Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Two The National Institutes of Health inventors, Drs. Peter Basser and Carlos Zarate, Jr., have been selected as part of the 2024 National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellows. NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Dr. Peter Basser’s work has transformed how neurological disorders and diseases are diagnosed and treated, and how brain architecture, organization, structure, and anatomical “connectivity” are studied and visualized. Dr. Basser is a Senior Investigator in the Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Carlos Zarate, Jr. has had a prolific career researching the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, most recently licensing an invention that led to the development of the first FDA-approved drug for treatment-resistant depression (Spravato®). Dr. Zarate is Chief, Section on the Neurobiology and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Chief of Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch (ETPB) at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). You can read more about these inventors, their work, and find technologies they have available for licensing or collaboration on our website: go.nih.gov/FeghQtS #TechnologyTransfer #Innovation #PublicHealth #Biotechnology #Biopharma #HealthcareInnovation

Do you know an undergraduate student interested in health equity and health disparities research? Spread the word! The NICHD Health Equity Research Opportunities (HERO) Summer Program provides students with the opportunity to conduct full-time research, participate in a health equity seminar series, and more. Applications are due January 17, 2025. Learn more: https://go.nih.gov/qpJbI7q The National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health (NIH): Intramural Research Program (IRP)

Model organisms like zebrafish help investigators identify how a single cell becomes distinct cell types, tissues, and organs. This year, NICHD researchers published a genetic atlas of early zebrafish development that promises to help the broader research community understand the roles of different types of cells in health and disease. Learn more about other 2024 NICHD research highlights at https://go.nih.gov/DRTMk4J. #NICHD2024

Launched this year, NIH’s Down Syndrome Cohort Development Program will observe and track health data of people with Down syndrome from birth to adulthood. The results will help deepen understanding of Down syndrome, accelerate knowledge of health conditions that more commonly affect those with the condition, and ultimately improve the quality of life for individuals and their families. Learn more about how NICHD is expanding research on intellectual and developmental disabilities at https://go.nih.gov/7Pr3ybK. #NICHD2024

We are excited to announce The National Institutes of Health Science of Science Scholars pilot program, which aims to engage the research community & help us enhance NIH’s research operations to move biomedical research advances forward. 🔬🧪 Learn more and apply:

More than 70 million people in the United States have one or more type of disability. Compared to people without disabilities, those with disabilities are more likely to experience chronic diseases, are less likely to be up-to-date on preventive health care, and often face barriers to accessing healthcare. Learn how NICHD is addressing these health disparities at https://go.nih.gov/KrK8VHZ. #NICHD2024

Compared with annual HIV screening alone, generic daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and quarterly HIV screenings could result in fewer HIV acquisitions, longer life expectancy, and fewer HIV-related costs among young men who have sex with men in the United States, according to a simulation study by researchers at @Massachusetts General Hospital that used data from NICHD’s @Adolescent Medicine Trials Network. The model predicted that for males ages 15 to 22 considered at higher risk of acquiring HIV, accessing daily generic PrEP could reduce new HIV acquisition from 37% to 30% and reduce costs by $5,000 per person, compared with annual screening alone. Learn more at https://go.nih.gov/RRbdGst. #NICHDimpact #HIV #PrEP #HIVPrevention

We recently launched a new webpage on Resources for Researchers with Disabilities, focused on supporting these researchers and reminding the community about reasonable accommodations that may be supported through an award’s budget or supplement opportunities. 💻

NIH is seeking input on a recently published Request for Information on the framework for NIH’s Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research. NIH wants to hear from a wide range of interested individuals and organizations, including people with disabilities, health care professionals, researchers in academia and industry, and advocates and advocacy organizations, Responses will be used to help shape the framework and the ensuing strategic plan and are due by March 12, 2025. https://go.nih.gov/c9AiRUX #DisabilityResearch #research #science #NIH

To optimally treat pediatric injuries, care must be tailored to meet the unique needs of children. This year, an NICHD-supported study estimated that widespread adoption of standards designed to improve pediatric care in U.S. hospital emergency departments could save more than 2,000 lives each year. According to the study, adopting the standards would range from no cost to $11.84 per child, depending on the state. Learn about NICHD research to improve care for pediatric injury at https://go.nih.gov/zw1Hutc. #NICHD2024