With the change in leadership at both the IC and intramural level, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), has entered a transitional phase, with a restructuring of mission and approach. Most significant of these has been a re-focusing on dry-lab oriented research with a greater expansion of population-based epidemiological and behavioral-social studies aimed at reducing health disparities, and expanding the mission to emphasize outcomes through research. It is envisioned that NIMHD will have a strong population science emphasis with a clinical component and will be likely to incorporate a cohort study research model and network with other ICs programs with similar interests. New research will explore different health disparities cohorts, including immigrants and populations from rural areas. The first step of this plan is to recruit a permanent scientific director to lead the NIMHD intramural division. This effort is currently underway and interviews have been schedule for early Fall 2016. In addition, recruiting efforts for a clinical head, and senior scientist: epidemiology, clinician, social/behavioral, have been given high priority. An additional priority will be to assemble a Board of Scientific Counselors to establish an infrastructure for internal review. Currently the DIR supports a single tenure track investigator who supervises two post-doctoral fellows. The Office of the Scientific Director also supports the research of three (3) staff scientist/clinicians. In addition, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the NIMDH/ DIR has recruited Mr. Eugene Bond, an experienced protocol specialist who will assist DIR Investigators in developing protocols for the IRP. In an effort to establish a peer group within the NIMHD, DIR, and promote interactions throughout the Institute, the Office of Scientific Director has implemented an initiative to expand the senior research faculty of DIR through the use of an adjunct investigator appointment mechanism. Adjunct investigators are independent tenured, tenure-track, or assistant-clinical investigators, who have their primary appointments in other ICs, but will be supported by the NIMHD/ DIR with resources to include funding and support for a post-doctoral fellow, and other possible means of support as determined by approved memorandums of understanding. All agreements will be reviewed on a yearly basis. To date, we have expanded the adjunct faculty of the NIMHD, DIR to include three (3) tenured investigators, two (2) tenure-track Stadtman investigators, and one (1) senior level assistant clinical investigator. A brief description of the adjunct faculty is described below: Dr. Fasil Tekola Ayele is an Earl Stadman Tenure-Track Investigator, jointly supported by NIMHD and NICHD/DIPHR/DIR. He was recently appointed as an Adjunct Investigator/Postdoctoral IRTA fellow to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Division of Intramural Research. Dr. Tekolas research interests are in the area of genetic and chronic disease (i.e., diabetes and cardiovascular) epidemiology, the early origins of health disparity and population health; more globally. Dr. Tekola received his Ph.D. in Genetic Epidemiology from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Universities of Brighton and Sussex, UK in 2010. Dr. Chandra Jackson is an Earl Stadman Tenure-Track Investigator, jointly supported by NIMHD and NIEHS. She was recently appointed as an Adjunct Investigator the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Division of Intramural Research. Dr. Jacksons research interests are dietary lifestyle factors (e.g. sleep) as major, modifiable contributors to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities in chronic diseases related to the cardiovascular system. Dr. Jackson received her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins University in 2012. Dr. Anne Sumner is a Senior Investigator, and Chief, Section on Ethnicity and Health, Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, NIDDK. She was recently appointed as an Adjunct Investigator for the NIMHD, DIR. Her research interests include design of screening tests and early interventions to decrease the impact of the diabetes and heart disease epidemic that is now occurring in populations of African descent worldwide. Dr. Michele Evans is the Deputy Scientific Director, Senior Investigator and Chief, Disparities Research Section, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, NIA. She was recently appointed as an Adjunct Investigator to the NIMHD, DIR. Dr. Evans research interests include investigating the role of oxidative stress in populations at risk for health disparities, with particular interest in studying damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMPS). In addition, her work explores the role of circulating mitochondrial DNA in the inflammatory state, aging, and health disparities associated conditions. Dr. Tiffany Powell-Wiley is an Assistant Clinical Investigator, Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk, NHLBI. She was recently appointed as an Adjunct Investigator for the NIMHD, DIR. Dr. Powell-Wileys research interests include investigating the social determinants of obesity and obesity-related cardiovascular risk factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease. Also, exploring the relationship between neighborhood environment and the development of obesity in an effort to improve the design of an intervention targeting obesity and CV risk. Publications from staff in the NIMHD Office of the Scientific Director: 1. Amable L. (2016) Cisplatin Resistance and Opportunities for Precision Medicine. Pharmacological Research. 106:27-36. Published January 22, 2016. 2. Ho SC, Feldman M, Maric D, Amable L, Hall M, Feldman G, Lizak MJ, Zhuang Z, and Heiss JD. (2016) PP2A Inhibition with LB100 enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity in MB cells in vitro and in vivo. 2016 Mar 15;7(11):12447-63. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.6970. 3. Apolo AB, Karzai FH, Trepel JB, et al. A Phase II Clinical Trial of TRC105 (Anti-Endoglin Antibody) in Adults With Advanced/Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. 2016 May 27. pii: S1558-7673(16)30136-7.
| Gardner, Kevin (2018) The Science of Cancer Health Disparities: A Young Discipline with an Old Heritage. Am J Pathol 188:268-270 |
| Byun, Jung S; Park, Samson; Caban, Ambar et al. (2018) Linking Race, Cancer Outcomes, and Tissue Repair. Am J Pathol 188:317-328 |
| Apolo, Andrea B; Karzai, Fatima H; Trepel, Jane B et al. (2017) A Phase II Clinical Trial of TRC105 (Anti-Endoglin Antibody) in Adults With Advanced/Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma. Clin Genitourin Cancer 15:77-85 |
| Amable, Lauren (2016) Cisplatin resistance and opportunities for precision medicine. Pharmacol Res 106:27-36 |
| Ho, Winson S; Feldman, Michael J; Maric, Dragan et al. (2016) PP2A inhibition with LB100 enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity and overcomes cisplatin resistance in medulloblastoma cells. Oncotarget 7:12447-63 |
