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National Institutes of Health
Office of Community Liaison
OCL Update, November 1997

TO:	Community Representatives
FROM:	Janyce Hedetniemi, Director Office of Community Liaison
DATE:	November 1997

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 NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY LIAISON

We’ve all been following plans for the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center (CRC), and the ground breaking ceremony is finally at hand. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 4, at 10 a.m., directly in front of the Clinical Center (Building 10) at the intersection of West and Center Drives. The ground breaking brings a reality to this exciting and important project, and with it, the construction-related disruption with which we all will have to contend until the CRC is complete. Let me take the opportunity again to reaffirm NIH’s commitment to keep you informed at all stages of CRC construction. It is important to keep in mind that the result of the coming 3 to 4 years of construction will be a cutting-edge clinical research facility with an inpatient hospital, outpatient care capability, and related research laboratories. The project promises to increase opportunities for physicians and patients to participate in state-of-the-art clinical research, and the updated facility will help NIH remain competitive in attracting and retaining talented and promising scientists.

To update you on specific CRC progress, work on the new South entrance continues. In mid-October, site preparation began to make way for the South entrance construction, which the architects estimate will take 7 to 8 months to complete. After constructing the new South entrance and closing the current Clinical Center entrance on Center Drive, Center Drive will be relocated toward the north. This specific project is expected to last through the winter; concurrently, however, Center Drive will remain open and traffic access through the campus via Center Drive will not be interrupted in the course of the CRC construction itself. After the relocation of Center Drive is complete, there will be tree replacement at better than a 1:1 ratio, and a variety of trees will be planted in order to lessen the effects of blight or disease. In October, the Center Drive relocation was approved by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Design of Phase III, the actual CRC construction, is underway. As you may know, the CRC will be a low-rise, four-part addition that steps down from back to front. It will be less than half the height of the current ACRF. The exterior of the CRC will be brick with limestone trim, and care will be taken to match the original Building 10 brick as closely as possible. The current ACRF tower will be faced with a brick front to promote the visual unity of the CRC and the existing Clinical Center.

When completed, the CRC will have approximately 250 inpatient beds and 100 day (outpatient) beds, a reduction from the Clinical Center’s approximately 500 current inpatient beds. The CRC also will contain laboratory space, not to increase the number of researchers in the building but to allow researchers to "decompress" from their currently cramped laboratory facilities.

Building 41A Renovation Nearing Completion

Let me also update you on the renovation of the Maximum Containment Laboratory in Building 41A. The renovation is 99 percent complete, and the focus now is on verifying laboratory security and performing stringent final safety testing before the lab begins operation, now estimated at mid-to late January 1998. With regard to security, a major change order was issued during the construction process to take advantage of advances in security systems that have occurred in the 4 years since the project began. In addition to the standard card key system and a burglar alarm that activates if the door is open too long, NIH is installing a state-of-the-art camera system that involves two cameras facing each other and includes a VCR tape backup. Other upgrades to the building have included additional pumps to handle pressure variations observed during building shakedown.

Next steps will involve the Occupational Safety and Health Branch’s (OSHB’s) revalidation of tests performed by the Division of Engineering Safety (DES). DES staff has been trained in the systems for which they are responsible and OSHB staff is now trained in the systems for which they will be responsible. There will be continuous on-site monitoring of the building by trained OSHB staff, and fire department personnel, police personnel, and NIH maintenance staff have been familiarized with the new facility. NIH Hazmat personnel will be especially trained; they, as well as OSHB staff, are on 24-hour call.

The new laboratory is primarily for the study of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, which unfortunately has re-emerged in alarming proportion. Use of the lab is governed by a protocol review committee of which I am a member. Additionally, the NIH institutional biosafety committee, staffed by scientists and members of the public, will review any proposed research protocols for the building for science and safety.

Building 20 Demolition Provides Training Opportunities for Firefighters

In other news, the scheduled demolition of Building 20 provides the NIH Fire Department with a facility in which to conduct live fire and rescue exercises. The department plans to take advantage of this rare opportunity to conduct training activities each weekend until the building is demolished. These are carefully planned exercises that will provide campus firefighters with valuable "hands-on" experience that I expect will help to further ensure the safety of all who work at NIH and live in the surrounding communities.

 CAMPUS NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

NCI Scientist Cleared of Involvement in Contamination Incident. Some of you may have read recently in local newspapers or the NIH Record that on September 17, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) denied a petition to revoke or suspend NIH’s nuclear materials license. The petition was brought by two visiting fellows in an NCI laboratory who were among 27 individuals deliberately exposed to radioactive phosphorus-32 in June 1995. One of the two scientists filing the petition, Dr. Maryanne Wenli Ma, was pregnant at the time of contamination but the child was born without complications. None of the individuals exposed is expected to suffer future adverse health consequences. The NRC decision, which comes as a result of a 2-year investigation, found that NIH did all it could reasonably to do prevent misuse of the isotopes. Further, the report also cleared the head of the laboratory, Dr. John Weinstein, of a variety of accusations brought against him by Dr. Ma and her husband, Dr. Bill Wenling Zheng.

The report stated that NIH has "made significant efforts to improve its control of radioactive material," and NIH’s deputy director for intramural research, Dr. Michael Gottesman, says that as a result of tightening its standards since the incident, "NIH now has among the most stringent such standards found in research institutions."

Internet Training for Seniors. NIH is helping senior citizens find health information on the Internet. The National Library of Medicine is co-sponsoring a project to "train trainers" of senior citizens from around the country in how to access health information on the Internet. NLM is coordinating the joint project with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Office of Research on Women’s Health—and the HHS Health Care Financing Administration and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The project is administered by the SPRY (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years) Foundation in Washington, D.C. SPRY is a nonprofit national organization devoted to research and education efforts on senior citizens health and retirement issues. The train-the-trainer project, to be held at the Library on November 3 and 4, will consist a series of intensive workshops for 21 trainers of senior citizens from a dozen states (AZ, DC, FL, IA, MA, MD, MO, NC, NY, OH, PA, and VA). The program will give special emphasis to trainers from public libraries, senior centers, and subsidized housing who work with low income and minority seniors. After they participate in the training in Bethesda, the trainers will return home and train a minimum of 10 seniors per site. A multiplier effect is expected to raise that number substantially as more and more senior citizens find that they can retrieve valuable and free health information.

Frankenstein Film Festival and Exhibition at the National Library of Medicine. In keeping with Halloween, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has launched a new exhibition, "Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature." A masquerade reception on October 30 kicked off the new exhibition. Sara Karloff, daughter of legendary actor Boris Karloff and guest of honor at the opening reception, showed home movies of her father getting into his monster make up for his famous films.

The Frankenstein exhibit explores not only the popularization of the character created in 1818 by Mary Shelley and made famous more than 100 years later by Boris Karloff, but broader questions about the publics’s fear of science and its powers, especially in light of the dazzling new technologies that are reshaping our understanding of what it means to be human. One point that the exhibition hopes to illustrate is that unlike the 19th century, when knowledge of medicine and science was the domain of the educated elite, the public today has a wealth of such information literally at their fingertips, through databases such as NLM’s MEDLINE.

The exhibit features early 19th century artifacts associated with resuscitation, early efforts at blood transfusion, experiments conducted with "animal electricity," and attempts to reanimate dead bodies. On display are pacemakers; masks and monsters; and comics, cartoons, and books—all illustrating the ways in which people have coped with their desires, hopes, and fears of medical science.

"Frankenstein" can be viewed in the Library’s first floor lobby and rotunda through August 15, 1998, during regular Library hours: (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Thursday: 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). NLM is located at 8600 Rockville Pike, corner of Center Drive/Jones Bridge Road and Wisconsin Avenue.

In conjunction with the exhibit, NLM is showing 5 classic Frankenstein movies on Thursdays at noon and 7:00 p.m., beginning November 6. The evening showing will feature introductory remarks from film professionals, scholars, and scientists. See Calendar of Events in this issue for the film series schedule and location.

New NIH Campaign For Women Begins. Urinary incontinence is a topic many women decline to discuss with their physician, and only half of the estimated 11 million American women who experience loss of bladder control seek treatment. In an effort to demystify the condition, NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) recently launched the "Let’s Talk About Bladder Control for Women" campaign. The campaign seeks to help women and their health care providers talk about and treat urinary incontinence in six easy-to-read brochures and one booklet. The booklet, Bladder Control for Women, is the cornerstone of the campaign, as it includes sections on finding the right health professional, identifying the problem through tests, and treating the root cause.  Health care professionals can order kits that include all the patient materials, an illustrated bladder control diary, and a fact sheet, "What Your Female Patients Want to Know About Bladder Control." Quantities of each title can also be ordered separately. To order these materials call (800) 891-5388. They are also available online on NIDDK’s home page at http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/health.htm.

NCI Launches Health Education Campaign on Mammography and Breast Cancer Risk. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched a new national education campaign to encourage women to make regular screening mammograms and clinical breast exams a routine part of their health care. The campaign includes materials that provide clear, reliable information on breast cancer and mammography for women and health professionals.

The new materials include the following resources for the public: a comprehensive breast health booklet titled, Understanding Breast Changes; a pamphlet, The Facts About Breast Cancer and Mammograms, that explains the risk factors for breast cancer and the benefits and limitations of mammography; and Mammograms...Not Just Once, But for a Lifetime, an easy-to-read publication and bookmark that explain the importance of regular mammograms for women in their 40s and older.

Resources for health professionals include a physician’s pad with tear-off fact sheets on mammograms for patients, and Over 40? Consider Mammograms, a set of five posters, each featuring a woman of a different racial/ethnic background. The materials also include fact sheets on incidence and mortality rates among racial/ethnic groups, the proportion of women from each group that gets regular mammograms; and information describing NCI’s screening position, the risks and limitations of mammograms, and factors placing women at increased risk of developing breast cancer.

To order any of these materials, call NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) at 1-800-4-CANCER, or visit the NCI Internet website for patients, the public, and the mass media at http://rex.nci.nih.gov (click on the "About Mammograms" button).

Booklet On Environmental Diseases Available from NIH. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has produced a colorful booklet, Environmental Diseases From A to Z. It takes the reader on an illustrated journey through the alphabet, covering a wide range of environmentally-induced illnesses from asthma to zinc deficiency. "The book gives readers some idea of the great diversity of environmental agents one may be exposed to, and the many, many diseases that result," NIEHS Director Kenneth Olden said. "Some of these, like cancer and birth defects, are very familiar, while others, such as yusho poisoning and xeroderma, will be new to most readers."

The booklet’s simple language makes it an appropriate resource for a wide variety of audiences, from school children to adults, who want to learn more about how these diseases affect our daily lives. It also includes suggestions on how the illnesses can be treated or prevented. A free copy is available by writing to: NIEHS Office of Communications, P.O. Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27709, Attn: John Peterson, Mail Drop EC-12, or calling John Peterson at (919) 541-7860. E-mail requests should be directed to booklet@niehs.nih.gov. Teachers may receive larger quantities upon request.

 PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

The new Medical Center Express Bus system that travels on the Route 270 HOV lane is working well. This system began recently as one of the many ways NIH is trying to alleviate the impact on employees and on the community of the parking squeeze. The bus service operates during morning and evening rush hours. Montgomery County estimates that to maintain this service, 160 commuters per day will be necessary, so encourage your "upcounty" friends to try this fast, economical service. One of the two routes, a Ride On bus known as "Route 70," departs from the Germantown Milestone park-and-ride lot at 5:47 a.m. on the half hour until 8:17 a.m. Evening rush hour service begins at 3:10 p.m. with the last bus at 5:40 p.m. The second route, a Metro J-9 bus, departs from the Lake Forest Mall commuter lot in Gaithersburg, and expresses to the National Naval Medical Center/NIH/Suburban Hospital area. Call 301-402-RIDE for more information.

In the near future, NIH is establishing a similar system for Virginia employees that will operate from the Tysons Corner area.

For those of you still adjusting to the new paid visitor parking lots, keep in mind that you can get validation stamps if you are visiting the campus on business or as a patient or visitor of a patient at the Clinical Center. In addition, the paid visitor parking remains free after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Parking and transportation information is available by calling 1-888-NIH-PARK or by visiting the NIH parking web site at www.nih.gov/od/ors/parking/parking.htm.

 TRY THESE NIH WEB SITES

HEALTHWise is a free, periodic consumer health information service from the National Institutes of Health. The practical health news you can use in HEALTHWise is based on research conducted either by NIH’s own scientists or by NIH grantees at universities and medical schools around the country. Find HEALTHWise at http://www.nih.gov/news/HealthWise/home.htm.

The NIH Clinical Center Research Studies Page provides information about currently active research studies conducted by NIH’s Intramural Research Programs. Visit the site at http://clinicalstudies.info.nih.gov/.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Nov. 6-8

Novel Perspectives on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From Basic Research to Clinical Applications. This conference will provide a series of workshops to review basic scientific research and how this research clinically applies to systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly called "lupus." New insights into immune cell activation and death, into pathways of tissue destruction and into modulators of lymphocyte or target cell function have suggested new therapies in treating lupus. Registration fee is $100 (the fee is waived for NIH employees). The conference will take place in the Natcher Conference Center, Building 45. For further information contact Felecia Taylor at 301-594-2463 or by e-mail at taylorf@ep.niams.nih.gov, or visit the conference web site at http://www.nih.gov/niams/news/sleconf.htm.

Science Writers Briefing on Lupus: In conjunction with the scientific conference, "Novel Perspectives on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: From Basic Research to Clinical Applications," NIH will convene a science writers briefing on lupus where leading experts will describe some of the major questions about lupus that are under study and some of the answers that are emerging. Speakers at the briefing will present new information that, according to Dr. Betty Diamond, one of the conference organizers and Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, "fundamentally changes our understanding of the pathogenic processes in lupus." To register or for more information, call Connie Raab or Elia Ben-Ari, NIAMS Office of Scientific and Health Communication, 301-496-9966.

Strategies for Success in Science: the 1997-1998 Fifth Annual Seminar Series Sponsored by the Association for Women in Science. The second in the series of this year’s seminars will be presented by Drs. Kathy Michels, Nancy Johnson, and Susan Woods. The seminars are held in the Chapel in the Cloisters (Building 60) or in the Natcher Building. Seminars usually begin at 5:00 p.m., please call Dr. Donna Dean (301-435-0901) or Dr. Sheryl K. Brining (301-594-3982) for information on exact time and location.

NLM "Thursday at the Movies" Film Series: Frankenstein (1931), with Boris Karloff (70 minutes). Screenings at noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium (Building 38A). Speaker at evening screening: Stephen Hunter, film critic, The Washington Post. For more information call 301-435-3270 or e-mail: frankenstein@nlm.nih.gov.

Bethesda Action Group Meeting, B-CC Chamber of Commerce, 7910 Woodmont Ave., 12th Floor at 8 a.m.. Call 301-217-2638 for more information.

Manchester String Quartet Series. All are invited to the 1997-1998 series of the Manchester String Quartet, sponsored by Merck Co. Foundation. The second of eight lunchtime concerts is taking place on November 10 at 12:30 p.m. in the Masur Auditorium, Clinical Center. Call Sharon Greenwell at 301-496-4713 for more information.

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Dr. James M. Wilson, Director, Institute for Human Gene Therapy, will lecture on "Cystic Fibrosis: Pathogenesis and Treatment." Masur Auditorium, Building 10, 3:00 p.m. Call Hilda Madine at 301-594-5505 for more information.

A Conversation with County Executive Douglas M. Duncan will take place at the Bethesda Senior Source, B-CC Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane at 12:30 p.m. until 1:45 p.m. The event will include a cooking demonstration and tasting by Brian Patterson, a chef at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda. Please RSVP at 301-754-8800 if you are interested in attending.

NLM "Thursday at the Movies" Film Series: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), with Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester (118 minutes). Screenings at noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium (Building 38A). Speaker at evening screening: Sue Norton, film maker and president of SBN Entertainment.

Nov. 17-19 NIH Consensus Development Conference on Effective Medical Treatment of Heroin Addiction. NIH will hold a 2 ½ day conference to address the most important and controversial issues surrounding narcotic maintenance treatment and to present the available data on opiate agonist treatment (primarily methadone treatment) for heroin addiction. The conference will be held in the Natcher Conference Center, Building 45 and you are encouraged to register in advance. For more information, call 301-468-MEET or visit the conference web site at http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/schedule/heroin.html.

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Dr. Judah Folkman of Harvard University will present a lecture on "New Directions in Angiogenesis Research." Masur Auditorium, Building 10, 3:00 p.m. Call Hilda Madine at 301-594-5505 for more information.

1997-1998 Human Genome Lecture Series: "Exploiting the Yeast Genome to Study Human Diseases," Dr. Rodney Rothstein, Columbia University, speaker. Sponsored by NHGRI. Lipsett Amphitheater, Building 10. 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. For more information call the NHGRI Communications Office at 301-402-0911.

NLM "Thursday at the Movies" Film Series: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), a British production featuring Christopher Lee (83 minutes). Screenings at noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium (Building 38A). Speaker at evening screening: Joseph Bierman, psychiatrist and member of the Forum for the Psychoanalytic Study of Film.

NLM "Thursday at the Movies" Film Series: Young Frankenstein (1974), starring Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle (105 minutes). Screenings at noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium (Building 38A). Speaker at evening screening: Betty Bennett, leading scholar on Mary Shelley and former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, American University.

Dec. 11

NLM "Thursday at the Movies" Film Series: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994), with Kenneth Branagh and Robert De Niro (123 minutes). Screenings at noon and 7:00 p.m. at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium (Building 38A). Speaker at evening screening: Patricia Gallagher, information specialist at the New York Academy of Medicine.

Male Volunteers Needed. The Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, NIMH, is seeking male volunteers ages 18-45 to participate in a 5-month study of the effects of reproductive hormones on brain and behavior. Volunteers must be free of medical illnesses and not taking any medication on a regular basis. They will complete daily rating forms and be asked to participate in one of several protocols. Payment will be in accordance with the duration of each visit and the type of protocol. For more information, call Linda Simpson-St. Clair, 496-9576.

Healthy volunteers wanted to participate in the National Institute on Aging’s Laboratory of Neurosciences research studies. You must be 18 or older and be willing to undergo full medical evaluation, psychological testing, and brain scans (MRI, PET). Procedures require approximately 13 hours and participants will be paid between $300 and $500 depending on time involved. Call 301-496-4754 (9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays) or 301-496-4273 (after hours and weekends) for further information.

Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are sought for a study of a new treatment for the infertility associated with the syndrome. You must be between ages 18 and 39, have not responded to conventional therapy for the condition, and be interested in becoming pregnant. Volunteers will receive a comprehensive gynecologic and endocrinologic evaluation. Call 1-800-644-8891 or 301-496-4686 or e-mail patrice-malena@nih.gov.

Do You Have a Job-Related Injury? The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) is seeking individuals suffering from a work-related upper extremity problem or injury, i.e., carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, or repetitive strain injury of the fingers, wrist, elbow or shoulder. Volunteers must be ages 20-60, seen by a physician within the past month and currently working. The study includes a $40 payment. Call 301-295-9659 for details.

Healthy Females Sought. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is looking for healthy female volunteers, ages 18-43, to participate in menstrual cycle studies. Volunteers must have normal menstrual cycle length (25-34 days) and may not be on any chronic medications including birth control pills. Studies include endometrial biopsy, ultrasounds, and blood levels of hormones. Volunteers will be paid. For more information call 301-402-1481.

NIH Sleep Study seeks individuals who either sleep a lot—almost always 9 or more hours a night—or sleep very little—almost always 6 hours or less each night; do not have any sleep disturbances or take any types of medication or birth control pills; have no history of mental illness; and are in good health. Must be between ages 20-31 and be willing to spend 5 consecutive nights at the Clinical Center. Call for more details: 301-496-6981.

Adults with Down Syndrome are needed for memory and aging studies conducted by the National Institute on Aging’s Laboratory of Neurosciences. Call 301-496-4754 (9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays) or 301-496-4273 (after hours and weekends) for further information.

NIH Memory Loss Study seeks individuals with mild to moderate memory loss who are suspected to have Alzheimer’s disease or other progressive dementias such as frontal lobe/Pick’s disease. Call 301-496-4754 (9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays) or 301-496-4273 (after hours and weekends) for further information.

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