREA OF WORK
AROUND MUSIC AND HOW MUSIC CAN
HELP WITH PAIN MANAGEMENT.
NOW MORE SPECIFIC NCCIH FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES STILL OPEN.
ONE IS A NOSI FOR THE BRAIN
INITIATIVE SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH
ON INTEROCEPTION CIRCUITS HOW
THE BODY SENSES THE INTERNAL
STATE AND THIS SPECIAL INTEREST
IS FOR FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS AND
METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES TO
ASSESS INTERO CEPTION PROCESSES.
THE DEADLINE IS UP SOON
SEPTEMBER 15.
THIS NOTICE OF SPECIAL INTEREST
IS FROM THE FOGARTY
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR GLOBAL
BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS
DISORDERS RESEARCH ACROSS THE
LIFE SPAN.
THIS IS A NOTICE OF SPECIAL
INTEREST NCCIH IS ISSUING
REGARDING THE FOGARTY PROGRAM TO
POINT PEOPLE IN THAT DIRECTION.
THIS IS TO DO RESEARCH ON NEW
SOURCES OF NATIONAL PRODUCTS
WITH ACTIVITIES IN THE BRAIN
WITH REGARDS TO PAIN.
AGAIN THE APPLICATION DEADLINE
IS COMING UP SOON NOVEMBER 15.
THE PROGRAM CONTACT FOR THIS IS
DR. PATRICK STILL.
THE NIH PAIN MANAGEMENT
COLLABORATORY IS AS ISSUED AND
ANOTHER ONE WHERE THE
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS VERY
SOON, SEPTEMBER 13.
THIS IS FOR DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS ON NON-PHARMACOLOGIC
APPROACHES TO PAIN MANAGEMENT
AND OTHER COMORBID CONDITIONS IN
U.S. VETERANS, MILITARY
PERSONNEL AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS IS AGAIN A CONTINUATION OF
THE NOW LONG STANDING
COLLABORATION WE'VE HAD AND VERY
SUCCESSFUL WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE AND VETERANS
ADMINISTRATION AND DR. PETE
MURRAY IS THE CONTACT ON THIS.
AGAIN, THE MORE MUSIC BASED
INTERVENTION FOR BRAIN DISORDERS
OF AGING.
THIS IS A NOTICE TO SUPPORT
PROOF OF CONCEPT TRIALS.
GUIDED BY THE NIH MUSIC-BASED
INTERVENTION TOOL KIT FOR
RESEARCH ON BRAIN DISORDERS OF
AGING.
DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 20 AND THE
P.I. CONTACT IS DR. CHIDEYA.
NOTICE OF INCLUSION OF WELLNESS
ORIENTED PROGRAMMING AND
ACTIVITIES AT CONFERENCES.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN DOING FOR A LONG TIME
INCLUDING FOR EXAMPLE YOGA
SESSIONS OR DIFFERENT TYPES OF
WELLNESS ACTIVITIES AT
CONFERENCES.
I INVITE YOU IF YOU'RE THINKING
OF WRITING AN R13 APPLICATION
CHECK THIS OUT.
NOW, SOME SIGN-ON OPPORTUNITIES
ON OTHER TYPES OF FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS AN
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLEMENT
PROGRAM FOR ALZHEIMER'S FOCUSSED
NIH GRANTS.
THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL WE'VE
PARTICIPATED IN A FEW YEARS.
IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPLEMENT TO EXPAND EXISTING
AWARDS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY
FOCUSSED ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
AND RELATED DEMENTIAS BUT
ALLOWING INVESTIGATORS TO
DEVELOP A NEW FOCUS OF
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASES RELATED TO
THE PROJECT THEY ALREADY HAVE
FOCUSSED.
THE PROGRAM CONTACT IS DR
DR. HORGUSLUOGLU AND THE OTHER
IS FOR EMPHATIC SYSTEM IN HEALTH
AND DISEASE.
THIS IS AT NIH THERE'S AN
INCREASING EFFORTS TO UNDERSTAND
THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM WHICH IS
REALLY A SYSTEM THAT HAS HAD
GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE IN OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIC
NORMAL BIOLOGY AND FACTORS THAT
ACCOUNT FOR THE ROLE OF THE
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM IN HEALTH AND
DISEASE AND ALSO POTENTIAL
THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS THAT
CAN PROMOTE GREATER LYMPHATIC
SYSTEM FUNCTION.
NCCIH IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED
IN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AND
INVESTIGATING HOW COMPLEMENTARY
AND INTEGRATIVE SYSTEMS HELP FOR
PAIN RELIEF AND IMPROVE OF OTHER
SYSTEMS SUCH AS ANXIETY, STRESS,
SLEEP DISTURBANCES AND FOR
RESILIENT AND WHOLE PERSON
HEALTH.
NEXT, HEAL UPDATE.
SO, A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON WITH
THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
FIRST, IS WE HAD OUR FIRST
ANNUAL PURPOSE MEETING WHICH IS
VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE OF THE
HEAL INITIATIVE.
AS YOU KNOW THE HEAL INITIATIVE
WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME IS
A TRANS-NIH EFFORT TO HELP END
ADDICTION LONG TERM.
SO IT'S BASED ON OPIATE USE
DISORDERS AND PAIN.
THIS IS AN EFFORT TO CONNECT
HEALING INVESTIGATORS ACROSS THE
COMMUNITY AND CONNECT THEM WITH
NIH-FUNDED MENTORS SIDE OF THEIR
WHOLE INSTITUTIONS.
THERE WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL
MEETING THIS PAST MAY.
WE ALSO HAD A WONDERFUL WORKSHOP
ON UNDERSTANDING AND RESTORING
WHOLE JOINT HEALTH IN PAIN
MANAGEMENT.
THIS WORKSHOP WAS VIDEO TAPED
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK OUT
THE RECORDINGS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THIS WORKSHOP CENTERED AROUND
UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHOLE JOINT
AND WE TALKED ABOUT JOINT HEALTH
AT PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETINGS AND
UNDERSTANDING THE JOINT AS A
WHOLE AND HOW TO IMPACT THE
HEALTH AND RESTORE THE HEALTH OF
THE JOINT.
WE ALSO ARE VERY HAPPY THAT
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REISSUE OUR
MYOFASCIAL PAIN INITIATIVE
WITHIN THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
SO THERE IS ANOTHER FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY FOR MYOFASCIAL PAIN
DEVELOPING QUANTITATIVE IMAGING
AND OTHER BIOMARKERS OF TISSUES
WITH PAIN MANAGEMENT AND ALL
FUNDED BY THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY
PEOPLE HAVE TO SUBMIT MORE
APPLICATIONS.
THE RECEIPT DATE, DEADLINE IS
OCTOBER 18.
DR. ALEX TUTTLE IS WITH THE
INSTITUTE OF NIBIB.
THERE WAS ALSO A TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE WEBINAR FOR THOSE
INTERESTED IN THIS THAT OCCURRED
IN AUGUST AND WAS VIDEO TAPED.
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING ONE OF
THESE APPLICATIONS.
AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO FORM
TEAMS BETWEEN THE CLINICAL
INVESTIGATORS AND ENGINEERS AND
PEOPLE WHO GET TOGETHER TO
SUBMIT THESE APPLICATIONS.
HERE'S ANOTHER PAST EVENT, NOVEL
TARGETS FOR OPIATE USE DISORDERS
AND OVERDOSE.
THIS IS FOCUSSING ON THE
IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL TARGETS
IN PRE-CLINICAL VALIDATION OF
SMALL MOLECULES.
NCCIH IS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED
IN MICROBIAL-BASED THERAPIES
SUCH AS PROBIOTICS IN THIS AND
HYE-SOOK KIM IS THE CONTACT.
THE NEXT IS A NOVEL TARGET FOR
OPIOID USE DISORDERS AND OPIOID
OVERDOSE AND THIS IS USING THE
T90, H90 MECHANISM.
THIS IS TO BUILD COHORTS OF
INVESTIGATORS AND
INTERDISCIPLINARY POST-DOCTORAL
TRAINING TO DEVELOP THE NEXT
GENERATION OF INDEPENDENT
CLINICAL PAIN RESEARCHERS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IS THE HEAL INITIATIVE IS GOING
TO BE HAVING A -- THIS IS
UPCOMING, FEBRUARY, INITIATIVE
IN INVESTIGATOR MEETING IN
FEBRUARY.
IT WILL BE HYBRID AND SOME ARE
CLOSED AND SOME ARE OPEN.
SOME HAVE OPEN SESSIONS THAT ARE
VIDEOCAST.
THIS PARTICULAR ONE WILL BE.
YOU SHOULD CHECK THIS OUT.
NOW, PAST ACTIVITIES.
THERE WAS A VARIETY OF
INVESTIGATOR MEETINGS THOSE ON
THE SLIDE WERE ALL CLOSED BUT
IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET YOU KNOW
THAT FOR EXAMPLE, PAIN, CARBON,
ETCETERA, WE KEEP CLOSE TOUCH
WITH THE INVESTIGATORS AND IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR THE INVESTIGATORS
TO KNOW EACH OTHER ACROSS THE
PROGRAMS AND WE PAY ATTENTION TO
THAT TO DEVELOP THE GROUP
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER ACROSS
THE PROGRAMS.
THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
THIS ONE WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE
FORCED MANIPULATION THAT
OCCURRED IN JUNE HAD A WONDERFUL
KETO PRESENTATION THAT WAS
RECORDED I ENCOURAGE ANYONE
INTERESTED TO CHECK IT OUT ON
OUR VIDEOCAST.
THE BRAIN INITIATIVE MEETING HAD
THE INVESTIGATOR MEETING IN
JUNE.
IT WAS A NICE ARCHIVED
PRESENTATION IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THAT.
THE NIH PAIN CONSORTIUM WHICH IS
AN IMPORTANT NIH-WIDE GROUP THAT
COORDINATED PAIN RESEARCH ACROSS
NIH HAD ITS MEETING AND THIS
YEAR WAS THEMED RESILIENCE AND
PATHWAYS TO RECOVERY.
PEOPLE ARE BECOMING INTERESTED
IN NOT JUST TREATMENTS FOR
REDUCING PAIN, WHICH ARE
IMPORTANT BUT IT'S ALSO
IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT RESEARCH
THAT PROMOTES THE RECOVERY FROM
PAIN.
THIS WAS A THEME.
GETTING THE RIGHT EVIDENCE TO
DECISION MAKERS FASTER.
THIS WAS A WORKSHOP THAT WAS
ALSO VIDEOCAST.
WE'RE CREATING LEARNING HEALTH
CARE SYSTEMS THAT BENEFIT FROM
RESEARCH.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO WHAT WE
CALL OUR INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
LECTURE SERIES OR IMLS ONE BY
DR. MARGARET CLINSKI UNLEASHING
THE POWER OF PREVENTION TO
ENHANCE WELL-BEING ACROSS THE
LIFE SPAN AND INSIGHTS INTO
PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF
PAIN IN CHILDREN.
ALSO WE'RE VERY FOCUSSED TO
HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH.
WE HAD SEVERAL INVESTIGATORS
EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS
ENGAGED IN HEALTH DISPARITIES
RESEARCH FOCUSSED ON HIV
POPULATION.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL DISCUSSION
THERE WE CAN LOOK AT.
AT THE SOCIETY TI OF ACUPUNCTURE
RESEARCH IN MAY.
I ADDRESSED AND ANNOUNCE THE
FUND
FUNDING AND THERE WAS A
PRESENTATION BY DR. BELLFOR.
ANOTHER NACCIH PARTICIPATES IN
THESE MEETINGS AND AREAS.
THIS IS THE INTERNATIONAL
CANNABINOID RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
BACK IN JUNE.
A SPEAKER WAS DR. SHURTLEFF
LOOKING BEYOND DELTA 9-THY AND
LOOKING AT THE PERSPECTIVE OF
ANALGESIC PROPERTIES OF
CANNABINOIDS AT THE ASSOCIATION
FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES
SYMPOSIUM AND MEASURING AND
MODULATING.
AGAIN, THIS WAS ALSO ORGANIZED
BY DR. NCCIH AND MODERATED BY
DR. EDWARDS.
A POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP WAS
HELD BY DR. WENDY WEBER ON
PRAGMATIC TRIALS COLLABORATORY
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP ALL
ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DO
PRAGMATIC TRIALS RESEARCH AND WE
DISSEMINATED THIS INFORMATION
FROM THE PRAGMATIC TRIALS
COLLABORATORY.
THIS WAS THE MULTISCALE
MODELLING CONSORTIUM MEETING
THAT OCCURRED RECENTLY ON THE
FUTURE OF MULTISCALE MODELLING
IMPORTANT TO OUR WHOLE PERSON
RESEARCH.
AND THIS WAS HELD AT THE
WORKSHOP AT THE FOUNDATION FOR
SICKLE CELL DISEASE MEETING AND
THERE WAS A TECHNICAL MEETING TO
PROMOTE MULTIDISCIPLINARY
MECHANISMS ON TRANSLATIONAL
STUDIES FOR SICKLE CELL.
AND A DIVERSITY SUPPLEMENT AND
NETWORKING WORKSHOP.
THIS IS FOR AWARDEES AND MENTORS
THAT OCCURRED IN AUGUST 29 AND
30.
WE'RE HAVING A BIG SECOND ANNUAL
NIH MEETING FOR INTERO CEPTION
RESEARCH.
I THINK WE HAD 1,000 THAT
REGISTERED.
THIS WILL BE OFF CAMPUS IN
BETHESDA BECAUSE WE BUSTED THE
CAPACITY.
THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS
OCTOBER 11.
IT'S GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC
MEETING.
THIS IS AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH
ASSOCIATION OR APHA.
USING COMPLIMENTARY AND
INTEGRATIVE APPROACHES TO
ADDRESS HIV-RELATED
COMORBIDITIES.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN
INTERACTIVE PANEL TO LOOK AT
GAPS THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED BY
COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
APPROACHES.
SOCIETIES FOR NEUROSCIENCE
SYMPOSIUM, MECHANISMS AND
MODULATION OF THE BRAIN
LYMPHATIC SYSTEM.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE LYMPHATIC
SYSTEMS OF BRAIN HEALTH.
NEXT, MUSIC IS MEDICINE.
SCIENCE AND CLINICAL PRACTICES
DECEMBER 14th AND 15th.
FINALLY THE 2024 INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATIVE
MEDICINE AND HEALTH.
APRIL 9 TO 13 WE HAVE TEN
SYMPOSIA WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY
AND I WELCOME ANY COMMENTS,
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
>> SPREAD THE FUNDING WITH THIS
MANY INITIATIVES.
A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE DO IS A
LOT OF THESE WE CO-FUND.
THE WHOLE POINT IS TO BE ABLE TO
SPREAD OUR RESEARCH DOLLARS TO
BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
PROGRAMS ALREADY OUT THERE WITH
HEAL INITIATIVE, FOR EXAMPLE,
FOR AGING, ALZHEIMER'S WORK,
BRAIN INITIATIVE, ALL THIS WE
CAN LEVERAGE THE PROGRAMS.
A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE DO IS IF
THERE'S AWARDS WHERE WE CAN FUND
A PORTION OF AN AWARD OR GET
OTHER INSTITUTES AND CENTERS TO
CO-FUND OURS.
IT'S JUST A WAY TO SPREAD OUR
BUDGETS AND BE ABLE TO FUND MORE
RESEARCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I THINK WE'RE GOING STO BREAK
FOR LUNCH NOW AND WE'LL COME
BACK AFTER LUNCH.
LET'S RECONVENE AND WE'RE
STARTING WITH DR. SHURTLEFF.
THANK YOU.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU, MARTINA.
AS IS TRADITION EVERY YEAR THE
DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH
GIVES AN UPDATE ON OUR RESEARCH
PROGRAM AND OUR TIME TO DO THIS
FOR 2023 I'LL TALK ABOUT THE
DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL BROADLY
AND THEN PRESENT SPECIFICALLY ON
THE NEWLY FORMED PAIN RESEARCH
CENTER WITHIN OUR INTRAMURAL
PROGRAM.
JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE,
WE'RE A RELATIVELY NASCENT
PROGRAM.
WE'VE BEEN AN INTRAMURAL
RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR 11 YEARS
WHICH RELATIVELY SPEAKING IS A
RELATIVELY SHORT TIME COMPARED
TO THE OTHER INSTITUTES AT THE
NIH.
IN THAT SHORT TIME WE'VE
ACCOMPLISHED QUITE A BIT AND
I'LL OVER THOSE DETAILS WITH
YOU.
OUR INTRAMURAL PROGRAM IS SOLELY
FOCUSSED ON THE STUDY OF PAIN
AND WE THINK THIS IS AN
IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR THE REASONS
ON THE SLIDE MORE PEOPLE LIVE
WITH CHRONIC PAIN OTHER THAN
CANCER, DIABETES AND HEART
DISEASE.
AMERICANS LIVE WITH SOME FORM OF
CHRONIC PAIN AND FEEL IT'S AN
IMPORTANT MISSION TO COVER.
WE CONDUCT RESEARCH ON THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM AND OTHER
PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.
WE THINK OF IT AS PAIN AS A
BIO/PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEM AND
ACROSS THE NIH A MAJOR FOCUS IS
IS TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION
OF RESEARCHERS DEVELOPING
CLINICAL AND RESEARCH.
AND WE STRIVE FOR
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIVE
RESEARCHERS IS UNIQUE TO THE NIH
SOMETHING WE DO AND THINK ABOUT
A LOT AND CAPABLE OF DOING
ACROSS VARIOUS INSTITUTES
FOCUSSING ON ACUTE AND CHRONIC
PAIN AND LOOK AT MOLECULE TO
CIRCUITS TO HUMANS AND COVER
THAT CURRENTLY.
WE WANT ROBUST AND DIVERSE
ENVIRONMENT THAT TRAINS AND
SUPPORTS THE NEXT GENERATION OF
SCIENTISTS.
WE'RE COMMITTING TO EXPANDING
THE PRESENCE OF PAIN AT NIH.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO NIH PAIN
RESEARCH INSTITUTE SO WE FEEL
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE
SURE THIS TOPIC IS WELL
REPRESENTED TO A VARIETY OF
ACTIVITIES THAT I'LL GO INTO
WITH THE PAIN RESEARCH CENTER TO
ENHANCE AND CONTINUE TO GROW THE
PAIN RESEARCH ON THE NIH CAMPUS.
WITH A STRONG COMMITMENT TO
EQUITY AND DIVERSITY AND ALL WE
DO AND ULTIMATELY WE WANT TO
SERVE THE PATIENTS THAT COME TO
THE CLINICAL CENTER WHO ARE
AFFECTED BY PAIN.
PRIMARILY AS A COMORBID
CONDITION OF OTHER DISEASES.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION, WE
HAVE A SUPERVISORY CLINICIAN
HIRED IN 2020 AND WE HAD MARILYN
POWE AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SERVED IN
THAT ROLE TWO PLUS YEARS.
UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN HER
COMMITMENT TO THE NIH SHE WAS
UNABLE TO CONTINUE AND ASKED
DR. BACKONJA TO BE ACTING
DIRECTOR AS WE CONTINUE THE
SEARCH.
WE CAME FROM PAIN MEDICINE
BEFORE HE WAS AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON HE WAS A PROFESSOR
OF NEUROLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
PUBLIC HEALTH.
A BROAD EXPERIENCED CLINICAL
RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCED PAIN
MEDICINE DOCTOR.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM
SERVING IN THE ROLE OF ACTING
CLINICAL DIRECTOR.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE THREE VERY
TALENTED PRINCIPAL
INVESTIGATORS.
I'LL GO INTO WHAT THEIR LABS DO
IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'LL START WITH DR. CARRAQUILLO
IDENTIFIES THE MECHANISMS
UNDERLYING PATHOLOGICAL PAIN
STATE LOOKING AT THE AMYGDALA
AND HAS ACTUALLY SHOWN THIS AREA
OF THE BRAIN CAN MODULATE
TACTILE SENSITIVITY AND
DIVERSIVE LEARNING AND
PAIN-REDUCING BEHAVIORS AND
FOCUSSED ON THE AMYGDALA BUT A
SPECIFIC PART, THE CENTRAL PART
OF THE AMYGDALA AND WITH C
ELEGANS HAS LOOKED AT THE PAIN
ENVIRONMENT AND THE GOAL IS TO
EXPAND THAT RESEARCH TO LOOK AT
WHERE THOSE CONNECTIONS OCCUR
ACROSS THE BRAIN TO DEVELOP
REALLY A CIRCUIT MAP OF PAIN IN
THE BRAIN AND IT'S BEEN EXCITING
TO SEE WHAT'S DEVELOPED IN THE
LAST DECADE NOW.
IMPORTANTLY, SHE'S INCORPORATING
SEX AS A BIOLOGICAL VARIABLE TO
UNDERSTAND SEX DIFFERENCES IN
PAIN PERCEPTION.
SOME RECENT FINDINGS FROM HER
LAB JUST PUBLISHED RECENTLY
SHE'S SHOWN THERE'S AN
INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE SUB
NUCLEUS OF THE THALAMUS REGION
AND AMYGDALA AND IT WORKS
BIDIRECTIONALLY AND IF YOU
PREVENT THAT INHIBITION IT'S
ABLE TO INHIBIT PAIN.
INTERESTING AFFECT AND LOOKING
WELL BEYOND THE AMYGDALA TO
OTHER BRAIN REGIONS AS WELL.
SHE'S VERY INTERESTED IN SEX
DIFFERENCES AND JUST PUBLISHED A
PAPER LOOKING AT COLITIS AND SAW
SEX-DEPENDENT DIFFERENCES AND
MALES EXHIBIT WORSE PAIN
PROGRESSION WITH WORSE
APPEARANCE IN HIGHER WEIGHT LOSS
THAN IN FEMALES.
AGAIN, YET ANOTHER EXCITING AND
IMPORTANT AREA WHEN WE THINK OF
TREATING PATIENTS.
SEX IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR.
NEXT SLIDE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE
ON DR. CHESSLER'S LAB HEADING
THE SENSORY, CELLS AND CIRCUITS
AND INTERESTED IN THE CIRCUITS
OF THE SOMATO SENSORY SYSTEM.
HIS RESEARCH DISCOVERS NEW
MOLECULES IN THE TRANSDUCTION OF
SOMATO SENSATION STIMULI AND ONE
KEY RESEARCH TOPIC THAT'S
GETTING A LOT OF INTEREST IS
HE'S BEEN ABLE TO CHARACTERIZE
THE PEISO ION CHANNEL IN
PERIPHERAL NERVES.
IT'S A COMPONENT TO A PIEZO2 AND
LOSS OF THE GENE EXPRESSION OF
THIS RESULTS IN FASCINATING
EFFECTS.
LOSS OF PROPRIOCEPTION AND
SEVERAL SKELETAL ABNORMALITIES
AND AFFECTS GUT MECHANO
SENSATION AND REPRODUCTION IN
MICE AND HE'S BEEN ABLE TO BRING
IN PEOPLE WITH MUTATION OF THIS
GENE AND SHOWING CONCORDANCE
AGAIN THIS MOUSE MODEL AND WHAT
WE'RE SEEING IN PIEZO2 SYNDROME
AND I'LL GET INTO THAT MORE
LATER IN MY TALK.
HIS FUTURE RESEARCH IS FOCUSSING
ON IDENTIFYING CHEM MODULATORS
OF TOUCH AND PAIN.
AND UNDER COVERING NEURO PEP
PEPTIDES IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC
PAIN.
THERE WAS A PAPER LOOKING AT
PIEZO 2 IN THE DORSAL ROOT
GANGLION OF THE SPINAL CORD AN
IN MICE WITH AUTO SOSOMAL RECES
AND THE SOMATO SENSORY IN THE
DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA REGULATE GUT
BY SENSING PROPER DIGESTION AND
NUTRIENT ABSORPTION AND WASTE
REMOVAL AND AUTOSOMAL PIEZO 2
PATIENTS INHIBIT G.I.
DYSFUNCTION AND CONCORDANCE
BETWEEN HIS ANIMAL MODEL WHAT
HAPPENED WE SEE IN PIEZO
PATIENTS.
THE OTHER INTERESTING FINDING
JUST PUBLISHED I THINK LAST WEEK
IS SHOWING PIEZO2 IS INVOLVED IN
PERINEAL TOUCH AND PLAYS A ROLE
IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND
PATIENTS WITH COMPLETE PIEZO 2
HAVE GENITAL SENSITIVITY AND
LOOKING AT THE GENE INVOLVED IN
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND NEURAL LOGICAL
FUNCTIONING.
EXCITING WORK FROM HIS LAB.
FOR OUR FINAL P.I., DR. LAUREN
ATLAS CONDUCTS CLINICAL RESEARCH
IN OUR NIH CLINICAL CENTER AND
HER MAIN GOAL IS TO DISTINGUISH
PAIN FROM NOCICEPTION AND
INTERESTED IN THE INTERSECTION
BETWEEN PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN
PERCEPTION AND PHYSIO
NOCICEPTION FOR PAIN RESPONSES.
THE LAB ISOLATES MECHANISMS OF
PAIN MODULATIONS AND LOOKS AT
PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS MODULATE
PAIN IN THE CLINICAL AND PATIENT
POPULATION.
SOME OF HER FUTURE WORK WILL BE
TO CHARACTERIZE BEHAVIORAL
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PAIN
ASSESSMENT, BIASES AND HEALTH
DISPARITIES IN PAIN AND USING
COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING,
INTERCRANIAL REPORTING AND
PSYCHO PHARMACOLOGY TO ISOLATE
CIRCUITS UNDERGOING PAIN
MODULATION AND HER LAB WILL FIND
LINKS BETWEEN PAIN, MENTAL
HEALTH INCLUDING SUBSTANCE USE
DISORDER, PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS
AND CHRONIC PAIN.
SOME VERY INTERESTING FINDINGS
FROM HER LAP IN THE LAST YEAR
THE DISCOVERY OF ACUTE PAIN
SENSITIVITY IS MORE CONSISTENT
AMONG FEMALES THAN MALES WHICH
IS INTERESTING AND NOT EXPECTED.
SHE'S ALSO FOUND THAT SHE CAN
DISASSOCIATE NEURAL PATHWAYS IN
THE BRAIN THAT MODULATE PAIN
BASED ON INSTRUCTION DIFFERENT
FROM PAIN ON CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING WHICH IS
INTERESTING AND FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS FROM SUBJECT TO
GENDER AND RACE-BASED BIASES
SHE'S EXPLORING IN MORE DETAIL
IN HER FUTURE WORK.
A COUPLE INTERESTING FINDINGS
FROM HER LAB INCLUDE A RECENT
STUDY LOOKING AT THE VENTRAL
MEDIAL PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND THE
EXPECTATION FOR PAIN.
WHEN YOU DAMAGE THIS AREA IN
PATIENTS WHO HAVE HAD LESIONS IN
THESE AREAS HAVE REAL PROBLEMS
UPDATING EXPECTATIONS ON PAIN
PROCESSING.
AND THIS COMPROMISED EXPECTANCY
IS BY NEW SENSORY FEEDBACK TO
UPDATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT PAIN.
THEY DON'T REALLY TAKE IN THE
NEW INFORMATION.
SO IMPORTANTLY, THIS RESULTS
PROVIDES DATA REGARDING THE
FUNCTIONAL CONTRIBUTION IN THIS
AREA IN PAIN MODULATION.
IN ADDITION, DURING THE COVID
PANDEMIC WHEN CLINICAL RESEARCH
WAS BASICALLY SHUT DOWN PIVOTED
TO CONDUCTED WEB-BASED MENTAL
HEALTH SURVEYS.
THIS LOOKED AT THE STRESSORS
RELATED TO THE COVID PANDEMIC.
IT ENDED IN A FREE TEXT
QUESTION, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE
YOU'D LIKE TO TELL US THAT MIGHT
BE IMPORTANT THAT WE DIDN'T NOT
ASK ABOUT AND GOT RESPONSES AND
SHE USED A LOT OF TEXT ANALYSIS
METHODS TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS
MIGHT MEAN AND THEY FOUND
INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH
TREATMENT HISTORIES HAD MORE
FIRST-PERSON PRONOUN USE AND
MORE NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL WORDS
AND INTERESTING AS WELL THE
STRESS AND LONELINESS TENDED TO
INCREASE THE RESPONSE LIKELIHOOD
AND RESPONSE LENGTH IN THE TEXT
BOX.
A LOT OF INFORMATION YOU CAN
LEARN FROM THE TEXTS.
AND THEY HYPOTHESIZE THIS MAY BE
THERAPEUTIC AND MAY BE AN OUTLET
TO EXPRESS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS OR
MAY HELP COPE WITH LONELINESS.
MORE TO COME ON THAT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED ON SOME OF
THE OTHER RESEARCH THE NCCIH
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT ON OUR
WEBSITE AND THE ADDRESS IS
BELOW, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A
LOOK AT THE MANY OTHER HIGHLIGHT
HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED --
PRESENTED ON OUR WEBSITE OVER
THE YEARS.
SO SO WE ARE EXPANDING THE --
WE'RE SMALL BUT WE'RE TRYING TO
GROW IN AREAS THAT WE THINK MAKE
SENSE FOR THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM
SO WE'RE EXPANDING OUR PROGRAM.
ONE AREA WE'RE EXPANDING INTO IS
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
WE HAVE AN OPEN RECRUITMENT FOR
SENIOR INTRAMURAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST
THE SOLICITATION CLOSES THIS
MONTH ON THE 20th.
THIS IS REALLY NOT NEW TO NCCIH.
IT CURRENTLY RESIDES UNDER THE
NCCIH'S DIRECTOR DR. LANGEVIN
AND THINK IT'S TIME TO MOVE IT
HENCE THE RECRUITMENT FOR OUR
SENIOR INTRAMURAL INVESTIGATOR.
THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO DO
THE SAME IT'S DONE FOR MANY
YEARS UNDER THE OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE
PROVIDE DEFINITIVE NATIONAL
ESTIMATES OF PAIN IN ADULTS AND
LOOK AT COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH
APPROACHES AND THE ADVANTAGES TO
COMING TO THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM
IS WE CAN ALLOW FOR TRAINING OF
STUDENTS, FELLOWS, RESEARCH
FELLOWS AND COLLABORATE WITH
OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE NIH
INTRAMURAL PROGRAM.
A LOT OF WAYS THIS MAKES A LOT
OF SENSE.
SO THAT WILL BE HAPPENING SOON.
JUST ONE RECENT STUDY LED BY OUR
EPIDEMIOLOGY GROUP DR. RICHARD
NAYHAN AND DR. FINEBERG SHOWS
THERE'S A PERSISTENCE IN CHRONIC
PAIN IN ADULTS ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW
SURVEY.
61% OF ADULTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN
IN 2019 CONTINUE TO HAVE CHRONIC
PAIN IN 2020.
IN ADDITION THE INCIDENTS OF
CHRONIC PAIN WAS HIGH COMPARED
WITH OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES SUCH
AS DIABETES, DEPRESSION,
HYPERTENSION.
JUST TO SAY WE HAVE MORE WORK TO
DO ON TREATING CHRONIC PAIN AND
REALLY SHOWS THE PREVALENCE OF
THIS PROBLEM RELATIVE TO OTHER
CHRONIC DISEASES.
IT'S AN INTERESTING PAPER THAT
JUST CAME OUT.
IN ADDITION TO EXPANDING
EPIDEMIOLOGY PROGRAM WE'RE
EXPANDING OUR PRESENCE IN THE
CLINICAL CENTER THROUGH THE NIH
PAIN RESEARCH CENTER.
MY NEXT TALK WILL GO INTO A LOT
OF DETAIL, PROBABLY MORE THAN
YOU EVER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE
PRC BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK BUT
I'LL TELL YOU ANYWAY IN MY NEXT
TALK.
STAY TUNED FOR THAT.
OVER ALL, WE WANT TO PROMOTE THE
BEST SCIENCE POSSIBLE WITHIN OUR
DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH
BUT ARE ALSO BUILDING COMMUNITY
AND WANT TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE, WE
WANT TO SUPPORT AND HELP OUR
COLLEAGUES FOSTER COMMUNICATION
AND COLLABORATION AND PROMOTE
ACCORD IN OUR PROGRAMMING AND
CONTINUE TO DO THAT VERY WELL.
SO I WANTED TO PIVOT TO
SOMETHING THAT MAY BE OF MORE
INTEREST TO OUR CBS AND MAYBE
THE VIEWERSHIP IN THE FACT THE
NIH DOES OFFER A LOT OF TRAINING
AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES TO
THOSE OUTSIDE OF NIH.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE
OF THE PROGRAMS BECAUSE YOU ARE
FACULTY YOURSELVES.
YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO MAY BE
LOOKING FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
OR TRAINING AND NIH IS A GOOD
PLACE TO GO AND COME TO.
WHY NIH AS A PLACE TO COME FOR A
CAREER OR TRAINING?
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER IN
TERMS OF OUR BIO MEDICAL AND
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH.
WE'RE TRULY TRANSLATIONAL AND
HAVE A HOSPITAL AND LABS
LITERALLY PATIENTS AND
LABORATORIES CO-LOCATED IN THE
CLINICAL CENTER.
WE HAVE 26 VIBRANT INTRAMURAL
PROGRAMS, SCIENCE EDUCATION AND
TRAINING.
FR
INTERESTINGLY, THE CAMPUSES IN
BETHE
BETHESDA, NORTH CAROLINA AND
MONTANA.
IT'S A PLACE FOR PERSONAL CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AND LOTS OF
RESOURCES AND GREAT NEW
TECHNOLOGIES AND LOTS OF SUPPORT
FOR EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS
AND FELLOWS.
SO THIS GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT OF
THE TRAINING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
FROM SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND
UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLAR PROGRAMS
TO GRADUATE PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAMS.
WE DON'T HAVE A GRADUATE SCHOOL
OURSELVES BUT PARTNER WITH
SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES IS THE
RESEARCH CAN BE DONE IN
CONJUNCTION WITH A UNIVERSITY
WITH ACADEMIC SUPPORT.
WE HAVE A STRONG POST-BAC
PROGRAM WHICH IS UNIQUE.
MANY COME YEAR OR TWO YEARS AND
GO ON TO MEDICAL SCHOOL OR OTHER
BIOMEDICAL PROGRAMS.
I ENCOURAGE TO THINK ABOUT THE
PROGRAMS AS YOU THINK OF YOUR
STUDENTS AND FELLOWS THAT NIH IS
A PLACE TO COME FOR TRAINING.
IN ADDITION WE HAVE A LOT OF
TRAINING FOR CLINICIAN
SCIENTISTS.
WE FEEL PEOPLE IN THE CLINICAL
ARE MOST INFORMED ABOUT THE
CURRENT PROBLEMS AND IN THE
POSITION TO DO TRANSLATIONAL
WORK.
THERE'S THREE PROGRAMS LISTED ON
THE SLIDE AVAILABLE TO CLINICIAN
SCIENTIST TO PURSUE HERE AT THE
NIH.
WE'RE INVOLVED FOR THE CLINICAL
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AND
TRANSLATIONAL PAIN MEDICINE LED
BY DR. BACKONJONI AND IT'S A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR CLINICIAN
SCIENTISTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A FACULTY LEVEL
RESEARCH POSITION.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW BUT NIH HIRES
ABOUT 30 TENURED TRACK POSITIONS
A YEAR ACROSS OUR INTRAMURAL AND
THEY'RE QUITE COVETED POSITIONS.
THE SCIENTISTS LEAD INDEPENDENT
RESEARCH LABORATORIES AND THE
PROJECTS SEEM TO BE MOST
GENEROUS IN MOST CASES AND THE
INVESTIGATORS PLAY A ROLE IN
MENTORING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF
RESEARCHERS.
THE LINKS BELOW GIVE ACCESS TO
THE CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
FACULTY LEVEL POSITIONS.
AND FINALLY WE ALSO HAVE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF
SCIENTISTS AND THEY PLAY A ROLE
IN HELPING AND SUPPORTING SENIOR
INVESTIGATORS TO RUN SPECIFIC
PROJECTS OR IN MANY CASES CAN
RUN SPECIFIC CORE FACILITIES AND
ACTUALLY WE'RE TRYING TO RECRUIT
A SENIOR STAFF SCIENTIST TO RUN
THE PAIN RESEARCH CENTER.
THAT WE THINK WILL BE A PERFECT
OPPORTUNITY FOR AN NIH STAFF
SCIENTIST.
THEY HAVE TITLES OF SENIOR
ASSOCIATE SCIENTISTS DEPENDING
ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AND TENURE
AT THE NIH.
THOSE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES I
THOUGHT YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN.
DR. LANGEVIN MENTION THE NIH
VIRTUAL TOUR IN HER TALK.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON
THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM AND ONE
OF OUR PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS,
DR. ATLAS IS FEATURED AND
DISCUSSES HER RESEARCH IN THE
CLINICAL CENTER THAT I THINK
YOU'D FIND VERY INTERESTING ON
HER PERSPECTIVE ON HER RESEARCH
AND HOW IT FITS INTO THE NIH
MISSION AND NCCIH.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE
VIRTUAL TOUR.
IT'S VERY COOL AND INTERACTIVE
SO YOU WON'T BE BORED.
FINALLY, TO REITERATE THERE IS
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CLINICAL
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
TRANSLATIONAL PAIN RESEARCH
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM IN OUR PAIN
RESEARCH CENTER.
THE CONTACT FOR THAT IS
DR. BACKONNIA AND DR. ATLAS IS
SEEKING POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
FELLOWS TO JOIN HER LAB AND
WE'RE ALWAYS SEEKING POSTDOCS,
POST-BACS FOR ALL THE LABS.
THIS IS THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE CONTINUE TO SEEK NEW TRAINEES
AS WE TURN OVER IF KNOW ANYONE
INTERESTED AND WITH THAT I'LL
STOP AND IF THERE'S QUESTIONS
I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM NOW.
ANY QUESTION OR COMMENTS?
IF NOT, I GUESS I TOLD YOU
EVERYTHING YOU WOULD WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM OF
INTRAMURAL RESEARCH.
I DIDN'T LEAVE ANYTHING OUT.
THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS
SOMETHING DR. LANGEVIN ASKED WE
TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT TALKS
ABOUT NCCIH AS A CENTER THAT
SEEKS COLLABORATION BEYOND OUR
FOUR WALLS.
AS A MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE IS
NO PAIN RESEARCH CENTER.
NO PAIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT
THE NIH.
SO THOUGH IT'S CERTAINLY A
RESEARCH PRIORITY THERE'S NO WAY
OF EMPHASIZING PAIN RESEARCH.
SO WE HAVE DECIDED AT NCCIH TO
TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
BRINGING TOGETHER CLINICAL
RESEARCHERS TO STUDY PAIN.
I ALWAYS WEEK TO SAY WHEN I TALK
TO MY INTRAMURAL COLLEAGUES YOU
MAY BE A PAIN RESEARCHER AND NOT
KNOW IT.
WHY IS THAT THE CASE?
THE CLINICAL RESEARCHERS WHO
WORK THERE STUDY A DIVERSITY OF
PATIENTS WITH CONDITIONS RANGE
FROM CANCER TO SICKLE CELL
DISEASE TO AUTOIMMUNE AND RARE
GENETIC CONDITIONS AND
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS.
MANY ARE COMORBID FOR PAIN.
RESEARCHERS ARE FOCUSSED AND
BUSY IN AN ORDER OR DISEASE AND
NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSSED ON THE
PAIN CONDITION ASSOCIATED FOR
OTHER DISEASES AND THE NIH PRC,
PAIN RESEARCH CENTER, OFFERS THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR CLINICAL
RESEARCHERS ACROSS THE NIH
STUDYING DIVERSE PATIENT
POPULATIONS I MENTIONED TO COME
TO THE PAIN RESEARCH CENTER TO
STUDY THE PAIN ASPECT OF THAT
DISEASE.
SOMETHING THEY PROBABLY HADN'T
THOUGHT OF ABOUT AND SEARCH AS A
DIAGNOSTIC HUB FOR THE
INTRAMURAL PROGRAM TO HELP
BETTER IDENTIFY MECHANISMS OF
THE DIVERSE PAIN STATES PATIENTS
PRESENT IN COMORBID HEALTH
CONDITIONS AND DEVELOP AND TEST
THERAPIES TO BETTER MANAGE PAIN.
AND STUDY PATIENTS WITH RARE AND
UNUSUAL PAIN STATES.
PATIENTS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND
WHY THEY HAVE CERTAIN PAIN
RELATED CONDITIONS AND WE'RE
HERE TO HELP FIGURE IT OUT.
SO NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS THE IDEA OF THE FORMER
SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR AT NCCIH AND
THE STAFF HERE LAUNCHED THE
PROGRAM FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO
AND RECEIVED SEED MONEY FROM THE
CHALLENGE AWARD TO GET STAFFING
IN PLACE IT WAS A GRASSROOTS
EFFORT THAT LED TO WHERE THE PRC
IS TODAY.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FACILITY
HEAD TO RUN THE PRC AND TAKE THE
LEAD SO I DON'T HAVE TO DO IT
ANYMORE AND HIRING A PATIENT
COORDINATOR TO HELP WITH
RECRUITMENT TO HELP WITH
SPECIFIC PAIN POPULATION.
WE ALSO RECEIVED GENEROUS
SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL
DISEASE AND STROKE MONITOR
PROTOCOLS AND PROTOCOL
DEVELOPMENT AND IRB OVERSIGHT.
SO THESE ARE THE CURRENT
RESOURCES WITHIN THE PRC.
YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE QUITE
EXTENSIVE AND SOME INVOLVE
PUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY SICH AS
MIC
MICRONEUROGRAPHY AND OTHER WAYS
TO ASSESS TACTILE SENSATION AND
PAIN AND MODULATE NEURAL
CIRCUITRY THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS
NON INVASIVELY.
THESE ARE THE CURRENT
COLLABORATORS WITHIN THE PRC.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COLLABORATE
WITH MANY INSTITUTES AND CENTERS
AND INCLUDING SOME INSTITUTIONS
OUTSIDE OF NIH LISTED HERE.
THESE ARE PUBLICATIONS AND
PRESENTATIONS WE'VE BEEN
INVOLVED WITH MANY ARE STILL
EARLY.
THE PIEZO 2 STORY THERE'S
SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS WITH
DR. CHESLER.
WE'RE DEVELOPING STANDARDS FOR
TRANSCUTANEOUS VEGAS NERVE
STIMULATION TO MODULATE PAIN AND
MOOD STATES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT MECHANISMS OF
PERSISTENT PAIN AND CURATIVE
THERAPY FOR SICKLE CELL AND THIS
WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AS WE
CONTINUE TO COMPLETE STUDIES
UNDER THE PRC.
THESE ARE THE CURRENT PROJECTS.
I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
YOU CAN SEE PIEZO 2 AGAIN AND
I'LL GO OVER SOME MORE IN A
MOMENT.
CHRONIC PAIN WITH SICKLE CELL
PATIENTS WHO RECEIVE CURATIVE
THERAPY, SURPRISINGLY MANY STILL
HAVE ISSUES WITH PAIN AND GET
INTO THAT IN MORE DETAIL AND
STUDIES WITH UNIQUE GENETIC
MUTATIONS, SCHWANN PATIENTS
VULNERABLE FOR MALIGNANCIES IN
CANCER AND SUBJECT TO NOXIOUS
HEAT PERCEPTION AND CHRONIC
PAIN.
FROM THE CANCER PERSPECTIVE
THEY'RE STUDYING FOR
CANCER-RELATED VULNERABILITY BUT
AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE
INTERESTED IN AS A PAIN RESEARCH
CENTER.
THIS CONTINUES THE LIST ONWARD
TO MANY I'LL GET INTO IN SOME
DETAIL AS I PRESENT.
000 ARE THE CURRENT S WE
CONTINUE TO SEEK NEW PROJECTS
AND WE'RE GOING TO FORM THE
COLLABORATIONS AGAIN ACROSS THE
AND ONE THAT JUST CAME ONLINE
WE'RE EXCITE ABOUT IS THE TMJ
TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT SYMPHONY
AND PATIENT-CENTERED HOLISTIC
OUTCOMES INVOLVING A NETWORK OF
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
COLLABORATORS AND NATIONAL
INSTITUTE ON DENTAL AND CRANIAL
AND FACIAL RESEARCH.
THAT'S THE LEAD BUT AGAIN AS PRC
ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON
DEVELOPING STANDARDS FOR TESTING
AND DIAGNOSING PAIN.
WE'RE EXCITE ABOUT THE PROJECT
COMING ONLINE.
SOME UPCOMING STUDIES.
I MENTIONED THE PIEZO 2 STORY
AND INTERESTED IN USING
MICROGRAPHY MEASURING PERIPHERAL
NERVE ACTIVITY TO DETERMINE WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN PATIENTS WITH
THESE PIEZO 2 GENE ALTERATIONS
AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE
TRANSDUCTION OF THESE NERVE
FIBERS IN THESE PATIENTS.
BEYOND THAT, ONCE WE HAVE THAT
TECHNIQUE WELL IN HAND WE'LL BE
ABLE TO USE THAT MORE BROADLY AS
PART OF THE PAIN RESEARCH CENTER
FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.
ANOTHER AREA WE'RE WORKING ON IS
WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON
NURSING RESEARCH.
IT'S NOT A NURSING STUDY BUT
RIGHT NOW WE'RE SUPPORTING THEIR
ROLE IN STUDYING CHRONIC FATIGUE
SYNDROME AND CHARACTERIZING THE
PHENOTYPE ASSOCIATED WITH
CHRONIC FATIGUE.
WE'LL BE PERFORMING STRUCTURAL
AND FUNCTIONAL NEURAL IMAGING TO
ASSESS THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF
DISEASE AND WE'LL PROBABLY SEE
THIS LEAD TO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
AND PAIN AND WHAT IT MEANS WITH
OUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE
PRC.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AREA OF
STUDY BEING LED BY THE CLINICAL
CENTER AND INSTITUTE OF CHILD
HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, MANY
PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUALLY
DISABILITY CAN'T VERBALLY
EXPRESS THEIR PAIN AND CAN'T
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE FEELING
AT LEAST FROM A VERBAL RESPONSE.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CLINICAL
CENTER WE'RE LOOKING AT
NON-VERBAL WAYS TO MEASURE PAIN
USING OTHER AUTONOMIC
ASSESSMENT, PUPIL DILATION WITH
METHODS TO COME UP WITH A
NON-VERBAL PAIN SIGNATURE.
THIS IS UNDERSTAND IF PEOPLE
WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
ARE EXPERIENCING PAIN AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY IF THE TREATMENTS
WE'RE PROVIDING ACTUALLY WORK
AND ALLEVIATE PAIN.
THAT'S EXCITING WORK HAPPENING
STOON.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE
CURATIVE THERAPIES FOR SICKLE
CELL DISEASE BECAUSE THIS IS A
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED AT NHLBI
THE STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION
THAT REALLY LEADS TO CURES.
THESE PATIENTS NO LONGER HAVE
SICKLE CELL.
A HUGE BREAKTHROUGH AND THE
FIRST STUDY THE PRC UNDERTOOK
WHEN THEY SAID SOME PATIENTS ARE
STILL EXPERIENCING PAIN.
WE NEED TO GET A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING WHY THIS IS HAP.
WE THINK THERE'S RISK FACTORS
WHY THAT MATE BE THE CASE AND
THROUGH THE -- MIGHT BE THE CASE
AND WITH THE PRC YOU MAY DIG
DEEPLY OUTSIDE OF CURATIVE
THERAPY SOME PATIENTS STILL
EXPERIENCE PAIN.
IT IS TRUE IF YOU LOOK AT THE
FAR LEFT MOST PATIENTS DO REDUCE
THEIR PAIN POSTCURATIVE THERAPY
WHICH IS WONDERFUL NEWS.
IN FACT SEVERAL TESTS ON THE PRC
THEY HAVE GREATER TOLERANCE FOR
PAIN.
THIS IS SIMILAR FOR COLD AND
HEAT WHICH IS FASCINATING.
WE DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND AND
NEED TO DIG INTO THAT MORE.
MANY PATIENTS GOING THROUGH POST
CURATIVE THERAPY SO WHEN YOU GET
MULTIPLE PAIN STIMULI THEY TEND
TO RATE THE PAIN HIGHER RELATIVE
TO HEALTHY CONTROLS DUE TO
SENSITIZATION AND THERE MAY BE
WAYS TO CERTAINLY STUDY THIS
POPULATION BUT THINK OF WAYS WE
MAY BE ABLE TO MODULATE THAT
AFFECT.
THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS EXHIBIT
THE THERAPY SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCES PAIN AND CURATIVE
THERAPIES DO REDUCE SENSITIVITY
TO ACUTE NOXIOUS STIMULI WHICH
IS ENCOURAGING BUT MOST PATIENTS
STILL EXPERIENCE SENSITIZATION
WHICH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO
PERSISTENT PAIN AFTER CURATIVE
THERAPY.
WE'LL CONTINUE THE STUDY OF THE
PATIENTS AND DEVELOP A PROTOCOL
TO SEE IF THAT SENSITIZATION
PERSISTS OVER TIME AND IF
THERE'S WAYS TO POTENTIALLY
INTERVENE.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS
CONTINUED COLLABORATION.
MORE TO COME ON THIS.
ANOTHER AREA WE THINK IS
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT GETTING
AWAY FROM NON-PHARMACOLOGIC
APPROACHES WE'RE STUDYING VAGUS
NERVE STIMULATION AND IMPROVES
MOOD AND ANXIETY AND MEDIATED
ANALGESIC AFFECTS AND HOW IT MAY
AFFECT AUTONOMIC RESPONSES WE
KNOW ARE CRITICAL IN THE PAIN
RESPONSE.
AGAIN THE STUDY IS STILL ONGOING
AND MORE TO COME.
MAYBE NEXT YEAR I'LL GIVE YOU
PRELIMINARY DATA.
ANOTHER INTERESTING
COLLABORATION IS WORKING WITH
NIDCR ON AN UNFORTUNATE
DISORDER, FIBROSIS DYSPLASIA A
RARE BONE DISEASE WHERE FIBROTIC
TISSUE REPLACES BONE.
IT'S QUITE PAINFUL.
RESULTS IN SKELETAL DEFORMITIES,
FRACT
FRACTURES, WEAKNESS BUT THE PAIN
MECHANISMS ARE REALLY UNKNOWN.
THIS IS A COLLABORATION WHERE
WE'RE TRYING TO CHARACTERIZE
WHAT PAIN THEY'RE EXPERIENCING
AND USING A VARIETY OF
TECHNIQUE.
WE JUST STARTED TO DO
OBSERVATIONAL WORK AND MORE TO
COME ON THE STUDY.
WE'RE WORKING TO STUDY
FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT DISORDER
THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY
OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES.
THERE'S A LIMBIC CONNECTION
SUGGESTING DATA BURST TO THE
AMYGDALA IMPROVES SYSTEMS IN
THESE PATIENTS SO WHAT WE ARE
DOING IS TRYING TO HELP THEM
FIGURE OUT THE BEST DOSE OF THE
DATA BURST USING OUR FMRI
CAPABILITIES IN DETERMINING HOW
WELL THEY'RE ACTIVATING THE
AMYGDALA.
AGAIN, A COLLABORATION WHERE WE
CAN PROVIDE SOME TECHNOLOGIES
THAT MAY NOT BE RELATED TO PAIN
BUT HELPING OUR COLLEAGUES
OPTIMIZE TREATMENT FOR FMD.
THIS STUDY INVOLVES A NATURAL
PRODUCT BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT
PATIENTS WITH A PAINFUL
CONDITION OF THE FOOT, MORTON'S
NEUROMA AND PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE
WALKING.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT AND
LOOKING AT RTX LOOKING AT THIS
FROM A PLANT THAT GROWS IN
MOROCCO.
I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL WE STARTED
STUDYING THIS POTENT PRODUCT.
NOW MA WE CHARACTERIZED THE
MORTON'S NEURONA WE'LL LOOK TO
SEE IF IT'S AN EFFECTIVE
TREATMENT FOR THIS.
MORE TO COME ON THIS STUDY.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT MOST ACUTE
SEQUELAE FOR SARS COVID-19.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR PART TO
WORK WITH NINDS TO BRING IN
POST-A
POST-ACUTE SEQUELAE PATIENTS AND
LOOKING AT NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL
TESTS AND QUANTITATIVE SENSORY
TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER
CHARACTERIZE THE PATIENTS TO
LOOK AT HOW THEY RECOVER AND IF
THEY DON'T, WHY.
IT'S AN EARLY STAGES AND HOPE TO
HAVE MORE LATER.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN BRINGING THE
BENCH TO THE BEDSIDE AND WE WANT
TO MAKE SURE OUR CLINICAL
RESEARCH IS USEFUL AND USED IN
THE SENSE I GETS THE NEXT LEVEL
OF CLINIC RESEARCH AND BEYOND.
THE MAIN AREA WE STARTED WITH
THE PRC AND CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH THE PRECLINICAL MODELS ARE
GIVING US NEW IDEAS ABOUT WHAT
LOSS OF PIEZO 2 MEANS IN TERMS
OF THE PHYSIOLOGY AND OTHER
SYMPTOMS AND LOOK AT PATIENTS
WITH THE SYNDROME AND LOOK AT
SOMATO SENSATION, TOUCH, ALOE
-- ALODYNIA AND IT'S EXCITING
WORK BEING LED BY NCCIH AND THE
NINDS WITH SUPPORT.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ANOTHER
POTENTIAL PHARMOCOLOGIC AGENT
AND YOU SEE THE CONNECTIONS TO
PAIN.
AND WE WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE
ASPECT OF LOOKING AT HNK.
AND I MENTIONED THE WORK OF
DR. CARRASQUILLO AND LOOK AT HOW
IT GOES ON TO MODULATE PAIN
PERCEPTION.
AND THE SYMPHONY STUDY WITH
NIDCR TO EXPLORE WAYS TO ADDRESS
THE DISEASE.
AND SOME RUN INTO A BRICK WALL
WITH THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND
APPROACHES THEY MIGHT HAVE
FIGURE OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
ONE CASE STUDY THIS IS ONE OF
SEVERAL WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK
PATIENTS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH
OVER THE TWO YEARS WE'VE BEEN IN
EXISTENCE.
THIS IS THE PATIENT, A YOUNG
INDIVIDUAL WHO REPORTS NO PAIN.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER RIGHT
HAND PANEL HERE WHERE THIS
PERSON'S IN RED.
IF YOU GIVE THEM LOW OR HIGH
HEAT THERE'S ACTUALLY NO CHANGE
IN PAIN INTENSITY COMPARED TO
HEALTHY CONTROLS.
THEY DO EXPERIENCE AUTONOMIC
RESPONSE.
THERE'S NO APPARENT BRAIN OR
SPINAL CORD ABNORMALITIES AT
LEAST WE CAN DETECT
ANATOMICALLY.
THEY SHOW A NORMAL FLARE
RESPONSE AND YOU SEE THE AREA
FLARES AS WOULD BE EXPECTED AND
NORMAL NERVE BIOPSIES.
WHEN WE DID THIS WITH THE
VOLUNTEER THEY HAD REDUCED
ACTIVATION IN THE ACC AND SOMATO
SENSORY CORTEX S1, S2 THALAMUS
SO SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT IN THE
BRAIN.
THE SIGNAL MAY BE GETTING THERE
BUT IT'S DIFFERENT FOR THE
HEALTHY CONTROL AND THE BOTTOM
RELATIVE TO THE PATIENT.
YOU SEE RELATIVELY LITTLE
ACTIVITY WHEN GIVEN A PAINFUL
STIMULUS.
IT SUGGESTS SOMETHING GOING ON
BETWEEN THE BRAIN STEM AND
HIGHER ORDER FUNCTIONING IN THE
BRAIN.
IT LIMITS THEIR ABILITY TO
RECOGNIZE A PAINFUL EVENT.
VERY FASCINATING AND WE'RE
CONTINUING TO FOLLOW UP ON THE
PATIENT AS WELL.
SO THAT I THINK IS IT.
JUST IN CONCLUSION, WE HAVE
ESTABLISHED THE PRC AS A PAIN
RESEARCH HUB IN THE INTRAMURAL
RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR CONDUCTING
PAIN PHENOTYPING IN DIVERSE
POPULATIONS ACROSS THE NIH.
SOMETHING I THINK THAT'S
CRITICALLY NEEDED.
PAIN IS COMORBID WITH SO MANY
DISEASES AND PATIENTS COMING TO
THE CLINICAL CENTER IT'S HELPFUL
TO HELP THEM WITH THE PAIN
CONDITIONS AND ADVANCE THE FIELD
AND UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS
OF PAIN.
WE REALLY DO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO FACILITATE
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH FROM THE
LAB TO THE BENCH SIDE WITH THE
PRC.
AS I SHOWED YOU WE CAN
CHARACTERIZE INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS
WITH RARE PHENOTYPES THROUGH THE
CENTER.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE
FUTURE.
IT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT FOUR YEARS
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO FURTHER
GROW AND DEVELOP AND MATURE AS A
CENTER WITHIN THE NIH CLINICAL
CENTER.
WITH THAT I'LL STOP AND TAKE ANY
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
YES.
>> THANK YOU, THAT WAS A
WONDERFUL TALK AND NICE TO SEE
THE BREADTH OF ACTIVITIES AND
NCCIH TAKING THE LEAD.
IT'S NICE TO SEE THE CENTER HAS
THE CAPABILITY TO GO FROM BENCH
TO CLINIC.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY FOR THE
MECHANISTIC KNOWLEDGE BE
TRANSLATED TO SCREENS TO SCREEN
FOR NEW DRUGS LIKE NCI HAS THAT
CAPACITY?
>> IT'S GREAT YOU MENTION --
THIS IS ONLY THE TIP OF THE
ICEBERG.
THAT WAS A GREAT QUESTION.
I DIDN'T PLANT IT BUT WE'RE
WORKING FOR THE NATIONAL CENTER
FOR ACCELERATING TRANSLATIONAL
CENTER.
BASED ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE
PIEZO 2 SYNDROME THEY'RE LOOKING
THROUGH HIGH THROUGHPUT
SCREENING DISCOVERY PLATFORM
THAT THEY'RE FINDING HITS IN THE
EARLY DISCOVERY PHASE GOING FROM
DR. CHESSLER'S LAB WITH THE
MOUSE MODEL AND IF THAT LOOKS
PROMISING TO THE PRC.
YES, THERE'S THE CONDUIT
STARTING WITH THE NCATS THE
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ACCELERATED
TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE AND DO
THAT WORK AND TAKE IT THROUGH
CLINIC RESEARCH.
THANK YOU.
>> THAT'S GREAT ESPECIALLY FOR
NATURAL PRODUCTS.
LET'S SEE IF THERE'S OTHER
QUESTIONS.
DR. HANEY.
>> THANK YOU, MY QUESTION MY OWN
CURIOSITY.
THERE WAS AN INTERESTING STUDY
OF A WOMAN WITH A LOSS OF
MUTATION DUE TO ENDOCANNAB
ENDOCANNABINOIDS.
>> THIS IS THE KIND OF THING WE
CAN DO.
WE'VE HAD PATIENTS WITH
HOMOZYGOUS TRIP D1 THE EARLY
NEURO SENSORY INVOLVED IN THE
SENSATION OF COLD AND OTHER
SENSATIONS.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF
INTERESTING KINDS OF CASES WE
CAN STUDY IN MORE DETAIL.
IF YOU KNOW OF PATIENTS OR
PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEIR
CONDITIONS, WE'RE OPEN TO
CONSIDERING BRINGING THEM HERE.
HERE AT NIH WE'RE TRYING TO
FURTHER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISM
THEFZ CONDITIONS AND FROM THE
RARE CONDITIONS THAT WAS A GREAT
USE FOR DEVELOPING NEW THERAPIES
AND WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT THE
MECHANISMS OF PAIN.
YEAH.
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
>> AND THE PIEZO 2 STORY, SO IT
SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S ABT OF A
LOSS OF FUNCTION AS WELL.
ARE THEY COMMON GENETIC MUTATION
FOR PEOPLE?
>> THEY'RE QUITE RARE.
I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED FOUR OR
FIVE IN THE WORLD.
IT'S NOT A RARE CONDITION.
IT'S NOT A COMMON CONDITION BUT
IT GAVE PEOPLE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE
EXPERIENCING AND GAVE THEM A
BETTER SENSE OF WHAT WAS
HAPPENING TO THEM NOW THAT WE
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ROLE OF
PIEZO 2 AND THE PHYSIOLOGY AND
NOW LEARNING MORE IN PEOPLE A
CLASSIC FOUNDATIONAL MODEL FROM
MICE TO PEOPLE.
>> HI, DAVID.
INTERESTING TO HEAR ABOUT ALL
THAT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THERE'S
NO OTHER CENTER DEVOTED TO PAIN
AT NIH AND WHAT AN IMPORTANT
THING TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
IT'S JUST REALLY INSPIRING TO
SEE HOW NCCIH HAS CONTINUED TO
BE A LEADER IN THIS AREA.
I LIKE THE EXAMPLE OF THE BENCH
TO BEDSIDE DEVELOPMENT OF
TREATMENTS FOR PAIN AND
CERTAINLY WE HAVE A WONDERFUL
HISTORY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
BEING EFFECTIVE AGAINST PAIN AND
A LOT OF OUR PAIN TREATMENT
PHARMACOLOGIC INTERVENTIONS ARE
FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS.
I THINK THERE'S SO MANY
OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE OF THAT
AND WONDER FRIDAY THERE'S PLAN
TO HAVE MORE OUTWARDLY FACING
RFAs TO BRING IN INVESTIGATORS
IN THAT AREA AND CONNECT THEM
WITH YOUR TEAM THAT ARE DEVELOP
ING ASSAYS AND DOING NICE WORK.
>> WE'RE EARLY IN OUR
DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE TRYING TO BRING TOGETHER
THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM.
AND MY FIRST SLIDE YOU MAY BE A
PAIN RESEARCHER AND WE'RE STILL
TRYING TO FIND THOSE PEOPLE IN
THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM THE GET
IS TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND
DEVELOP THE CONNECTIONS TO
EXTRAMURAL.
THE ENTITIES I SHOWED ARE
PRIMARILY VISITING FELLOWS AND
OTHERS THAT COME THROUGH THE PRC
OR OTHER INSTITUTES BUT YES, THE
INTENTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE
TO GROW THIS TO THE INTRAMURAL
ONCE WE CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO DO IT INTERNALLY AND THE
NEXT STEP IS TO GO OUTWARD.
I THINK THE WORK YOU'RE DOING
AND OTHERS IN THE NATURAL
PRODUCT SPACE IS VITALLY
IMPORTANT.
ONE AREA WE CAN THINK ABOUT.
>> WE IT'S A SPECIFIC PAR NUMBER
AND YOU'LL FIND IT.
WITHIN THAT PROGRAM WE'RE
EXPLICITLY ASKING FOR
INVESTIGATORS TO PROPOSE NOVEL
ANALGESIC ASSAYS.
THE R61, R331 AND THEY'RE
PROPOSING NOVEL ANALGESIC ASSAYS
AND THEY WOULD BE APPROVED TO
THE R33 PHASE WHERE THEY'RE
ENCOURAGED TO SCREEN LARGE
LIBRARIES.
WE SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT IN
THE PAR THE NCI LIBRARY BUT
PEOPLE CAN PROPOSE ANY LARGE
LIBRARY THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IT'S
ALL ABOUT NATIONAL PRODUCTS AND
PAIN.
>> THAT'S USING THE NCATS
PLATFORM?
>> IT'S NOT.
IT'S INVESTIGATOR INITIATED.
IT DOESN'T INTERSECT OR LEVERAGE
WITH THE PRC OR OTHER ACTIVITIES
WITH PIEZO 2 OR NCATS AND WE'RE
DOING OTHER THINGS BUT THAT'S
ANOTHER STORY THE EXTRAMURAL
COMMUNITY IS ONE THEY CAN
LEVERAGE RIGHT NOW.
>> THE POINT IS THERE'S MANY
AVENUES TO GET THAT KIND OF
WORK.
THE EARLY DISCOVERY I THINK WAS
BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND GET THAT
DONE TO MOVE WHETHER THROUGH PRC
OR OTHER MECHANISM TO DO THE
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL WORK.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR LETTING
ME SHARE SOME OF THE BEST KEPT
SECRETS AT NIH.
>> OUR GUEST SPEAKER HAS
ARRIVED.
WELCOME.
DR. BYRNES, IT'S MY GREAT
PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE DR. NONI
BYRNES TO GIVE OUR FEATURED
PRESENTATION.
TODAY.
SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER
FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OR CSR
WHERE SHE LEADS A STAFF OF
SCIENTISTS AND CONTRACT
PERSONNEL AND RESPONSIBLE FOR
OVERSEEING THE PROCESS.
SHE HAS A Ph.D. PERFECT EMORY
AND AFTER TIME IN THE
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY SHE
BECAME A SCIENTIFIC REVIEW
OFFICER IN 2000 IN THE
BIOLOGICAL, CHEMISTRY AND
INTEGRATIVE REVIEW GROUP.
THEN SHE HELD VARIOUS POSITIONS
AT C.R.S INCLUDING THE DIRECTOR
OF THE DIVISION OF OVERSEEING 60
STUDY SECTIONS AND BECAME THE
DIRECTOR OF CSR IN 2019.
SHE HAS PROVIDED OUTSTANDING
LEADERSHIP AND OVERSIGHT OF THE
INITIATIVES AND UNDER HER
LEADERSHIP, CSR LAUNCHED A NEW
DATA-DRIVEN FRAMEWORK FOR THE
CONTINUOUS EVALUATION OF THE
MORE THAN 170 STUDY SECTIONS
USING QUANTITATIVE MEASURES AND
INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
I CAN SAY PERSONALLY, DR. BYRNES
IS ALWAYS SO WELL INFORMED AND
GIVES SUCH INSIGHTS TO ALL OF
NIH ABOUT THE REVIEW PROCESS.
SO WE'RE SO HAPPY SHE'S BEEN
ABLE TO COME HERE AND SPEAK TO
US ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS
INCLUDING INITIATIVE TO
STRENGTHEN PEER REVIEW.
THANK YOU AND WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT
REALLY KIND INTRODUCTION AND
DAVID AND MARTINA FOR THE
INSIGHT.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO COME HERE AND
TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT
CSR TO STRENGTHEN PEER REVIEW.
LET'S START OFF WITH BACKGROUND
ON CSR.
SO CSR'S MISSION THE BROADER
MISSION IS TO HELP IDENTIFY THE
STRONGEST, HIGHEST IMPACT
SCIENCE FOR NIH FUNDING
INSTITUTES.
WE DO THAT THROUGH ENSURING THE
PROCESS OF PEER REVIEW IS FAIR,
INDEPENDENT, EXPERT, TIMELY AND
FREE FROM INAPPROPRIATE
INFLUENCES.
IN PHYSICAL 2023 -- IT'S A LARGE
OPERATION, SO IN FISCAL 2023,
CSR REVIEWED MORE THAN 60,000
APPLICATIONS MORE THAN
THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL THE
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE
NIH.
A VAST MAJORITY OF THE RO1s ARE
REVIEWED WE HAVE A LARGE STAFF,
275.
EVERY YEAR WE ENGAGE WITH OVER
19,000 INDIVIDUAL PEER
REVIEWERS.
MORE EMPHASIS PANELS THAN
CHARTERED STUDY SECTIONS.
BECAUSE WE HANDLE A LARGE NUMBER
OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES AND
INVOLVE MORE THAN ONE INSTITUTE
OR CENTER.
LAST YEAR WAS 161 SPECIAL
INITIATIVES FOR CSR REVIEW.
SO SINCE 2019, WE'VE HAD THIS
SORT OF GROUNDING STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK THAT WE BUILD ALL OF
OUR ACTIVITIES ON.
AND ALL OF IT IS BASED ON THE
OUTCOMES OF PEER REVIEW AND
OPTIMIZING THE QUALITY OF PEER
REVIEW.
AND IT'S IN THREE DOMAINS.
ONE IS ON THE TOP RIGHT THE
STUDY SECTION.
SO THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY
SECTION VERY MUCH DEFINES THE
OUTPUT OF PEER REVIEW.
YOU CAN HAVE A STUDY SECTION
REVIEWING SCIENCE FIELD THAT IS
DYING AND 10% OF THAT IS GOING
TO GET GOOD SCORES.
SIMILARLY YOU CAN HAVE HIGH
IMPACT SCIENCE BEING REVIEWED IN
ONE STUDY SECTION COMPETING WITH
EACH OTHER.
I THINK THE RELEVANCE TO THE
EMERGING AREAS AND ENSURING OUR
STUDY SECTION MAPS ON TO THE
CURRENT STATE OF THE SCIENCE IS
VERY MUCH RELEVANT TO THE
QUALITY OF REVIEW.
ALSO THE SIZE IS APPROPRIATE FOR
COMPETITION.
BUT EVEN IF THE STUDY SECTIONS
ARE WELL STRUCTURED AND ADAPTED
TO EMERGING AREAS, THE QUALITY
AND SELECTION OF REVIEWERS AS
YOU ALL KNOW WOULD HAVE A
TREMENDOUS YIMENT PACT ON THE
OUTPUT.
THAT'S THE -- IMPACT ON THE
OUTPUT AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT
DIVERSITY AND BREADTH AND OTHER
FACTORS IN THERE.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE GREAT
REVIEWERS AND A WONDERFUL STUDY
SECTION STRUCTURE, MORE ASPECTS
OF THE PROCESS THAT CAN IMPACT
THE OUTPUT AND THAT IS WHETHER
THE PROCESS IS CONFIDENTIAL.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED FOR CANDID
DISCUSSION.
WHETHER IT'S GETTING AN UNFAIR
INFLUENCE FROM SOMEONE WHO IS
INTERFERING IN THE PROCESS
INAPPROPRIATELY AND THAT AFFECTS
OUR APPLICATION AND THE OTHERS
AND THE WAY THE RANKING WORKS IN
STUDY SECTIONS.
FAIRNESS AND BIAS MITIGATION,
HOW STUDY SECTIONS RECEIVE
APPLICATIONS AND HOW SCIENCE IS
ASSIGNED AND REVIEW CRITERIA AND
SCORING SYSTEM.
SO THESE ARE THE THREE DOMAINS
AND WE DO THIS ON A FOUNDATION
OF THESE PRINCIPLES STATED BELOW
AS A PUBLIC AGENCY WE MUST BE
TRANSPARENT AND PROMOTE
TRANSPARENCY IN ALL THESE DOUMAN
DOMAINS AND APPLYING DATA TO THE
DECISION MAKE.
WE HAVE EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT IN
OUR INITIATIVE.
OUR COUNCIL VERY ACTIVE AND
WORKING GROUPS AND THEY ADVISE
US AND A LOT OF THEIR
INITIATIVES HAVE MOVED FORWARD.
NOTHING CAN BE DONE WITHOUT OUR
STAFF AND WE'VE INVESTED A LOT
OF IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPING
OUR STAFF THAT ARE CENTRAL TO
EVERYTHING WE DO.
TODAY'S TOPICS, YOU'RE WELCOME
TO EXPLORE OUR WEBSITE AND I'LL
TOUCH UPON INQUIRE OUR STUDY
SECTION RESTRUCTURING PROCESS.
TWO ONGOING INITIATIVES YOU'LL
SEE COME OUT SOON, ONE IS
SIMPLIFYING THE REVIEW OF
RESEARCH PROJECT GRANTS AND THE
OTHER IS IMPROVING THE REVIEW OF
NRSA FELLOWSHIP.
AND IN SOME ASPECTS TO PROMOTING
FAIRNESS AND DIVERSIFYING OUR
COMMITTEES.
LET'S START WITH IN -- ENQUIRE.
IT WAS LAUNCH IN 2019 AND IS A
SYSTEMATIC DATA-DRIVEN
CONTINUOUS PROCESS THAT LOOKS AT
STUDY SECTIONS AND SEES HOW WELL
THEY MAP ON TO THE CURRENT STATE
OF THE SCIENCE.
THE GOAL WAS AND MET ALMOST 200
STUDY SECTIONS EACH YEAR AND
THAT PUTS THE STUDY SECTIONS ON
A FIVE-YEAR CYCLE.
SO IT ALLOWS STUDY SECTIONS TO
GET ANOTHER LOOK EVERY FIVE
YEARS.
IT'S A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS.
THE FIRST STAGE INVOLVED
SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION AND THAT
INVOLVES THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY AND BRING IN EXPERTS
IN THE AREAS OF CLUSTERS OF
STUDY SECTIONS AND SHOW EXAMPLES
OF THE CLUSTERS.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO
ARE VESTED IN THE EXISTENCE OF A
SINGLE STUDY SECTION THEN WE GET
EFFICACY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO CAN
LOOK BROADER AND TALK TO US
ABOUT EMERGING AREAS AND IT'S
WORKING WELL THEY IDENTIFY
EMERGING AND DECLINING AREAS.
THEY CAN MERGE STUDY SECTIONS,
ELIMINATE STUDY SECTIONS AND CAN
CREATE STUDY SECTIONS.
WE GIVE THEM A LOT OF DATA.
THIS IS JUST SOME OF IT.
WE LOOK AT PUBLICATIONS THAT
CAME OUT FROM PREVIOUSLY FUNDED
APPLICATIONS, HOW ESI, EARLY
STAGE INVESTIGATORS ARE DOING,
ETCETERA.
THEN THEY GO TO PROCESS
EVALUATION AND WHETHER WE'RE
CHOOSING THE RIGHT REVIEWERS AND
THE SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS,
EXPERTISE, ALSO THE MEETING
DYNAMICS AND THIS EVALUATION WE
HAVE AN NIH PROCESS PANEL.
IT'S NOT CSR.
IT INVOLVES MEMBERS OF NIH
INSTITUTES NOT SINGLE PROGRAM
OFFICERS WHO MAY HAVE A VESTED
INTERESTED IN ONE STUDY SECTION
BUT FOR A LEVEL HIGHER AND
BRANCH CHIEF.
THEY GET THE RESULTS OF INPUT
AND SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS AND
ROSTER EXPERTISE AND WE HAVE
SITE VISITS TO STUDY SECTIONS.
A LOT HAPPENS AT THE MEETING AND
THE MEETING DYNAMIC AND
INFLUENCE OUTCOME.
THOSE REPORTS FEEDBACK OR
SURVEYED RESULTS FROM INDIVIDUAL
PROGRAM OFFICERS FOR THE STUDY
SECTION GOES BACK TO THE SECOND
PANEL EVALUATION.
THEN THERE'S A REPORT OF
RECOMMENDATIONS THERE.
THAT GOES TO OUR ADVISORY
COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS OVERSEEN
BY OUR SCIENTIFIC DIVISION
DIRECTORS.
SO AFTER ADVISORY COUNCIL
APPROVAL THERE'S ACTUALLY
SEVERAL STEPS THAT NEED TO TAKE
PLACE BEFORE WE CAN HOLD STUDY
SECTION MEETINGS OF THE NEW
STUDY SECTIONS AND THAT IS A LOT
OF REFINEMENT OF THE GUIDELINE,
DEVELOPMENT OF HOW SCIENTIFIC
OVERLAP WORKS BETWEEN STUDY
SECTIONS AND MOVING EXISTING
STUDY SECTION MEMBERS TO NEW
PANELS BASED ON WHERE THEIR
EXPERTISE IS NEEDED.
THE ENTIRE THING TAKES 12 TO 18
MONTHS TO FIRST PANEL MEETING TO
WHERE THE RESTUDY SECTIONS HAVE
THEIR FIRST MEETINGS.
THUS FAR WE'VE DONE 13
SCIENTIFIC CLUSTERS.
THEY HAVE 8 TO 15 OR 16 STUDY
SECTIONS PER STUDY CLUSTER.
THESE ARE THE AREAS OF SCIENCE
THAT HAVE BEEN OR ARE IN THE
PROCESS.
THE ONES SHADED ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE STILL IN PROCESS.
WE FOUND BECAUSE WE GIVE A FAIR
AMOUNT OF FREEDOM TO THE
EXTERNAL COMMITTEES, IT'S
ACTUALLY THE INQUIRY HAS
RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES
TO STUDY SECTIONS.
THE ELIMINATION OF SMALLER
BOUTIQUE PANELS AND FORMING
STUDY SECTIONS IN AREAS.
LATE STAGE PRECLINIC DRUG
DISCOVERY WAS SEEN AS A GAP AREA
AND WE FORMED THIS BASED ON
INQUIRE.
THERE WAS A REAL NEED IN THE
COMMUNITY.
THE MAIN GOAL OF THE FIRST LEVEL
WE BRING EXPERTS IN AND WANT
THEM TO TELL US THE RELATIVE
MERIT AND IMPACT.
OVER THE YEARS A LOT OF AND
THERE'S REVIEWERS AND STAFF AND
ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS IN THE
BEGIN WAS TO REFOCUS PEER REVIEW
ON THE SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION.
AND THEY THE REPUTATIONAL BIAS
PLAYS A BIG ROLE AND PEER REVIEW
IS A MICROCOSM OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE GET PEOPLE FROM THE
COMMUNITY.
HARVARD GETS A SCORE OF ONE FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT AND ANOTHER MAY
GET A SCORE OF THREE.
THAT'S STILL OKAY.
IT'S NOT A ONE.
THE GOAL WAS SO REFOCUS THE
EVALUATION OF PLACE WHERE'S
REPUTATIONAL BIAS COMES IN
BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING THE EXPERTS
TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT.
AND IDENTIFIES THE STRONGEST
SCIENCE.
WE'VE HAD A LONG CAREFUL PROCESS
WE CONVENED TWO CSR COUNCIL
WORKING GROUPS THAT LOOKED AT
NON-CLINICAL TRIALS WHICH IS A
VAST MAJORITY OF NIH
APPLICATIONS AND CLINICAL TRIALS
AND THE CODE OF REGULATIONS
REQUIRES WE MUST USE THE FIVE
REVIEW CRITERIA THAT EXISTS NOW,
SIGNIFICANCE, INVESTIGATORS,
INNOVATION, APPROACH AND
VARIETY.
BUT THERE ARE NO RULES ABOUT HOW
TO GROUP THEM AND HOW TO
INTERPRET THEM AND SCORE THEM.
THEY KNEW WHAT THEY HAD TO DO
AND WHAT FLEXIBILITY THEY HAD.
AND WITH THE PANDEMIC HITTING IN
THE MIDDLE AND THERE WAS INPUT
GATHERING THROUGH BLOG POSTS
WITH THE OER AND OPEN MIC REVIEW
MATTERS WHICH IS A CSR BLOG AND
CONTENT ANALYSES ON THE COMMENTS
RECEIVED AND PROVIDE HAD TO THE
WORKING GROUP WHICH HELD A
VIRTUAL MEETING DURING THE 14
MONTH PERIOD AND MADE A
RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS THEN
APPROVED BY THE FULL ADVISORY
COUNCIL PUBLISHED THE REPORT AND
THEN WENT INTERNAL TO NIH WHERE
A HIGHER LEVEL OF NIH POLICY
GROUP WORKED ON THE
RECOMMENDATIONS, MODIFIED SOME
OF THEM AND THEN THAT GOT
APPRO
APPROVAL AT NICHD DIRECTORS AND
LEADERSHIP.
AFTER WE HAD A MORE FORMED OF
CRITERIA WE PUT OUT A REQUEST
FOR INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC.
THEY'RE GROUPED INTO THREE
FACTORS.
ONE IS THE FIRST ONE IS
IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH WHICH
INCLUDES SIGNIFICANCE AND
INNOVATION WHICH IS KIND OF
PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE WE HEARD
FROM REVIEWERS AND THE COMMUNITY
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO INTERPRET
INNOVATION.
TECHNICAL AND CONCEPTUAL, DOES
EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE
INNOVATIVE?
NO, SOME THINGS CAN BE AN
OUTREACH THAT'S IMPORTANT TO A
COMMUNITY BUT IT'S NOT INHER
INHEREINHER
INHERENTLY INNOVATIVELY AND
ALLOWS THEM TO WEIGHT WHAT IS
MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE SCIENCE
BEING PROPOSED.
FACTOR ONE IS INDIVIDUALLY
SCORED ONE TO NINE.
FACTOR TWO, IS RIGOR AND
FEASIBILITY.
THAT INCLUDES APPROACH.
FACTOR THREE WAS NAMED EXPERTISE
AND RESOURCES AND UNDER THAT
INVESTIGATORS AND ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE TO ASSESS WHETHER THE
INVESTIGATOR HAS THE EXPERTISE
OR WHETHER THE RESOURCES EXIST
TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR PERSONAL
OPINIONS HOW GREAT THE
INVESTIGATOR IS OR HOW WONDERFUL
THE UNIVERSITY IS.
THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENT.
THIS CLARIFIES THAT.
THE OTHER THING WE'VE DONE IS
TAKE ENAWAY THE SCORES OF ONE TO
NINE.
AND THERE'S A HIGHER POSSIBILITY
OF BIAS CREEPING IN AS HAS BEEN
THE EXAMPLE BEFORE.
THE PROPOSAL WAS TO HAVE A
BINARY CHOICE EITHER IT'S FINE,
THAT'S EXPERTISE OR THERE'S A
GAP AND SELECT GAPS IDENTIFIED
AND MUST WRITE WHAT THE GAP IS.
ADDITIONALLY CONSIDERATIONS WERE
MOSTLY ADMINISTRATIVE.
THEY NEVER DID ANY BEARING ON
THE IMPACT SCORE AND THOSE HAVE
BEEN REMOVED FROM FIRST-LEVEL
PEER REVIEW.
THIS IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE
CHANGES.
AGAIN, FACTOR ONE SCORED, FACTOR
TWO, SCORED AND WE HAVE
INCORPORATED -- WE'VE TAKEN THE
INCLUSION OF WOMEN, MINORITIES
AND CHILDREN FOR HUMAN SUBJECTS
IN CLINICAL TRIALS AND
INCORPORATE HAD TO RIGOR AND
FEASIBILITY A STUDY NOT
INCLUSIVE OF THE BROADER
POPULATION IS NOT RIGOROUS AND
SHOULD COUNT.
INDIVIDUAL CRITERIA ARE NOT
SCORED BUT THEY COUNT FOR OVER
ALL IMPACT AND THE WAY REVIEWERS
THINK, ONCE THEY'RE DONE ONE THE
MAIN CRITERIA THE REST LOOKS
LIKE IT'S SORT OF ADDITIONAL.
SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO MOVE
INCLUSIONS TO THE MAIN REVIEW
CRITERIA TO HAVE THEM THINKING
ABOUT IT WHEN ASSESSING FACTOR
TWO.
AND IN MARP WE HAD A LOT OF
RESPONSES.
A VAST MAJORITY WERE SUPPORTIVE.
THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE AS I
SHOWED YOU WE GOT A LOT OF
PUBLIC INPUT ON THE FRONT END
AND COUNCIL IS VERY INVOLVED IN
CREATING THIS.
MINORITY FACTOR 3 SHOULD BE
SCORED.
MOST RECOMMENDED AND WE
COMPLETELY AGREE WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE WE SOCIALIZE THE CHANGE
WELL FOR REVIEWERS AND FOR
CHAIRS AND FOR SROs BY
DEVELOPING STRONG TRAINING
RESOURCES.
CSR HAS INVESTED A LOT IN
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF
REVIEWERS AND STAFF.
WE HAVE A NEW OFFICE THAT HAS A
LOT OF EXPERTISE THERE.
THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THE TRANS
NIH IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE FOR
THE NEW REVIEW CRITERIA WITH
DOMAIN EXPERTISE IN DIFFERENT
AREAS OF POLICY AND SYSTEMS AND
TRAINING.
SO THEY'LL BE INVOLVED.
THE PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATION IS
WITH THE JANUARY 2025 RECEIPT
STATES WHICH MEANS SUMMER 2025
WOULD BE THE FIRST REVIEWS OF
THESE CRITERIA.
AND I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR
WONDERFUL ADVISORY COUNCIL AND
THEIR WORKING GROUP WHICH WORKED
VERY HARD ON THIS ESPECIALLY AS
THE PANDEMIC HIT AND THEY
CONTINUED THEIR HARD WORK SO
THIS IS A BIG ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO
THE HEAVY LIFT THEY DID.
OKAY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT FELLOWSHIP
APPLICATIONS.
SO NOT QUITE CONCURRENTLY BUT A
LITTLE BIT STAGGERED STARTING IN
2022, THERE WERE CONCERNS
RELATED TO NRSA FELLOWSHIP
REVIEWS WE HEARD ABOUT FOR YEARS
AND IN 2022 WE CONVENED AN
ADVISORY COUNCIL WORKING GROUP
AND CONTINUOUSLY ASKED FOR MORE
AND MORE DATA WE PROVIDED ON
FELLOWSHIPS.
WE HAD A BLOG POST AND GATHERED
INPUT.
THE INPUT FROM THE WORKING GROUP
AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WAS THAT
NIH IS LEAVING OUT REALLY
PROMISING YOUNG FUTURE
SCIENTISTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A
PROCESS THAT JUST LIKE
EVERYTHING ELSE IN BIOMEDICAL
AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE FAVORS
THE LEAD INSTITUTIONS AND SENIOR
INVESTIGATORS AND HAS A NARROW
INFORMATION ON TRADITIONAL
MARKERS OF SUCCESS.
SO THAT WAS THEIR OPINION.
ONCE WE LOOKED AT THE DATA,
6,000 APPLICATIONS OVER THE
COURSE OF 2021 THAT WERE
SUBMITTED SUPPORT THESE
CONCERNS.
AND THAT IS THAT A SMALL NUMBER
OF INSTITUTIONS SUBMIT A
MAJORITY OF FELLOWSHIP
APPLICATIONS.
THIGH KNOW -- THOSE THAT SUBMIT
A LARGE NUMBER DO BETTER AND THE
REVIEW OUTCOMES ARE PROPORTIONAL
TO THE SENIORITY OF THE SPONSOR.
I'LL SHOW THE DATA.
THIS IS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
INSTITUTIONS.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE,
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY
RIGHT, WE LOOKED AT ONE YEAR'S
WORTH OF APPLICATIONS JUST OVER
6,000 APPLICATIONS.
15 INSTITUTIONS OVER THE COURSE
OF THE YEAR WHO SUBMITTED 100
APPLICATIONS PLUS PER
INSTITUTION.
THEN YOU LOOK ON THE LEFT, 106
INSTITUTIONS SUBMITTED JUST ONE
TO TWO APPLICATIONS AND
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
IT'S REALLY WHO WE'RE GETTING
APPLICATIONS FROM IS REALLY
SKEWED.
LOOKING AT THE REVIEW OUTCOMES.
THE TOP ONE IS THE INSTITUTIONS
THAT SUBMITTED ONE TO 25
APPLICATIONS DURING THAT PERIOD
AND 53% WERE NOT DISCUSSED AND
29% WERE HIGH IMPACT.
WE LOOK AT THE ONE AT THE VERY
BOTTOM WHICH IS THE INSTITUTIONS
SUBMITTED A HUNDRED PLUS
APPLICATIONS MUCH LOWER AND MANY
MORE IN THE HIGH IMPACT AREA.
AND IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
THEY'RE REALLY GOOD AT WRITING
THESE AND WE SEE THAT.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE ACADEMIC
RANK OF THE SPONSOR AND THEY
LOOK AT THE TOP FOUR THERE.
SO FIRST OF ALL ASSISTANT
PROFESSORS AS SPONSORS ARE KIND
OF RARE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO SO
WELL AND WE HEARD THIS FROM OUR
COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK THAT
ASSISTANT PROFESSORS CAN'T SEEM
TO GET AN NSRA FELLOWSHIP FUNDED
WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE
THEY COULD BE GOOD MENTORS,
SOMETIMES BETTER THAN SOME OF
THE SENIOR INVESTIGATORS.
SO WE LOOK AT ASSISTANT
PROFESSORS AND 45% GET NOT
DISCUSSED AND AROUND 26% GET
HIGH IMPACT AND THE MAJORITY OF
WHAT WE GET FOR FELLOWSHIPS IT'S
A LOWER NOT DISCUSSED RATE AND
HIGHER HIGH IMPACT RATE.
THE OTHER CATEGORY IS EVEN
BETTER THAN PROFESSOR.
WE DUG INTO THAT TO SEE WHAT'S
DOING BETTER THAN PROFESSORS.
THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY CALLED
PROFESSORS BECAUSE THEY'RE DEANS
AND PROVOSTS.
THAT'S THEIR OFFICIAL TITLE
CAPTURED BY THE SYSTEM AND SO
THAT EXPLAINS IT.
AND LOOKING AT WHAT THE
CANDIDATE'S SPECIFIC NEEDS ARE.
IN ADDITION, THE SECOND
RECOMMENDATION IS TO REVISE THE
REVIEW CRITERIA AGAIN TO MATCH
WITH THE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STRENGTH
OF THE SCIENCE IS CONSIDERED AND
THE QUALITY AND TARGETING OF THE
TRAINING PLAN IS TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION WITHOUT THE
INAPPROPRIATE INFLUENCE OF WHERE
THE SPONSOR IS OR WHERE THE
INSTITUTION IS.
VERY MUCH FOCUSSED ON THE
CANDIDATE.
AND AGAIN THIS FACILITATES THE
BROADER GOAL OF NSRA FELLOWSHIP
TO LOOK AT THE NEXT GENERATION
OF FELLOWSHIP AND RESEARCHERS.
HERE'S SOME OF THE SPECIFIC
RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE IS TO ELIMINATE GRADES.
THIS WAS THE MOST POPULAR
BECAUSE UNDERGRADUATE RATES ARE
NOT PREDICTIVE OF SUCCESS AS A
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW AND THE
MINUTE YOU PUT THAT IN FRONT OF
REVIEWERS THEY'RE COMPARING B
PLUS IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IN
SOME MORE -- SOPHOMORE YEAR TO
AN A-MUNICIPAL AND THAT WAS
AGREED UPON TO EVERYONE LONG THE
WAY.
THE REST MAKES IT MORE TARGETED
TO REMOVE THE BIAS THAT COMES
INTO JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW
GREAT THE SPONSOR IS MAKING IT
MUCH MORE FOCUSSED ON THE
SPONSOR'S TRAINING APPROACH FOR
THIS CANDIDATE.
THERE'S BOILER PLATE LANGUAGE
USED IN INSTITUTIONS.
THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THE SCIENCE
PART THAT REMAINS IMPORTANT.
AND IF SOMEONE IS GUESSING
HARRIED IN A LAB HOW DOES THAT
AFFECT THEIR TRAJECTORY AND IT'S
OPTIONAL WITH COVID-19 AND THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
IN THE YELLOW YOU SEE THE OLD
CRITERIA.
SPONSORS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO
THE SUCCESS OF THE CANDIDATE.
I THINK THAT WAS VERY WELL
RECOGNIZED.
WHEN HAVE YOU A STAND ALONE
CATEGORY SPONSOR THAT LEADS TO
BIAS AND REPUTATIONAL BIAS.
THE EVALUATION OF THE SPONSOR
HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE
SCIENCE AND SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES
TRAINING PLAN AND TRAINING
RESOURCES.
WHAT HAS THE SPONSOR DONE AND
WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR TRAINING?
THE NEW CRITERIA ARE MUCH MORE
FOCUSSED ON A TARGETED TRAINING
PLAN.
AT THE END OF 2022 THEY WERE
APPROVED AND WENT TO THE HIRN
LEADERSHIP WHICH ALSO APPROVED
THEM WITHOUT CHANGES.
WE RELEASED AN RFI FOR PUBLIC
INPUT.
IT'S BEEN GATHERED AND MOST PLY
SUPPORTIVE AND REFLECTS WHAT WE
GOT FOR THE RPGs.
SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGES
ELIMINATING GRADES AND STILL
THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT OF
TRAINING RESOURCES DEVOTED.
WE WILL PUBLISH THE RFI ANALYSIS
AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE COMMENTS
FROM THE PUBLIC NOW UNDERWAY.
AGAIN, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR
NRSA CRITERIA WORKING GROUP
INCLUDING NIH STAFF AS WELL AS A
NUMBER OF EXTERNAL MEMBERS AND A
BIG THANKS TO THE GROUP LEADER
AND IT WENT VERY WELL.
JUST CHANGING AND JUGGLING ASH
REVIEW CRITERIA ISN'T GOING TO
BE THE ONLY THING WE'RE GOING
AND THERE'S MORE TO MAKE SURE
THERE'S FAIRNESS IN THE REVIEW
PROPOSE.
-- PROCESS.
CSR CONDUCTS ANNUAL CHAIR
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STUDY
SECTION MEMBERS EVERY YEAR IN
THE SUMMER.
IT'S A LIVE SESSION HOLDING
VIRTUALLY, NINE TO 10 CHAIRS AND
THERE'S 90 INCOMING CHAIRS EVERY
YEAR AND HALF CYCLE OFF EVERY
YEAR.
IT'S AN OVERVIEW.
WE TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE
CHAIR AND PROMOTING A STUDY
SECTION THAT'S FAIR AND
INCLUSIVE.
THERE'S SAMPLES OF THE CHAIR
ORIENTATIONS AVAILABLE TO VIEW
ON OUR WEBSITE.
THIS NOT IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING
AND SAYING WE WERE NOT GOING
CHANGE SOMEONE'S HEART AND MIND
IN A 30 MINUTE SEGMENT IN THE
SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME THEY'RE
HERE DOING PEER REVIEW.
THAT'S UP TO THE INSTITUTION
WHERE'S THEY WORK AND LIVE.
FOR US WE ACCEPT THE FACT
THERE'S BIAS OUT THERE IN THE
BIOMEDICAL COMMUNITY AND HOW DO
WE PREVENT THOSE BIASES FROM
CREEPING IN THE PEER-REVIEW
PROCESS AND THERE'S TARGETED
TRAINING.
IT INCLUDES INTERACTIVE
NARRATIVES AND MOCK STUDY
SECTIONS AND WE DEVELOPED THIS
WITH ANOTHER ADVISORY COUNCIL
WORKING GROUP THAT TOLD US WHAT
WERE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND
WOULD RESONATE WITH REVIEWERS.
IT'S TAKEN FOUR WEEKS AND SO FAR
22,000 CSR REVIEWERS AND
TRAINERS HAVE TAKEN THE
TRAINING.
IT'S BEEN WELL RECEIVED BY THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A FEW THAT DIDN'T MAKE
IT ON HERE THAT TALKS ABOUT THIS
BEING GOOD FOR GOVERNMENT
TRAINING.
I'LL TAKE THAT.
I'M OKAY WITH IT.
WE SEE MORE COMFORT IN TRAINING
AND THIS IS POST IMPLEMENTATION
OF TRAINING AND WE'RE SEEING
THIS IN OUR STUDY SECTIONS.
PEOPLE INTERVENING AND SAYING
THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE SCIENCE OR SCIENCE BUT
INTERVENING AS PEOPLE SPEAK UP.
I THINK IT'S STARTING TO CHANGE
FROM SOME OF THE CULTURE OF THE
DISCUSSION.
IT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL NIH
ARE REVIEWERS.
THEY WANT ALL NIH REVIEW NOT
JUST CSR TO TAKE TRAININGS AND
IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE
2024 COUNCIL ROUND.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE FULL SURVEY
ANALYSIS ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND WE HAD A FIRST VERSION THAT
WAS RUDIMENTARY A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE UPDATED THAT AND LEARNED TO
PRODUCE BETTER VIDEOS AND HAVE
BETTER RESOURCES NOW AND WITH
DID THIS WITH THE HELP OF OUR
ADVISORY COUNCIL WORKING GROUP
THAT TOLD US WHERE THEY SEE
ISSUES COMING UP.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONFERENCES
AND APPLICANT COMING UP SAYING
HEY, I THINK YOU WERE ON THE
STUDY SECTION THAT REVIEWED MY
GRANT.
THEY WANTED TO KNOW HOW DO WE
NAVIGATE THOSE KINDS OF
INTERACTIONS IN THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY OUT THERE.
THIS IS ALSO VERY TARGETED.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT 30 MINUTES LONG
AND IT'S FOCUSSED ON PROTECTING
THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND
INTEGRITY OF THE PROCESS.
IF YOU TAKE THIS TRAINING IF YOU
HAVEN'T ALREADY TAKEN IT KNOW
ALL THE SCENARIOS ARE BIFFED ON
ACTUAL CASES.
SOMETIMES I HOPE YOU'RE
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NEVER HAVE
ENCOUNTERED IT AND WONDER DID
THIS HAPPEN, YES IT DID AND
THAT'S WHY IT'S HERE.
MORE THAN 16,000 REVIEWERS HAVE
DONE THE TRAINING AND IT WILL BE
REQUIRED FOR ALL REVIEWERS NOT
JUST CSR BEGINNING WITH THE MAY
COUNCIL.
AND LITTLE DO WE KNOW WITH
19,000 HUMAN BEINGS WE ENGAGE IN
AS SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS BIAS WILL
COME IN.
PEOPLE BRING THEIR BIASES IN AND
IF WE KNOW ABOUT IT WE CAN DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
WE ESTABLISHED THE DIRECT
REPORTING MEC NIF FOR C.R.S OPEN
TO APPLICANTS AND REVIEWERS IF
THEY FEEL THERE WAS DISRESPECT
OR BIAS DURING THE STUDY SECTION
MEETING.
SOMETIMES WE HEAR THAT AND TO
PROGRAM STAFF.
THEY'RE THE ONES OBSERVING
MEETINGS AND IF THEY SEE
SOMETHING THEY CAN REPORT
DIRECTLY.
OUR CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER HIS
E-MAIL IS IN ALL SIGNATURES FOR
ALL STAFF AT CSR.
SO IT'S AVAILABLE REPEATEDLY TO
PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE WITH US.
WE INVESTIGATE EVERY ALLEGATION
THAT COMES IN TWOFOLD BY
DR. FAUSO AND THE SPECIFIC
DIRECTOR IF WE AGREE IT WAS A
BIASSED STATEMENT OR FLAWED
REVIEW, I WOULD SAY ABOUT A
THIRD TO HALF THE TIME WE AGREE
OR CONFIRM AND IF WE THINK THERE
WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE REVIEW WE
REVIEW IN THE SAME COUNCIL ROUND
BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO
DISADVANTAGE THE APPLICANT AND
THEIR FUNDING TIME LINE AND WE
INFORM THE APPLICANT.
IF WE DON'T AGREE, WE ALSO
INFORM THE APPLICANT AND TELL
THEM THEIR NORMAL REVIEWER
PROCESS REMAINS AVAILABLE AND
GUIDE THEM TO THE PROGRAM
OFFICER.
THE LAST THING WAS ADDED LAST
YEAR AND THAT'S BECAUSE I FELT
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
REVIEWERS TO HEAR WHEN THEY HAVE
MADE BIAS STATEMENTS THAT LED TO
A REREVIEW.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR THAT.
OUR DIVISION DIRECTOR NOW CALL
REVIEWERS AND SAY YOU SAID THIS
AND WE HAD TO DO IT AGAIN.
A VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME
PEOPLE ARE VERY CONTRITE AND
THINK I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE
THAT.
I'M SORRY, I WON'T DO IT AGAIN.
THAT'S CULTURE CHANGE.
PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT IT AND FEEL
IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
THERE'S A SMALL MINORITY THAT
ARGUES WITH US AND THAT GIVES US
MORE INFORMATION ON THAT
REVIEWER AND AS ALWAYS WE
MAINTAIN DISCRETION ABOUT WHO WE
INVITE AND DON'T INVITE.
AND DIVERSIFYING OUR REVIEW
PANEL.
WE'LL START OFF TALKING ABOUT
THE TOOL WE HAVE AND THE GOAL
WAS TO HELP OUR SCIENTIFIC
REVIEW OFFICERS FIND PEOPLE
LESSER KNOWN.
WE HAVE VERY NICE NIH DATABASES
BUT THAT'S LIMITED TO PEOPLE WHO
APPLY TO NIH AND SOMETIMES SROs
THINK OF THOSE FUNDED BY NIH BUT
WE HAVE CAREER REVIEWERS AND
MULT PALT SOURCES AND NSF, DOE,
ALL THE FUNDED DATA GOES IN
THERE.
WE ENCOURAGE SOCIETY TO
RECOMMEND NAMES AND IT'S A NICE
EASY INTERFACE FOR SROs TO
SEARCH AND WE'RE HOPING ONE
THING IT WILL DO IS BROADEN WHO
THEY'RE TAPPING TO SERVE ON
COMMITTEES.
JUST A TOOL WILL NOT CHANGE THE
CULTURE.
WE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME
WORKING WITH STAFF ON RETHINKING
WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY WE MUST
HAVE DIVERSE PANELS.
IT'S NOT A CHECK BOX.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR STAFF
UNDERSTOOD THAT AND THEY DO AND
NIH NEEDS TO HEAR DIVERSE
PERSPECTIVES TO CARRY OUT THE
PEER REVIEW MISSION OF
IDENTIFYING THE BEST AND MOST
DISRUPTIVE SCIENCE.
AND BY DIVERSITY IT'S NOT JUST
DEMOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHIC
THOUGH IT'S PART OF IT.
IT'S SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND AND
PERSPECTIVE.
HAVE YOU FOUR PEOPLE WITH THE
SAME LINEAGE YOU'LL GET
DERIVATIVE HIGH IMPACT QUOTES
OUT OF THAT STUDY SECTION.
DEMOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHIC AND
CAREER STAGE.
WE WANT PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT
CAREER STAGES AND DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF PEER REVIEW
EXPERIENCE.
WE WANT EXPERIENCED REVIEWERS
AND PEOPLE WE HAVEN'T TRIED OUT
BEFORE.
OUR STANDING STUDY SECTION
MEMBERSHIP HAS MULTIPLE LEVELS
OF OVERSIGHT.
I APPROVE EVERY MEMBER AND IT'S
APPROVED AND BEEN ENRICHED IN
DIVERSITY.
WE'RE FOCUSSING ON OUR SPECIAL
EMPHASIS PANEL WHICH A MATH
OUTER OF OUR MEETINGS AND IT'S
UNDERSTANDABLE THEY WERE LOWER
IN DIVERSITY BECAUSE THOSE ARE
AD HOC AND SROs NEED TO FIND
PEOPLE QUICKLY AND SO YOU GO TO
YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND WHERE THE
REVIEWER FINDER COMES IN TO HELP
THEM.
WE'VE BEEN RAISING COLLECTIVE
AWARENESS OF OUR STAFF, SETTING
EXPECTATIONS, DATA SHARING HAS
BEEN IMPORTANT AND THE TOOLS I
MENTIONED BEFORE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT HAS
BEEN PEER-TO-PEER SHARING BY
SROs.
WE HAVE 275.
MANY ARE REALLY SKILLED AT
IDENTIFYING STRONG EXPERTS FROM
A DIVERSE POOL AND THEY'RE
SHARING WITH EACH OTHER.
HERE'S OUR DATA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP PLOT AND
IT STARTS IT'S EVERY ROUND
STARTING FROM OCTOBER 2019 TO
MAY 2023.
THE DARK BROWN LINE AT THE TOP
WITH WOMEN SHOWS YOU THE
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WHO ARE PIs
IN APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO
CSR.
IT MATCHES UP WITH NIH WIDE
BECAUSE WE'RE THE OVERWHELMING
MAJORITY.
IT'S AROUND 36% AND HADN'T
CHANGE.
THE RED LINE IS THE STANDING
MEMBERSHIP AND WE'RE NOW AT
ABOUT 45% OF OUR MEMBERS ARE
WOMEN.
SHE SPECIAL EMPHASIS PANEL YOU
CAN SEE STARTING AROUND OCTOBER
2020 THERE'S BEEN AN UPTAKE IN
THE NUMBER OF WOMEN SERVING.
THAT'S A RESULT OF OUR SROs
HAVING MORE RESOURCE TO TAP.
UNDER REPRESENTED MINORITIES.
AND CONTENT P.I. ARE UNDER
REPRESENTED MINORITIES MATCHING
NIH WIDE METRICS.
THE DARK BLUE LINE ARE MEMBERS
AND WE'RE UP TO ALMOST 18% UNDER
REPRESENTED MINORITIES IN STUDY
SECTION MEMBER.
THIS WAS EVEN LOWER OF THE BFG
BASELINE OF THE APPLICANT POOL
AND THEN THINGS STARTED CHANGING
AND WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 13% SEP
REVIEWERS.
ONE THING TO NOTE IS THAT WHEN
WE HAVE MORE SEP REVIEWERS WHO
ARE TRIED OUT AND THEY DO A GOOD
JOB THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO MAKE
IT TO MEMBERSHIP.
THEY'RE ALL LINKED.
WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE
AND YOU CAN READ AT YOUR
LEISURE.
HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
>> HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH LESS
EXPERIENCED REVIEWERS?
IN MY EXPERIENCE THERE'S A
HARSHNESS.
WE ARE -- WE HAVE AN OFFICE
DEVOTED TO TRAINING.
WE HAVE A STRONG REVIEWER
TRAINING RESOURCES THAT ARE
CENTRALIZED.
PART OF REVIEWER TRAINING IS
ALSO SRO TRAINING.
THE OFFICE ALSO HAS A STRONG SRO
TRAINING COMPONENT FOR NEW AS
WELL AS CONTINUING SROs.
I AGREE IN TERMS OF HARSH.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE
THAT INCLUDES STUDY SECTIONS
OVER THE YEARS, I'M NOT SURE THE
SENIOR PEOPLE ARE ALL THAT MUCH
BETTER AND WE'RE TRAINING OUR
VOs TO READ THE CRITIQUE WHEN
THEY OFFER FEEDBACK.
WE HAVE JUNIOR REVIEWERS THAT
ARE NOT THAT GOOD AND SAME COULD
BE SAID FOR SENIOR REVIEWERS.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO BE DOING
OUTREACH TO THE INSTITUTIONS BUT
IT SEEMS PART OF THE PROBLEM THE
CULTURE AT SOME INSTITUTIONS
THEY KNOW ABOUT THESE AND THEY
ENCOURAGE THEM AND OTHERS DON'T
KNOW ABOUT THEM OR BY CHANCE.
IT SEEMS THEY HAVE TO START AT
THE INSTITUTION TO HAVE A
CULTURE SHIFT.
AND THIS IS BY THE DIVISION OF
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND
THERE'S A MULTIPRONGED EFFORT
ONE TO LOOK AT REVIEW BUT IT'S
NOT GOING TO SOLVE EVERYTHING.
THAT OUTREACH AND INCREASING THE
NUMBER OF APPLICANTS FROM THE
INSTITUTIONS IS A BIG PRIORITY.
YES.
>> THANKS TO AN INTERESTING TALK
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA.
>> IT'S AN ADDITIONAL REVIEW
CRITERION THAT REMAINS.
>> DR. DICKERSON.
>> YOU'RE MUTED.
>> THANK YOU, FOR AN AMAZING
PRESENTATION.
I HAVE GENERAL COMMENTS.
I REALLY --
>> I CAN'T HEAR -- YOU'RE STILL
MUTED.
SORRY.
>> SOME CAN CAN HEAR, OTHERS
CANNOT.
EVERYONE ON VIDEO IS MUTED.
>> YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME.
MAYBE IT WILL COME BACK ON.
>> WE HAVE ONE QUESTION IN THE
CHAT.
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT ONLY
2021 MAY HAVE SLIGHTLY
EXACERBATED THE TREND WITH
INSTITUTIONS AND P.I.s MAY HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO BETTER WEATHER THE
UNCERTAINTY DURING THAT TIME
FRAME.
I TRUST THE RESULTS BUT I WONDER
HOW THE APPLICATIONS LOOK IN
2019.
I ASSUME THIS ALL RELATES TO THE
PANDEMIC.
>>
>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT.
WE GENERATE THE DATA BECAUSE THE
WORKING GROUP WAS MEETING AND
PRESSURED OUT TO PROVIDE THE
DATA.
WE LOOKED AT THE YEAR WE HAD.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE
HOW THINGS CHANGE BUT THE TREND
IS SO STARK I CAN'T IMAGINE
WE'LL SEE A COMPLETE HISTORY OR
TURNAROUND BUT THAT'S A REALLY
GOOD POINT AND WE SHOULD LOOK AT
A BROADER SET OF DATA.
>> IS THERE ANY SPECIAL TRAINING
IN THE EFFORT TO REDUCE BIAS?
>> YES, FIRST OF ALL WE REQUIRED
BIAS TRAINING FOR CHAIRS.
WE REQUIRED ALL OF OUR CHAIRS TO
TAKE THE TRAINING FOR REVIEWERS
IT WAS ONLY RECOMMENDED THOUGH
WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND MOST
OF THEM DID COMPLETE IT.
FOR CHAIRS IT WAS REQUIRED AND
DURING OUR ORIENTATION SESSIONS
THERE'S A SPECIAL SESSION WHERE
WE TALK ABOUT BIAS AND HOW TO
MANAGE WHEN IT'S HAPPENING IN
REAL TIME IN THE STUDY SECTION.
HOW TO ENSURE INCLUSIVE VOICES
ARE BEING HEARD AND CALLED ON
FOR QUIETER PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES
MORE INSIGHTFUL.
SO WE SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF
TIME TRAINING OUR CHAIRS.
>> THOSE ON ZOOM CAN HEAR EACH
OTHER BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH
AUDIO IN THE ROOM WHICH IS WHY
WE CANNOT HEAR YOU IN THE ROOM.
BECAUSE OF THIS FOR RIGHT NOW IF
YOU CAN PUT YOUR QUESTIONS IN
THE CHAT, I CAN SEE THEM AND
I'LL READ THEM.
>> THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT
REPRESENTATION AND AN APPRECIATE
YOUR DEEP DIVE TOO THE PANELS
AND HOW IT'S SKEWED THE ABILITY
TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
REALLY EXCELLENT THE CHANGES AND
SUGGESTIONS AND I APPLAUD YOU.
I'LL TRY TO CATCH YOU AFTER THE
MEETING TO DISCUSS A FEW OTHER
THOUGHTS I HAVE.
GREAT PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE DATA
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE
PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
>> THANK YOU, AND I WOULD
ENCOURAGE ALL OF TO YOU SHARE
WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES IF YOU
WANT US TO TALK TO YOU THERE'S
PEOPLE HAPPY TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR
INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITIES.
>> ALL RIGHT, WE NEED TO KEEP
THE CHAT.
IT'S NOT FIXABLE.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
EVERYBODY IN THE ZOOM, DID YOU
HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK YOUR
QUESTIONS?
>> I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR
TAKING THIS ON.
TO DO IT IN SUCH A SYSTEMATIC,
STEP BY STEP PROCESS IN A
THOUGHTFUL AND PROVIDING
CONFIDENCE IN THE OVER ALL
ENTERPRISE.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WOULD
ASSUME WILL BE THE OVER ALL
OUTCOME ONCE IT'S DONE.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE GENERAL
SKEPTICISM ABOUT REVIEW HAS
STARTED TO CHANGE OR IS
SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO TAKE
MORE TIME AND WHEN DO YOU THINK
IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS THAT
WOULD HAPPEN?
>> I'VE BEEN WITH REVIEW FOR A
LONG TIME AND THE MORE WE DO IN
BEING TRANSPARENT AND
COMMUNICATING.
ONE THING WE DID WAS SET UP AN
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATION AND
OUTREACH AND ENGAGING A LOT WITH
THE EXTERNAL COMMUNITY AND
TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE
COMMUNITY SO WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO
CAN CORRECT MISIMPRESSIONS.
THERE'S REAL ISSUES.
ANY TIME HAVE YOU 19,000 HUMAN
BEINGS YOU WON'T BE ISSUE FREE.
IT'S WHEN PEOPLE BRING UP STUFF
FROM 1982 AND ASK ME ABOUT THAT
TELLS ME WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING
AND ENGAGING ENOUGH.
I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO YOUR
QUESTION.
WE SHOWED THE CSR DATA AND MAPS
ON TO THE NIH-WIDE DATA.
I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
BREAKDOWN AS IN BLACK AFRICAN
AMERICANS OR HISPANIC.
IT'S PRETTY LOW AND A FLAT LINE.
SO ON OUR WEBSITE WE HAVE THE
DATA.
I THINK IT'S 1 1/2 BUT POSTED ON
OUR WEBSITE AND WELL UNDER 5%
AND HASN'T MOVED.
I THINK OUR BIG ISSUE IS NOT AS
MUCH THE PEER REVIEW COMMITTEES
WHICH WE'RE GETTING TO A POINT
OF SATURATION IS GETTING MORE
APPLICANTS IN FROM THOSE
COMMUNITIES.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR
PRESENTATION.
I KNOW IT WILL PROMPT US TO KEEP
TRACK OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT
CSR AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND OF
COURSE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN
WITH THESE REVIEW CRITERIA.
I'M SURE THESE ARE AN
EXPERIMENT.
>> WE'LL DO AN EVALUATION.
WE HAVE TO EVALUATE HOW WELL
THEY'RE WORKING.
>> TO BE CONTINUED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THEY'RE COMBINING THE REVIEW
CRITERIA.
I WAS FASCINATED SEEING THIS
BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE WRITE OUR
RESUME.
HOW WE COMBINE IT.
IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE HOW YOU
GROUP THEM AND CHANGE THEM.
NOW WE HAVE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK
>> WE'RE PLEASED TO
PRESENT CONCEPT FOR THE NEXT
ITERATION OF THE CARBON PROGRAM
AND BARBARA WILL START AND I'LL
PICK UP IN A FEW MINUTES.
GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
>> I WANT TO START BY THANKING
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THEIR
INPUT ON THE CAN CONCEPT AND
POINTING OUT I'M AT THE OFFICE
OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS.
THIS IS ONE OF NIH'S RESEARCH
COORDINATING OFFICES.
I'M GRATEFUL NOT ONLY TO MY ODS
COLLEAGUES AND NCCIH WHICH HAS
BEEN OUR PRIMARY COLLABORATOR ON
THIS INITIATIVE SINCE THE
BEGINNING AS WELL AS COLLEAGUES
AT NATIONAL CANCER CENTER, NIEHS
AND NIA AND THE EXPERT PANELS
AND INVESTIGATORS WHO MAKE THE
PROGRAM AS STRONGZ AS THE MOST
EXPERT PANEL AND I'LL GIVE
BACKGROUND FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SINCE THE BEGINNING IN ADDITION
TO BEING A COLLABORATION AS WE
HAVE A COORDINATING OFFICE, THE
OVER ARCHING FOCUS HAS BEEN --
>> BARBARA, I'M SORRY FOR SOME
REASON IT'S DEAFENING.
CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE SOFTER
BECAUSE WE CAN'T CONTROL THE
VOLUME IN THE ROOM.
>> IS THAT BETTER?
I'M USED TO HAVING TROUBLE BEING
HEARD.
HOW'S THAT?
>> BETTER.
THANK YOU.
>> SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE
PROGRAM THE OVER ARCHING FOLKS
HAS BEEN ON TRANS DISCIPLINARY
RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE
EFFECTS ON INGESTED CHEMICALLY
DIGESTED PRODUCTS IN FOODS AND
IN THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS IN THE
U.S. AS IS THE FOCUS ON HEALTH
AND RESILIENCE OUTCOMES AND THE
LATTER ALIGNED WITH THE NICHD
RESEARCH PRIORITIES.
APPROXIMATELY EVERY DECADE WE
BROUGHT IN A PANEL OF OUTSIDE
EXPERTS TO ADVISE US ON THE
STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND
PROMISING FUTURE RESEARCH
DIRECTIONS.
THE SPECIFIC APPROACH HAVE
EVOLVED OVER TIME IN RESPONSE TO
THE EXPERT PANELS AND THE NEW
TECHNOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES AND
THE SHIFTING NEEDS OF THE
RESEARCH FIELD.
WHILE THE PROGRAM HAS ALSO
ALWAYS HAD A FOCUS ON MECHANISMS
OF ACTIONS OF THESE PRODUCTS THE
SPECIFIC APPROACHES TAKEN HAVE
EVOLVED IN PARTICULAR THE EARLY
YEARS OF THE PROGRAM THE CARBON
AND OTHERS AT NIH FOCUSSED ON
PHASE 3 EFFICACY TRIALS OF
BOTANICALS.
MOST WERE NOT PART OF LOW CARBON
PROGRAM BUT 50 SUCH TRIALS.
WHAT WE LEARNED IS NOT WHETHER
THEY WORKED OUT OR NOT BUT AND
OTHER MECHANISMS OF ACTION AND
THE DATA WE DID HAVE WERE NOT
RIGOROUS ENOUGH TO TO SUPPORT
THE CLINICAL TRIALS AND MOST DID
NOT SHARE THE EXPECTED BENEFIT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH
INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND WHY
NOT.
AND WE MOVED TO THE FOCUS OF THE
PROGRAM ON FILLING IN THE GAPS
AND UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS
MOST CRITICAL TO DESIGNING AND
INTERPRETING A CLINICAL TRIAL SO
AN INCREASED FOCUS ON ELUCID
ELUCIDATING CHEMISTRY AND WHAT
CHEMISTRY WAS NEEDED TO
MANIPULATE AND UNDERSTAND
EXACTLY WHAT CLINICALLY
ACCESSIBLE OUTCOMES THOSE
AFFECTED TO FACILITATE THIS WE
ADDED ON THE RIGHT OF THE SLIDE
TO THE BOTANICAL DIETARY
SUPPLEMENT RESEARCH CENTERS THAT
FORMED A PART OF THE PROGRAM
FROM THE BEGINNING, CENTERS
FOR
FOCUSSED ON DEVELOPING RESOURCES
AND METHODS FOR ELUCIDATION OF
THE CHEMISTRY AND WHICH
CHEMISTRY WAS NEEDED TO ACT ON
WHICH BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.
THE SEPARATELY COMPETING
PROJECTS DIVERSIFIED THE BIOLOGY
TO BE STUDIED IN THE PROGRAM AS
WELL AS THE INSTITUTIONS AND
INVESTIGATORS PARTICIPATING IN
THE PROGRAM AND CRAIG WILL TAKE
THE BALL FROM HERE.
>> THERE'S BEEN A DUAL FOCUS
CONDUCTING TRANSLATIONALLY
RELEVANT RESEARCH ON BOTANICALS
AN COMPLEX PLANT MIXTURES.
ALSO, THERE'S BEEN A HEAVY
COMPONENT ON DEVELOPING NOVEL
METHODOLOGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES.
WITH RECENT EXPERT PANELS WERE
LARGELY SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING
THE DUAL APPROACH FOR THE
PROGRAM BUT THEY DID HAVE A
NUMBER OF SUGGESTION AND IDEAS
FOR HOW WE COULD STRENGTHEN THE
PROGRAM AND WE CERTAINLY GAVE
THOSE A LOT OF WEIGHT IN COMING
UP WITH THE CONCEPT.
WE ALSO HAD OUR EYES FIRMLY ON
OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AT ODS AND
NICHD AND WITH THAT WE HAVE
SUGGESTED A NUMBER OF SHIFTS IN
EMPHASIS WHILE MAINTAINING THE
DUAL FOCUS ON TRANSLATIONALLY
RELEVANT RESEARCH AND
METHODOLOGY.
THE SHIFT S ARE AS FOLLOWS.
THE PANEL IS LARGELY SUPPORTIVE
OF THE MECHANISTIC BOTANICAL
RESEARCH AND WE INCREASED THE
FOCUS ON THE TRANSLATIONAL
RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH.
SO A HEAVIER EMPHASIS ON
CLINICAL RESEARCH WE WERE
PROPOSING THOR THE NEXT
ITERATION OF IT.
ALSO, WITH THE METHODOLOGICAL
AND TECHNOLOGY LOGICAL
COMPONENT, THERE WAS A
SUGGESTION TO INCREASE THE
UTILIZATION AND LEVERAGING OF
BIG DATA.
A.I. AND M.L. WAS SO MUCH APART
OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING IN SCIENCE
TODAY AND THERE WAS A SUGGESTION
TO INCREASE THE FOCUS ON
COMPUTATIONAL METHODS THAT WOULD
HELP TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE
COMPLEX MECHANISMS BY WHICH
NATURAL PRODUCTS WORK.
THERE'S ALSO CURRENTLY A DATA
REPOSITORY.
THIS IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE
CARBON CONSORTIUM BUT DOING A
LOT OF THE THINGS WE HOPED IT
WOULD DO AND A DESIRE TO KEEP IT
PART OF THE PROGRAM WHILE
RECOGNIZING WITH ANY DATA
REPOSITORY THERE'S A DESIRE
ULTIMATELY TO HAVE THIS TO STAND
ON ITS OWN TWO FEET, IF YOU
WILL.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE THIS TRANSITION
TO A MODEL WHERE THEY CAN
SUSTAIN THEMSELVES WITHOUT NIH
CONTINUOUS SUPPORT.
AND SOMETHING WE HEARD IN THE
LAST PRESENTATION AND HEARD
ACROSS NIH IS HOW TO INCREASE
THE DIVERSITY OF THE TEAMS WE
SUPPORT.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE AGREED WITH
AND WE'LL BE TAKING EFFORT TO
MAKE THAT PART OF THE PROGRAM
EXPLICITLY.
WE'RE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THE
THREE COMPONENTS CURRENTLY PART
OF THE CARBON PROGRAM WHILE
INCORPORATING THE CHANGES I HAD
LAID OUT.
THERE'LL CONTINUE TO BE A
TRANSLATION BOTANICAL RESEARCH
COMPONENT AND RESOURCE COMPONENT
AND TECHNOLOGY AND METHODOLOGY
COMPONENT.
THE SUGGESTIONS HERE ARE
EXAMPLES OF THE TYPES OF
RESEARCH THAT MIGHT BE
INCORPORATED IN THESE.
THESE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE THE
ONLY THINGS THAT COULD POSSIBLY
COME IN.
WITHIN THE BOTANICAL RESEARCH
COMPONENT FOR THINGS THAT HAVE
VERY STRONG PRELIMINARY DATA
CONDUCTING PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH
TO UNDERSTAND THE MECHANISMS BY
WHICH THEY ACT COUPLES WITH
IMPORTANTLY MECHANISTIC CLINICAL
TRIALS FOR OPTIMAL DOSING,
SAFETY AND RELEVANCE ON NOT
EXPLICITLY EFFICACY.
ON THE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT SIZE
HOW CAN WE SHIFT THIS TO A MODEL
OF SELF-SUSTAINABILITY WHILE
MAINTAIN THE OPEN ACCESS?
UTILIZATION OF COMPUTATIONAL
METHODS TO DISCOVER ACROSS THE
MULTIPLE LEVELS OF HUMAN HEALTH
WITHIN THE COMPLEX NATURE OF
MIXTURES, CAN WE FISH OUT
HYPOTHESES THAT COULD BE TESTED
FURTHER THAT EXPLAIN HOW SOME OF
THE COMPLEX PRODUCTS MAY WORK TO
MODULATE HEALTH IN THE WHOLE
PERSON CONTEXT.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD BE
THRILLED TO HEAR ANY QUESTIONS
OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL.
>> SO THE INNOVATIVE
COMPUTATIONAL METHODS IS
SEPARATE OR WILL YOU SEE
COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH?
>> THERE'S A COMPONENT FOCUSSED
ON COMPUTATION AND METHODOLOGY
NOT TO SAY YOU COULDN'T DO IT
THROUGH ANOTHER TRANSLATIONAL
COMPONENT.
BARBARA?
>> AGREED.
>> GOOD.
>> THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS
AND IT'S AN EXCITING VISION FOR
THE FUTURE FOR A PROGRAM THAT IN
MY BIASSED OPINION HAS POTENTIAL
FOR NICHD AND BROUGHT TOGETHER
GREAT TEAMS.
I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR
COMPUTATIONAL -- YOUR FOCUS ON
THE COMPUTATIONAL WHICH BIG DATA
CONTINUES TO BE A TOPIC THAT'S
IMPORTANT TO US.
IS THIS CONSIDERED TO BE AN
IMPORTANT ASPECT.
>> TO BE DETERMINED.
COMPUTATIONAL TOOLS WILL BE AT
THE FOREFRONT.
THIS IS ABOUT THE
COMPUTATIONALLY DRIVE N BUT THEE
COULD BE OTHER THINGS.
COMPUTATIONAL IS WHERE WE'RE
TRYING TO FOCUS.
>> IN TERMS OF THE LONG TERM
SUSTAINABILITY IT SEEMS LIKE TAT
AN IMPORTANT TOPIC TO THINK
ABOUT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST DEVELOP
TOOL THAT END WHEN THE GRANT
FUNDING ENDS BUT CURIOUS WHAT
THAT LOOKS LIKE.
IS IS THERE PLAN FOR THE NIH TO
HELP THE PROGRAMS TO BE
SUSTAINABLE IN THE FUTURE BEYOND
THE LEVEL OF FUNDING?
>> WE'LL BE DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO HELP THE PROJECT MAKE THE
TRANSITION.
THERE'S A VARIETY OF MODELS YOU
CAN ENVISION FOR HOW THAT MIGHT
HAPPEN.
THERE COULD BE A SMALL AMOUNT OF
SUPPORT HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING
BUT LARGELY WE'D HOPE THEY'D BE
ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER
SPONSORS, INDUSTRY THAT MIGHT
HAVE AN INTEREST IN SUPPORTING
THIS AS WELL.
>> WILL A LOT OF TIMES INDUSTRY
HAS A DIFFERENT GOAL IN MIND
THAN WE DO AND WE LIKE
EVERYTHING OPEN ACCESS AND THEY
LIKE TO MAKE MONEY.
>> IT'S SOMETHING I'M SENSITIVE
TO BUT WHEN YOU SAY WE'LL
DEVELOP A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL --
I THINK YOU CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE
AND EAT IT TOO.
CONTINUE TO HAVE IT OPEN ACCESS
BUT HAVE MODELS OF SUPPORT THAT
DOESN'T IMPINGE UPON THAT OPEN
ACCESS.
>> THAT MAKES SENSE AND PART IS
LEVERAGING EXISTING DATABASES
THAT ALREADY HAVE AN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ADDING
NATURAL PRODUCT ELEMENTS TO
THEM.
>> IT'S UP TO INVESTIGATORS TO
BE CREATIVE IN THAT ASPECT AND
PROPOSE MODELS THAT WILL LEAD TO
SUSTAINABILITY.
THAT WILL PLAY INTO HOW THE
APPLICATIONS WILL BE USED.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WE SAID WE WANT
TO MAINTAIN THESE FAIR FOR
EVERYONE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE AN EXCITING
OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY COMPLEX
HEALING SYSTEMS.
I STUDIED CHANCE MEDICINE WHERE
NOTHING IS USED IN ISOLATION.
ASHWAGANDA IS ALMOST NEVER USED
ALONE.
>> WITHIN THE BOTANICAL
COMPONENT AND THE METHODOLOGICAL
AND TECHNICAL COMPONENT, I THINK
AYURVEDA AND OTHER SYSTEMS ARE
ALWAYS ENCOURAGED AS PART OF THE
SYSTEM.
WE DON'T ALWAYS GET APPLICATIONS
ON THOSE SYSTEMS BUT IT'S
FOREMOST IN OUR MIND OF THINGS
THAT WOULD BE IDEAL TYPES OF
APPLICATIONS.
>> AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
VALUE OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDING
TRAINING TO GENERATIONS AS WELL.
AGAIN, I'M BIASSED PART OF THE
CURRENT PROGRAM.
DO YOU HAVE TRANSLATIONAL
PROJECTS?
>> THAT'S ABOUT THE RESOURCE
COMPONENT.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
I GUESS WE NEED A VOTE?
>> DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO
APPROVE THE CONCEPT FOR THE CAR
BRAN PROGRAM?
-- CARBON PROGRAM?
DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
EVERYBODY IN FAVOR FOR THE
MOTION PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND ON
ZOOM AS WELL AS HERE IN THE
ROOM.
THANK YOU.
WE ARE MOVING TO THE SECOND
CONCEPT CLEARANCE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M WEN CHEN.
I'M A CHIEF OF THE BASIC
MECHANISTIC RESEARCH BRANCH
WITHIN THE DIVISION OF
EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH.
I'D LIKE TO PRESENT A CONCEPT
CLEARANCE ON NCCIH MERIT AWARDS
THE METHOD TO EXTEND RESEARCH IN
TIME TO PROMOTE INNOVATION IN
DIVERSITY IN COMPLEMENTARY AND
INTEGRATIVE HEALTH APPROACH.
THERE'S TWO.
WITHIN THE NIH COMMON FUND
PROGRAM THERE'S TWO PROMINENT
AWARD PROGRAM.
THE FIRST IS THE NIH DIRECTOR'S
PIONEER AWARD WHICH SUPPORTS
INDIVIDUAL SCIENTISTS WHO APPLY
PIONEERING APPROACHES TO STUDY
NEW RESEARCH WITH A
TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECT AND THE
SECOND ONE IS THE NIH DIRECTOR'S
TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH AWARDS
WHICH AIMS TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL
SCIENTISTS OR TEAM SCIENTISTS
WHO WILL BE LOOKING TO UNDERTAKE
TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH THAT
WILL RESHAPE SCIENTIFIC
PARADIGMS.
NCCIH HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
TWO PROGRAMS.
IN THE PAST 10 YEARS WE HAVE
VACCIN
ATTRACTED A TOTAL OF 13
TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH AWARDS.
THOSE APPLICATIONS AND THEY'RE
PREDOMINANTLY FUNDED BY THE NIH
COMMON FUND AND ASSIGNED TO
BECAUSE OF THEIR ALIGNMENT TO
OUR RESEARCH AREA SUCH ADDS
INTERO CEPTION, MICROBIOME AND
FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS AND BRAIN.
WHILE WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL OR
MAKE PROGRESS IN ATTRACTING THE
PIONEER AND TRANSFORMATIVE
RESEARCHERS TO OUR PORTFOLIO WE
ALSO ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGES.
THE SECOND IS ON THE ISSUE OF
RETENTION.
MANY FEW OF THE PIONEER AWARDEES
THE TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH
AWARDEES CONTINUED TO BEAR THEIR
HIGHLY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS IN
THE DIRECTION OF COMPLEMENTARY
AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH
APPROACHES THAT COULD BE FUNDED
BY NCCIH.
SEVERAL HAVE REACHED THE
DIRECTION TO BE MORE ALIGNED
WITH OTHER NIH INSTITUTES
BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO OBTAIN
LONG-TERM FUNDING COMMITMENT
FROM NIH INSTITUTES.
AND PIONEER AWARDEES, SEVERAL
OPTED TO HAVE THEIR POTENTIAL
AWARDS ASSIGNED OR MANAGED BY
OTHER NIH INSTITUTES BECAUSE OF
THE POTENTIAL FOR THEM TO OBTAIN
LONG TERM FUNDING COMMITMENT
THERE THE INSTITUTE.
THE PROJECT HIGHLY ALIGNED WITH
THE MISSION.
THE THIRD CHALLENGE FOR THIS
PROGRAM FOR WHAT WE HAVE IS ON
THE ISSUE OF LACK OF DIVERSITY
WHICH IS ACTUALLY QUITE COMMON
IN HIGH IMPACT RESEARCH PROGRAMS
THOUGH WE ALL KNOW OVER AND OVER
AGAIN EVEN TODAY THE IMPORTANCE
OF A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE
RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR
SCIENTIFIC SUCCESS.
HOW SHOULD WE ADDRESS THE
CHALLENGES AT NICHD?
ONE POSSIBILITY IS FOR US TO
PROVIDE LONG-TERM FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES TO TRANSFORM
RESEARCH AWARDEES AND COMPETE
WITH OTHER NIH INSTITUTES BUT
ALSO BUT IF DESIGNED PROPERLY
FROM THE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY MIGHT ALSO
ENCOURAGE THE INVESTIGATORS TO
EXTEND THEIR TRAINING AND
DIVERSE INCLUSION EFFORTS THAT
WILL BE HELPFUL TO ENRICH THE
DIVERSITY OF THE RESEARCH
PROGRAMS.
IN FACT THERE'S A LOT OF
POTENTIAL BENEFITS IF WE WERE
ABLE TO OFFER A LONG-TERM
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THIS IN
ITSELF MAY ALSO ATTRACT THE
CURRENT NCCIH GRANTEES AND
INVESTIGATORS TO CONSIDER OR
PURSUE INNOVATIVE AWARDS FOR THE
NIH TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH
PROGRAM TO BEGIN WITH.
YOU MIGHT WONDER WHAT ARE
OPTIONS OF SUPPORTING SUCH A
LONG-TERM FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
ONE WAY WHICH NIH HAS USED BY
MANY DIFFERENT INSTITUTES IS
CALLED THE MERIT AWARD THE
METHOD TO EXTEND RESEARCH IN
TIME.
HOW DOES IS WORK?
IT STARS WITH INVESTIGATORS
INITIATING RO1 APPLICATIONS AND
THEY'LL GET FUNDING SCORES AND
THEN THEN THE POOL OF RO1
APPLICATIONS PROGRAM STAFF WILL
NOMINATE POTENTIAL MERIT
AWARDEES BASED ON SPECIAL
SELECTION CRITERIA BY THE
INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTE.
THEN THE INSTITUTE'S LEADERSHIP
WITH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL WILL
REVIEW, PRIORITIZE AND IMPROVE
OR DISAPPROVE THOSE MERIT AWARDS
NOMINATIONS.
IF THE NOMINATIONS ARE APPROVED
FOR THE PROCESS THEN THEY WILL
BE CONVERTED TO AN R37 MERIT
AWARD.
SO IT'S A FUNDING MECHANISM,
BASICALLY.
THE R37 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT AN EXTENSION
APPLICATION TO THE INSTITUTE
SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY'D NORMALLY
SUBMIT TO AN RO1 COMPETITIVE
APPLICATION.
IN THIS CASE THE PROGRAM STAFF
FOR NIH LEADERSHIP AND ADVISORY
COUNCIL WILL REVIEW THE
PROGRESS, THE SCIENTIFIC MERIT
OF THE RESEARCH AS WELL AS
WHETHER THE PROGRAM THE R37
AWARDS HAVE MET OTHER EXTENSION
CRITERIA TO DETERMINE THE
SUITABILITY AND THE EXTENSION
WILL NOT INVOLVE A PEER-REVIEW
PROCESS.
SO THE INITIATIVE FOR US TO
ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES IS FOR NICHD TO
ESTABLISH A NEW FUNDING
MECHANISM THE NICHD MERIT AWARD
OR METHOD TO EXTENSION IN TIME
AND THE INITIATIVE WILL PROVIDE
PAYER FUNDING TO CURRENT AND
PAST AWARDEES SO THEY WILL HAVE
AMPLE TIME TO DEVELOP HIGHLY
INNOVATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE
WORK SPECIFICALLY AIMED AT
STUDYING THE COMPLEMENTARY
HEALTH APPROACHES.
IN ADDITION, WE'LL REQUIRE THOSE
AWARDEES TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT
WILL RECRUIT AND TRAIN DIVERSE
LABORATORY TRAINEES IN THE
EFFORT OF PROMOTING DIVERSITY.
TO ENSURE THE EXCELLENCE AND
HIGH QUALITY OF RESEARCH IN THE
EXTENDED RESEARCH FOR TIME THE
SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT AND
SUCCESS IN PROMOTING DIVERSITY
WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE ADVISORY
COUNCIL AND BASICALLY YOU TO
DETERMINE WHETHER THE EXTENSION
TO THE SECOND FIVE-YEAR CYCLE
WILL BE WARRANTED.
WE HOPE IN ESTABLISHING THE
MERIT AWARDS WE'LL BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE AND
RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT
CHALLENGES FOR A PIONEER AWARDEE
FOR AN RO1 AWARDEE TO STUDY
COMPLIMENTARY, INTEGRATIVE
HEALTH APPROACHES AND APPLYING
THE MOST CUTTING-EDGE
METHODOLOGY AND SCIENTIFIC
THINKING TO THEM AS WELL AS TO
PROMOTE AND STRENGTHEN THE
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY THAT WILL
HELP PROMOTE DIVERSITY AS WELL.
WITH THE LAST SLIDE I'LL END MY
PRESENTATION AND SEEK THE
ADVISORY COUNCIL'S SUPPORT AND
APPROVAL.
YES.
>>
>> I THINK THIS IS NOT ONLY A
NICE THING TO DO BUT NECESSARY
THING TO DO.
IT'S CLEAR IT WILL DIRECTLY
ADDRESS EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM
YOU'VE BROUGHT UP.
>> SO, I'M INTERESTED AND
CONFUSED ABOUT THE POOL.
THE POOL IS ONLY THE CURRENT AND
FORMER TRANSFORMATIVE AND
PIONEER AWARDS FOR LIKE 13
PEOPLE.
>> WE'RE HOPING WITH THIS AWARD
MORE PEOPLE WILL APPLY FOR THEM
AND GET REWARDED AS WELL SO THE
POOL COULD BE BIGGER.
>> SO IT'S NOT FOR DIFFERENT
AWARDEES --
>> EACH INSTITUTE ESTABLISHES
ITS OWN CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION.
SOME INSTITUTES, FOR INSTANCE,
WHEN I WAS WORKING AT NIA THEY
HAVE TEN PERCENTILE OF
SUCCESSFUL FUNDING AND DIFFERENT
INSTITUTES USE DIFFERENT
CRITERIA TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL FOR
THE MERIT AWARD BUT THE CONCEPT
IS THE SAME AS YOU EXTEND THE
RESEARCH IN TIME FOR 10 YEARS.
>> SAY YOU GOT A PIONEER AWARD
DO YOU SUBMIT A SEPARATE
APPLICATION?
>> A SEPARATE RO1 AS YOU
NORMALLY DO AND IF IT NEEDS TO
BE PEER REVIEWED AND A FUNDABLE
SCORE.
>> BUT IF YOU'RE IN A PIONEER
AWARD THERE'S A RESTRICTION
BECAUSE IT'S SUPPOSED TO COVER
MOST YOUR SALARY.
>> ONLY 51%.
>> I'D BE SURPRISED IF SOMEONE
GOT A PIONEER AND NOW AN RO1 TO
GET AN MERIT.
>> THERE'S MANY EXAMPLES OF
THOSE.
SEVERAL OF OUR PIONEER AWARDEES
GOT MERIT AWARDS IN OTHER
INSTITUTES.
>> OKAY.
>>
>> UNDERSTAND THIS IS A SMALL
POOL OF PEOPLE ELIGIBLE BUT
WE'RE ALSO NOT PLANNING ON
FUNDING DOZENS OF THESE.
IT WOULD BE SMALL NUMBERS FIRST
AND AS WEN SUGGESTS THIS ACHIEVE
WHAT WE HOPE WHICH WOULD
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE
PEOPLE THAT BACK
TRANSFORMATIONAL AWARDS AND WE
COULD HAVE MORE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE
FOR THIS.
>> WHY NOT MAKE IT SO IF YOU ARE
A PIONEER AWARDEE YOU COULD BE
GIVEN THE MERIT TO EXTEND THAT.
>> I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
A PIONEER AWARD TYPICALLY THEY
HAVE THEIR CRITERIA.
THEY TYPICALLY DON'T STUDY
EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
NCCIH THEY'RE NOT
INSTITUTE-MISSION SPECIFIC.
WHEREAS THEY DO VERY INNOVATIVE
WORK AND THE INVESTIGATORS ARE
VERY ATTRACTIVE.
FOR US WE ARE HOPING TO ATTRACT
THEM TO PURSUE THE RESEARCH
WE'RE HOPING THEY COULD TO MAKE
OUR RESEARCH MORE CUTTING EDGE
AND TRANSFORMING.
THAT'S THE CONCEPT HERE.
>> SO IT SEEMS IT WOULD BE A
TEAM AWARD.
LIKE INNOVATIVE AWARD BUT IT'S
AN RO1.
>> BASICALLY YOU HAVE IT AS AN
RO1 BUT IF YOU HAPPEN WHERE YOU
HAVE ABE A PIONEER IN THE PAST
FROM NCCIH WHERE HAVE YOU
TRANSFORMATIVE RO1 THAT WOULD
MAKE YOU ELIGIBLE BECAUSE
THERE'S A STRONG RECORD YOU'RE A
SUPER PRODUCTIVE INVESTIGATOR
AND ELIGIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED
FOR TO MAKE YOUR 4011 FROM A
FIVE-YEAR AWARD TO POTENTIALLY A
10-YEAR AWARD.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> THERE ARE NO MORE COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE A PROVE THE CONCEPT
FOR THE MERIT AWARD?
>> SO MOVED.
>> THIRD?
>> ALL WHO APPROVE, PLEASE RAISE
YOUR HAND.
THE MOTION HAS PASSED.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO THE END
OF THE MEETING AND I WOULD LIKE
TO REITERATE WHAT DR. LANGEVIN
SAID, THE NEXT MEETING WE'LL
HAVE IS JANUARY 19, 2024 AND
THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD
VIRTUALLY.
THE LAST AGENDA ITEM FOR THE
OPEN SESSION IS THE PUBLIC
COMMENT SESSION.
SINCE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE
ATTENDING VIRTUALLY IT'S NOT
POSSIBLE TO MAKE IN-PERSON
COMMENTS.
THEREFORE ANY MEMBER OF THE
PUBLIC WHO WISHES TO MAKE A
PUBLIC COMMENT MAY DO SO BY
SENDING ME YOUR WRITTEN COMMENT
AND WE CHANGED IT FOR THIS ROUND
WITHIN 15 DAYS BEFORE THE ACTUAL
COUNCIL MEETING.
CAN DO THIS BY EITHER SENDING
THIS TO THE E-MAIL OR HARD COPY
LETTER.
YOUR WRITTEN COMMENTS SHOULD BE
LESS THAN 700 WORDS IN LENGTH
CONSISTENT WITH THE FIVE-MINUTE
ORAL PRESENTATION.
YOUR WRITTEN COMMENT WILL THEN
BE PROVIDED TO COUNCIL VIA THE
ELECTRONIC COUNCIL BOOK IN
ADVANCE OF THE COUNCIL MEETING
AND I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE
RECEIPT.
WE RECEIVED SOME DURING THE OPEN
SESSION.
SO FOR THIS ROUND WE DID NOT
RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS THIS TIME
AROUND BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
MAKE ANY COMMENTS NEXT TIME
WOULD THEN BE FOR THE GENERAL
COUNCIL MEETING.
AND WITH THIS, WE HAVE A LITTLE
BIT OF TIME.
I REALIZE PEOPLE WANT TO GO AND
CATCH THEIR FLIGHTS.
>> I THINK I WANT TO TAKE A
MINUTE TO ASK IF ANY OF YOU HAVE
ANY ISSUES YOU'D LIKE TO BRING
UP AND WE ALWAYS LIKE IT HEAR
FROM YOU WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO
DISCUSS THE NEXT MEETING OR AT A
FUTURE MEETING?
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF
DISCUSSIONS YOU'D BE INTERESTED
IN ENGAGING IN WITH US AND WE'D
LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU ON THAT OR
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE THE DISCUSSION
OF VIRTUALALITY NEEDS TO BE ON
THE AGENDA.
>> THE OTHER THING THERE WAS A
COMMENT THAT WAS MADE AFTER MY
PRESENTATION, ARE WE DOING TOO
MUCH?
THERE WAS A SENSE I GOT AS I WAS
GIVING IT THAT SOME OF YOU MIGHT
PERCEIVE THAT WE ARE PERHAPS
SPREADING OURSELVES TOO THIN IN
MANY DIRECTIONS.
I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY PERSONALLY
BUT I WANT TO PERHAPS TAKE A FEW
MINUTES TO EXPLAIN PERHAPS HOW
I'M TRUEING VIS AND WONDERING IF
YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS?
WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE CHANGED
THE PLAN FIVE YEARS AGO AFTER I
BECAME DIRECTOR, WE WANTED TO
REALLY CHANGE MAKE A PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE OVER
ALL FOCUS OF THE RESEARCH
TOWARDS THE COUNCIL.
THAT DID NOT MEAN WE WANTED TO
ABANDON SOME OF THE RESEARCH
BEFORE.
SUCH AS RESEARCH ON MIND AND
BODY PRACTICES, NATURAL
PRODUCTS.
WE WANTED THAT TO CONTINUE AND
BE SUCCESSFUL AND RESEARCH ON
PAIN.
WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DO THAT YOU
CAN SEE WE CONTINUE TO FUND
ROBUST PORTFOLIO.
IN ADDITION, WE WANTED TO
INCORPORATE NEW ELEMENTS TO THE
RESEARCH THAT I WOULD SAY ARE
MORE COMPLEX.
WE ARE LOOKING AT PROTOCOLS AND
CONNECTIONS ACROSS SYSTEMS OF
THE BODY AND LOOKING AT METHODS
USING BIG DATA, ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE TO EXAMINE PUBLIC
SYSTEMS.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN PRODUCTS
AND USING NEW COMPUTATIONAL
METHODS AND IN AREAS OF BEHAVIOR
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
DROUGHT AND GOING ANOTHER
DOMAIN.
I THINK THE WAY WE HAVE DONE
THAT IS BY CASTING NETS IN
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WE DON'T ANTICIPATE A LOT OF THE
INITIATIVES WOULD GIVE US
TORRENTS OF NEW APPLICATIONS IN
NEW DIRECTION AND I THINK THERE
WAS A CONCERN IF WE TRIED TO DO
TOO MANY THINGS IN TOO MANY
DIRECTIONS, HOW WILL WE SPEND
OUR BUDGET WHICH IS QUITE
MODEST.
AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE GOING
THIS WE'RE LOOKING FOR
COLLABORATIONS AT OTHER
INSTITUTES AND FUND FROM OTHER
INSTITUTES AND FROM TRANS-COMMON
FUND, ETCETERA.
THERE'S ANOTHER COMPONENT OF
THIS WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
PART IS AN EFFORT ON OUR PART TO
CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY
REDIRECT OUR PORTFOLIO TOWARDS
THE INITIATIVES WITHOUT BEING
DISRUPTIVE.
I'M CURIOUS FROM ALL OF YOU, DO
YOU FEEL THAT WE ARE DOING THAT?
ARE YOU MOVING TOWARDS THAT OR
DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT
THIS?
ARE WE CASTING TOO MANY NETS?
>> MY THOUGHT IS NO.
I THINK OVER TIME YOU'RE ALL
LOOKING FOR THE LATEST TREND AND
THINKING ABOUT AND 40 YEARS IN
CLINICAL PRACTICE AND SOME
THINGS I WAS DOING IN MY FIRST
FIVE YEARS OF PRACTICE I WAS
THINKING WHAT AN IDIOT.
I THINK THINGS HAVE TO EVOLVE.
I THINK WE ALSO DO NEED TO PAY
ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE LESSER
KNOWN TYPES OF APPROACHES AND BE
ABLE TO FUND THOSE AND FIND OUT
WHAT'S GOING ON.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE CASTING THAT
WIDE A NET.
WITH DISCUSS TO SPIRITUALITY AND
MANY TIMES I'VE HAD PATIENTS SAY
WILL YOU PRAY WITH ME.
I WILL SAY YES.
I DON'T KNOW THE RELIGIOUS
BACKGROUND OF THE PATIENT SO I
TELL THEM TO LEAD THE PRAYER BUT
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE
INTERACTION BETWEEN THE PROVIDER
AND PATIENT IN TERMS OF
SPIRITUALITY.
I THINK IT'S WHAT IT OUGHT TO BE
CALLED.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO COME UP
WITH SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE
PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT MIND, BODY,
SPIRIT.
WHAT'S THE FIRST HEAR YOU HEAR
FROM SOMEBODY WHEN SOMEONE IS
SICK?
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH
YOU.
THAT'S HOW THE GENERAL PUBLIC I
THINK THINKS OF SPIRITUALITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF LAND MINES.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE
DEFINE IT BUT I DON'T THINK WE
CALL IT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT
SPIRITUALITY.
THAT'S WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC
THINKS OF IT AS.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL
DEFINING IT AND HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL -- AS A SPORTS GUY, WE
HAVE ON CAMPUS FELLOWSHIP
CHRISTIAN AND WE PRAY FOR GAMES
AND MEALS AND IF AN ATHLETE IS
INJURED, COACH MIGHT BE HANGING
AROUND BUT OUR CHAPLAIN IS ALSO
HANGING AROUND AND SPEAKING WITH
THE ATHLETE AT THE SORT OF SAME
TIME CONTEMPORANEOUSLY IT'S ALL
GOING ON.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO IT'S
COMPLICATED.
IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD BUT
I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT.
>> THANK YOU.
VERY HELPFUL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS.
>> WITH SPREADING TOO THIN, THE
WHOLE NATURE OF INTEGRATIVE
HEALTH INVOLVES SO MANY DOUGH
DA
-- MODALITIES YOU CAN'T BE VERY
FOCUSSED.
YOU NEED A WIDE PORTFOLIO YOU
ALSO NEED TO MOVE WITH THE TIMES
AND ADD NEW THINGS AS THEY COME
UP.
YOU NEED TIME FOR PEOPLE TO
DEVELOP THE EXPERTS TO ADDRESS
THAT.
IT MAKES SENSE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE
DOING IN MY OPINION.
>> I AGREE WITH THIS BEING AN
IMPORTANT PRIORITY.
AS ERICA GOES, I THINK IT LIES
WITHIN THE PHILOSOPHY OF THIS
COUNCIL OR THIS IT WOULD BE A
SAME THIS COUNCIL IS THE ONLY
COUNCIL PERHAPS FOR INTEGRATING
ALL DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH.
THERE'S EVEN WAYS TO COLLABORATE
WITH OTHER INSTITUTES I THINK
WOULD BE BETTER YET.
>> WE HAVE A TRANS NIH WORKING
GROUP ON WHOLE PERSON RESEARCH
THAT'S ALIVE AND WELL.
THEY'LL BE TELLING YOU MORE IN
SUBSEQUENT COUNCILS ABOUT THIS.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST
THROUGHOUT NIH IN WHAT WE'RE
DOING IN THIS AREA.
>> AS WE THINK OF
PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES IT'S
IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO DEAL WITH THE
PATIENT'S SPIRITUALITY.
IT'S FINE.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IF YOU THINK OF MENTAL IN
PARTICULAR, MOST PARTICIPANTS I
KNOW ABOUT DON'T EVEN GO TO
PROVIDERS.
THEY BELIEVE SPIRITUALITY IS THE
ESSENCE OF WHAT CAN CURE THEM
AND MAKE THEIR PROBLEMS GO AWAY.
WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON THAT BUT
MAKE SHURZ IT'S NOT TOO MUCH.
-- MAKE SURE IT'S NOT TOO MUCH.
>> ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR
COMMENTS OR EVEN ON SOMETHING
ELSE OTHER TOPICS?
ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT TOPICS
YOU'D LIKE DISCUSSED NEXT TIME
OR CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION?
I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT
THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE
SPIRITUALITY ISSUE WHEN HAVE YOU
A CHANCE TO COMPILE DHEM.
-- THEM I THINK IT WILL BE
FASHION -- FASCINATING AND
REALLY INSTRUCTIVE.
>> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT ON THIS AREA IF YOU
RECALL, THE WHOLE DISCUSSION WAS
STARTED FROM INPUT FROM YOU AND
ALSO FROM A MEMBER OF THE
COMMUNITY WHO WROTE US A COMMENT
AND I MEAN, WE THINK THAT THIS
IS IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO
THESE COMMENTS AND IT'S
IMPORTANT THE TOPICS GET
ADDRESSED AT THE TIME WHEN
YOU'RE READY TO ADDRESS THEM.
THERE'S AN EVOLUTION AND I THINK
THAT WAS VERY MUCH ILLUSTRATED
BY THE CARBON PROGRAM.
THE TYPES OF STUDIES THAT CAN BE
CONDUCTED WELL AT ANY GIVEN
POINT IN TIME.
YOU MAY BE READY TO DO SOMETHING
AT ONE PERIOD BUT NOT ANOTHER.
WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES IS
SOMETHING LIKE SPIRITUALITY
SOMETHING THAT A, IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT
ON THAT.
IS IT SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE AT A
POINT OF MATURITY TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS AND TACKLE AND I GUESS
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF
ANSWERING THAT QUESTION MAYBE.
BUT METHODOLOGY AND SOMEBODY HAD
MENTIONED ALSO THESE COMPLEX
SYSTEMS LIKE TRADITIONAL CHINESE
MEDICINE, AYURVEDA, ARE WE READY
TO TACKLE THESE.
IF YOU RECALL WHEN WE WROTE THE
STRATEGIC PLAN THE FIRST
STRATEGY GOAL WAS, IS TO DEVELOP
BETTER METHODOLOGIES TO STUDY
THESE INTERVENTIONS TO STUDY
THEIR FIDELITY AND HOW CAN WE
EVEN STUDY THESE INTERVENTIONS
BEFORE WE CAN ACTUAL LY COME UP
WITH THE SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS OR
PRESCRIPTION OR ACCORDING TO THE
SYSTEMS.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN TOO MANY
INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED
APPLICATIONS IN THIS AREA THOUGH
THE STRATEGIC PLAN HAD BEEN
AROUND A WHILE.
WE WERE HOPING TO SEE MORE AND
PERHAPS WILL NEED TO PROVIDE
MORE SPECIFIC FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
NADJA.
>> YOU JUST SAID THE THING I WAS
GOING TO SAY.
I'M TO HEAR YOU MENTION THIS AS
A PRIORITY.
THOSE FOCUSSED ON METHODOLOGY IN
RO1s IN GENERAL AND THE IDEAS OF
AYURVEDA ARE PUZZLING FOR THOSE
ON THE STUDY SY SECTIONS AT CSR.
IF THEY WANT TO SEE A SERIOUS
SET OF APPLICATIONS THERE NEEDS
TO BE SPECIAL EMPHASIS PANELS
AND SPECIAL CALLS FOR THE
GRANTS.
WE KNOW NOT TO EVEN TRY IT
UNLESS THAT EXISTS.
>> YOU COULD STUDY A NATURAL
PRODUCT IN AYURVEDA, SOME ARE
BEING STUDIED NOW, BUT THAT'S
DIFFERENT STUDYING ONE COMPONENT
IN ISOLATION FROM THE PRACTICE
WHERE THAT PARTICULAR HERB WOULD
BE PRESCRIBED IN THE CONTEXT OF
DIAGNOSING A SPECIFIC CONDITION
WHICH IS FOREIGN TO ANY WESTERN
CONDITION WE STUDY IN WESTERN
MEDICINE.
>> WHAT'S THE VALUE OF
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?
>> WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE
AND DISCUSS MORE ABOUT THAT
BECAUSE, WELL, QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH, WE HEARD SOME OF IT
MENTIONED TODAY ALREADY.
WE ANALYZED THE CONTENT OF DROP
DOWN MENUS.
SO THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DERIVE
NOW FROM GUESS, WHAT, FREE TEXT.
WHEN YOU ADMINISTER A
QUESTIONNAIRE AND HAVE OPTIONS
FOR PEOPLE TO ANSWER AND HAVE AN
OPTION TO PUT DOWN THROUGH TEXT.
WE'RE COMING ALONG SO QUICKLY IN
OUR ABILITY TO ANALYZE IT EVEN
GENERATE IT.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO DO THAT.
>> I IMAGINED PEOPLE COMING FROM
NORTH COLORADO WHO ARE
FUNDAMENTALLY CHRISTIAN TALKING
WITH ON SPIRITUALITY WITH
BUDDHISTS -- HOW DO YOU DO THIS?
>> WHAT DO THESE DIFFERENT
PRACTICES HAVE IN COMMON?
WE TALKED ABOUT ALREADY TODAY
ARE CONNECTIONS.
THAT'S IN COMMON WITH RELIGIONS
AND PRACTICES.
THAT MAY BE A GOOD WAY TO START.
>> THERE'S A DEARTH OF
INFORMATION AROUND HOW DIFFERENT
HEALING CONTRIBUTIONS MIGHT VIEW
THE SAME PATIENT OR DESCRIBE A
PATIENT FROM A DIAGNOSTIC
STANDPOINT AND WONDER IF THERE'S
OPPORTUNITIES IN PARTICULAR
ESPECIALLY WITH A -- AYURVEDIC
PRACTITIONER AND COLLECT
INFORMATION ASH THE DIAGNOSTIC
DESCRIPTION OF THOSE PATIENTS AS
HYPOTHESES GENERATING.
>> I WOULD NOT AGREE MORE.
>> THE IDEA OF DIFFERENT
DIAGNOSTIC FILTERS HAS BEEN
AROUND AND YOU HAVE ONE PATIENT
AND USE DIFFERENT FILTERS AND HU
DO YOU PARS OUT THE PERSON'S
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS AND OBJECTIVE
FINDINGS, WHATEVER IT IS, HOW DO
YOU ORGANIZE THAT INTO A
DIAGNOSIS?
THAT CAN BE STUDIED AND DESCRIBE
IT FIRST AND COME UP WITH WAYS
TO -- AND IF YOU HAD DIFFERENT
PRACTITIONERS OF A GIVEN
TRANSITION WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF
A DIFFERENT TRADITION WOULD
THERE BE MORE AGREEMENT AMONG
PRACTITIONERS OF EACH TRADITION
AMONG THEMSELVES COMPARED TO
ACROSS?
THAT'S THE FIRST BASIC QUESTION.
I DON'T -- I'M NOT SURE
ANYBODY'S EVER DONE THIS.
IT'S NOT THAT COMPLICATED OF A
STUDY TO DO.
WELL, I GUESS WE'RE ALMOST AT
4:00.
>> THERE'S ONE COMMENT IN THE
CHAT FROM DR. HANEY FOR
EFFICIENT MEETINGS I LOVE
HEARING FROM NCCIH FUNDED
SCIENTISTS.
AND WE WANTED TO PUT IT OFF THIS
TIME BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS
TIMELY SO WE'RE PLANNING AND I'M
LOOKING AT MY COLLEAGUES I'M
GLAD, THANK YOU, DR. HANEY.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE HEAR FOR
INTEREST.
>> THANK YOU.
WE MADE IT TO THE END.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION,
BY THE WAY.
>> GOOD.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE IT SAY
IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE TO
MEET ALL OF YOU IN PERSON HERE
AND HAVE YOU WITH ME IN THE ROOM
TODAY AS WELL AS THOSE
VIRTUALLY.
I KNOW I AM SAYING IT FOR THE
SECOND TIME NOW, NCCIH WOULD NOT
BE ABLE TO FULFILL ITS MISSION
WITHOUT YOUR EXPERTISE AND
GUIDANCE AND YOUR INPUT IS
VALUABLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
TODAY AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO
OFFER MY SINCEREST THANKS TO ALL
OF NCCIH STAFF.
WE'RE NOT ONLY LOOKING AHEAD FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUT STILL IN
THE MIDDLE OF 2023.
AND THE OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC
REVIEW WAS REALLY HARD TO GET
OUT ALL THE APPLICATIONS
REVIEWED, GRANT MANAGEMENT WITH
OUR PROGRAM OFFICE WHICH HAS
BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY TO GET
ALL THE GRANTS REPAIRED SO THEY
GET FUNDED.
ALSO, I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT'S
NOT THE SECOND TIME WE'RE DOING
THE HYBRID MEETING AND I'M
SURPRISED HOW MUCH WORK GOES
INTO ORGANIZING THE HYBRID
MEETING.
IF IT WORKS WELL IT LOOKS EASY
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY NOT.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR OUR
ADMINISTRATIVE, I.T. AND SUPPORT
STAFF AND OUR OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATION WITHOUT
EVERYBODY'S HELP AND DEDICATION
WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
HAVE THE MEETING HERE TODAY IN
THE WAY WE HAD IT.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.
>> THANK YOU MARTINA FOR LEADING
US ALONG ALL DAY AND THANK YOU
ALL.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU
VIRTUALLY IN JANUARY.