PROFILE 2010 

N I H C L I N I C A L C E N T E R 

DIRECTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT 

There’s No Other Hospital Like It
�

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services • National Institutes of Health 
D • A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0

 

 

 

 

P R O F I L E 2 0 1 0 

Message from the Director 1 

Mission/Vision 2 

patient Activity and Support 4 

Advancing Clinical research 15 

organizational Improvement/teamwork 31 

training the next Generation 38 

noteworthy 44 

organization and Governance 50 

THE aRT OF HEaLINg 

tiles from the Clinical Center’s Art of Healing project are displayed on 

the cover of Profile 2010. CC patients and their family members created 

individual, hand-painted tiles for the project, an art therapy initiative of 

the rehabilitation Medicine Department’s recreation therapy Section. 

the project’s goal was to offer a way to depict personal perspectives 

about participating in clinical research at the Clinical Center.What 

emerged is a collection of nearly 150 tiles that reflect hope, fear, faith, 

care, isolation, and personal fulfillment.A group of the tiles are displayed 

in an exhibit on the Clinical Center’s 7th floor.the display is entitled 

“Hope Flows from one to Another.” (Above) Dr. John I. Gallin, 

Clinical Center director, talks with Benjamin lopez during the exhibit’s 

unveiling in March 2009. Benjamin’s mother was a contributor to the 

project and spoke at the ceremony. 
 

 

 

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R 

RENEwEd cOmmITmENT 

More new patients, along with increases in admissions, inpatient days, and outpatient 

visits, set a busy pace for the Clinical Center in 2009. one result has been a substantial 

increase in patient census.that increase, which we hope will continue, is great news 

for clinical research.As patient activity expands, so do opportunities for stimulating 

and sustaining promising research. 

Devising organizational efficiencies allowed the Clinical Center to successfully meet 

the demand for more services, even in light of a flat budget. Improved planning with 

our Institute partners will be a key component in future efforts to manage costs while 

fostering excellent and productive clinical research. 

In 2010 there will be unprecedented opportunities thanks to Clinical Center 

initiatives. the Biomedical translational research Information System provides an 

invaluable new tool for clinical researchers. Innovative imaging capabilities enhance 

disease diagnosis and treatment. our barcoding project strengthens patient safeguards. 

the new GMp (good manufacturing practices) facility for making candidate drugs 

provides a unique resource for our clinical investigators.training programs in clinical 

research continue to expand globally. 

In 2010, we face changes in funding models and in governance, changes that hold 

promise for even greater efficiencies and progress. Continued success depends on 

our shared commitment to future possibilities, a commitment that our extraordinary 

Clinical Center team demonstrates daily. 

John I. Gallin, MD 

Director, NIH Clinical Center 

A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 0 9 • 1 
 

O U R

O U R v I S I O N As America’s research hospital, we will lead the global effort in 

training today’s investigators and discovering tomorrow’s cures. 

M I S S I O N To provide a versatile clinical research environment enabling the 

NIH mission to improve human health by: 

•	� Investigating the pathogenesis and natural history of disease 

• Developing state-of-the-art diagnostic, preventive, and 

therapeutic interventions 

• Training the next generation of clinical researchers 

• Ensuring that clinical research is safe, efficient, and ethical 

There’s No Other Hospital Like It
�
A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 3 

R E c E N T c L I N I c a L c E N T E R a c H I E v E m E N T s 

I N 2 0 0 9 w E : 

•	�Increased patient census. 

•	�Received an outstanding score from The Joint commission 

following its annual visit to evaluate our commitment to quality. 

•	�Began the Traumatic Brain Injury project, a collaboration involving 

the Rehabilitation medicine department, Radiology and Imaging 

sciences, and the department of defense. 

•	�Implemented a barcoding initiative to enhance patient safety and 

improve collection of research specimens. 

•	�Activated BTRIS, the Biomedical Translational Research Information system. 

•	�Attracted record enrollment in clinical research training 

programs expanded program reach globally. 

•	�Improved the environment and services for patients and families. 

•	�Opened two new trans-NIH imaging resources, the center for Interventional 

Oncology and the center for Infectious diseases Imaging. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patient Activity and Support 

HOmE sTaTEs OF aLL acTIvE cLINIcaL cENTER PaTIENTs 

0-99 

100-499 

500-1,999 

2,000-9,999 

10,000 + 

Patients come to NIH from 

every corner of America 

seeking answers to their 

scientific and medical questions. 

Finding these answers through 

leading-edge clinical research 

is the sole mission of the 

NIH Clinical Center, guiding 

all of its activity. 

AK 

VT 113 

NH 163 

MA 973 

RI 94 

CT 567 

NJ 1667 

DE 350 

DC 5945 

MD 26,378 

PA 

3126 

UT 

420 

CO 

495 KS 

286 

WA 

573 

CA 

2276 

OR 

328 ID 

147 

MT 

108 

WY 

48 

NV 

140 

AZ 

459 

NM 

209 

ND 

53 

SD 

53 

NE 

163 

OK 

278 AR 

172 

TN 

592 

TX 

1532 

MN 

502 

IA 

260 

MO 

530 

LA 

439 

WI 

610 

IL 

1007 

IN 

648 

OH 

1285 

MS 

207

AL 

325 

GA 

1064 

MI 

1126 

NC 

1319 

SC 

607 

FL 

2368 

MA 

188 

WV 

728 VA 

11,597 

NY 

2800 

KY 

433 

80 

71 

HI 

wORkFORcE dIsTRIBuTION 

Nursing & patient care/support 

services 42% 

Administrative & operations 17% 

Clinical departments & 

imaging sciences 

departments 41% 

The Clinical Center has a staff of 

approximately 2,000. 

Fy 2009 BudgET By maJOR caTEgORy 

351.9 MILLION 

Salaries and benefits 55% 

NIH assessments 7% 

Drugs 10% 

Contracts (labor) 7%
�

Contracts (non-labor) 10%
�

Equipment 3%
�

Supplies 6%
�

All other 2%
�

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Admissions 07 5,825 4.4% decrease 

08 6,105 4.8% increase 

09 6,426 5.3% increase 

New patients 07 9,435 2% increase 

08 9,460 0.3% increase 

09 10,315 9% increase 

Inpatient days 07 51,189 0.7% decrease 

08 51,311 0.2% increase 

09 55,664 8.5% increase 

Average length 07 8.6 3.7% increase 

of stay (days) 08 8.5 1.5% decrease 

09 8.7 2.6% increase 

Outpatient 07 90.889 4.5% decrease 

visits 08 90,254 0.7% decrease 

09 96,372 6.8% increase 

O N s I T E c L I N c a L a c T I v I T y F O R 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 9 

Active 05 1,357 

Protocols 06 1,372 

07 1,390 

08 1,449 

09 1,451 

New 05 180 

Protocols 06 205 

07 166 

08 155 

09 162 

Principal 05 487 

Investigators 06 505 

07 484 

08 478 

09 481 

P a T I E N T a c T I v I T y 2 0 0 7 – 2 0 0 9 

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RAISING THE BAR ON PATIENT SAFETY

 

Use of barcoding enhances 

patient safety. 

A new strategy to enhance patient care, barcode 

technology was introduced to the Clinical Center’s 

clinical care and research work this year. 

this initiative allows a patient’s care team to link 

the patient to medical orders, ensuring that clinical 

and research specimens are accurately obtained 

and that blood and medications are given safely. 

use of the patient-specific barcode helps minimize 

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human error in medicine and blood administration and in specimen collection by requiring staff 

to scan the patient’s barcode at various points 

while drawing blood or giving medication, for 

example. 

the updated barcodes are printed on inpatient 

wristbands and on outpatient extended visitor 

badges. Current outpatients are being asked to 

visit the new barcode station near the p1 level 

Hospitality Desk to have a label with their barcode 

affixed to their extended visitor badge. outpatients 

without an extended visitor badge will be issued a 

barcode card to bring with them to appointments. 

In fall 2009 the barcode technology was implemented into outpatient specimen collection in 

phlebotomy. phase III—now in progress—introduces barcode technology in the inpatient, 

outpatient, and day hospital settings. phase IV 

will add the barcode process to blood and blood 

component transfusions. 

MORE THAN FUN AND GAMES

Brothers Jonathon (left) and 

Joshua Thomas build teamwork as they play a game 

requiring synchronization for 

success. 

the nintendo Wii is giving the rehabilitation 

Medicine Department a new way to engage 

patients in enjoyable and restorative exercise. 

recreation therapists say it helps in cardiovascular 

exercise, balance, coordination, and cognitive skill 

development in ways the patient does not see as 

work. 

playroom, one in the rehabilitation Medicine 

Department, and a portable Wii system for bedside 

treatment, serving both child and adult patients. 

the CC’s recreation therapy Section has used 

the game system with patients in a variety of 

protocols to address identified treatment goals, said 

recreation therapist robin Greenfield.All patients 

are invited to use the Wii, with a medical clearance 

form, to help achieve therapy goals as part of their 

treatment plans. 

“I use the Wii with patients from the national 

Institute of neurological Disorders and Stroke to 

address problems with memory, balance, and range 

of motion, and to increase the overall activity level 

of patients,” Greenfield said.“the game controls 

can be easily adapted based on one’s strengths and 

abilities, so even those with limited abilities can 

use it.” 

the Clinical Center has a Wii in the main 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New diagnostic imaging devices automatically 

record radiation exposure 

radiology and Imaging Sciences at the Clinical 

Center has taken a significant step to further safeguard clinical research patients who are exposed 

to radiation during certain imaging tests. Computed tomography (Ct) and positron emission 

tomography (pet)/Ct equipment purchased by 

the Clinical Center is now be required to routinely record radiation dose exposure in a patient’s 

hospital-based electronic medical record. 

“When a hospital or clinic patient receives a 

medication or a treatment, it is routinely recorded 

in the patient’s medical record,” said Dr. John 

I. Gallin, CC director.“the Clinical Center's 

approach is an important first step in making it 

possible to more easily document and track information about a patient's exposure to radiation.” 

today, electronic radiology information systems in 

hospitals generally do not collect or report radiation exposures.“Ct and pet/Ct scanners do 

not currently forward data on radiation dose 

to our radiology information systems,” said 

Dr. David A. Bluemke, CC director of radiology 

and Imaging Sciences. 

the risk of exposure to low doses of medical 

radiation from diagnostic medical-imaging tests 

isn't known, but very high radiation doses have the 

potential to cause cancer.the ability to keep track 

of an individual’s exposure to radiation through 

routine imaging tests is needed so that researchers 

can begin to determine if these exposures pose a 

health risk. 

“the national Council on radiation protection 

and Measurements reported recently thatAmericans 

received seven times more radiation exposure from 

medical tests in 2006 than was the case in the 

1980s,” said Dr. ronald neumann, CC chief of 

nuclear medicine and deputy associate director 

for imaging sciences.“Ct and cardiac nuclear 

medicine studies accounted for much of this 

increased medical radiation exposure.” 

ultimately, radiation dosage could become a 

standard element of a universal electronic medical 

record used to assess radiation risk from life-long 

medical testing, the radiologists said.“recording 

radiation dose is technically possible and an ethical 

imperative, ” neumann said. 

“We also will require that newly purchased 

equipment allows patients to record their radiation dose exposure in their own personal health 

record,” Bluemke added. online resources to help 

individuals organize their health information as a 

personal medical record are becoming more prevalent. Currently, patients can easily receive their 

diagnostic imaging studies records on CD-roM, 

Bluemke said.the imaging program will work 

with vendors who supply CC imaging equipment 

to develop software tools to extract the examination type, date, and radiation dose exposure from 

the CD-roM, for uploading to a personal health 

record.As both the American College of radiology 

and the radiological Society of north America 

have recommended, patients should keep a record 

of their X-ray history. 

About 25,000 Ct and 1,250 pet/Ct scans 

are performed here each year as part of nIH 

research protocols.the clinical research hospital 

currently houses five Ct scanners and two pet/ 

Ct scanners. 

sENd IN THE cLOwNs 

thanks to the nIH recreation and Welfare Association, 

Clinical Center patients have for many years attended the 

ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Before the 

2009 performance, the Children’s Inn hosted a pizza party, 

with many of the circus artists in attendance.the clowns 

brought smiles out from two Inn residents: Samantha and 

Kegan Druckenmiller. 

A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 7 
8 • A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 

M A K I N G M U S I C

musIcaL gIFTs 

Dedication

The Steinway grand piano in the Hatfield Building’s atrium was formally 

dedicated April 17, 2009, during a concert by Dr. Tracy Rouault of the 

National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (fourth from 

left) and her instuctor Grace McFarlane (second from left). Also present 

at the event were (from left): donors Michael Batza and Earl Linehan; 

Dr. W. Marston Linehan of the National Cancer Institute; CC Director 

Dr. John I. Gallin; and donors Pattie Batza and Darielle Linehan.

Series begins

The inaugural performance of the NIH Clinical Center piano concert 

series was given Friday, March 13, 2009, in the Clinical Center’s atrium. 

In his opening remarks, CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin (top right) thanked 

Dr. W. Marston Linehan, and his wife, Dr. Tracy Rouault, for finding the 

piano and helping to launch the series. Performing was Grace McFarlane, 

(right) a Jamaican-born pianist who has played Carnegie Recital Hall and the 

Kennedy Center. “This center focuses on healing and researching ways to 

heal people, not just physically, but also healing the soul. I hope today this 

music can heal the soul,” McFarlane said before the concert. 

HOLIDAY TRADITION

It’s a tradition for Marvin Hamlisch (right) to conduct the National 

Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays POPS concert every December. 

It’s also a tradition for Hamlisch to visit the Edmond J. Safra Family 

Lodge to present a special concert—one for the designed to bring cheer 

to lodge guests. This was Hamlisch’s fifth visit to NIH. Joining him were 

(from left) flutist Emma Resmini, tenor Jonathan Ansell, and soprano 

Michele Ragusa. 
A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 9 

BALTIMORE ORCHESTRA

Members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra serenaded Clinical Center 

staff, patients, and visitors with a July concert in the atrium. Joseph Young, 

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Peabody conducting fellow, directed the 

wind ensemble and pointed out that though the ensemble’s summer residence is “just one red line stop away” at The Music Center at Strathmore, it 

was the first time the group had been to the NIH. “The piece that we are 

playing today originated from a place just like this one, from an open forum,” 

said Young, gesturing towards the open, light-filled atrium.

WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE

A world concert tour hits the 

major spots—New York City, 

Budapest, Paris, and Bethesda, 

Md. In the midst of a threemonth trip playing his music 

around the globe, international 

piano sensation Adam György 

of Hungary stopped at the 

Clinical Center in October. 

DUET

Sister and brother prodigies, Olivia and Jeffrey Ly, 

13 and 14 respectfully, played Strauss, Gershwin, and 

Brahms in August. They were accompanied by their 

long-time instructor, Dr. Bella E. Oster, professor 

of piano performance at the European Academy 

of Music and Art. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INITIaTIvE sPOTLIgHTs REsEaRcH PaRTIcIPaNT EducaTION 

The Research Participant Education Committee 

meets quarterly to review submitted programs. 

Co-chairs Nonniekaye Shelburne (left) and Wendy 

Schubert (second from left) lead the team. 

the research participant education Committee, 

new in 2009, is leading a more formal process to 

deliver quality research participant education. 

the policy that established the committee gives 

staff a systematic way to develop and access 

education tools for research participants.tapping 

the expertise of more than 10 Clinical Center 

departments and disciplines, the committee will 

bring new education efforts to life and be the 

main conduit through which CC staff have their 

education materials approved. 

the research participant education Committee’s multidisciplinary representatives will funnel 

research participant education programs through the 

committee at quarterly meetings. once vetted and 

approved, the programs appear on an intranet Web 

site, which links to Medline and nIH resources and 

can be customized for unit-specific information so 

staff have ready access to what they need.the committee’s multidisciplinary focus helps make research 

participant education programs meet the educational needs of the CC diverse patient population. 

“CC staff, historically, have done a world class job 

of providing our research participants with accurate and timely information about the protocols in 

which they are enrolled and the care they receive. 

the committee enhances these activities by providing the CC with a central forum where educational 

materials can be vetted and coordinated,” said 

laura lee, special assistant to the deputy director 

for clinical care. 

1 0 • A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 

cycLIsTs cOmBaTINg caNcER 

Members of Cyclists Combating Cancer, a small slice of lance Armstrong’s 

lIVeStronG army, stopped at nIH and toured the Clinical Center in September as part of their nationwide bicycle tour to raise awareness about the need for 

cancer research funding.“We are [cancer] survivors, but we do not think of this 

as an appropriate term for us,” said Cindy Hart, director of the group.“We would 

much rather be referred to as cancer warriors.” emblazoned on their bright 

yellow jerseys: unity is strength, knowledge is power, attitude is everything. 
A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 1 1 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCAN SHOWS SUCCESSFUL SIBLING DAY

the Second Annual Sibling Day, a collaboration 

among the national Cancer Institute, the 

Clinical Center, and the Children’s Inn, on 

July 14 led 11 siblings of nIH patients to different 

CC departments and through therapeutic exercises 

to better understand and express what they are 

going through.the children visited the CC’s 

Department of laboratory Medicine and got to 

take a ride in a mock scanner in the national 

Institute of Mental Health Behavioral Health 

Clinic.At left, clinic manager Frances Myers 

demonstrated to Ane roesvik (right) and Anna 

torres (left), how the simulator works; Samantha 

Druckenmiller played patient.the mock scanner is 

used to introduce the MrI procedure to children 

to test if they could manage the high-cost/highdemand imaging test, Myers said.With the CC’s 

rehabilitation Medicine Department’s recreation 

therapy Section, the children shared tips on 

coping with a sibling’s illness and made worry 

boxes with art therapist Megan robb. Sibling Day 

ended with an awards ceremony at the Children’s 

Inn.the event’s director, Dr. lori Wiener, 

coordinator of nCI’s pediatric psychosocial 

Support program, presented each participant with 

a super sibling certificate.“they have shown us 

strength, courage, insight, and compassion.they 

are truly our teachers,” Wiener told the families 

and staff gathered at the ceremony. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

one recent addition to the Clinical Center’s 

permanent art collection—a program to enhance 

the patient experience—comes from one of 

the target audience. River Cells is an oil painting 

by former patient paula Crawford, an associate 

professor of painting at George Mason university 

who has exhibited nationally and internationally. 

“I’ve been an artist most of my adult life,” 

Crawford said.“that is what I’ve gotten up in the 

morning to do everyday.” Some of those days were 

spent in the CC to participate in a protocol under 

Dr.Yaron rotman from the liver Diseases Branch 

of the national Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

and Kidney Diseases for treatment of chronic 

Hepatitis C. Crawford cited a contaminated 

gamma globulin shot received before a trip to 

Mexico as the probable source of her infection. 

Despite the taxing treatment regime, Crawford 

said,“I had the best medical care that I have 

ever experienced in my life ... everywhere 

at the Clinical Center I encountered a rare 

and unparalleled combination of organization, 

competence, and kindness.” 

FORMER PATIENT’S ART EXPLORES INNER AND OUTER LANDSCAPE

While around the building, her artist’s eye noticed 

the aesthetics.“the care to the physical building 

coupled with that of the doctors and staff become 

critical to a kind of total experience the patient 

receives.” 

of River Cells she said,“I was trying to make a 

painting that both felt like watching river stones 

beneath rushing water (outside landscape), but 

also somewhat like looking through a microscope 

(interior landscape),” she said.the piece hangs in 

the Hatfield Building’s seventh floor breezeway. 

“I hope that the art work inspires patients 

and co-workers the way paula’s courage and 

determination inspired me,” rotman said. 

twenty-two other art pieces were donated to 

the CC collection in 2009 and eight works 

were purchased.the new pieces comprise 24 

paintings by artists pat Goslee,Angela Hennessy, 

Chris Stephens, Jean Meisal, and John Hughes; 

three mixed media works by Janet Graham; two 

watercolors by Sean Callahan; and a mosaic by 

Annette Abrams. 

River Cells © by Paula Crawford 

phlebotomy moved into a 

newly renovated space in 

mid-2009. More specimendraw booths and a more 

open and cheerful patient 

waiting area allow the busy 

department to accommodate 

visits more efficiently and 

comfortably. radiology and 

Imaging Sciences sports 

a new, more open look 

thanks to renovations in the 

patient reception area aimed 

at making the space more 

welcoming and comfortable. 

AREA IMPROVEMENTS

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A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 1 3 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE cLINIcaL cENTER’s scHOOL 

Teachers in the NIH Children’s School, 

located across from the main playroom 

on the Hatfield Building’s first floor, 

tutor patients in grades kindergarten 

through 12 and patients studying for 

the General Educational Development 

Test. Teachers include Anne Wasson, 

going over a math assignment with 

Erik Santa, 14. 

RECREATION THERAPY PILOTS NEW PATIENT ACTIVITIES CALENDAR FORMAT

the recreation therapy Section in the Clinical 

Center’s rehabilitation Medicine Department is 

developing new ways to share information about 

events here. one uses calendars that are easier 

to read and update. A permanent poster depicts 

descriptions of programs, a map, and a weekly 

set schedule of events, and the same information 

is printed on a flyer, currently available in both 

english and Spanish, for visitors to take with them 

and reference.the current week’s events—a trip 

to the movies, a visit from the therapy dogs, and a 

chili festival, for example—are listed on a separate 

flyer. 

the schedule of events is also audiocast each 

month on CC radio, accessible through the CC 

Web site, and posted on the patient portal.“A lot 

of collaborative energy has gone into this patientcentered initiative,” said recreation therapy 

Recreation therapist Laura 

Maring reviews the new 

Recreation Therapy Section 

schedule board with Yonjari 

Figuereo of the Dominican 

Republic. 

Section Chief Donna Gregory.“We have received 

positive feedback from patients and families in 

the first few weeks of piloting the project.the 

most frequent response from patients so far is,‘it 

is so much easier to read.’ Several families have 

commented on the value of having the new 

activity schedule format in Spanish and on the 

patient portal Web site.” 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARTNER IN TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH ELEVATES SERVICE

In the Messenger and 

Patient Escort Services office, the phone 

rings constantly—the 

norm, reported intake 

coordinator Nicholas 

Clarke (right). At left, 

intake coordinator Chris 

Strickland and training coordinator Shelia 

Genrette review a list 

of the day’s submitted 

requests. 

Who you gonna call? At the Clinical Center, 

we don’t need ghostbusters, but we sure do 

need Messenger and patient escort Services. 

the more than 40 escort employees field 

upwards of 10,000 calls per month for patient 

transport (about 23 percent of the requests) 

and movement of research specimens, blood 

products, and medications.the department, 

recently brought under Hospitality Services, 

has integrated customer service standards 

and training to elevate their interactions with 

patients and other staff.the escorts have seen 

their morale elevate with the change. 

“I love patient escort; I love my job,” said 

Shelia Genrette, training coordinator. 

Signs in the escort office—behind the South 

elevators on the p1 level—remind staff to 

introduce themselves and confirm patient 

identity and their location when taking a patient 

to or from an appointment, and outline the 

standards for front-line patient-care service. 

Denise Ford, chief of Hospitality Services, 

emphasizes professional attitude and appearance. 

“patient escorts feel good about what they do, 

and that shows in how they deliver service,” 

she said. 

With the increased patient census, Messenger 

and patient escort Services has seen a surge 

in orders.As Genrette and intake coordinators 

Chris Strickland and nicholas Clarke explain 

their process, the phone rings off the hook. 

each call and computer order is entered into 

their system that records what they do and how 

much time it takes them to do it.“We measure 

the workload and how we perform, so we 

can adjust and improve,” Strickland said. 

High-volume requests, like stat orders and 

those from the pharmacy Department, get 

dedicated escorts.the pharmacy’s tube system 

is used as much as it can be, but many research 

medications cannot be agitated and must 

be moved by hand. Messengers check the 

outpatient clinics, phlebotomy, and inpatient 

units on rounds every hour. putting orders in 

the system correctly and placing specimens in 

the proper pick-up locations helps the escorts 

expedite the process of translational research. 

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Advancing Clinical Research 

PROTOcOLs By REsEaRcH TyPE 

(ONSITE INTRAMURAL PROTOCOLS, FISCAL YEAR 2009) 

Total active protocols: 1,451	�

Clinical trials: 635 (44%) 

Training: 25 (2%) 

Sample data analysis: 84 (5%) 

Screening: 69 (5%) 

Natural history 

(disease pathogenesis): 623 (43%) 

(15 protocols are pharmaco-dynamics/kinetics studies.) 

Clinical studies are medical research studies (or protocols) 

in which human volunteers participate. Clinical trials 

are studies developing or investigating new treatments 

and medications for diseases and conditions. Natural 

history studies investigate normal human biology and 

the development of a particular disease. Screening studies 

determine if individuals may be suitable candidates for 

inclusion in a particular study. Training studies provide 

an opportunity for staff physicians and other health-care 

professionals to follow particular types of patients. 

Breakdown of clinical trials	�

Total clinical trials: 635 

Phase 0: 8 (1%) 

Phase I: 204 (33%) 

Phase I-2: 46 (6%) 

Phase 2: 325 (52%) 

Phase 3: 38 (6%)
�

Phase 4 14 (2%) 

Clinical trials phases 

Phase 0:	� An initial first-in-human study (20-30 

participants) under an exploratory InD 

(investigational new drug) for early 

identification of biologic and molecular 

markers in new clinical agents.there is very 

little agent exposure with no therapeutic or 

diagnostic intent.
�

Phase I: researchers test a new drug or treatment
� 

for the first time in a small group of people 

(20–80) to evaluate its safety, determine a safe 

dosage range, and identify side effects. 

Phase II:	� the study drug or treatment is given to a 

larger group of people (100–300) to see if it is 

effective and to further evaluate its safety. 

Phase III:	� the study drug or treatment is given to 

large groups of people (3,000 or more) to 

confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, 

compare it with commonly used treatments, 

and collect information that will ensure 

safe usage. 

Phase IV:	�these studies are done after the drug 

or treatment has been marketed. researchers 

continue to collect information about the 

effect of the drug or treatment in various 

populations and to determine any side effects 

from long-term use. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cENTER FOR INTERvENTIONaL ONcOLOgy 

Chief of the new Center for 

Interventional Oncology, 

Dr. Bradford Wood, 

demonstrates image-guided 

tumor ablation in a CC 

Radiology and Imaging 

Sciences suite. 

precision is the goal of a new collaboration 

involving the Clinical Center, the national Cancer 

Institute, and the national Heart, lung, and Blood 

Institute.the Center for Interventional oncology 

will pull on the strengths of each to investigate 

how imaging technology can diagnose and treat 

localized cancers in ways that are precisely targeted 

and minimally or non-invasive. 

“the Center for Interventional oncology will 

help bridge the gap between emerging technology 

and the everyday practice of medicine,” said chief 

of the new center, CC radiology and Imaging 

Science’s Dr. Bradford Wood.“Advanced imaging 

methods have ushered in an era of early detection of cancers that are frequently localized to a 

single organ.” the new center will use the CC's 

advanced imaging technologies, including cuttingedge magnetic resonance imaging (MrI), positron 

emission tomography (pet), and computed 

tomography (Ct)—as well as the capability to use 

all three technologies simultaneously—to navigate 

a therapeutic device through the body. 

the localized therapies use a thin needle or sound 

waves to ablate (or cook) tumors and to enhance 

drug delivery. energy sources include highintensity focused ultrasound, freezing, microwaves, 

and radiofrequency,Wood said. researchers will 

also expand investigations into electroporation— 

the use of electricity to make cells more ‘open’ to 

targeted drug delivery. 

the new program provides an interdisciplinary 

environment combining training, patient treatment, and translational research and development 

in interventional oncology,Wood said. Goals 

include image-guided “dose-painting”—tailoring 

drug delivery based on disease location; use 

of ‘medical GpS’ for tumor biopsy and treatment; 

and first-in-human investigations involving new 

drugs, devices, molecular probes, nanoparticles, 

and targeted therapies. 

Dr. David A. Bluemke, director of CC radiology 

and Imaging Sciences, will head the Center for 

Interventional oncology steering committee 

that comprises two nCI appointees and one 

each from nHlBI and the CC. 

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cENTER FOR INFEcTIOus dIsEasE ImagINg 

looking at common illnesses like influenza and 

rare conditions such as hemorrhagic fevers, Clinical 

Center imaging specialists have begun a partnership 

to learn more about the presentation and characteristics of various infectious diseases. 

the CC radiology and Imaging Sciences group 

has teamed with the national Institute of Allergy 

and Infectious Diseases to establish the new Center 

for Infectious Disease Imaging, which will use 

state-of-the-art imaging methods to understand, 

diagnose, and aid the medical management of 

public health threats such as influenza, severe acute 

respiratory syndrome (SArS), poxviruses, and 

other emerging pathogens. 

“the radiology and nIAID partnership will form 

an image-based strategy to understand infectious 

diseases and translate that understanding into 

applications for diagnosis and staging and for monitoring response to therapy,” said Dr. Daniel Mollura, radiology and Imaging Sciences and acting director 

a staff radiologist. research will take place at the of the Center for Infectious Disease Imaging. 

newly constructed nIAID Integrated research 

Facility at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Md.the facil- Advanced imaging will help clinician-scientists 

ity is a state-of-the-art research laboratory designed learn more about how infections present, allowing 

to conduct research in biological safety laboratory for quicker disease detection. Imaging pathogen 

level 4 conditions—the highest possible rating. movement throughout the body at systemic and 

cellular levels will also help scientists determine 

the center will have the tools available to allow optimal therapies and tracking strategies,said Mollura. 

discoveries in infectious disease imaging to be “this effort will be critical for understanding the 

translated to the care and treatment of patients,” pathophysiology of infectious diseases that are 

noted Dr. David A. Bluemke, director of potential threats to public health.” 

Scientists at the Center for 

Infectious Disease Imaging 

will use advanced technologies such as this single

positron emission computed 

tomography (SPECT CT) 

machine to identify functional 

changes inside the body. 

(Image courtesy of NIAID)

Recovery Act funds support CC projects 

Funding from the American recovery and reinvestment Act (ArrA) is enabling major equipment purchases in support 

of initiatives that will help stimulate advances in science and technology. the projects are:
�

•	� expansion and upgrades to electronic picture Archiving Communications Systems that support filmless radiology operations, 

including integration with the electronic Clinical research Information System. 

•	� new pet/Ct scanner to strengthen and expand support for clinical research and patient care. 

•	� replacement and installation of a Ct scanner to strengthen and expand support for clinical research and patient care. 

•	� A pharmacy information/dispensing system, including a dispensing robot, to automate and track prescriptions for outpatients 

and discharged patients in clinical research studies. 

•	� Support for the implementation of clinical research data repository to allow nIH researchers access to and use of 

national Cancer Institute intramural clinical research data to accelerate research.
�

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NEw INFORmaTIcs sysTEm a POwERFuL TOOL FOR cLINIcaL REsEaRcH 

What are the top five ways to use BTRIS? 

(1) Create an IRB (Institutional Review Board) Inclusion 

Enrollment Report in seconds. 

(2) Search across one protocol or multiple protocols 

for demographic data. 

(3) Tell an investigator all the patients on his/her 

protocol receiving a particular drug. 

(4) Find all an investigator’s patients with a lab value 

over a certain amount. 

(5) Create subsets of protocol subjects for retrieving 

detailed data sets. 

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On hand to help launch 

BTRIS on July 30 were 

(from left) Elaine Ayres, 

deputy chief of the CC 

Laboratory for Informatics Development; Dr. Jack 

Jones, NIH chief information officer; Dr. Jim Cimino, 

BTRIS project director and 

chief of the CC Laboratory 

for Informatics Development; 

and Dr. Michael Gottesman, 

NIH deputy director of 

intramural research. 

BtrIS, the Biomedical translational research 

System, was implemented in two phases in 2009. 

the July launch of the nIH-wide intramural 

research data repository allowed principal investigators to view identified data from their active protocols. In December, intramural researchers were 

able to access de-identified data from clinical and 

research systems across the intramural program. 

“the idea is to take all the nIH-generated data 

and put them into a single database, provide 

standards for accessing those data, and provide 

mechanisms for getting out the data and various 

kinds of reports,” said Dr. Jim Cimino, BtrIS 

project director and chief of the CC laboratory 

for Informatics Development.“BtrIS sits in the 

middle of the research process helping with things 

like hypothesis generation, identifying patients 

for recruitment, data gathering, and analysis.” 

He noted that use of the data for research requires 

oversight by the office of Human Subjects 

research and that BtrIS provides an automated 

process to meet the standards. 

When introduced, BtrIS contained data from 

the Clinical Center’s Clinical research Information 

System and its predecessor the Medical Information System; the national Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases; and the national Institute on 

Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. plans for 2010 

include further incorporation of historical data, 

the addition of clinical images, and addition of 

subject data from other nIH systems, beginning 

with the national Cancer Institute. 

“It is so great that we can expand horizons with 

new data sets and at the same time protect the 

privacy of our human subjects,” said Dr. Michael 

Gottesman, nIH deputy director of intramural 

research, at the BtrIS go-live event on July 30. 

At a BtrIS town Hall meeting on Sept. 15, he 

said of the project,“It’s a new informatics tool 

designed to help clinical researchers achieve 

efficiency in doing clinical research ....it’s 

probably a tool that will transform the way we do 

clinical research both at nIH and eventually, as this 

kind of tool is established throughout the country, 

clinical research will change dramatically.” 

By the end of 2009, BtrIS contained 120 

million rows of data from 7,160 active and 

terminated protocols. 

Dr. Richard Davey (right), 

National Institute of Allergy 

and Infectious Diseases, 

performed the inaugural 

BTRIS query—accessing 

an IRB inclusion enrollment 

report—in a demonstration 

at the go-live event. 

With him is Dr. James 

Cimino, BTRIS project 

director and chief 

of the CC Laboratory for 

Informatics Development. 
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PaRTNERsHIP TO sTudy TRaumaTIc BRaIN INJuRy, TRaumaTIc sTREss dIsORdER 

the uniformed Services university of the Health the pathology and recovery options for tBI and 

ptSD.this program will pool the resources of 

local research and clinical entities to develop more 

accurate diagnostic tools and novel approaches to 

treatment. 

the Clinical Center’s state-of-the-art capabilities 

in magnetic resonance imaging and positron 

emission tomography will be major assets to 

investigations.Advanced imaging technology will 

be used to explore neuroplasticity, a promising 

rehabilitation technique in which a part of the 

brain takes over function from another damaged 

part.the outcomes of the research could lead to 

clinical trials to address brain plasticity in general, 

benefiting a range of patients including stroke 

victims. 

the CC rehabilitation Medicine Department 

will contribute its phenotyping capabilities to 

all of the center’s programs. phenotyping is the 

observation of a patient’s clinical characteristics, 

both from gene expression and the influence of 

environmental factors. Dr. leighton Chan, chief of 

the rehabilitation Medicine Department, is careful to describe the work as foundational.“there 

is not a lot known about brain injury, especially 

blast injury,” Chan said.“An important part of the 

phenotyping core may be following patients over 

time and seeing how they change.” 

Sciences and the Clinical Center are collaborating 

on an initiative to improve treatment of traumatic 

brain injury (tBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder 

(ptDS). 

the research subject population will include 

civilians, as well as members of the military seen 

at Walter reed Army Medical Center and the 

national naval Medical Center. “When Congress 

approved funds for this project, it was stipulated 

that the partnership include the neuroimaging 

capabilities at the nIH Clinical Center,” noted 

Dr. John I. Gallin, Clinical Center director. 

the six proposed areas of research are improved 

diagnostics, neuroregeneration, neuroplasticity, 

rehabilitation and evaluation, biomarkers, and 

neuroprotection and modeling.the imaging technology and rehabilitation therapy of the CC lend 

themselves to the project’s dual mission—characterization and treatment of brain injury. 

Modern warfare has resulted in different brain 

injuries than seen in previous combat, and improved body armor and medical attention in the 

field have increased survivorship. the Center 

for Disease Control and prevention reports that 

1.4 million people sustain a tBI each year. Falls 

and motor vehicle accidents account for almost 

half of those injuries. not much is known about 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cc PHaRmacy’s PHaRmacEuTIcaL dEvELOPmENT sEcTION uPgRadEs 

the unique and groundbreaking work of the 

Clinical Center calls for clinical trial drugs not 

always available from a study sponsor, so the 

CC makes its own.the pharmacy Department’s 

pharmaceutical Development Section (pDS) has 

operated in several hospital locations since it was 

established in 1956. evolving “good manufacturing practices,” guidance provided by the FDA, 

presented an excellent opportunity to upgrade 

pDS’s environment and equipment in a new space 

created especially for the function. 

the section formulates and analyzes vaccines and 

medications not available from manufacturers. 

these products account for one-third of the 800 

separate drugs (including placebos and varying 

strengths) that the CC uses in its research protocols, said George Grimes, Jr., section chief. 

Section staff register and package all drugs obtained 

from an outside pharmaceutical company for use 

in CC clinical trials.“We handle all investigational 

drugs,” Grimes said.“In the double-blind studies in 

particular, all the drugs look alike, so we have to be 

really good about record-keeping and procedures.” 

there’s a different room for nearly every step 

of the manufacturing process, which is a “good 

manufacturing practice” recommendation 

because separate spaces allow for better air 

flow and overall quality control, Grimes said. 

the section produces three to four sterile product 

batches and the same amount of tablets and capsule batches a week, Grimes said, though the batch 

sizes vary.A vaccine will likely be made 1,000 vials 

at a time, while the number of capsules produced 

can run from 50 to 100,000. new equipment in 

the area is making that process run smoother— 

a new tablet-making machine has more safety 

measures than the old one from the 1950s, and the 

new equipment to make capsules runs at a much 

faster pace, Grimes said. 

Before and after production, the pharmaceuticals 

and their components go to the section’s analytical 

lab to make sure they are as they should be—right 

product, pure grade.“We assay the sample to make 

sure a five milligram tablet is really five milligrams,” 

said Grimes.We also do the proper tests to ensure 

that the tablets and capsules dissolve in the body as 

they should.even after the drug has been dispensed 

to patients, monitoring continues on quarantined 

samples to assure stability over time. 

3 Tesla MRI added

the latest whole-body magnetic resonance imaging technology (MrI) came to the Clinical 

Center in 2009 by way of the national Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases as 

part of their research involving obese patients.the larger and stronger 3 tesla MrI allows stronger 

image signal and faster image acquisitions, said clinician Dr.Ahmed Gharib.the new machine is 

used 50 percent of the time for nIDDK’s obesity protocol patients and remains open to general 

use in other nIH studies the other half.the new MrI table is equipped with a coil that receives 

radiofrequency (necessary for the acquiring the MrI images). In older machines, a coil had to be 

placed both under and over the patient’s body part of interest.the table now acting as a coil frees 

space and allows for imaging of more than one part at a time, cutting down on time spent in the 

MrI and patient adjustment, a benefit for patients who are claustrophobic or have disabilities, 

Gharib said. 

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REsPONdINg TO THE cLINIcaL REsEaRcH NuRsINg NEEds wITHIN THE 

ONcOLOgy PROgRam 

there was a significant increase in the number 

of oncology research participants being admitted to the CC in 2009 because of increased 

research activity by the national Cancer Institute. 

In response, nursing and patient Care Services 

worked closely with nCI nursing colleagues to 

strategize the best way to support this increased 

activity. Joint planning meetings were convened 

to review patient flow and clarify services in each 

patient-care area to best meet research participant 

and investigator needs. the outcomes of this collaboration included: 

• opening a 12-bed oncology patient care unit 

on 3Se-n by converting day hospital stations 

to inpatient beds and increasing staffing. 

•	� revising the model of care in the outpatient 

clinics to better support patients who are more 

acutely ill and requiring urgent care assessment, 

pre-admission stabilization and support during 

protocol assessments, and follow-up visits. 

•	� expanding services in ambulatory care, including increased clinic hours and adding outpatient procedures previously done during day 

hospital visits. 

•	� Meeting the increased need for nursing staff 

with a group of oncology-experienced contractors and per diem staff while conducting a 

focused recruitment of 71 experienced oncology nurses, eight patient-care technicians, and 

a clinical nurse specialist for surgical oncology/ 

immunotherapy. 

•	� Improving patient flow in the clinic by 

re-aligning outpatient clinics 12 and 13.the 

space was reconfigured to preserve patient 

privacy and confidentiality and better support 

chronically and often severely ill patients with 

extensive teaching and counseling needs as well 

as the needs for discussion, consultation, and 

image review by the research team. 

•	� enhancing nursing educational programs 

to include the oncology education Series, 

the Association of pediatric Hematology 

oncology Chemo-Biotherapy Course, the 

oncology nursing Society Chemo-Biotherapy 

Course, the end-of-life nursing education 

Consortium Course, the Advanced oncology 

education Series, and the peripheral Blood 

Stem Cell transplant Course.All these offerings 

are presented multiple times throughout the 

year. In collaboration with nCI, the longstanding Cancer nursing Fellowship program 

was extended to two years.the program’s goal 

is to enable graduating fellows to sit for the 

oncology nursing Society certification exam. 

to date, all program graduates have achieved 

the certification.the skill sets for the patient 

care technicians were also expanded to support 

the oncology services. 

•	� Working with nCI nursing leadership to 

develop competencies for the clinical research 

nurse that will have application nationally, 

both within the specialty and across all research 

settings. 

Converting day hospital 

stations to inpatient beds 

on 3SE-N allowed opening 

a 12-bed oncology patientcare unit. 
2009 BENcH-TO-BEdsIdE awaRds 

This awards program was established in 1999 to integrate the work of basic and clinical scientists on 

the NIH campus. The program expanded in 2006 to encourage partnerships between intramural and 

extramural programs. To date, about 500 principal and associate investigators have collaborated on 152 

funded projects with about $33 million distributed in total bench-to-bedside funding. 

G E N E R A L C A T E G O R y 

TEAMS PROjECTS PRINCIPAL INvESTIGATORS 

NIDCD, NINDS 

Johns Hopkins University 

Connectivity Analysis for Investigation of Auditory 

Impairment in Epilepsy 

B. Horwitz, NIDCD; W. Theodore, 

NINDS; D. Boatman, JHU 

NIAID 

Tufts, Yale 

Searching for Persistence of Infection in 

Lyme Disease 

A. Marques, NIAID; L. Hu and 

S. Telford III, Tufts; P. Krause, Yale 

A I D S C A T E G O R y 

NIDDK, NCI, NEI 

Prince George’s Hospital Center 

Washington Hospital Center 

MYH9 Genetic Variation in Kidney Disease 

Among African-Americans 

J. Kopp, A. Gharib, NIDDK; 

C. Winkler, NCI; E. Chew, NEI; D. 

Berhane, Prince George’s Hospital 

Center; J. Light, Washington Hospital 

Center 

NIDCR 

CC 

Development of a Diagnostic Test for Latent 

Tuberculosis Infection 

P. Burbelo, NIDCR; J. Kovacs, CC 

Critical Care Medicine Department
�

NIAID, NIDDK, CC 

Johns Hopkins University 

Cardiometabolic Assessment in HIV C. Hadigan, NIAID; A. Gharib, C. Kong, 

M. Skarulis, NIDDK; D. Bluemke, CC 

Radiology and Imaging Sciences; 

S. Lai, JHU 

R A R E D I S E A S E S C A T E G O R y 

NIAID, NCI 

University of Texas— 

MD Anderson 

Frequency and TCR Diversity of FOXP3+ 

Regulatory T Cells in Chronic GVHD 

D. Tran, E. Shevach, NIAID; S. Pavletic, 

NCI; L. Cooper, University of Texas—MD 

Anderson 

NINDS 

University of Pittsburgh 

Children’s National Medical 

Center 

GABAB Receptor Antagonist SGS-742 

Treatment in SSADH Deficiency 

W. Theodore, NINDS; K. Gibson, 

Univ of Pittsburgh; P. Pearl, Children’s 

National Medical Center 

NHLBI, NIAID, 

NIDDK, NHGRI 

Johns Hopkins University 

Aneurysm Formation in Patients with 

Mutations in STAT3 

M. Boehm, L. Beltran, A. Walts, S. Han, 

NHLBI; A. Freeman, S. Holland, NIAID; 

A. Gharib, NIDDK; J. Davis, NHGRI; 

H. Dietz, JHU 

NIAID, NLM 

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 

University of Toronto 

Genomic and Stem Cell Approaches to 

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis 

H. Su, M. Lenardo, NIAID; A. Schaffer, 

NLM; A. Filipovich, Cincinnati Children’s 

Hospital; J. Zuniga-Pflucker, Univ of 

Toronto 

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R A R E D I S E A S E S C A T E G O R y 

TEAMS 

NCI 

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 

Johns Hopkins University 

PROjECTS 

Leukotriene Inhibition for the Amelioration of 

Bronchiolitis Obliterans 

PRINCIPAL INvESTIGATORS 

R. Gress, NCI; S. Lee, Fred Hutchinson 

Cancer Center; A. Chen, JHU 

NCI (Center for Cancer Research) Repositioning Metformin as an Anti-Cancer 

NCI (Division of Cancer Agent in Li-Fraumeni Syndrome 

Epidemiology and Genetics) 

University of Toronto 

P. Dennis, C. Harris, NCI (CCR); 

J. Fraumeni, S. Savage, NCI (DCEG); 

D. Malkin, University of Toronto 

M I N O R I T y H E A L T H C A T E G O R y 

NIDCR, NIDCD, NCI Targeting mTOR as a Novel Mechanism-Based 

University of South Carolina Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer 

J. S. Gutkind, A. Molinolo, NIDCR; 

C. Van Waes, NIDCD; P. Dennis, 

S. Steiner, NCI; T. Veenstra, SAIC-Frederick; 

T. Day, K. Kirkwood, S. Rosenzweig, 

Univ of South Carolina 

NHLBI, NCI, CC Hemolysis-Associated Hemostatic Activation in 

University of Pittsburgh Sickle Cell Disease 

G. Kato, NHLBI; D. Roberts, NCI; 

J. Lozier, CC Department of Laboratory 

Medicine; E. Novelli, J. Isenberg, 

M. Ragni, Univ of Pittsburgh 

M I N O R I T y H E A L T H / R A R E D I S E A S E S C A T E G O R y 

NHLBI Gene Expression Profiling to Predict Sickle Cell 

Boston University Anemia Sub-Phenotypes 

Howard University 

J. Taylor, G. Kato, C. Minniti, 

N. Raghavachari, X. Xu, NHLBI; 

E. Klings, Boston Univ; V. Gordeuk, 

P. O’Neal, Howard Univ 

P H A R M A C O G E N O M I C S C A T E G O R y 

NIMH, NIDDK Genetic Markers of CNS Adverse Events During 

University of Michigan Interferon Treatment 

G. Laje, F. McMahon, NIMH; M. Ghany, 

NIDDK; R. Fontana, Univ of Michigan 

NCI, FDA 

University of Maryland 

Clopidogrel Pharmacogenetics: 

Practical Application 

W. Figg, NCI; M. Pacanowski, R. 

Madabushi, FDA; A. Shuldiner, Univ of MD 

B E H A v I O R A L & S O C I A L S C I E N C E S C A T E G O R y 

NICHD, NIDDK, 

CC 

Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences 

FTO and Eating in Absence of Hunger J. Yanovski, J. Han, NICHD; S. Yanovski, 

NIDDK; N. Sebring, M. Kozlosky, 

CC Nuitrition Department; 

M. Tanofsky-Kraff, L. Shomaker, USUHS 

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kasTNER dELIvERs asTuTE cLINIcIaN LEcTuRE 

Dr. Daniel Kastner (second 

from right) presented the 

2009 Astute Clinician 

Lecture. With him are CC 

Director Dr. John I. Gallin; 

NIH Deputy Director for

 Intramural Research 

Dr. Michael Gottesman; 

and NIH Director 

Dr. Francis Collins. 

the Astute Clinician lecture 

series honors a uS scientist 

who has observed an unusual 

occurrence, and by investigating it, has opened an important 

avenue of research.“You will 

never understand a system 

as well as when you have an 

opportunity to observe when 

something goes wrong,” said 

nIH Director Francis Collins 

in his introduction of this year’s 

honored scientist, Dr. Daniel Kastner, chief of the 

national Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal 

and Skin Diseases Genetics and Genomics Branch, 

as well as the institute’s clinical director and 

director of translational research in the intramural 

research program. Kastner also serves as deputy 

director of nIH Intramural Clinical research. 

His november 18 lecture was titled “Fever, Genes, 

and Histories:Adventures in the Genomics of 

Inflammation.” Said Kastner,“It has been, over 

the course of the last few years, a real adventure 

for me.” He led an international consortium that 

identified the gene causing familial Mediterranean 

fever in 1997, and his group subsequently discovered that mutations in the p55 tumor necrosis factor receptor cause a dominantly inherited periodic 

fever syndrome that they named trApS (the tnF 

receptor-associated periodic syndrome). Based on 

these findings, Kastner proposed the term “autoinflammatory” to describe the family of diseases 

characterized by seemingly unprovoked episodes 

of inflammation, without high-tier autoantibodies 

or antigen-specific t-cells, which are now 

known to be disorders of the immune system. 

With nIAMS collaborators, his team has gone on 

to identify the genetic basis of other Mendelian 

autoinflammatory diseases, and they follow a large 

cohort of these patients at the Clinical Center. 

the Astute Clinician lecture Series, part of the 

nIH Director’s Wednesday afternoon lecture 

series, is made possible by a donation from the 

late Dr. robert W. Miller and his wife, Haruko. 

CC staff help increase awareness of clinical research

the Clinical Center office of Communications, patient 

recruitment, and public liaison exhibited at the Aware for 

All—Baltimore Clinical research education Day on May 

9, at Johns Hopkins university School of Medicine.the 

event, which was free and open to the public, provided an 

opportunity for more than 150 members of the community 

to attend workshops, presentations, free health screenings, and 

exhibits. Staffers Mandy Jawara (left) and omar echegoyen 

unveiled a new patient recruitment exhibit and were among 

dozens of exhibitors providing information and resources to 

the public.theme for the new materials:the best reasons to 

volunteer for clinical research are all around you. 

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Dr. Hedvig Hricak with Dr. 

David A. Bluemke, director 

of Radiology and Imaging 

Scinces at the CC. 

dOPPmaN LEcTuREs 

the eighth Annual John Doppman Memorial 

lecture for Imaging Sciences hosted a leading 

researcher who knew the former chairman of the 

Clinical Center’s Diagnostic radiology Department well.“He was such a good and loyal friend 

to many of us,” Dr. Hedvig Hricak said 

of Doppman, who retired from the CC in 2000 

and died that August. Hricak is chairman of 

the Department of radiology at Memorial 

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and professor of 

radiology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell 

university. She spoke on “oncologic Imaging: 

endless Horizons,” February 25 in lipsett 

Dr. Elliot K. Fishman presented the Ninth Annual John Doppman Memorial Lecture 

on December 16. Fishman, professor of radiology and oncology at Johns Hopkins 

University School of Medicine, and director of the Division of Diagnostic Imaging and the 

Division of Abdominal Imaging and Computed Body Tomography at The Johns Hopkins 

Hospital, referenced his shared goal of Doppman’s—to improve patient care and patient 

outcomes—in his lecture “CTA and 3-D Visualization: Its Evolving Role in Oncologic 

Imaging.” New technologies that offer arterial and venous views of potential malignancies 

allow for better tracking of transition, texture, and neovascularity of abnormalities. 

Such advances in imaging, coupled with advances in surgery, Fishman said, are helping 

patients with borderline resectable masses choose a treatment method that favors the 

best possible outcome. “I think in radiology, as Dr. Doppman said 30 years ago, opportunities have never been greater. Challenges have never been more difficult, but the future 

has never been brighter,” said Fishman. 

Amphitheater as part of the CC Grand 

rounds series. 

new developments give radiologists a clearer, 

more precise picture, especially useful in cancer 

research, Hricak pointed out.“As we advance in 

imaging technology, it is increasingly frightening 

how little we knew yesterday.” She said that imaging key biological markers and targeted imaging 

are the next waves of research.“It has never been 

a better time to be in molecular, oncologic imaging—seeing our work make people better is so 

rewarding.” 

Dr. Elliot K. Fishman 

cTsa PHaRmacEuTIcaL assETs PORTaL: maTcHINg acadEmIa aNd 

INdusTRy FOR dRug REPOsITIONINg 

Drug repositioning—exploring new uses for a 

drug originally created for another purpose—has 

been garnering attention in the last few years as 

the pharmacological effect of some compounds 

has reached beyond developers’ first focus.the 

new Clinical and translational Science Awards 

(CtSA) pharmaceutical Assets portal connects 

pharmaceutical companies, the national CtSA 

consortium, and the nIH intramural research 

community to improve information and expertise 

exchange regarding investigational drugs shelved 

for various reasons at the clinical stage of development, so that repositioning can be explored. 

project stakeholders met at the Clinical Center 

in november to explore issues. Dr. Juan lertora, 

director of the Clinical Center’s Clinical pharmacology program, presented on how the CC 

partners with others on drug repositioning and 

on translational research. “even for drugs that 

are currently in use for their original indications, 

discovery of new biological/molecular targets in 

many diseases is the underlying reason to explore 

the actions of ‘old drugs’ for potential new indications,” said lertora. Aspirin, for example, is not 

only for fever and pain anymore, but proven as a 

successful agent to prevent and treat heart disease. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CC epidemiologist named 2009 Distinguished Teacher

 

 

 

 

Dr.tara palmore (center), deputy hospital epidemiologist at the Clinical Center 

and associate director of the national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

clinical fellowship in infectious diseases, received the 2009 Distinguished Clinical 

teacher Award. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Grace Chen, co-chair of the CC’s Clinical Fellows Committee, made the 

presentation. the Distinguished Clinical teacher Award has been presented each 

year since 1985 to an nIH faculty member who exemplifies the ideal qualities 

of a mentor, teacher, clinician, and researcher.the recipient delivers the annual 

John laws Decker Memorial lecture the following summer.“We thank all of 

our staff for helping to train the next generation of distinguished clinicians,” said 

Dr. John I. Gallin, who opened the proceedings.Also nominated this year were: 

Dr. Jose Apud, Dr. Juan Gea Banacloche, Dr.theo Heller, Dr. John tisdale, and 

Dr. Maria turner. 

NIH aNd wIkIPEdIa wORkINg TOgETHER 

Dr. ronald Summers, chief of the Clinical public liaison.“We look forward to this opportuCenter’s radiology and Imaging Sciences’ Image nity to collaborate with theWikimedia Foundation 

processing Group, was among nIH scientists help- and participate in a resource that is used by 

ing kick off a collaboration between nIH and the millions of people around the world.” 

Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization 

that operates the Wikipedia® online encyclopedia. to satisfy the public’s growing need for reliable 

the two groups are joining forces to make health health information, nIH and the Wikimedia 

and science information more accessible and reli- Foundation want to increase the availability of 

able, and the collaboration is the first of its kind accurate medical and health information available 

for both organizations. to the public.At the same time, they hope 

to establish strategies to interlace the distinct 

“With the broad range of experts from the cultures of Wikipedia and the research community. 

national Institutes of Health, we see a great After the Wikipedia Academy, nIH subject matter 

opportunity for increasing the quality of all experts—including Summers—are better able to 

health-related information on Wikipedia,” contribute to Wikipedia and also help develop best 

said Sue Gardner, executive director of the practices for future sessions.“I see it as part of my 

Wikimedia Foundation.“nIH works to ensure mission as a scientist to communicate,” 

that the information it provides on science and said Summers. 

health is of the highest quality and reaches the 

widest audience,” said John Burklow, nIH 

associate director for communications and 

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RESEARCH | s P O T L I g H T s 

Staff scientist Jiaqiang Ren 

samples a milliliter of cell 

culture media from the cell expansion system once or twice 

a day to measure glucose 

and lactate levels, parameters 

used to estimate cell expansion and, in turn, regulate 

how fast to feed the cells. The 

cell expansion system—the 

cylinder that Ren pulls aspirate 

from above—replicates the 

desired amount of bone marrow stromal cells in an average 

of five to seven days. 

New DTM machine reduces contamination, saves labor in cell expansion 

the ease and security of automation is coming 

to bone marrow stromal cell expansion in a new 

machine in the Clinical Center’s Department 

of transfusion Medicine. reducing the current 

manual method guarantees less contamination and 

frees staff time for other procedures. 

In the collaborative effort, the department is using 

a prototype of CardianBCt’s Quantum Cell expansion System to reproduce human bone marrow 

stromal cells in an automated, sealed environment. 

the collaboration is part of the trans-nIH Bone 

Marrow Stromal Cell transplantation Center, created in 2008 to facilitate the use of clinical-grade 

bone marrow stromal cells prepared using procedures known to maintain their biological activities and to assist investigators in the preparation 

of protocols that utilize such cells.the trans-nIH 

group is co-coordinated by Dr. pamela robey of 

the national Institute of Dental and Craniofacial 

research and Dr. Harvey G. Klein, chief of transfusion medicine at the Clinical Center. 

Bone marrow stromal cells (also called mesenchymal stem cells) form the supportive structure in 

which the cells that produce human blood reside 

and play a part in the repair of tissue and bone 

formation. patients with auto-immune disorders, 

acute host-versus-graft disease, and need for bone 

formation after surgery benefit from the transfusion or direct transplantation of these cells. 

In the traditional expansion method, cell processing laboratory staff take a piece of bone or bone 

marrow aspirate, a sample of the liquid bone 

marrow portion, and replicate the stromal cells by 

growing them in flasks and transferring to larger 

flasks as they grow in number. Staff must monitor 

the cells’ development and move them by hand. 

“this process doesn’t lend itself well to a clinical 

cell processing environment because the system 

is open. every time cells are transferred from one 

flask to another they could become contaminated 

with bacteria or fungus,” said Dr. David Stroncek, 

chief of the DtM’s Cell processing Section. 

As an integrated, closed system, the cell expansion 

system improves efficiency of the stem cell growth 

process—allowing for larger scale manufacturing 

of cells with less risk of contamination and better 

control of the process.the new system produces 

cells in a sealed container using bioreactor technology, which circulates fluid through cartridges 

and automatically loads the cells into the cartridge, 

feeds the cells, and harvests the cells. 

“Having a technology that enables the production 

of large quantities of cells in a reproducible, robust, 

and closed-system manner is a key to being able 

to move forward with the clinical validation and 

subsequent implementation of cellular therapies,” 

said Klein. 

until the machine’s output is verified as comparable to the expanded stromal cells created through 

traditional methods, the DtM will continue to 

make cells for patients using a more traditional 

flask/cell factory method. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESEARCH | s P O T L I g H T s 

Imaging team reports on H1N1 case 

A possible breakthrough in H1n1 influenza 

diagnosis, radiology imaging was found to aid in 

eliminating other possible causes of disease in a 

middle-aged man who later died from the virus. 

Dr. Daniel Mollura of the nIH Center for 

Infectious Disease Imaging, a partnership between 

Clinical Center radiology and Imaging Sciences 

and the national Institute of Allergy and Infectious 

Diseases, is lead author on published findings of the 

case in the December 2009 issue of the American 

Journal of Roentgenology. He and his collaborators 

report that computed tomography (Ct) imaging of severe novel H1n1 contributed to earlier 

diagnosis and treatment of the infection, suggesting 

a potential role for imaging in complex cases. 

the authors point out that the pandemic nature 

of the H1n1 outbreak calls for swift reporting of 

any leads in diagnostic techniques.“More cases will 

certainly arise as a result of this pandemic, and we 

hope to study additional cases in the future,” they 

wrote. 

the case in review is that of a man who presented 

with a fever, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and an intermittent cough, and who rapidly lost lung function 

and died on the fifth day of hospitalization.two 

initial nasal swab tests for H1n1 influenza came 

back negative, but x-ray and Ct on the first day 

showed peripheral patchy opacities in the lungs 

(patches of opaqueness near the outer edge of the 

organ), which led to earlier diagnosis and aggressive treatment of novel H1n1—later confirmed by 

laboratory tests. 

the imaging findings suggested atypical infection 

and “are consistent with and add detail to the 

characterization of lung injury resulting from 

H1n1,” the authors wrote.“early Ct may help 

clinicians recognize cases of severe influenza and 

monitor response to treatment,” Mollura said. 

“At the Center for Infectious Disease Imaging at 

the nIH, the study of influenza is a priority with 

a focus on achieving early diagnosis and understanding its pathogenesis.” 

CC researchers develop new 

consent for cancer trials 

About a third of nIH onsite clinical trials are 

phase I studies—those that evaluate a new drug or 

treatment’s safety, determine a safe dosage range, 

and identify side effects.A team including Dr. 

Christine Grady, acting head of the Clinical Center 

Department of Bioethics, recently developed a 

shorter and simpler consent form for patients participating in phase I oncology trials. 

“participants need to know that research is different than the regular care that they might be receiving elsewhere. Individuals need to know why it is 

being done, what it entails, and what the risks and 

benefits are,” Grady said. 

the new consent template was published in the 

July-August 2009 issue of IRB: Ethics & Human 

Research. In addition to Grady, the research team 

included Dr. Shlomo Koyfman from the Department of radiation at the Cleveland Clinic; Mary 

S. McCabe, director of the Cancer Survivorship 

program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer 

Center; and Dr. ezekiel emanuel, chief of the CC 

Department of Bioethics and on detail as special 

advisor for health in the White House office of 

Management and Budget. 

the idea to create a simplified consent form grew 

out of a study by the CC Department of Bioethics 

several years ago that collected phase I oncology 

trial consent forms from around the country to 

analyze content.that study team found that some 

of the consent forms were different and easier to 

understand than others. 

the informed consent process is especially important for individuals enrolled in phase I oncology trials because of the nature of the trial and 

the nature of the individuals, Grady said.“phase 

I research is controversial because it is done to 

determine safety and toxicity, yet it involves people 

who are sick, who have advanced cancer and have 

exhausted usually all available treatments for their 

cancer. So there is this confluence of potentially 

vulnerable people with a study that is designed for 

purposes that are not to benefit them.You want to 

be sure that people understand that.” 

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After reviewing more than 200 consent forms for 

phase I oncology trials, the CC, Cleveland Clinic, 

and Sloan Kettering team created the improved 

consent template in both english and Spanish 

by redesigning and rewording it to be specific to 

phase I trials and to avoid repetition and utilize 

simplified language.the new form is divided into 

identifiable sections framed by first-person questions and presents statistical information in tables. 

It is also about two pages shorter than the average 

consent form. 

researchers will use a randomized controlled trial 

to test the new consent form against a standard 

template to compare and evaluate patients’ understanding and satisfaction. 

Updated clinical guidelines for HIVassociated opportunistic infections 

released 

the first complete update in five years of the u.S. 

guidelines for preventing and treating HIV-associated opportunistic infections was released April 

10, 2009, by the national Institutes of Health and 

the Centers for Disease Control and prevention in 

cooperation with the HIV Medicine Association of 

the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). 

“the scientific community has developed new and 

more accurate diagnostic tests for HIV-associated 

opportunistic infections during the past five years, 

more effective treatments for these infections 

and better approaches to preventing them,” says 

Dr. Henry Masur, co-chair of the working group 

that revised the guidelines. He is chief of the CC 

Critical Care Medicine Department and a former 

president of the Infectious Disease Society of 

America.“the updated guidelines outline these 

advances for physicians and patients across the 

united States and beyond.” 

the new Guidelines for prevention and treatment 

of opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Adults 

and Adolescents apply state-of-the-art science 

and medicine to 29 infectious diseases of concern. 

More than 140 medical experts contributed 

their knowledge to this edition of the guidelines. 

HIV cripples the immune systems of its human 

hosts, leaving them more vulnerable than the 

general population to numerous other infectious diseases.these HIV-associated opportunistic 

infections are a leading cause of hospitalization 

and death among HIV-infected individuals in the 

united States. 

the new guidelines combine what were previously two separate publications, one for the prevention of opportunistic infections (last published in 

2002) and one for their treatment (first published 

in 2004). 

Genomic sequencing identifies 

unexpected bacterial diversity 

on human skin 

take a look at your forearm—freckles, hair, maybe 

a birthmark. unseen are an average of 44 species 

of bacteria that populate normal skin and possibly 

impact the health of one of the body’s first lines of 

defense against illness and injury. 

this bacterial diversity is just one of the findings of 

an initial study by nIH researchers published in the 

May 29, 2009, issue of Science, an effort to explore 

the skin’s microbiome—all of the DnA, or genomes, 

of all the microbes that inhabit human skin. 

nIH recently launched the Human Microbiome 

project, a part of the nIH roadmap for Medical 

research, to discover what microbial communities exist in different parts of the human body and 

to explore how these communities change with 

disease. In addition to skin, that project is sampling 

the digestive tract, nose, mouth, and vagina. 

Drawing on the power of modern DnA sequencing technology and computational analysis, the 

research team from the national Human Genome 

research Institute, the national Cancer Institute, 

and the Clinical Center uncovered a far more 

diverse collection of microbes on human skin 

than had been detected by traditional methods 

that involved growing microbial samples in the 

laboratory. 

“the advanced DnA techniques are going to give 

us the information we need to understand these 

“At the Center for 

Infectious Disease 

Imaging at the NIH, 

the study of influenza 

is a priority with 

a focus on achieving 

early diagnosis and 

understanding its 

pathogenesis.” 
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RESEARCH | s P O T L I g H T s 

complex microbial communities, and once we 

understand their relationships to healthy and diseased skin surfaces, we can identify treatments,” said 

Dr. patrick Murray, chief of the CC Department of 

laboratory Medicine’s Microbiology Service. 

Undiagnosed diseases program continues 

to solve mysteries 

the undiagnosed Diseases program is a partnership of the CC, the national Human Genome 

research Institute, and the nIH office of rare 

Diseases research. Since the program began in 

2008, about 140 patients have been brought to the 

Clinical Center for evaluation. one patient seen in 

2009 was Dunham Aurelius of new Mexico—an 

artist who has been plagued with constant kidney 

stones. Searching for the reason why brought 

Aurelius to the Clinical Center.With him came 

his recent bride, Dr. Michelle Barry, a forensic 

pathologist at the university of new Mexico 

Health Sciences Center, who gave a presentation 

to CC pathology residents. 

Aurelius, who creates contemporary sculptures in a 

variety of materials, first noticed the kidney stones 

in his early twenties.the stones are produced at 

an alarming rate and size. His largest ever measured close to three centimeters.Aurelius has a bag 

full of the stones he has passed.“We’re planning 

on making jewelry,” Barry joked.“He just makes 

them like an oyster.We’re trying to get him to 

make diamonds or pearls; it’d be much more 

financially beneficial.” 

During his evaluation at the Clinical Center, 

Aurelius saw a team of researchers, including 

calcium metabolism expert Dr. Michael Collins 

of the national Institute of Dental and Craniofacial research. Aurelius said,“From those at 

the information desk to the doctors, they’re so 

helpful.”Also impressing was the communication 

of knowledge, he said.“everyone is on the same 

page.” 

to prepare the CC pathology residents for the 

pages of their board certification exams, Barry 

quizzed the staff on their forensic pathology 

knowledge. Her titles include assistant professor, 

associate medical investigator, and autopsy 

director at the new Mexico office of the 

Medical Investigator and university of new 

Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque. 

the undiagnosed Disease program has been 

popular with the media. In 2009, it’s been covered 

by outlets that include the Discovery Channel, 

the NewYorkTimes, and Cnn. 

Dunham Aurelius of 

Santa Fe earned a spot in 

the Undiagnosed Diseases 

Program with his case of 

extreme kidney stones and 

brought his wife, pathologist 

Dr. Michelle Barry. 
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Organizational Improvement/Teamwork 

cLINIcaL cENTER gETs OuTsTaNdINg RaTINg 

FROm THE JOINT cOmmIssION 

the element of surprise did not affect the favor of areas requiring improvement—and the complithe Joint Commission on its site visit in october ment,“Awesome!” from another surveyor.the 

2009. Joint Commission lauded the CC for our culture 

of safety, commitment to the patient mission, and 

the accrediting and reviewing representatives knowledgeable staff. 

arrived with no advance warning early the morning of october 6 to begin a three-day investi- Gallin thanked everyone who helped earn such 

gation into the Clinical Center’s facilities and a high rating—the CC staff, institute and cenactivities to evaluate our commitment to certain ter partners, offices of research Facilities and 

quality standards. research Services, and the patients—including patient Advisory Group member Antoinette 

“this is the best hospital I have ever seen,” one royster, who participated in a special session 

of the surveyor reports read. CC Director Dr. with reviewers.“We may have a fabulous building, 

John I. Gallin presented the Joint Commission’s but what really makes this place special are all of 

findings at a town-hall meeting immediately you,” said Gallin to the crowd listening in Masur 

after the survey results were delivered.the CC Auditorium. 

received an outstanding score—compared against 

301 standards the surveyors identified only six 

language interpreter program 

coordinator Brenda robles 

(second from right) and volunteer program coordinator 

Courtney Duncan (right) greet 

three volunteer interpreters 

at an April 2009 reception 

celebrating nationalVolunteers 

Week. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cc gREEN TEam ROLLs OuT ENvIRONmENTaL 

susTaINaBILITy INITIaTIvEs 

the Clinical Center has recently joined the ranks evidence of the Green team’s efforts can be 

of hospitals across the country working toward a found throughout the building—from the hallway 

healthier environment with the creation of the recycling containers brimming with plastic and 

CC Green team. paper to the reusable plates on which CC patients 

receive their food. one recent step to promote a 

“Hospitals in general use tremendous amounts of greener CC is the desk-side recycling bin initiaresources and energy, and there are simple things tive. Staff can request two small, blue bins—one 

that we can do to make a big impact,” said Dave for commingled (cans and bottles) and one for 

Folio, head of the CC nutrition Department and mixed paper—for their desk side.the Green 

CC Green team leader.“At home, you recycle, team has already distributed more than 700 bins 

you shut off the lights when you leave a room.We and will evaluate the progress of this initiative by 

want to instill that same awareness here at work.” measuring the weight of commingled and paper 

recyclables over time, said Folio. 

the CC Green team looks at how the center 

conducts its day-to-day activities and recom- employees and visitors can help serve the Green 

mends earth-friendly initiatives to support the team mission.When leaving a room for more 

team’s goals of increasing recycling, decreasing than a few minutes, turn off the lights.this small 

paper consumption, and decreasing the amount step can save roughly three cents an hour, which, 

of electricity used by the CC.the nIH Bethesda considering the CC’s many rooms, can really add 

campus uses approximately $65.5 million worth up. employees should recycle ink and toner carof electricity per year, and about 10 percent of tridges in the bins throughout the CC, especially 

that is used by the CC, according to the office because for each cartridge recycled, $1 goes to 

of research Facilities. nIH charities like Friends of the Clinical Center 

and the Children’s Inn. employees can also help 

A collaboration with the nIH environmental reduce paper consumption by decreasing type size 

Management System, the CC Green team was to save toner and copying and printing on both 

formed to comply with an executive order to sides of paper if possible. 

strengthen federal environmental and energy 

management and because “it was simply the right 

thing to do,” Folio said. 

Linda Collins (right), Nutrition 

Department program 

support, assists with 

implementation of the 

Green Team’s desk-side 

recycling bin initiative as 

CC staff member Kristy Suhr 

picks up her bins. 

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vOLUNTEER | s P O T L I g H T s 

makINg a dIFFERENcE 

Clinical Center 

volunteers selflessly give 

their time and efforts to 

serve the CC mission of 

quality patient care and 

clinical research.their 

contributions comprise 

a variety of roles. For 

many, volunteering is 

a symbiotic arrangement. Afrooz Nikoobakht 

helps out in the pharmacy Department— 

organizing unit-dose trays, setting up new order 

medications, and filling prescriptions—while 

gaining valuable experience toward her prepharmacy studies at Montgomery College. 

nikoobakht said she has appreciated how helpful 

her fellow team members have been.“they are 

very friendly and answer all the questions a new 

person could ask.they really make you feel part 

of the team.” Meeting patients who have come 

to the CC has profoundly affected nikoobakht. 

“It really makes me appreciate how precious life 

is, and how one should not take a moment for 

granted. I feel very lucky that I am able to be 

part of an organization like this.” 

because of the types of patients that are seen in the 

facility,” Mahan said.“I am able to give back to the 

community while walking with patients on their 

journey of hope.” 

one of the greatest 

repositories for CC 

volunteers is the brigade of eager, young 

post-baccalaureates 

spending a year or two 

at nIH before starting 

medical or graduate school. Lindsey 

Buckingham is one 

such trainee, using 

her time in the CC for 

more than research. Buckingham worked in the 

Kidney and electrolyte Metabolism Branch of the 

national Heart, lung, and Blood Institute before 

returning to her alma mater, the university of 

north Carolina, Chapel Hill, to begin medical 

school. She served as a Spanish interpreter for 

radiology and Imaging Sciences because remaining proficient in Spanish was important to her. 

She worked with patients to fill out paperwork, 

explain procedures, and make sure they were 

comfortable and aware of what is happening. 

“Many patients come to the nIH with a serious 

illness, some visiting the united States for the first 

time.It’s scary and disorienting,” Buckingham said. 

“It’s a really gratifying experience to connect 

with people and see their comfort when I can 

understand them.” 

With work or school, 

family and friends, it 

can be hard to fit in 

a regular volunteer 

activity.the CC makes 

an effort to accommodate those interested in 

helping serve the mission of patient care and 

clinical research, those 

like Tara Mahan. 

Mahan volunteers with the patient ambassador 

program and volunteer services coordinator 

Courtney Duncan found an inpatient unit with 

high weekend traffic for Mahan, a biomedical 

engineer from upper Marlboro.the work she 

most enjoys is orienting new patients to their 

surroundings. Mahan walks them through their 

unit admission packet and shows them how to 

order meals and use their computer and television. 

“Volunteering at the nIH is a unique opportunity 
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PaTIENT saFETy awaRd gOEs TO NEw cONsuLT sERvIcE 

The staff honored, with 

CC Director Dr. John I. 

Gallin (front middle), were: 

(back, from left) Minnie 

Raju, Windy Wallin, Connie 

Kotefka, Tye Mullikin, Nancy 

Munro, Avril Bertrand, Nancy 

Ames, Deborah Kolakowski, 

Kimberley Klapec, Patricia 

Smatlak (front left), Dr. James 

Shelhamer (front right), and 

(not shown) Mary Fleury, 

Pamela Horwitz, Elizabeth 

Keber, Melanie Reagan, and 

Dr. Richard Sherry. 

early recognition of, and response to, a patient’s 

worsening condition greatly reduces the likelihood that the patient will require emergency 

transfer to the intensive care unit or, worse, 

necessitate a Code Blue situation.this basic 

patient safety tenet has been realized as a result 

of the work done by a dedicated group of nurses, 

physicians, respiratory therapists, and information 

technology specialists.the Critical Care Medicine 

Consult Service group worked to establish processes to facilitate nurses and respiratory therapists 

contacting directly the critical care fellows to 

request their expertise at the patient’s bedside. 

to celebrate this work the group has been 

awarded the 2009 Clinical Center patient Safety 

Champion Award.“What you’ve done in creating 

this new service clearly has made a difference in 

keeping patients safe and alive,” Clinical Center 

Director Dr. John I. Gallin told the group in announcing the honor. 

this annual award goes to an individual or team 

who demonstrate a sustained commitment to a 

safe patient environment.the Critical Care 

Medicine Consult Service serves that mission 

by bringing critical care to the bedside when a 

patient’s condition suddenly worsens. 

the seed for the service was planted in 2006 

when a patient commented to nurse patricia 

Smatlak that the CC could benefit from a 

rapid response team.“the idea is to respond to 

a spark before it becomes a fire,” said Smatlak. 

nursing Week 2009 ended with the announcement of the “best team” 

INW group named “best team”

award, an honor that went to the 1nW inpatient unit and day hospital 

group. eleven nursing teams were evaluated on initiative, adaptability, 

recruitment, retention, knowledge, and teamwork.“Working together, 

the sky is the limit” was the competition’s theme. Dr. Clare Hastings, 

chief of nursing and patient Care Services, made the announcement. 

“one short year ago, 1nW was functioning with 50 percent vacancy 

rate and 40 percent turnover.through strong recruitment efforts and staff 

participation in open houses and shadow days, we accomplished the lofty 

goal of hiring excellent, committed, experienced pediatric nurses,” read the 

1nW nomination.the team was commended for flexibility, adaptability, 

and constant competency enhancement necessary on a multi-institute 

unit.team members include (front row, from left) roel Cabulang, Meagan 

VanAssche,tony terry, and Susan eidelheit; back row, from left: Jean perrelli, 

nicole Holland, nicole Gamba, Michelle Kwiatkowski, ellen Carroll, and 

patricia Smatlak. 
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daTa cENTER mIgRaTEs TO a BIggER, BETTER sPacE 

the Clinical Center Data Center (CCDC) houses 

more than 500 networked devices providing both 

CC and other nIH users continuous access to 

data and applications. As the technical capabilities of the CC grow, so does the systems need. 

the CCDC recently began migration to a new 

location in the Hatfield Building to remedy the 

physical size, power, and space limitations and 

geographic risks of the current CCDC in the 

older part of Building 10. 

the new CCDC has been designed with redundant systems to minimize potential risk and 

maximize potential growth for the next 10 years, 

assuring system availability in the event of failure 

of any of the three major systems required for 

CCDC operation—power, cooling, and network. 

the design also minimizes physical risk due to 

environmental issues such as water intrusion from 

aging building infrastructure and failures. 

the older center has lived in a space for more 

than 25 years that was never designed to hold such 

equipment. eight years after conceiving the idea 

of a move, and three years after a space was designated and design began, testing and acceptance of 

the new data center was completed on September 

19. Migration of equipment into the new space 

started two days later and is expected to be 

complete in early 2010. 

DCRI senior network engineer Richard Walker installs 

a cord network switch in the 

new Clinical Center Data 

Center. 

the bright new space has the capacity for 100 

server racks, but initially will be only 70 percent 

populated to allow for expansion in the next 

decade.“the physical size of the systems is shrinking, but the power needed is increasing,” said John 

Kocher of the CC Department of Clinical research Informatics (DCrI). Server consolidation 

and virtualization will further reduce the physical 

footprint, allowing room for growth. even though 

these newer, smaller systems take up less space, 

they have larger power and cooling requirements. 

those projected increases were designed into the 

new CCDC infrastructure to ensure the 

CC would not outgrow the new space. 

the power for the data center comes from two 

450-kilowatt uninterruptable-power-supplies. 

they run concurrently to share the power load, 

but either could handle the entire CCDC power 

needs. Different power feeds from pepco work to 

keep at least one up and running. Just in case it is 

needed, a 1.5-megawatt generator looms outside 

the CC ambulatory entrance. It can generate 

enough power to support a small community, said 

Kocher.As a last resort, if there is a problem with 

the dedicated CCDC generator, the data center 

can run off the CrC emergency generator system. 

A major improvement of the new space is protection from the frequent flooding that has plagued 

the old Building 10 data center.An internal tin 

roof protects the new set-up by catching any water 

from a leak and sending it through a gutter to the 

hallway, away from the important equipment.Water sensors have been installed both in the internal 

roof and under the raised floor to give an early 

indication of potential water-related issues. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mONITORs sHOwcasE REsEaRcH aNd cc EvENTs 

newly installed monitors around the Clinical Center are the latest way to 

learn what is happening in the CC.two screens in the atrium display upcoming lectures and meetings, briefs on CC programs such as recycled reads for 

magazine donation, and abstracts of research findings. timothy Jancel (left) 

of the CC pharmacy Department, Janine Daub of the national Institute of 

Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. phillip Arlen of the national Cancer 

Institute pause before an abstract from one of their peers. 

HOsPITaLITy sERvIcEs REORgaNIzEs TO 

dELIvER quaLITy cusTOmER sERvIcE 

A reorganization of Hospitality Services has led from the north lobby’s hospitality desk to the front 

to a variety of changes that improve the patient desks of phlebotomy, the eKG/heart station, radiexperience—from the front door to the bedside. ology, and nuclear medicine. 

previously under the office of organizational Small changes have made significant differences. 

Development, Hospitality Services branched off Hospitality Services now handles scheduling for 

in early 2009 with a broader goal of helping the radiology, nuclear medicine, and pre-anesthesia 

Clinical Center deliver outstanding customer services.the addition of a cancel option to the 

service consistently and seamlessly across the front automated schedule-by-phone system has allowed 

line.the office now reports directly to Maureen appointments to be quickly cancelled if a patient’s 

Gormley, CC chief operating officer, who schedule changes. Since approximately 20 percent 

continues to focus on improvement of service of patients do not arrive for appointments, this 

excellence across the CC. approach has the potential to substantially reduce 

the patient backlog, allowing better access for 

the reorganized Hospitality Services continues other patients. More than 100 additional appointto be led by CApt Denise Ford. responsibilities ment slots were freed up for radiology and Imaginclude customer service representatives at hospi- ing Sciences procedures in the first month that the 

tality desks and the patient entrance at West Drive, cancel option system was in place. 

staff at reception desks in front-line departments, 

patient ambassador volunteers, and the patient Hospitality Services also refurbished signage 

escort staff. In an effort to enhance consummate instructing patients on how to contact the 

service throughout the patient experience, Ford radiology technicians for after-hours services, 

established a partnership with Gina Mattia, the thereby decreasing their wait time.“It’s the little 

chief medical technologist of phlebotomy services, things that make the experience easier 

so that shared customer service standards were and smoother for the patients,” said Ford. 

developed for phlebotomy and the other front-line 

services.this service excellence team now spans 

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sTaFFERs JOIN TEam NIH TO RacE FOR a cuRE 

More than 40 staffers turned out on a sunny Saturday morning for the 

2009 Susan G. Komen Global race for the Cure on June 6.team nIH, 

led by pat piringer, special assistant to the CC director, joined a crowd 

of nearly 45,000 people who ran or walked the 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) 

to support the fight against breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure 

was founded in 1982 by nancy G. Brinker after she promised her dying 

sister she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer.today, 

Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast 

cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, 

ensure quality care for all, and energize science to find the cures.With 

more than $1.3 billion invested to date, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is 

the world’s single largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to curing 

breast cancer—second only to the uS government. 

sEssION PROmOTEs PaRTNERsHIPs wITH vET-OwNEd BusINEssEs 

the Clinical Center office of purchasing and 

Contracts hosted an outreach session in August to 

encourage CC partnerships with service-disabled 

veteran-owned small businesses—“partnering for 

Success with the nIH Clinical Center.” 

“We have a really dedicated and caring team of 

professionals in the Clinical Center,” Maureen 

Gormley, CC chief operating officer, said, welcoming the group.“one of the reasons that we wanted 

to put this forum on today is so that you could get 

to know us and we could get to know you.” 

Session attendees received advice on forming 

relationships with a large federal institution like 

nIH from Annette owens-Scarboro, small 

business specialist to nIH from the DHHS office 

of Small and Disadvantaged Business utilization.“this was an opportunity to demonstrate 

our commitment to go that extra mile to expand 

small business opportunities and to provide vendors additional information that may be useful in 

their efforts to obtain contract awards to provide 

supplies and services to the Clinical Center,” 

said Janice Brunson, deputy director of the 

CC office of purchasing and Contracts. 

“We pride ourselves on being real people; we are 

different than a big office-building-type setting,” 

Gormley said.“We are looking forward to 

establishing relationships that, down the road, 

can be mutually beneficial. ” 

Pushing to the maximus 

the CC rehabilitation 

Medicine Department’s team 

for September’s nIH relay 

ran to the theme of “pushing 

our gluteus to the maximus.” 

It worked.the group placed 

tenth in the competition 

that included 105 teams. 

rehab medicine team 

members, who each covered 

a half mile, included Abraham 

Behnam,William Sipprell, 

Melissa luhmann, laura 

Maring, and Dr. Hyung park. 

Interested in the Clinical Center and its activities? explore the new ways CC information is being 

shared. podcasts feature Clinical Center Grand rounds, along with news and information about 

New ways to keep informed

CC programs. More than one thousand individuals follow the Clinical Center’s twitter site. 

there are also twitter sites for patient recruitment and for medical education and training. 

A Clinical Center Facebook page is also available. For links to all, go to the Clinical Center’s 

Web site, http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training the Next Generation 

FROm LOcaL TO gLOBaL: cLINIcaL REsEaRcH TRaININg ExPaNds 

only six years ago, the Clinical Center established 

the office of Clinical research training and 

Medical education (oCrtMe), which develops, 

administers, and evaluates clinical research training 

initiatives. Since then, the training and medical 

education offered by the Clinical Center has gone 

from Bethesda to Beijing and many destinations in 

between. 

under the direction of Dr. Frederick p. ognibene, 

oCrtMe has made great strides in advancing 

the educational component of the CC mission. 

“We know that training the next generation of 

clinician-scientists is not going to be accomplished solely in Bethesda,” said ognibene, CC 

deputy director for educational affairs and strategic 

partnerships. “We have to increase the availability 

of training around the world and forge partnerships with a variety of institutions.” From existing 

courses to new programs, 2009 raised the bar of 

clinical research training. 

INTERNaTIONaL accEss 

Imagine being several continents away, but viewing 

a training taught in the united States at the nIH 

Clinical Center. that is exactly what students at 

the Dow university of Health Sciences in Karcahi, 

pakistan, do every Monday andtuesday during the 

fall semester. thanks to improved technology, the 

CC is able to broadcast its most popular courses, 

Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical 

Research (IppCr) and Principles of Clinical Pharmacology, to remote sites around the world. 

twenty-six remote sites observed the 2009-10 

IppCr course, including ten international 

locations such as the universidade Federal de 

Santa Maria in Brazil and the Dong-A university 

Medical College in Korea. the CC makes 

content available for students via live stream and 

archived content on the web for the five sites 

without a live broadcast. About 62 percent of 

students participate at nIH or other locations 

within the united States. Approximately 38 

percent participate at a site around the globe. 

A record number (1,296) of students enrolled 

in IppCr in 2009-10, which demonstrates the 

strong and sustained interest in the subject matter 

and the good reputation of the course. And the 

word keeps spreading. In April 2009, nIH faculty, 

including CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin, conducted a week of the IppCr course in person at 

West China university in Chengdu, China. Students then follow the course through the archived 

material either in DVDs or stored online and keep 

in touch with faculty as needed. 

Designed to meet the needs of researchers who 

have an interest in the clinical pharmacologic 

aspects of contemporary drug development and 

utilization, the Principles of Pharmacology (pCp) 

course is entering its 11th year. the course has 

also reached students far away from the nIH. 

IPPCR 

PARTICIPATION 

By LOCATION 

NIH 462 

United States 345 

Latin or South America 245 

Asia 225 

Africa 19 

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twenty-one remotes sites, including four international, and a record 813 students participated in 

the 2009-10 course. 

the interest in the subject matter has grown so 

much that a demand has emerged abroad. In 

november 2009, Dr. Juan lertora, Director of 

Clinical pharmacology at the CC, and others 

from nIH led a week-long pCp course in Beijing, 

China. “our goal was to share the knowledge and 

the high standards in place at the nIH Clinical 

Center for the study of new drugs in human 

subjects and their rational use in therapeutics,” 

Dr. lertora said. “I sensed a great deal of interest in the field and in all aspects of the drug 

development process, judging from the questions 

we received from an audience of approximately 

140 physicians, pharmacists, and pharmacologists 

working at academic, private, and governmental 

institutions in China.” With the lively discussion 

and strong interest in the topic, Dr. lertora expects 

this to be the beginning of an exciting partnership. 

TwO cOuRsEs gO TO cHINa IN 2009 

In April 2009, nIH faculty, including CC Director Dr. John I. Gallin, conducted a week of the 

Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical 

Research course in-person at West China university in Chengdu. In november, Dr. Juan lertora 

(second from right), director of CC Clinical 

pharmacology, led a week-long Principles of Clinical 

Pharmacology course in Beijing.With lertora are 

(from left) Arthur J.Atkinson, Jr., northwestern 

university; Shiew-Mei Huang, FDA office of 

Clinical pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics; 

Frank Gonzalez, national Cancer Institute; 

and tim Shi, GlobalMD. not pictured is Diane 

Mould, projections research, Inc.the course is 

taught by faculty members 

from nIH and 

guest faculty 

from FDA, the 

pharmaceutical 

industry, 

and several 

academic 

institutions 

from across the 

united States. 

gRaduaTE mEdIcaL EducaTION BROadENs 

the Clinical Center, as the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical education (ACGMe) 

accredited sponsor of graduate medical education 

at nIH, made strides to bolster Graduate Medical 

education (GMe) offered to residents and fellows 

who study at nIH. the Medical Biochemical 

Genetics program was ACGMe-accredited in late 

2008 and has proven to be a trailblazer in the GMe 

realm. As one of the few programs of its kind in 

the world, the Medical Biochemical Genetics program has a long track record of producing research 

leaders in the field. In 2009, two other programs 

became ACGMe-accredited, bringing the nIH’s 

total to 17 accredited programs. 

theVascular neurology and the Hospice & 

palliative Care programs are new in 2009 and have 

made a significant footprint. For example, the 

Hospice & palliative Care program has become 

one of the largest of its kind through its partnership with Capital Hospice of Washington, DC. 

expansion of GMe programs furthers the Clinical 

Center’s mission to educate a pipeline of clinicianscientists. With more GMe programs available, 

researchers are better able to address the needs of 

patients. Also, specialty trainings such asVascular 

neurology allow fellows to enhance their knowledge of a specialty area and eventually achieve 

board certification. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wELcOmE TO BETHEsda: sEvENTH aNNuaL cLINIcaL 

INvEsTIgaTOR sTudENT TRaINEE FORum aT NIH 

Medical, dental, and veterinary students from across 

the country gathered at NIH 

in November for the CIST 

Forum, offering a chance 

to share best practices and 

contact information with their 

likely future collaborators. 

With all of the international interest and activity 

around clinical research, the CC does not forget 

the importance of training the cohort of interested 

scientists in medical schools in the united States. 

on november 5 and 6, 2009, a group of 268 

tudents from 67 schools around the country 

descended on the nIH campus for the Seventh 

Annual Clinical Investigator Student trainee 

(CISt) Forum. Students gathered to compare 

notes, network with peers and established researchers, and hear from distinguished speakers, 

from nIH IC Directors to recent program alumni. 

Invited were medical, dental, and veterinary 

students participating in year-long research and 

enrichment programs: Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)-nIH research scholars and 

HHMI medical fellows, Doris Duke Charitable 

Foundation (DDCF) clinical research fellows, 

national Center for research resources/Clinical and translational Science Award-sponsored 

students in year-long research programs, nIH 

Clinical research training program (Crtp) 

fellows, Sarnoff Cardiovascular research Foundation fellows, fellows in the applied epidemiology 

fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and 

prevention, Fogarty International clinical research 

scholars, and the nIH MD/phD partnership 

training program fellows. 

All 30 of the CC’s own Clinical research training 

program (Crtp) class of 2009-10 attended the 

CISt Forum. one of the CC’s longest standing 

programs, the Crtp was founded in 1997 and is 

supported jointly by the nIH and the Foundation 

for nIH through grants from pfizer Inc as part 

of the company’s commitment to public-private 

partnerships. the CISt Forum is an opportunity 

for Crtp fellows to expand their network beyond nIH and cultivate relationships with young, 

motivated researchers like themselves. 

networking was a major theme of the two-day 

forum, which also featured a panel on loan repayment and research funding opportunities, and 

career advice from clinician-scientists who recently 

completed their residency and sub-specialty trainings, as well as a keynote speech from dean of the 

Duke university School of Medicine, Dr. nancy 

Andrews. new this year, organizers utilized the 

technology of micro-blogging sitetwitter and a 

collaborative online forum to connect with the 

audience and encourage conversation. 

In line with the CC’s emphasis on collaboration to 

make clinical research training a success, the CISt 

Forum has always been a team effort. “It is important to stress that even though the event was held 

on the nIH campus, the forum is really based on 

partnerships, and the event could not have been 

done as successfully without the collaboration and 

input from all the participating programs, as well as 

significant input from a number of nIH and CC 

staff,” explained Dr. Frederick p. ognibene. 

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dukE dEaN dELIvERs cIsT kEyNOTE 

Dr. nancy Andrews, dean of the Duke university 

School of Medicine, was the keynote speaker at 

the Clinical Investigator Student trainee (CISt) 

Forum, a gathering of future clinician-scientists in 

year-long research fellowships. 

Andrews, the first and only female dean of a topten medical school, spoke on her research background, her perspectives on health-care, and her 

experiences as a woman in science. 

She received her bachelor’s degree in molecular 

biophysics and her master of science in biochemistry fromYale university, her doctorate in biology 

from Massachusetts Institute of technology, and 

her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. 

Andrews completed her internship and residency 

in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston, and 

her hematology/oncology fellowship at Children’s 

Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

She was a full professor of pediatrics and dean 

for basic sciences and graduate studies at Harvard 

Medical School before she was appointed vice 

chancellor for academic affairs and dean of the 

Duke university School of Medicine in 2007. 

“I remember my high school biology teacher 

telling us it would never be possible to sequence 

DnA,” she began, before telling the CISt Forum 

attendees that in their careers they would likely see 

genomic sequencing as a routinely analyzed part 

of a patient’s medical record.“the lesson in that 

is that you should never say never in science and 

that you should be very ambitious in your goals,” 

Andrews said.“Because unless you aim high, 

you have no chance of getting there.” 

She explained her choice of iron biology as a 

research focus:“I could do something that was 

unique and interesting and not something that 

thousands of other people would be thinking of 

doing.” 

Andrews used patient case studies to illustrate the 

value of investigative instincts and collaboration 

with peers who offer complementing specialties. 

She recommended attention to access of healthcare delivery.“We also need to be thinking of 

course about preventing disease in the first place 

and changing medicine so that it becomes more 

proactive and less reactive—working toward preserving health rather than treating disease.” 

Questions from female trainees in the audience 

asked for advice on overcoming bias and on 

balancing a successful career with a strong home 

life.“until we make careers and academic positions and places in medical school classes truly 

accessible to everybody we’re losing out on a lot 

of talent,”Andrews responded. 

“there are myths out there about how hard it is 

to have a family and a career, and I just don’t think 

that that’s really true anymore,” she said.“Most 

of the time it’s probably more manageable than 

young women are told.” 

the nIH Dietetic Internship program through the Clinical Center 

nutrition Department graduated three at a ceremony in July 

2009. lCDr Merel Kozlosky, program director, acknowledged 

(sitting from left) Sara Hauck, KellyVerdin, and Kimberly Wong for 

completing the “rigorous and renowned program” and thanked the 

“significant groups in their journey,” including preceptors, family, 

and nutrition staff. In attendance were dietitians (from left): CApt 

nancy Sebring; Marnie Dobbin; Kozlosky; lCDr Jennifer Graf; 

CApt Madeline Michael, chief of Clinical nutrition Services; 

Kristy Suhr; Beth Moylan; Kirsten Zambell; lt rachael Drabot; 

and Jennifer Widger, chief of the Food Service Section. 

Dietetic interns graduate

Dr. Nancy Andrews 
cTsa scHOLaRs vIsIT 

4 2 • A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 50 scholars, supported through the national 

Center for research resources via an institutional 

career development award program, stopped at 

the Clinical Center in April while in Washington 

to attend the 2009 national Clinical & translational research education Annual Meeting. CC 

Director Dr. John I. Gallin welcomed the trainees, 

including those at right representing the Mayo 

Clinic; Harvard university; the Albert einstein 

College of Medicine ofYeshiva university; and 

the universities of Minnesota, pittsburgh, and 

Colorado.“I wish you phenomenal luck, though it 

won’t be luck if you take advantage of all the opportunity in front of you,” Gallin told the scholars, 

as part of a presentation including an overview of 

the CC. the scholars, selected to receive support 

to pursue multidisciplinary clinical research with 

training and mentoring built in, also enjoyed a 

tour of the CC while at nIH. 

the American recovery and reinvestment Act of 2009 (ArrA) is helping support the next generation of clinician-scientists.ArrA funded six 

Clinical Center summer Intramural research training Awards, providing 

opportunities for students to work side-by-side with CC staff in an environment devoted exclusively to translational research. 

ARRA supports new generation of clinical researchers

the act allocates $21 million over two years for educational opportunities 

in nIH-funded laboratories for students and science educators with the 

goal of creating more jobs, supporting economic development, and accelerating the pace and achievement of scientific research.the money will also 

encourage students to pursue clinical research-related career fields.the six 

CC summer students worked in the Department of transfusion Medicine; 

the rehabilitation Medicine Department; the Department of laboratory 

Medicine; and the office of Communications, patient recruitment, and 

public liaison.“this additional support from ArrA provided the Clinical 

Center with a wonderful opportunity to offer the rich research environment in these Clinical Center departments to six excellent students,” said 

Dr. Frederick ognibene, CC deputy director for education affairs and 

strategic partnerships. 

Hilda Tejero, a medical 

student at The George 

Washington University, 

worked in the Department 

of Transfusion Medicine 

looking at the transmission 

of hepatitis C. 
A n n u A l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 • 4 3 

INvEsTIgaTORs gREET cLINIcaL FELLOws 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Clinical Center welcomed a new crop of 

clinical fellows at a reception July 8 after a day 

of orientation. Dr. Constantine Stratakis (left)— 

acting scientific director, head of the program 

on Developmental endocrinology and Genetics, 

and director of the training program on pediatric 

endocrinology at the national Institute of 

Child Health and Human Development—and 

Dr. richard G.Wyatt, deputy director of the 

nIH office of Intramural research, mingled 

with new fellows, including Dr. Fariha Kamran 

(right) and Dr.Alison Boyce. Both are starting a 

clinical fellowship in pediatric endocrinology with 

nICHD. Kamran graduated from King edward 

Medical College in pakistan and did her residency 

at nassau university Medical Center. Boyce 

graduated and completed her residency at 

easternVirginia Medical School. 

 

kOREaN TRIaLs cENTER LEadERs vIsIT THE cc 

leaders of the Inha university Clinicaltrials Center 

at Inha university Hospital in Incheon, South 

Korea, visited the Clinical Center in April to learn 

about the operations here. Dr. Cheol-Woo Kim 

(back row, middle) of Inha university Hospital 

is in a fellowship with Dr. Juan lertora (front 

right), director of the CC clinical pharmacology 

program. Dr. Clare Hastings (front left), chief of 

nursing and patient Care Services; CC Director 

Dr. John I. Gallin (front middle); and Dr. Shyamasundaran Kottilil (back right), staff clinician with 

the national Institute of Allergy and Infectious 

Diseases (with whom Kim has worked), presented 

CC details and programs. Kim plans to expand the 

clinical pharmacology department in his home 

hospital upon return later this year. Making the 

trip to visit and support their colleague were 

(from left) chief nurse eungyung Kim, clinical pharmacologist Dr. Ju-Hee Kang, and center 

director Dr. Moon Suk nam.the Inha university 

Clinical trials Center opened in 2006 and recently 

expanded to include a 36-bed research ward, 

three clinics, and outpatient services.the center 

is comparable to the 78 nIH-supported General 

Clinical research Centers across the country. 
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Noteworthy 

President Barack Obama visits the 

Clinical Center 

“Welcome to the House of Hope,” said Susan 

Butler, a long-time Clinical Center patient 

and 14-year survivor of simultaneous breast and 

ovarian cancer, in greeting president Barack 

obama as he arrived at the Clinical Center 

on September 30, 2009. 

obama traveled with Department of Health and 

Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak 

to the nIH community.“I’m here to talk about our 

nation’s commitment to research,” obama said.“the 

work you do is not easy. It takes a great deal of patience and persistence. But it holds incredible promise 

for the health of our people and the future of our 

(Top) One of the first faces 

President Barack Obama 

saw upon entering the 

Clinical Center on 

September 30 was that 

of Susan Butler, 

longtime CC patient. 

(Above) NIH Director 

Dr. Francis Collins (left) 

briefs Obama while in the 

lab of NCI’s Dr. Marston 

Linehan (middle). 

nation and our world...today we’re announcing that 

we’ve awarded $5 billion—that’s with a ‘b’—in grants 

through the recovery Act to conduct cutting-edge 

research all across America, to unlock treatments to 

diseases that have long plagued humanity, to save and 

enrich the lives of people all over the world.this 

represents the single largest boost to biomedical 

research in history.” 

nIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said of obama 

during the visit,“We’re very grateful to have 

a president who values science, respects its 

independence, and understands its huge 

potential for improving Americans’ lives.” 

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Rare diseases group honors 

Gallin’s contributions 

Clinical Center Director Dr. John I. Gallin was 

among those honored by the national organization for rare Disorders at its 2009 norD 

partners in progress Gala at the national press 

Club in Washington, DC, in May 2009. Gallin 

received the national Health leadership Award, 

and norD gave its lifetime Achievement Award 

to Sen. edward M. Kennedy. norD also honored 

Social Security Commissioner Michael J.Astrue, 

Discovery Health, and several treatment-developing companies for significant achievements to 

improve the lives of people with rare diseases. 

norD represents the nearly 30 million people 

in the united States who have rare diseases— 

that is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans—their families, and the patient organizations 

that serve them. “Dr. Gallin represents the unique 

blend of science and humanism that is so characteristic of the physician/researchers who study 

rare diseases and treat the individuals affected 

by them.Although dedicated to furthering 

scientific understanding of these diseases, he remains supremely aware of the emotional turmoil 

that patients participating in clinical trials may 

be experiencing,” the organization wrote in a 

publication for the gala. 

the gala also included a special tribute to patricia 

Delaney Klafehn, known as patty Delaney to her 

friends and coworkers and to the many patients 

and patient families she helped as associate director 

for the Cancer liaison program at the uS Food 

and Drug Administration. Delaney was a founding 

member of the CC patient Advisory Group from 

1998 to her death in June 2008 of acute leukemia. 

Grady named to new bioethics role 

Dr. Christine Grady has been named deputy chief 

of the Clinical Center’s Bioethics Department. 

While Bioethics Chief Dr. ezekiel emanuel is on 

an extended detail to the office of Management 

and Budget, Grady is also serving as acting chief of 

the department.As special advisor to the director 

for health policy, emanuel is working on a variety 

Dr. John I. Gallin 

Dr. Christine Grady 

of health policy issues but mainly leading the 

office of Management and Budget’s health-care 

reform efforts. 

Grady joined the CC in 1983 as a clinical nurse 

specialist, focused primarily on HIV and other 

immunological and infectious diseases.After a few 

years as assistant director for clinical science at 

the national Institute of nursing research and 

earning a doctorate in philosophy, she returned to 

the CC to join the Bioethics Department, where 

she has served as the head of the Section on Human Subjects research for the last 10 years. As 

a tenured scientist, Grady’s research areas include 

informed consent, subject recruitment, incentives, 

vulnerability, and international research ethics. 

Ognibene assumes new role in 

education, partnerships 

Dr. Frederick p. ognibene has been named 

Clinical Center deputy director for educational affairs 

and strategic partnerships. Since May 2003, 

ognibene had served as 

director of the CC 

office of Clinical 

research training and 

Medical education and 

maintains that role. ognibene has worked with 

CC Director Dr. John 

I. Gallin to further the 

development and implementation of global training for clinical investigators in the principles of clinical research. 

A graduate of Cornell university Medical College, 

ognibene came to nIH in 1982 as a clinical fellow and later became a tenured member of the 

senior staff in the CC’s Critical Care Medicine 

Department, a position held until 2003. ognibene 

was an active clinical investigator focusing on 

pulmonary complications of immunosuppressed 

patients. In 2007, he was president of the Society 

of Critical Care Medicine. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recreation therapist named 

clinician of the year 

Clinical Center 

recreation therapist 

robin Greenfield 

was named Clinician 

of theYear by the 

American therapeutic recreation 

Association (AtrA) 

at its annual conference in Minneapolis 

in october 2009. 

With more than 24 

years in the field, she 

returned to the nIH earlier in 2009 (after working for the CC from 1988 to 1997) following 

stints in texas, Georgia, and louisiana. She was 

nominated for her “ability to assess the patient 

thoroughly and accurately” and for “researching the appropriate intervention to use with 

the population she is going to serve in order to 

provide outcome-oriented interventions.”the 

AtrA Frank n. Brasile Clinician of theYear is 

given annually to one distinctive member of the 

association. 

Goldspiel 

recognized 

Dr. Barry Goldspiel, deputy chief 

of the Clinical 

Center pharmacy Department, 

received the 2009 

Hematology/oncology pharmacy 

Association Award 

of excellence, the association’s highest honor. 

the award recognizes a HopA member who 

has made a significant, sustained contribution to 

or provided excellent leadership in improving 

or supporting hematology/oncology pharmacy. 

Goldspiel was cited as “a recognized leader 

in oncology pharmacy who has created the 

opportunities for the profession to grow to 

meet the evolving needs of patient care.” 

HopA 2008-2009 president Cindy o’Bryant 

presented Goldspiel’s award. 

Platelet donor marks 400th draw 

robert prior understands selflessness.“You can’t 

always take, you have to give sometimes,” prior 

said while making his 400th donation to the 

nIH Blood Bank’s platelet center—a Blood 

Bank record.“I do it to give something back,” 

said prior.“It makes me feel good to know I did 

what I can.” 

prior first donated blood to the American red 

Cross as an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter. He 

started making platelet donations at nIH in 1978 

every Saturday. He now makes the trip from his 

home in Fairfax,Va., once a month. platelets are 

colorless, clotting agents that travel in a person’s 

blood. patients with diseases such as aplastic 

anemia or who are undergoing cancer treatment 

cannot produce their own platelets. His commitment to being a donor was strengthened 20 years 

ago when his son was diagnosed with Wilms’ 

tumor.“I realized how much he was depending 

on other people,” prior said. 

Robert Prior (second from left) of 

Fairfax, Va., was honored with a 

plaque commemorating his 400th 

platelet donation to the NIH Blood 

Bank on Feb. 23, 2009. He has 

given at least once a month since 

1978. With him are (from left) Dr. 

Susan Leitman, chief of Blood Services, and Blood Bank employees 

Janet Miranda, Phyllis Byrne, Zulda 

Rached, Janeen Thomas-Sanders, 

Rosella Freeman, Hal Wilkins, and 

Juan Salgado. “Next visit I’ll be 

starting my next 400,” he quipped. 

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Dr. Clare Hastings (left), 

Nursing and Patient Care 

Services chief, helped Kim 

Cox (second from left) and 

Julie Kohn (right)—both of 

the Neuropsychiatry Nurse 

Fellowship Program—honor 

eight participants on August 

14. Completing the program 

were: (back row, from left) 

Marina Budzynski, Jacqueline 

M. Goodson, Alisha Holden, 

Salieu Mansaray, Kathryn J. 

Prescott, and (front row, from 

left) Maria Gabriela Tietcheu, 

Erin Nicole Torres, and 

Jerome Glassman. 

First fellows graduate 

the Clinical Center nursing and patient Care Services neuropsychiatry nurse Fellowship program 

graduated its first class in August 2009. program 

coordinator Julie Kohn and Dr. Clare Hastings, 

chief of nursing and patient Care Services, presented eight nurses with a certificate of completion. offering congratulations were leaders of the 

programs the graduating nurses serve— 

Dr. Maryland pao, clinical director of the national 

Institute of Mental Health; Dr. David ted George, 

chief of the national Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism’s Section of Clinical Assessment 

and treatment evaluation; and Bruce Steakley, nurse manager of the Child and Adolescent 

psychiatric-Mental Health research unit and the 

psychiatric-Mental Health outpatient research 

program. George instructed the class to overcome 

the “boring routines, the busyness, the hierarchies” 

by serving a greater purpose.“We all deal with 

everyday-ness,” he said.“Get a mission. Have 

a focus—something you’re driving toward. 

number one should be patient care.” 

Book collection spotlights NIH authors 

A display outside the medical board room 

on the fourth floor of the Hatfield Building 

showcases a sampling of textbooks recently 

published by intramural clinician-scientists at 

nIH. rachael Schacherer, special assistant to 

the nIH CC chief financial officer, reviews 

some of the literature in the collection. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presidential management, administrative 

fellows flourish at the Clinical Center 

Management guru peter Drucker once said, 

“Management is doing things right; leadership 

is doing the right things.” learning to be a 

good manager is only the beginning for most 

presidential Management Fellows (pMFs). 

As their careers progress, these motivated 

colleagues often stand out not only because 

of their management skills, but also because 

of their ability to lead. 

the pMF program, sponsored by the office of 

personnel Management, aims to attract outstanding individuals into public service for a two-year, 

on-the-job training experience, preparing them 

to lead public programs and policy development. 

Individuals are eligible to apply for the program 

during their last year of graduate school. After 

two years of leadership training, mentoring, and 

rotational experiences around the federal government, pMFs will likely convert to permanent 

positions within their home agency. the Clinical 

Center offers rotational opportunities for pMFs 

and other administrative interns in a variety of 

assignments across the organization. paired with 

CC mentors, the fellows complete a project 

within a three-to-six month rotational experience. 

Fellows are often drawn to rotations at the CC 

because, as one fellow put it,“its educated staff not 

only do things right; they’re also focused on doing 

the right things.” 

In an effort to fuel a healthy pipeline of future 

leaders, the Clinical Center has attracted outstanding fellows to its ranks. Melissa Moore, chief of 

the CC office of Management Analysis and reporting (oMAr), began her government career 

in 2000 as a pMF who rotated with the Department of Health and Human Services budget office 

and various nIH institutes. Moore joined the CC 

office of Financial resources Management in 

2002 after completing the program and later was 

selected to lead her current office when it was 

established. 

two recent pMF program graduates have joined 

the CC staff: rebekah Geiger andVirginia Hill. 

Geiger came to the Clinical Center in 2008 as 

a special assistant to the chief operating officer, 

using her expertise in management analysis and 

project management to ensure the CC achieves its 

operational goals. Virginia Hill, who works at the 

special assistant to the deputy director for educational affairs and strategic partnerships, completed 

the program in August 2009 with a focus on communications and public affairs. 

Another program that recruits enthusiastic candidates is the Administrative Fellows program. 

tina Comissiong was a member of the program’s 

inaugural class and graduated in 2009. As an 

administrative officer, Comissiong provides vital 

managerial support to the CC office of Clinical 

research training and Medical education and 

the Social Work Department. More information 

about nIH-supported internship programs is online, http://www.jobs.nih.gov/vacancies/student/ 

default.htm. 

Female fellows gathered in the Clinical Center’s Duke room last spring for a forum on work/life 

Finding the balance

balance sponsored by the national Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the CC’s 

office of Clinical research training and Medical education. 

panelists Dr. Donna Krasnewich, national Human Genome research Institute deputy clinical director; 

Dr.tara palmore, CC deputy hospital epidemiologist and associate director of the national Institute of 

Allergy and Infectious Disease’s Infectious Diseases training program; and Dr. Sara Spence, national 

Institute of Mental Health staff clinician, spoke on balancing career, social life, relationships, ambition, 

and family.their reflections on moving up the academic and nIH ladders while maintaining sanity 

and stability at home helped the young researchers present for the forum. “We needed to hear how 

successful people manage a career and a home and social life,” said Dr. radha nandagopal, pediatric 

endocrine fellow and one of the event’s organizers. 

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First inductee to the Blood Donor 

Hall of Fame dies 

the first inductee to the 

nIH Blood Donor Hall 

of Fame, Howard Drew, 

died April 15, 2009. Drew, 

who worked as a reference 

librarian at the national 

library of Medicine, was 

named the Guinness world 

record holder for most 

blood donated in 2003— 

with 213 units, or about 

28 gallons, to his credit. 

He was also the first to donate 100 times to the 

nIH Blood Bank. His first donation was made 

in 1943 while stationed in england with the 

uS Army early in his 36-year military career. In 

2000 Drew recorded a series of public service 

announcements on blood donation with Congress and the uS Surgeon General. 

“I believe in the importance of community 

service, and nothing is as fulfilling as saving lives 

by donating blood,” Drew, who lived in the 

District of Columbia, said in one announcement. Before his last donation on April 5, 2005, 

he tried to donate every two months.“Mr. Drew 

was committed to being on the front line in 

terms of saving lives, first with his heroic actions 

in the military service, and then continuing with 

his deep and passionate commitment to blood 

donation. He broke so many barriers and records 

in the process.the Department of transfusion 

Medicine has lost a great friend and a wonderful human being,” said Dr. Susan leitman, Blood 

Services Section chief. 

CC staff honored with NIH Director’s Awards 

receiving a 2009 nIH Director’s Award were: 

•	� Denise Ford, chief, Hospitality Services: Mentoring—for outstanding 

contributions as a mentor, teacher, and leader of employees and 

volunteers in support of excellent customer service across the CC. 

•	� Dr. james Shelhamer, deputy chief, Critical Care Medicine 

Department: Scientific/Medical—for extraordinary contributions to 

the understanding of pulmonary physiology. 

•	� Dr. Robert Wesley, chief, Biostatistics Service: Scientific/Medical— 

for extraordinary contributions to the design and analysis of clinical 

research projects. 

•	� Dr. David Henderson, deputy director for clinical care:Administrative—for use of novel leadership strategies to facilitate high quality 

clinical research and for the application of epidemiological methods to 

enhance patient safety. 

•	� Karen Kaczorowski, deputy chief nurse officer,Ambulatory Care 

Services:Administrative—for outstanding work on strategic initiatives. 

•	� CC Patient Travel Team (Maureen Gormley, john McKeeby, 

Dr. Adrienne Farrar, Kim jarema, Karen Kaczorowski, Sydney 

jones, Bridget Moore): for exceptional teamwork in creating a new 

administrative infrastructure to implement a uniform and equitable 

nIH patient travel policy. 

•	� NIDA RTX Development Project Members (Dr. Gopal Potti, 

Dr. George Grimes, judith Starling, Dr. Andrew Mannes): for 

advancing resiniferatoxin to a successful InD approval, enabling its 

evaluation in clinical trials as a treatment for intractable pain. 

•	� Walter jones, lead for diversity management and minority outreach, 

office of Clinical research training and Medical education: as a 

member of the nIH Health Disparities Summit group for contributions in planning and coordinating the first nIH Summit:the Science 

of eliminating Health Disparities. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organization and Governance 

advIsORy BOaRd FOR cLINIcaL REsEaRcH 

NaTIONaL INsTITuTEs OF HEaLTH (2009–2010) 

Governance 

the nIH Advisory Board 

for Clinical research oversees the Clinical Center’s 

resources, planning, and 

operations.the Board also 

advises on nIH’s overall intramural program, including 

priority setting, the integration and implementation 

of research programs of the 

individual institutes and 

centers, and overall strategic 

planning for the intramural 

program. 

Comprised of nIH clinical 

and scientific leaders and 

outside experts in management of health care and 

clinical research, the 

Board advises the nIH deputy director for intramural 

research and the Clinical 

Center director and reports 

to the nIH director. 

CHAIR: Ronald G. Evens, MD 

Senior executive officer 

BJC HealthCare 

VICE-CHAIR: Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH 

Dean 

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg 

School of public Health 

Duane F.Alexander, MD 

Senior Scientific Advisor on Global Maternal 

and Child Health research 

Fogarty International Center 

Barbara M.Alving, MD 

Director 

national Center for research resources 

Martin Blaser, MD 

Chairman, Department of Medicine 

Frederick H. King professor of Internal Medicine 

newYork university School of Medicine 

Josephine Briggs, MD 

Director, national Center for Complementary 

and Alternative Medicine 

Elizabeth B. Concordia, BA, MAS 

executiveVice president 

university of pittsburgh Medical Center 

president 

Hospital and Community Services Division 

Maria C. Freire, PhD 

president,the lasker Foundation 

Donald Ganem, MD 

Investigator 

Howard Hughes Medical Institute 

professor of Microbiology and Medicine 

university of California San Francisco 

Joe G. N.“Skip” Garcia, MD 

lowell t. Coggeshall professor 

Department of Medicine 

university of Chicago 

Daniel L. Kastner, MD, PhD 

Clinical Director 

national Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

Crystal Mackall, MD 

Chief, pediatric oncology Branch 

Head, Immunology Section 

national Cancer Institute 

Peter Markell 

Vice president of Finance 

partners HealthCare System, Inc. 

L. Reuven Pasternak, MD, MPH, MBA 

Ceo, Inova Fairfax Hospital Campus 

executiveVice president,Academic Affairs 

Inova Health System 

Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD 

Chief, Surgery Branch 

national Cancer Institute 

Monica Skarulis, MD 

Chief, Clinical endocrine Section 

national Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases 

Neal S.Young, M.D 

Chief, Clinical Hematology Branch 

national Heart, lung, and Blood Institute 

Ex Officio Members 

John I. Gallin, MD 

Director 

Clinical Center 

national Institutes of Health 

Michael M. Gottesman, MD 

Deputy Director for Intramural research 

national Institutes of Health 

H. Clifford Lane, MD 

Chair 

Medical executive Committee 

Clinical Director 

national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

Executive Secretary 

Maureen E. Gormley, RN, MPH 

Chief operating officer 

Clinical Center 

national Institutes of Health 

Senior Staff Support 

Richard G.Wyatt, MD 

executive Director 

office of Intramural research 

national Institutes of Health 

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mEdIcaL ExEcuTIvE cOmmITTEE mEmBERs (2010) 

NIH clinical center 

The Medical Executive Committee is made up of clinical directors of the NIH intramural clinical research programs 

and other senior medical and administrative staff. 

H. Clifford Lane, MD 

(Chair) national Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases 

Maryland Pao, MD 

(Vice Chair)
� national Institute of Mental Health
�

Jane C.Atkinson, DDS 

national Institute of Dental and 

Craniofacial research 

James E. Balow, MD 

national Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 

Kidney Diseases 

Richard O. Cannon, III, MD 

national Heart, lung, and Blood Institute 

Carlo Contoreggi, MD 

national Institute on Drug Abuse 

William L. Dahut, MD 

national Cancer Institute 

Raymond A. Dionne, DDS, PhD 

national Institute of nursing research 

William B. Ershler, MD 

national Institute on Aging 

Frederick L. Ferris, III, MD 

national eye Institute 

Mary Kay Floeter, MD 

national Institute of neurological 

Disorders and Stroke 

William A. Gahl, MD, PhD 

national Human Genome research Institute 

Clare E. Hastings, PhD, RN, FAAN 

nIH Clinical Center 

Markus Heilig, MD, PhD 

national Institute on Alcohol Abuse 

and Alcoholism 

David K. Henderson, MD 

nIH Clinical Center 

Stephen G. Kaler, MD, MPH 

national Institute of Child Health 

and Human Development 

Daniel L. Kastner, MD, PhD 

national Institute of Arthritis and 

Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 

Henry Masur, MD 

nIH Clinical Center 

Deborah P. Merke, MD, MS 

nIH Clinical Center 

Robert Nussenblatt, MD 

national Center for Complementary 

and Alternative Medicine 

Steven A. Rosenberg, MD 

national Cancer Institute 

Elad Sharon, MD, MPH 

Clinical Fellow,
� national Cancer Institute
�

CarterVan Waes, MD, PhD 

national Institute on Deafness and 

other Communication Disorders 

Darryl C. Zeldin, MD 

national Institute of environmental 

Health Sciences 

Ex Officio Members 

John I. Gallin, MD 

nIH Clinical Center 

Patricia A. Kvochak, JD 

Deputy nIH legal Advisor 

Richard G.Wyatt, MD 

office of Intramural research, nIH 

Laura M. Lee, RN 

nIH Clinical Center 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIRECTOR 

John I. Galin, MD 

Chief Operating Officer
�

Maureen E. Gormley, MPH, RN
�

Assistant Director for Ethics and 

Technology Development 

Lisa Marunycz, RN, MBA 

Deputy Director for Educational Affairs 

and Strategic Partnerships 

Frederick P. Ognibene, MD 

Diversity Management and Minority Outreach 

Walter Jones, MS 

Chief Operating Chief Nursing Officer 

Officer Clare Hastings, 

Maureen E. Gormley, PhD, RN, FAAN

MPH, RN

 Deputy Chief

 Deputy for Ambulatory Care 

Administration/ Services

 Office of Karen Kaczorowski, 

Administrative MHSA, RN

Management

 Lynda Ray
� Deputy Chief 

Inpatient Services

Deputy for Tannia Cartledge, 

Operations and MS, RN 

Workforce 

Management
� Chief, Research 

Hillary J. Fitilis, JD & Practice 

Development 

Nutrition Service

 Department Gwenyth Wallen, 

David Folio, MS, RD PhD, RN 

Edmond J. Safra 

Family Lodge
�

Lawrence Eldridge,

 MSHA
�

Office of 

Organizational 

Development
�

Deborah Gardner, 

PhD, RN
�

Office of Purchasing 

and Contracts
�

Sydney Jones
�

Housekeeping and 

Fabric Care 

Department
�

Robert Mekelburg, 

MBA
�

Materials 

Management 

Department
�

Francis LaBosco, 

MS, PD
�

Social Work 

Department
�

Adrienne Farrar, PhD
�

Spiritual Ministry 

Department
�

John M. Pollack, MDiv, 

BCC
�

Office of 

Communications, 

Patient Recruitment 

& Public Liaison
�

Sara Byars
�

Office of Facility 

Management
�

James Wilson
�

Office of Hospitality 

Services
�

Denise Ford, MS, RD
�

Chief Financial Bioethics Department Laboratory
�

Officer Acting, for Informatics
�

Maria Joyce, MBA Christine Grady, Development
�

MSN, PhD James J. Cimino, MD 

Office of Financial 

 Resource 

Management

 Daniel P. Rinehuls 

Office of 

Management

 Analysis & Reporting

 Melissa B. Moore, 

 MSW, MBA

 Office of Protocol 

Services

 Kim Jarema, RHIA

 Department of 

 Clinical Research 

Informatics and 

Chief Information 

Officer

 Jon W. McKeeby, 

DSc
�

Radiology 

and Imaging 

Sciences 

David A. Bluemke, 

MD, PhD, MsB 

Deputy Director for 

Clinical Care 

David K. Henderson, 

MD

 Department of 

Anesthesia and 

 Surgical Services

 Zena Quezado, MD

 Department of 

Laboratory Medicine 

Thomas A. Fleisher, MD 

Critical Care Medicine 

Department

 Henry Masur, MD

 Pharmacy 

Department 

Robert DeChristoforo, 

MS

 Rehabilitation 

Medicine 

Department

 Leighton Chan, MD

 MPH

 Department of

 Transfusion 

Medicine 

Harvey Klein, MD

 Positron Emission 

 Tomography 

Department

 Peter Herscovitch, 

MD 

 Medical Record 

Department 

Patricia Coffey, RHIA

 Office of

 Credentials

 Servicies 

 Joseph Hendery, 

RHIA

 Pain and Palliative 

 Care Service

 Ann Berger, MSN, MD

 Internal Medicine 

Consult Service

 Fred Gill, MD

 Pediatric Consult 

Service

 Deborah Merke, MD

 Veterinary Care 

 Program

 Lisa Portnoy, VMD 

5 2 • A n n uA l r e p o rt 2 0 1 0 

Hospital 

Epidemiology Services 

David K. Henderson, MD 

Clinical Epidemiology & 

Biostatistics Service 

Robert Wesley, PhD 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NaTIONaL INsTITuTEs OF HEaLTH 

national Cancer Institute (nCI)
�

national eye Institute (neI)
�

national Heart, lung, and Blood Institute (nHlBI)
�

national Human Genome research Institute 

(nHGrI) 

national Institute on Aging (nIA) 

national Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 

(nIAAA) 

national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 

(nIAID) 

national Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and 

Skin Diseases (nIAMS) 

national Institute of Biomedical Imaging 

and Bioengineering (nIBIB) 

Eunice Kennedy Shriver national Institute of 

Child Health and Human Development (nICHD) 

national Institute on Deafness and other 

Communication Disorders (nIDCD) 

national Institute of Dental and Craniofacial 

research (nIDCr) 

national Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and 

Kidney Diseases (nIDDK) 

national Institute on Drug Abuse (nIDA) 

national Institute of environmental Health Sciences 

(nIeHS) 

national Institute of General Medical Sciences 

(nIGMS) 

national Institute of Mental Health (nIMH) 

national Institute of neurological Disorders and 

Stroke (nInDS) 

national Institute of nursing research (nInr) 

national library of Medicine (nlM) 

Center for Information technology (CIt)
�

Center for Scientific review (CSr)
�

John e. Fogarty International Center (FIC)
�

national Center for Complementary and 

Alternative Medicine (nCCAM) 

national Center for Minority Health and 

Health Disparities (nCMHD) 

national Center for research resources (nCrr) 

nIH Clinical Center (CC)