International Highlights

Summary of NIH International Highlights

  January – March 2002

  Program Developments

Fogarty International Center

Advisory Board Meeting 

The fiftieth meeting of the FIC Advisory Board took place on Tuesday February 5, 2002 at the Lawton Chiles International House.  During the public session, Dr. Jeffrey Koplanm, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gave an overview of CDC international programs, and Phyllis Freeman, J.D., discussed the topic of global public goods and investments in reducing health disparities.  In addition Dr. William Makgoba, President of the South African Medical Research Council (MRC), described the organization research programs in South Africa.

Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)

MIM convened the first international conference on Plasmodium vivax malaria research in February in Bangkok, Thailand.  The conference attracted more than 180 of the world's leading Vivax malaria scientists representing 25 countries and was supported by the MIM and its partners, including the NIH, Roll Back Malaria at the WHO, The Wellcome Trust, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institut Pasteur, USAID, Mahidol University (Bangkok, Thailand), the Ministry of Health of Thailand, the Asian Centre of International Parasite Control (ACIPAC), and the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR).  Research gaps and opportunities were identified.

MIM has also released a call for applications for the next MIM Secretariat.  The Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been hosting the Secretariat of the MIM for the last two years.  When the MIM was initiated in 1997, it was agreed that the Secretariat would rotate among MIM partners at regular intervals in order to maintain the multilateral nature of MIM and to represent all MIM partners.  The current tenure of the MIM Secretariat at FIC will come to an end after the MIM Pan-African Conference in Arusha, Tanzania in November 2002 and the decision regarding the transfer of the MIM Secretariat to next organization will be made by early summer.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria

On January 14, FIC hosted the Working Group on Technical Review for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM).  NIAID represented the U.S. Government at the meeting, which developed recommendations on the size and types of expertise needed on the Technical Review Panel, which would review applicants to the Fund.

Subsequently, FIC, in cooperation with OAR, NIAID, NICHD, NHLBI, developed a list of recommended nominees to serve on the Technical Review Panel.. Most of these recommended nominees were forwarded by HHS to the GFATM Secretariat for further consideration in late February.  The GFATM, which has received pledges of nearly $1.9 billion (including $500 million from the U.S.), is currently accepting proposals for funding.  The Board will make the final selection of TRP members in early March, and the first round of TRP reviews will take place March 25-April 4 in Geneva.  George Herrfurth, FIC/DIR, is the focal point for this process.

Global Forum on Bioethics in Research

Dr. Gerald Keusch, FIC Director, and Dr. James Lavery, FIC Bioethicist, attended the Third Global Forum on Bioethics in Research, held in Cape Town, South Africa, February 21-23, 2002.  The Forum is supported collectively by the Fogarty International Center, NIH, the Medical Research Councils of South Africa and the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization, and the Wellcome Trust.  The Cape Town meeting was organized by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council.  The goal of the Forum is to facilitate an on-going dialogue among developing world bioethicists, health researchers and policy makers in important ethical issues related to international collaborative research.  Of the 110 delegates attending the meeting, two-thirds came from developing countries.  Half of the 40 countries represented at the meeting were African.

The forum had three main themes related to international collaborative research.  First, whether the current ethical guidelines constrain or promote access to drugs, devices, or vaccines subsequent to a trial.  Second, challenges in developing ethical guidelines and review processes in developing countries.  And third, the standard of care to be provided during trials.  Case studies were used to illustrate these issues and to focus discussion.  Aside from the identified themes the case studies also prompted discussion on the use of traditional medicines in research, genomics and global health, and culture and informed consent.  

East Asia and Pacific:  Dr. Allen Holt of FIC/DIR represented NIH in an interagency meeting convened by the State Department to discuss preparations for the upcoming U.S. China S&T meeting.  The Department of State and Office of Science and Technology Policy have agreed with their Chinese counterparts to hold the next Joint S&T Committee meeting in Beijing during the week of April 22.  The DHHS Office of Global Health Affairs is working with technical agencies to determine U.S. representation at the meeting.  Drs. Hrynkow, Bridbord, McDermott, and Ms. Rojo met with a delegation of Chinese officials on February 13 to discuss potential areas for increased cooperation between NIH and China on HIV/AIDS.

Europe:  The Director General of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Dr. Christian Brechot, visited NIH on March 4 for meetings with Dr. Kirschtein, Dr. Keusch, Dr. Hrynkow, Dr. Holt, and other senior officials of NIH.  Dr. Brechot also spoke to French postdoctoral fellows who are in the NIH Visiting Program and described opportunities for their professional development in INSERM and other French institutions.  This was Dr. Brechot's first visit to NIH since assuming the leadership of INSERM a year ago.

A Committee from the British House of Lords, conducting an inquiry on issues respecting animals in scientific procedure in the United Kingdom met with Drs. Maddox, Gottesman, Wyatt, Taylor, and Holt to discuss NIH policies and practices for the use of animals in research.  The committee also visited NIH animal care facilities.

Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, FIC Deputy Director, and representatives of the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Dr. Peter Lange, Minister of Research Education of the German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) on February 6, to discuss areas of mutual interest and potential cooperation.  The BMBF has recently joined the MIM as a partner and will support the Arusha Conference to be held in November 2002.

The Americas:  Dr. Luis Salicrup, FIC/DIR, represented FIC at the meeting "HIV/AIDS and Development: Challenges and Response in Latin America and the Caribbean" and "Science and Technology in Latin American and the Caribbean," conducted during the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) in Fortaleza, Brazil, March 7-9.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss current policies and existing LAC infrastructure to address HIV/AIDS.  Possible future initiatives related to research and training in areas such as stigma, gender, and public policy pertaining to HIV/AIDS in the Americas were also discussed.  The Science and Technology (S&T) meeting focused on priorities for present and future IDB investments in the areas of capacity building and development of scientific infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Office of Research Coordination from the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has announced the new competition for the NIH-PAHO Pan-American Fellowship (PAF) Program.  The main goal of the PAF is to encourage cooperation in the biomedical and behavioral sciences between NIH scientists and the scientific community from the Latin American and Caribbean region.  The Program brings post-doctoral trainees to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural laboratories.  Application deadline in June 30, 2002.  For more information please contact Dr. Luis A. Salicrup, FIC Program Officer for the Americas at (301) 496-4784 or by e-mail at salicrul@mail.nih.gov .

Dr. Nugent represented NIH at the Health and Environment Ministers of the Americas meeting in Ottawa, Canada, on March 4-5, 2002.  The objective was to provide technical input on health and environment linkages to DHHS and EPA officials who were negotiating an agreement across the countries of the Americas.  The role of scientific information and capacity-building for sustainable development was strongly emphasized in the final communiqué.  These messages will be provided to the up-coming World Summit on Sustainable Development.

NIH-Georgia Collaboration:  Dr. Keusch, Dr. Jeanne Mcdermott, Ms. Minerva Rojo and Natalie Tomitch met with Dr. Amiran Gamkrelidze, newly appointed Minister of Labor, Health , and Social Affairs of the Republic of Georgia, to discuss NIH-Georgian collaboration and possible ways to expand it.  FIC will explore the feasibility of conducting a joint NIH-Georgia scientific workshop in Tbilisi in FY2003.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE):  At the invitation of OIR and facilitated by the VA-based Center for Excellence in Education, Natalie Tomitch of FIC/DIR participated in a roundtable discussion with NIH visiting scientists from Bulgaria and the Sofia-based Sts. Cyril and Methodius Foundation to explore the development of closer collaboration between Bulgarian scientists and universities and the NIH.

Ms. Tomitch coordinated the NIH review of joint workshop and research project proposals in the life sciences, as part of the U.S.-Hungary and U.S.-Slovakia Joint Funds' final competitions.  The State Department sets aside funds for this competition as a means to stimulate bilateral cooperation.  Selection of the proposals is still in progress.  

Ms. Natalie Tomitch made a presentation on NIH opportunities for NIDA-supported INVEST and Hubert H. Humphrey fellows from 15 different nations.

Communicating Science

Dr. Rachel Nugent, FIC/DITR, participated in a workshop on "Science and the Media," organized by the Inter-academy Panel of science academies globally and SciDev.net in February 2002. The goal was to explore needs and methods for improving communication between scientists and journalists in developing countries, in order to produce clearer, more accurate, and more complete coverage of health and biomedical issues.  FIC is considering the development of an international training program to address these needs.

Mr. Michael McDowell Senior Advisor, Division of Advanced Studies and Policy Analysis, participated in meetings to discuss schools of journalism and public health, including the University of California at Berkeley on January 2-3.

He also attended meetings at the International Center for Journalists, Conservation International, and the World Bank.

Emphasis on Genetics

FIC and partner ICs launched a new program on International Collaborative Genetics Research Training.  Applications are due by March 25, 2002.  Continuing to explore the international dimensions of genetic research, Dr. Karen Hofman, Director, Division of Advanced Studies and Policy Analysis (DASPA), moderated a session at an NIH meeting hosted by NGHRI in February on Genetic Resources On the Web (GROW).

Ms. Nalini Anand, Science and Legal Policy Analyst, DASPA, participated in a workshop entitled "Traditional Knowledge, Intellectual Property, and Indigenous Culture" on February 21-22.

Bioethics

Dr. James Lavery presented a paper entitled, "Individual Benefits vs. Value to the Community: A Critique of 10 USC 980" at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD on January 30th.  He also attended the CIOMS International Conference on Revision of the 1993 International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, in Geneva, February 27-March 1, 2002.  This meeting was intended to move the revision drafting  committee towards consensus on the final language in the revised guidelines.  More than 50 delegates attended the meeting, including representatives from the Fogarty International Center and Clinical Center Department of Clinical Bioethics, NIH, CDC, and FDA.  Thirteen of the delegates were from the developing world, not including WHO staff from various developing countries.  The recommendations to CIOMS by the NIH Working Group from the fall of 2001 appear to have been largely reflected in the January 2002 draft revision, which is available at <http://www.cioms.ch/frame_guidelines_january_2002.htm> .

Personnel

Professor Dean Jamison has joined the FIC's Division of Advanced Studies and Policy Analysis.  He has been a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, since 1988, and is the director of UCLA's Program on Global Health and Education.  Dr. Jamison was lead author for the World Bank's 1993 World Development Report, Investing in Health.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The Americas:  The "Pan American Hypertension Initiative" (PAHI), launched by NHLBI and PAHO has been endorsed by seven international scientific organizations.  This initiative is designed to develop collaboration between national programs in hypertension in the Americas.  PAHI will focus on the health problems of an estimated 140 million hypertensives in the region, emphasizing the need to prevent and control this condition and its sequelae of heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, disability, and premature deaths.  A joint blood pressure measurement standard had been developed with partners in the Americas, and tested by PAHO in its public health programs in Costa Rica.  A meeting with PAHO and country representatives was held in April 2001 at NIH to discuss further joint plans for implementing the PAHI initiative in the region.  A follow-up meeting in the fall of2002 is being planned.

Europe:  NHLBI participated in an international conference held in Washington in May 2001 on "Women's Health in Menopause: New Strategies for Improved Quality of Life."  The conference covered a number of areas related to the health of women, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, etc.  Several European organizations are also participating under the leadership of the Giovanni Lorenzini Foundation in Milan, Italy.  A joint international document addressing "Women's Health in Menopause" is being developed by participants in the meeting and will be published by NHLBI.

Italy:  NHLBI is co-sponsoring a US-Italy Joint Symposium of prominent US and Italian scientists in March 2002 on Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches for Vascular Remodeling.  This is a cutting edge topic in international research, aimed at exploring t new strategies for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.  The meeting will be held at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American College of Cardiology.  Topics of discussion include, an overview of vascular genetics, angiogenesis, genetic therapies, smooth muscle and endothelial cells of the pulmonary system, the regulation of macrophages, extracellular matrix, and drug metabolism in cardiovascular disorders.

Multinational:  The NHLBI and the World Hypertension League (WHL) Working Group on Hypertension will conduct a joint symposium on Hypertension and Obesity on April 10, 2002 in Washington D.C.  Seven resource experts will present current scientific information on obesity and hypertension which will focus on the physiology, prevention, detection, and management of the two risk factors.  A Special Panel from the Hypertension Working Group will present the Public Health/Population perspective.  At the conclusion of the symposium, recommendations for a suggested action plan to prevent and control hypertension and obesity for the WHL will be developed.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

World Health Organization Activities

Dr. Patricia Reichelderfer, Microbiologist, Contraception and Reproductive Health Branch, (CRHB), Center for Population Research (CPR), NICHD, participated as a discussant at the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting on the Scientific Basis for Regulatory Decision on Microbicides, held in Geneva, Switzerland, March 4-6, 2002.  She also attended a planning meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, on March 7, 2002, in preparation for the Microbicides 2002 Conference that will be held in Antwerp on May 12-15, 2002.

Dr. Robert Spirtas, Chief, CRHB, CPR, NICHD, will serve as a temporary advisor and collaborating agency scientist at the WHO meeting on the Relationship Between Steroid Hormone Contraceptive Use, HPV Infection and Cervical Cancer (Geneva, March 11, 2002), and the WHO Specialist Panel Meeting on Reproductive Epidemiology (Geneva, March 12-14, 2002).

Dr. Lynne Mofenson, Chief Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch (PAMA), Center for Research for Mothers and Children (CRMC), NICHD, is a member of the WHO Working Group to Develop Interim Antiretroviral Treatment Guidelines for Resource-Poor Settings.  The WHO Group is developing guidelines for antiretroviral drug therapy in developing countries, including guidelines for pregnant women and children.  The first meeting of the Working Group was held in Geneva, Switzerland, in November 2001.  Dr. Mofenson chairs the WHO Working Group Section on Guidelines for Antiretroviral Drug Use in Pregnancy and wrote the draft guidelines.  The Working Group plans to meet in Geneva on April 2-3, 2002 to discuss and endorse the final draft of the document.

New Extended Partnership for Safe Pregnancy and Newborn Health

Dr. Susan Meikle, Scientific Coordinator, Global Network for Women and Children's Health Research and Medical Officer, CRMC, NICHD, attended a meeting in London, United Kingdom, February 5-7, 2002, that was focuses on the formation of a new global alliance to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality as part of a new interagency working group.  Participation in this alliance provides NICHD a unique opportunity to take an active partnership role with non-governmental organizations, WHO, UNICEF and other agencies that have been actively involved in the Safe Motherhood Initiative since it establishment in 1987.

United Nations ACC Subcommittee on Nutrition

Dr. Yvonne Maddox, Acting Deputy Director, NIH, Deputy Director, NICHD, and Acting Associate Director for Prevention Research and International Programs (PRIP), NICHD, was invited to represent the NIH at the 29th Session of the United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination Subcommittee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN), to be held in Berlin, Germany, March 11-15, 2002.  Dr. Daniel Raiten, Health Scientist Administrator, PRIP, NICHD, will attend the meeting on behalf of Dr. Maddox.  A primary purpose of the ACC/SCN is to encourage and support evidence-based solutions to public health problems associated with global malnutrition.  Dr. Raiten has been invited to present at the meeting on research needs and translation of research to practice in the area of nutrition and HIV infection.

Trans-NIH Subcommittee on International Nutrition Research (SCINR)

The first meeting of SCINR, a subcommittee of the NIH Nutrition Coordinating Committee (NCC), was held on Monday, March 4 at NIH.  Representatives of 15 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) participated in the meeting, which was co-chaired by Dr. Raiten, NICHD, and Dr. Rachel Nugent, FIC.  In addition to establishing the administrative structure and schedule of the SCINR, the meeting included presentations by each member about current IC activities in international nutrition and related issues.  Dr. Paul Coates, Director, Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), NIH, presented the ODS/FIC Latin American Capacity Building Initiative.  Dr. Raiten shared a concept for a proposed consultation in Africa on the "Development of an Evidence Base for Micronutrient Interventions."

Argentina and Brazil:  Dr. Florence Haseltine, Director, Center for Population Research, NICHD, participated in the 28th Annual Conference of the International Embryo Transfer Society that was held in Foz DO Iguaca, Parana, Brazil, January 12-15, 2002.  Dr. Haseltine also plans to attend the 12th World Congress on In Vitro Fertilization and Molecular Reproduction, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 14-19, 2002.  She will present a paper on "In Vitro Fertilization Data and Multiple Pregnancy."

Dr. Heather Watts, Medical Officer, PAMA Branch, CRMC, NICHD and NICHD Contract Specialist Ms. Dorothy McKelvin participated in a site visit and meetings at the Fundacao Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 31-February 1 2002.  This site has been proposed, under a contract, to conduct a clinical trial in Latin America to evaluate neonatal antiretroviral prophylaxsis for HIV transmission from mother to child.  The study is titled NICHD/HPTN 040 Phase II Randomized Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Three Neonatal Antiretroviral Regimens for Prevention of Intrapartum HIV-1 Transmission.  NICHD has received funding from OAR for implementation of this protocol in Brazil and the United States.

China:  At a meeting at NIH, organized by Dr. Allen Holt and Mr. Kevin Bialy, FIC (January 22, 2002), NICHD's Dr. Rebecca Clark, Health Scientist Administrator, Demographic and Behavioral Science Branch, CPR, Dr. Susan Meikle, Medical Officer, CRMC, and Ms. Eva Sereghy, Program Analyst, PRIP, met with a small delegation of visiting Chinese scientists and administrators from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Tianjin, China, a city with a population of 10 million.  The meeting focused on an exchange of information about the Tianjin CDC and NICHD research and program priorities and collaborative opportunities in the areas of disease prevention and health promotion.

Finland:  Dr. Gilman Grave, Chief, Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Growth Branch, CRMC, NICHD, will attend the Steering Committee Meeting for Trials to Reduce the Incidence of Diabetes and the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) in Helsinki, Finland, March 22-27, 2002.

Japan:  Dr. Sarah Friedman, Project Scientist and Scientific Coordinator, NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, Office of Extramural Policy, NICHD, presented an invited paper on "Early Child Care and Children's Development Prior to School Entry" at a symposium sponsored by the Nippon Hoso Kyokai Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan, on February 8.  Dr. Friedman also spoke at the Child Research Network of the Benesse Corporation at Tama City, Tokyo on February 8.  both of her presentations reported on results about family and child care predictors of school findings from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a long-term longitudinal study of the linkages between child rearing environments and children's health and health outcomes.  She also appeared in an interview on "Good Morning Japan."

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Cancer Registries

The establishment of cancer registries is a critical first step in public health planning, assessment of facility and manpower needs, research, and establishment of effective cancer control programs.  The NCI Office of International Affairs (OIA) regularly sponsors attendance of personnel from developing countries at courses on cancer registration and cancer epidemiology conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.  In cooperation with the Middle East Cancer Consortium, OIA has sponsored on-site cancer registry training programs in Bethlehem, Israel (West Bank), and Amman, Jordan.  In recent years, training programs have also been held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Shanghai, and Beijing, China; and Trivandrum, India.  In January 2002, there was a course held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for registrars from Slovenia and neighboring countries.  A similar course is scheduled for September 2002, in Nairobi, Kenya, for registrars from various Sub-Saharan African countries.  In addition to registry training, OIA is providing assistance to develop infrastructure at cancer registries in Kenya, Nigeria, Swaziland, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Other Training

Each year, individuals from a number of foreign countries participate in the Cancer Prevention and Control Academic Course, offered by the Division of Cancer Prevention.  In FY 2001, OIA sponsored students from Bolivia, Brazil, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia.  In 2002, sponsored participants will come from Argentina, Costa Rica, Egypt, Ghana, India, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, and Vietnam.

Grants and Contracts

During FY-2001, NCI supported 64 foreign research grants and 12 foreign research contacts.  Also, 157 research grants and 4 research contracts awarded to U.S. institutions during FY 2001 had a significant foreign component.

U.S.- Japan Program

The United States-Japan Cooperative Cancer Research Program, jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, presented a symposium on "Tobacco-Related Cancers" on February 25-26, 2002, at the Natcher Center on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland.  Keynote speakers included: Dr. John Minna (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX), on "Molecular Pathogenesis of Lung Cancer with Potential Translational Applications;" and, Dr. Margaret Spitz (MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX), on "Genetic Susceptibility to Tobacco Carcinogenesis."

Office of AIDS Research

The Office of AIDS Research convened an FY 2004 NIH International AIDS Research Planning Workshop on February 14 to develop a comprehensive plan for NIH-supported research on HIV/AIDS in developing countries and to identify priorities for this research.  The workshop was attended by foreign scientists, extramural investigators, staff of the NIH and other government agencies, and representatives of affected communities in the U.S. and abroad.  Thirty-five experts participated in this activity including 8 scientists from countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

Updated May 2003