Clik here to view.
Visiting UMass School of Medicine
I had a fine trip on October 10, 2019 to Worcester, MA. It included a visit to the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Here I was met by Terence Flotte (left), dean of the School of Medicine,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kicking Off 2019 Combined Federal Campaign
On October 16, I joined everybody under the tent for the NIH 2019 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Kickoff. The NIH’s National Eye Institute (NEI) is my co-chair for this year’s campaign, and our theme...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at UVA Medical Center
On October 13, I spent the day at my alma mater, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, for a truly humbling experience. A wing of the UVA Medical Center has been renamed in my honor. Taking...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Cardboard Memory
You’re right, that’s not really me. Neither is it Santa Tumminia, acting director of NIH’s National Eye Institute, shown in the red jacket making the shape of a heart with her fingers. You’re looking...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Joining Forces Against Sickle Cell Disease and HIV Infection
The NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, will invest at least $200 million over the next four years to develop affordable gene-based cures globally for sickle cell disease and HIV...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2019 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting
Greetings from Africa. I am participating in the 2019 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting at the United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Grand Challenges is a family of global...
View ArticleClik here to view.
First NIH-CIHR Symposium
On November 22, 2019, I participated in a joint symposium involving NIH and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Held at NIH’s Lawton Chiles International House, this gathering of senior...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Charting Research Careers in Global Health
That’s me at the 67th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). I took part in a townhall-style conversation with ASTMH President Chandy John (far middle, blue...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hope on the Hill
I enjoyed delivering the keynote address at the ninth-annual Hope on the Hill Congressional Dinner, hosted by Cure Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This group of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Black Maternal Health Caucus Roundtable
On December 11, 2019, the Black Maternal Health Caucus hosted a special roundtable to discuss NIH’s efforts to address the rising rates of women, especially African American women, dying in the U. S....
View ArticleClik here to view.
A New Year’s Moment at NIH Clinical Center
To mark the new year, I spent my lunch hour playing the piano for patients, their families, and staff in the atrium of the NIH Clinical Center on January 3, 2020. If you’d like to share in the moment,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Special Honor from Washingtonian Magazine
What a thrill it was for me and my wife Diane Baker to join nine others in being named Washingtonians of the Year 2019. The award, now in its 48th year, is sponsored by Washingtonian Magazine and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time Well Spent in North Carolina
I had a fantastic time visiting with students at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), Durham. My grandson Sellers attends NCSSM, and I was touched when he introduced me in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NIH HEAL Investigator Meeting
The NIH HEAL Investigator Meeting is now underway. It was my pleasure to welcome more than 350 researchers to the two-day meeting. The Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Chief Executive Officer for All of Us
On January 27, 2020, Josh Denny joined the NIH family as chief executive officer of the All of Us Research Program. He comes to us from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, where among his many...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NIMHD Turns 10
Happy 10th anniversary to NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). To mark the occasion, the NIMHD held an informative anniversary scientific symposium on March 3,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
President Trump Visits NIH Vaccine Research Center
What a privilege it was to welcome President Donald Trump to NIH on March 3, 2020 for a tour of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC), which is overseen by the National Institute of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time for Lunch
I had a fantastic two-day visit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. On my second day, I had breakfast with several junior faculty members and later that morning delivered a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
First Virtual WALS Lecture
With sponsored travel and large gatherings now limited to stop the spread of COVID-19, NIH has been making lots of logistical adjustments. That includes holding the first “virtual” NIH Director’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Testifying in Congress During a Pandemic
I testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions as part of a hearing titled “Shark Tank: New Tests for COVID-19.” Also testifying was Gary Disbrow (left), Office of...
View Article