Minority Programs Update

Spring 1995

MORE Division is Poised for Change

The Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE), the umbrella organization created in 1991 to oversee NIGMS' minority programs, is responsible for developing and maintaining the overall NIGMS plans and policies for minority research and research training programs. The MORE Division is responsible for the activities of the Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC), Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), and Special Initiatives programs.

The two largest programs, MARC and MBRS, were created in the early 1970's to encourage and assist underrepresented minorities in pursuing careers in the biomedical sciences. Now, almost 25 years later, the MORE Division is reviewing and reassessing the programs' goals and objectives as well as the strategies used to meet them. As part of this review, in January 1995 the advisory council to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) endorsed a set of "guiding principles" for all present and future programs of the MORE Division.

These principles are:

  1. The goals of the MORE Division will embody growth, improvement, and strengthening. Thus, MORE programs will be developmental rather than merely sustaining. Continuing, stable support will be contingent upon continued improvement.

  2. NIGMS programs under the MORE umbrella will develop a strategic plan that will have specific objectives with measurable outcomes. Those objectives will be explicitly addressed in the review and evaluation processes.

  3. Individual institutions funded by the MORE programs will have specific, measurable objectives. In general, and within legal and policy constraints, MORE programs will provide as much freedom and flexibility as possible to enable institutions to achieve their specific objectives.

  4. Outcomes and specific progress toward institutional objectives will be primary factors considered in the renewal of projects.

  5. MORE programs will promote systemic change.

Dr. Clifton Poodry, the director of the MORE Division since April 1994, talks about the meaning of these guiding principles:

Why was it important to articulate a set of guiding principles for the MORE Division?

The mission of the MORE Division is to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in biomedical research. The guiding principles set up a framework upon which our planning is based. The principles are really for "in house" use in planning; but they also provide a statement of direction for the MORE-supported programs at individual institutions.

What is the implication of the programs' being developmental rather than sustaining?

The MORE programs are intended to bring about change. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo, which includes an unacceptable degree of underrepresentation of some minority groups in biomedical research. When we imagine how much the MORE Division could reasonably expect to remedy the underrepresentation of minorities in science in the next 5, 10, or 20 years, it is obvious that a commitment to constant progress toward the objective of increased representation is required. We will expect MORE-supported projects, whether they be for student or research development, to show a measurable difference as a result of the award. What will be important will be the ambitions of the particular institution. Our programs should play to and support those ambitions, but should not be seen as the source of funding for ongoing, status quo expenses.

What programs will be affected?

The principles apply to all programs under the MORE umbrella. They apply to ourselves in management at NIGMS, as well as to current and future grantees. The principles say that we encourage and support a culture of reflection and continuous improvement.

What changes do you anticipate?

The nature of the applications for some programs will change, possibly dramatically. In their proposals, applicants will need to express their ambitions, state their goals, and present specific, measurable objectives for a given time frame. Evaluation will be built in as an integral part of the grants rather than planned afterward. I imagine that the peer review process will look for lofty ambition combined with a good plan to achieve and evaluate that ambition. For renewal applications, the results of past funding and how they stack up against the goals and specific objectives of the institution will be critical. Since the goals and specific objectives would be unique to each institution, the difference or the added value of the funded activity will be most important. I hope that the nature of the awards will change in a fundamental way, namely, that institutions will have more flexibility in managing their projects and awarded funds to maximize the likelihood of achieving their goals. It is premature to discuss preliminary proposals for certain programs, but I will say that an objective of the MBRS Program is to provide a competitive level of funding for the best research in the portfolio.

When will these changes take effect?

There are a number of steps that have to be taken in the evolutionary process of the programs. We actively seek advice from the community, and we will provide continuing opportunity for such community input. The MORE staff discussed the proposed guiding principles at an ad hoc workshop and at a meeting with MARC and MBRS program directors before the advisory council to NIGMS endorsed the principles. As the MORE staff members offer revisions in policies or new program announcements, we will solicit comments widely. Only after comment, revision if necessary, and endorsement by the advisory council will any change take effect. Applications that are received before new announcements are made will be reviewed under the current criteria.

What is meant by systemic change?

The entire education and research system must be engaged in the effort to develop a diverse, inclusive biomedical research workforce. The effort must reach beyond the individual grants and fellowships of the MORE Division to include all activities of NIGMS.

How do you picture the future of the MORE programs?

I would like to see the MORE programs develop into stronger programs that are better designed to meet the needs of an evolving and ethnically diverse scientific community, and with these changes, I see that happening.

NIH and NIGMS Enter the Information Superhighway

In accordance with Vice President Gore's National Performance Review, an effort that encourages government agencies to create and maintain programs that work better and cost less, NIH and NIGMS have begun to examine many of the procedures through which they do business with the scientific community.

One of the procedures that NIH hopes to streamline is the grant application/communication process. NIH is exploring ways to enable the grantee community to submit applications and essential information electronically, thus eliminating the current reliance on the exchange of paper documents. However, to ensure that these new initiatives will be effective, NIH's and NIGMS' "customers" must have the needed electronic equipment to participate.

Toward this end, NIGMS recently awarded each of its MARC programs a $10,000 administrative supplement to be used to purchase a state-of-the-art computer, modem, laser printer, and technical assistance, if necessary.

"Computers are an effective means of modern communication and are central to both the laboratory and the office," says Dr. Adolphus Toliver, MARC Program director. "Having access to a good computer is almost taken for granted at many institutions; nevertheless, this is not necessarily true for MARC-supported institutions. With these supplements," he adds, "our MARC participants will have better access to the 'information superhighway' and the materials and procedures available through it."

The MBRS Program is soliciting requests for administrative supplements to establish Internet and electronic mail capabilities for grantee institutions that currently lack such capabilities.

NIGMS is also working to establish a presence on the Internet, in the form of a site (also known as a home page) on the World Wide Web (WWW). When the site is operational, it will offer NIGMS program and grant information, news, and staff information.

"Having NIGMS on the Internet will give the grantee community easy electronic access to the NIGMS information they need whenever they need it," says Alisa Zapp Machalek, an NIGMS science writer who is developing the WWW site.

The NIGMS home page will be accessible from the NIH home page (http://www.nih.gov/). The NIH home page currently offers such information as a database of NIH grants and contracts, biomedical information relating to health issues and clinical protocols, research opportunities at NIH, links to molecular biology and molecular modeling databases, and links to other NIH information services.

MBRS Investigator Becomes AAAS Fellow

Dr. George V. Hillyer, a professor of pathology and MBRS associate investigator at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in San Juan, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was elected for his "pioneering work on cross-immunity in schistosomiasis and fascioliasis and for careful analysis of the antigenic determinants both for immunity and immunodiagnosis," according to AAAS. This research has been supported by NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Hillyer has been associated with the University of Puerto Rico system since 1972. During that time, he has served as a professor of immunology and parasitology (1972-1987) and as chairman of the department of biology (1981-1987) at the Rio Piedras campus. In 1987, Hillyer transferred to the Medical Sciences campus. Since joining the staff, he has served as director of the Laboratory of Parasite Immunology and Pathology. Hillyer also was responsible for writing the curriculum for the university's first intercampus Ph.D. program in biology, which began in 1981.

Hillyer's association with MBRS began in 1973, when he and a colleague wrote the original MBRS grant application for the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus. He served as the director of the school's MBRS program from its inception in 1974 until 1983.

Over the past 20 years, Hillyer has acted as a mentor to many MBRS participants who have gone on to pursue biomedical research careers. "MBRS is a great program," he says. "It has enabled many students to work in actual laboratory settings, which is a key factor in the decision to pursue a research career."

Hillyer earned a B.S. in biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Chicago. He has received numerous awards and honors, including election as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the Bailey K. Ashford Medal from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the Henry Baldwin Ward Medal from the American Society of Parasitologists.

The AAAS council elects those whose "efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished." Hillyer was presented with a certificate and a rosette at the society's annual meeting in Atlanta in February 1995.

NIGMS Reorganizes, Moves to Natcher Building

In October 1994, NIGMS underwent a reorganization and a move to the new William H. Natcher Building on the main NIH campus. The reorganization was designed to enhance the Institute's effectiveness and efficiency in supporting basic biomedical research and research training, as well as to align NIGMS' organizational structure and position titles with those of other NIH institutes.

The most significant change was the rearrangement of four program branches--Cellular and Molecular Basis of Disease, Genetics, Biophysics and Physiological Sciences, and Pharmacology and Biorelated Chemistry--into three divisions: Cell Biology and Biophysics; Genetics and Developmental Biology; and Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry. Two other Institute components also became divisions: the Division of Minority Opportunities in Research and the Division of Extramural Activities.

According to Dr. Marvin Cassman, acting director of NIGMS, "The reorganization reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the research funded by NIGMS. By refining the distribution and balance of scientific areas among the divisions, we will improve the Institute's ability to promote and support the most innovative basic research of the future."

The move to the Natcher Building brought the entire NIGMS staff to the NIH campus for the first time in more than 30 years.

The new address for all NIGMS mail is:

(Name of staff member)
NIGMS, NIH
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200

NIGMS telephone and fax numbers also changed. If you do not have a staff member's new number, you may obtain it by calling the Institute's Office of Research Reports at (301) 496-7301.

New NIH Program Supports Student Loan Repayment

The Office of the Director, NIH, recently established a Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (CR-LRP). The goal of the program is to encourage physicians from "disadvantaged backgrounds" to join the intramural clinical research programs offered at the various NIH institutes. In exchange, a sizable portion of the physician's accumulated student debt--up to $20,000 per year--can be repaid. Qualifying debt includes student debt that may have been incurred while attending undergraduate, graduate, or medical school.

To be eligible for loan repayment benefits, CR-LRP recipients must agree to remain employed at NIH for a minimum of 2 years. This period usually runs concurrently with a postdoctoral fellowship.

Although the program is intended primarily for those with an M.D. degree, individuals with a Ph.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., or A.D.N./B.S.N. may also qualify if they are engaged in clinical research.

For this program, clinical research is defined as biomedical and behavioral studies of the etiology, epidemiology, prevention (and prevention strategies), diagnosis, or treatment of diseases, disorders, or conditions, including but not limited to clinical trials.

"NIH recognizes that many physicians are dissuaded from considering clinical research training because of their heavy debt burden," explains CR-LRP program director Marc Horowitz. "The average NIH salary of $38,000 for first-year clinical associates, although attractive, often cannot support debt repayment of those physicians with between $60,000 and $100,000 in student debt that is often still accruing interest," he adds.

For this program, an individual from a disadvantaged background is one who comes from an environment that inhibited (but did not prevent) the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skill, and ability required to enroll in and graduate from a health professions school. It also applies to an individual who comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds according to family size.

An individual may certify disadvantaged status under the above definition by either submitting a personal statement explaining the applicability of the definition to his or her circumstances or by providing certification from his or her educational institution that he or she qualified for Federal disadvantaged assistance during attendance. Priority in funding will be given to qualified health professionals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and who are underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research, including members of minority groups, women, and disabled researchers.

During fiscal year 1994, the first year of operation, five clinicians from disadvantaged backgrounds were selected to participate in this program. An additional 10 clinicians are expected to be selected in each of the next two fiscal years.

For more information about the program, including deadline dates for the next fiscal year and an application package, contact:

Bernice Williams, R.N.
Recruitment Specialist
NIH Loan Repayment Programs
Federal Building, Room 102
7550 Wisconsin Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-9015
Telephone: (800) 528-7689

NIH Reannounces Program to Promote Reentry into Research Careers

NIH recognizes the need to increase the number of women, minorities, and people with disabilities in biomedical and behavioral research careers. Among the reasons for the low representation of women may be the fact that women bear the majority of responsibilities surrounding child and family care. To address this issue, NIH is reannouncing the Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers Program. The program is designed to offer opportunities to women and men who have interrupted their research careers to care for children or parents or to attend to other family responsibilities. The objective of the program is for those who receive support to reestablish careers in biomedical or behavioral research.

To be eligible for a supplement, candidates must have a doctoral degree such as an M.D., D.D.S., Ph.D., D.O., D.V.M., or equivalent; at least 2 years of postdoctoral research experience; and sufficient prior research experience to qualify for a faculty appointment at the assistant professor or equivalent level.

Principal investigators with active NIH grants with at least 2 years of support remaining are eligible to submit a request for an administrative supplement to support an individual who is reentering a research career. A maximum of 3 years of supplemental support can be awarded, and the support can be either part-time or full-time.

In 1992 and 1993, the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health sponsored a research supplement program to promote reentry with a single application date each year. The present announcement replaces that program with one with an open receipt date and with review and funding done directly by participating NIH institutes and centers.

For more information about the reentry program, contact:

Dr. Anthony René
Assistant Director for Referral and Liaison, NIGMS
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Telephone: (301) 594-3833

Fogarty International Center Offers International Research Collaboration Awards

An important role of the NIH Fogarty International Center is to foster discovery through the support of international cooperation across the continuum of basic, clinical, and applied biomedical, behavioral, and health sciences. The opportunity to collaborate internationally provides a means of access to new information and perspectives; innovative concepts and methods; emerging research technologies; or unique populations and environments. To facilitate such collaborations, the center recently announced the Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award (FIRCA). The award is made to a U.S. institution to support a collaborative research project that will be carried out mainly at a foreign collaborator's research site. The award is intended to extend and enhance the research program of a U.S. scientist, while at the same time benefitting the scientific interests of the collaborating foreign scientist.

Up to $20,000 in direct costs per year are available for up to 3 years. Funds are available to purchase supplies for the foreign collaborator's laboratory and to support travel for the U.S. and foreign collaborators and their research associates, as justified by the needs of the collaborative research. If the foreign collaborator does not have significant biomedical research infrastructure support, the FIRCA will provide small pieces of equipment necessary to the research project.

All biomedical and behavioral research topics supported by NIH are eligible for inclusion under this program. However, investigators working on topics related to HIV, AIDS, or related illnesses should apply for the Fogarty International Center's HIV, AIDS, and Related Illnesses Collaboration Award.

For more information on the FIRCA, contact:

Dr. Mirilee Pearl
International Research and Awards Branch, FIC
Building 31, Room B2C39
31 Center Drive MSC 2200
Bethesda, MD 20892-2200
Telephone: (301) 496-1653

Profile: Gregory R. Reyes, M.D., Ph.D.

This is a new section profiling former MARC and MBRS participants who have excelled in their fields. We also hope that the profiles will give students an idea of the types of careers available with a science degree, and the paths to take to lead them to those careers.

Dr. Reyes, a former MBRS undergraduate participant at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is vice president of research and development at Ingenex, Inc., in Menlo Park, CA. He is involved in pharmaceutical research and drug development of anticancer and antiviral agents, with an emphasis on using gene therapy as a drug delivery vehicle. Prior to taking this position, Reyes worked for other biotechnology companies, including Triplex Pharmaceutical Corporation in The Woodlands, TX, and Genelabs Incorporated in Redwood City, CA. He has published more than 20 papers and holds three U.S. patents and several foreign patents. Reyes received a B.S. in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.D.-Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.

HOW I BECAME INTERESTED IN SCIENCE:

Several factors that influenced my decision to enter basic/medical science included:

My interest in medicine was based on developing applications to biological systems, using discoveries from basic science investigations. My "molecular orientation" was based on an interest in the gene and its central role as the blueprint for all living organisms.

HOW MBRS HELPED ME:

MBRS provided me with my first opportunity to explore a scientific career and to really understand what it means to be a scientist. It provided an apprenticeship of sorts since there are very few ways for one to obtain the required exposure to a broad field such as science and in the process formulate how a career in science might take shape while simultaneously developing a sense of accomplishment. My scientific accomplishments as an MBRS student participant were significant to my eventual matriculation as a combined M.D.-Ph.D. student at the [NIGMS-supported] Medical Scientist Training Program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

THING I ENJOY MOST ABOUT SCIENCE:

Making discoveries and understanding how these might impact the lives of others.

MY ROLE MODEL:

My parents were major role models with respect to how I should generally conduct myself while emphasizing a value system that centered on a recognition that working hard (in any area) was rewarded and recognized. I was particularly fortunate in that the University of California, Santa Cruz, provided numerous faculty researchers as role models, including Drs. Victor Rocha, Frank Talamantes, Clif Poodry, and Leo Ortiz.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS ENTERING/CONSIDERING SCIENTIFIC CAREERS:

Keep an open mind to all possible avenues in which your career might take you. For example, biotechnology didn't exist as a distinct field or industry at the time that I was majoring in biology at Santa Cruz. Take a variety of upper-division science classes but don't let these overshadow a balanced development in liberal arts education; you'll have more than enough time to specialize.

Research Highlights

Research Highlights features the research being done by current and former students and faculty in the MARC, MBRS, and other NIGMS minority programs. We welcome your story ideas and suggestions for future Research Highlights items.

MBRS Investigator Studies Molecules' Role in Infection

Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules play a pivotal role in the body's response to viral infections, and possibly to cancer. The molecules' role is to bind pieces of proteins (peptides) made inside the cell and then carry them to the cell surface. At the cell surface, the combination of class I MHC molecules and peptides can be scrutinized by the immune system. If a peptide is a piece of a normal protein, then the immune system ignores the cell. However, if a peptide is from a viral protein, then the immune system rapidly eliminates that cell.

Dr. Martha Zúñiga, an MBRS investigator at the University of California, Santa Cruz, studies the molecular associations necessary for the assembly of class I MHC molecules with their peptide cargo, and for the transport of the complex to the cell surface. Some of her studies are on class I MHC molecules of mouse and human cells grown in culture. One molecule that is required for class I MHC assembly with peptide is ß2-microglobulin (ß2-m). This molecule actually forms a trimolecular complex with the class I MHC molecule and peptide. Zúñiga recently has shown that ß2-m's association with the class I MHC molecule early in its synthesis is important for the proper folding of the outermost region of the class I MHC molecule to allow stable association with peptide.

While studies on human and mouse cells in culture have been fruitful, this system does not permit a genetic analysis of class I MHC assembly with peptide and ß2-m. Consequently, Zúñiga and Manuel Osorio, an MBRS graduate student participant in her laboratory, have embarked on a project to study the assembly process in the genetically amenable organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast). Osorio's Ph.D. thesis project is to generate yeast lines that can present class I MHC-peptide-ß2-m complexes to cells of the immune system in culture dishes. To achieve this goal, he has introduced the genes encoding a class I MHC molecule, ß2-m, and a protein that can serve as a source of peptide into yeast cells under conditions that encourage the yeast to make the protein. He has found that the yeast cells make the class I MHC molecule, ß2-m, and the protein, but that they assemble class I MHC-peptide-ß2-m complexes very inefficiently. He is now in the process of introducing other genes that he and Zúñiga believe may be important in class I MHC assembly. These studies will permit the identification of other genes and molecules important for regulating the body's recognition of virally infected cells.

Research on Frog Hearing May Shed Light on Human Auditory Systems

In an effort to understand the workings of the human auditory system, scientists have been studying the auditory systems of frogs and toads. As a part of this research, the scientists are trying to determine if a frog's hearing is affected by the volume of its oral cavity.

One of these researchers is Michael Anderson, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering at Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ, and a former MARC undergraduate student at Delaware State University in Dover.

The results of his auditory electrophysiology experiments on frogs show that a decrease in the volume of the auditory system's resonant chamber (oral cavity, eustachian tube, and middle ear) leads to a decrease in auditory nerve response--and thus in hearing.

The focus of Anderson's future research is to characterize, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the resonant properties of the auditory nerve fibers, which could help improve understanding of the human auditory system.

News and Notes

In recent months we have received word about the following MARC and MBRS alumni...

Elias Banuelos, a former MARC undergraduate at California State University, Northridge, is currently a third-year medical student at Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, CA. Following his graduation from Northridge, Banuelos received a 2-year fellowship from the Society for Neuroscience and the National Institute of Mental Health's Minority Neuroscience Research Fellowship program.

Gabriel Barletta, Ph.D., a former MBRS undergraduate student participant at the City University of New York Bronx Community College and the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has accepted a tenure-track position as an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao University College. Barletta earned a Ph.D. in chemistry with MBRS support from Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, where he met his wife, Sandra Chinapen.

Ricardo Brown, Ph.D., is currently an assistant professor in the department of physiology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. Brown earned a B.A. in biology from Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL, and was supported as an MBRS graduate student at Howard University in Washington, DC, where he earned a Ph.D. in physiology. He is currently doing NIH-supported research on the mechanisms of ethanol-induced cardiac dysfunction.

Sandra Chinapen, a former MBRS graduate participant, is finishing a Ph.D. in behavioral and neural sciences. Chinapen, who also participated in the MARC program as an undergraduate student at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, works in the laboratory of MBRS program director Dr. Barry Komisaruk, where she is studying the effect of aging on the reproductive system of rats.

Deborah Chun, Ph.D., a former MBRS undergraduate student participant at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, recently joined her alma mater as an assistant professor of psychology. Chun earned a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Denise Coggins, a former MARC undergraduate student at Delaware State University in Dover, has been accepted to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, where she will pursue a graduate degree in industrial and systems engineering.

Claudia Garcia, a former MARC undergraduate at California State University, Northridge, and a current MARC predoctoral fellow, is in her third year of graduate school in the biological and biomedical sciences program at Harvard University. As an undergraduate, Garcia participated in the NASA Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Training Program.

Judy Gobert, a former MBRS undergraduate student participant at the University of Montana at Missoula and a current NIH National Minority Predoctoral Fellow, is finishing a Ph.D. degree in microbiology from the University of Montana. Her research focuses on the selection and characterization of mutants of the feline immunodeficiency virus.

Luis Haro, Ph.D., a former MBRS undergraduate student participant at the University of California, San Diego, recently accepted a position as an assistant professor of biochemistry in the biology department of the University of Texas, San Antonio. Haro began his education at Imperial Valley Junior College in southern California, where he was studying to become a physician. After receiving his A.A., he transferred to the University of California, San Diego, where he earned a B.A. in biology. He then transferred to the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he earned a Ph.D. in biology. While at Santa Cruz, he did research in the laboratory of MBRS investigator Dr. Frank Talamantes.

Roy McClean, Ph.D., a former MBRS graduate student at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, has accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the department of chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Prior to taking his new position, McClean did postdoctoral research at the Office of Naval Research in Washington, DC. McLean was supported by MBRS as an undergraduate student at the University of the Virgin Islands, where he earned a B.S. in chemistry and physics.

Loretta Roberson, a former MARC undergraduate at California State University, Northridge, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the biological sciences department at Stanford University in Stanford, CA.

Maurice Sholas, a former MARC undergraduate at Southern University in New Orleans, LA, and a current MARC predoctoral fellow pursuing an M.D.-Ph.D. at Harvard Medical School, is finishing his dissertation research at the NIH's National Institute of Dental Research. His research focuses on documenting the hyperalgesia present during persistent inflammation at the level of the thalamus and the primary somatosensory cortex.

Lee Slater, a former MARC and MBRS student at Montana State University in Bozeman who earned a master's degree in theoretical chemistry, is now working at Monsanto Company in St. Louis, MO, in the agricultural chemical design department.

Michael Watson, a MARC undergraduate student at Delaware State University in Dover, has been accepted to Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine (part of Pennsylvania State University), and will pursue a Ph.D. in microbiology/immunology.

Sheri Watson, a former MARC and MBRS undergraduate at Montana State University, Bozeman, recently completed an M.S. degree in marine biology from the University of Oregon in Eugene.

We are always interested in hearing about MARC and MBRS alumni, so please drop us a line and let us know where you are and what you are doing.

Send information to:

Editor
NIGMS Minority Programs Update
45 Center Drive MSC 6200
Bethesda, MD 20892-6200
Fax: (301) 402-0224

Selected Publications by MARC and MBRS Students and Faculty

1MBRS Faculty

2MBRS Student

3MARC Faculty

4MARC Student

Alaish SM, Yager D, 3Diegelmann RF, Cohen IK. Biology of fetal wound healing: hyaluronate receptor expression in fetal fibroblasts. J Pediatr Surg 1994;29:1040-3.

Baker CS, Weinrich MT, Early G, 3Palumbi SR. Genetic impact of an unusual group mortality among humpback whales. J Hered 1994;85:52-5.

1Barraco RA, Martens KA, Parison M, Normile HJ. Role of adenosine A2a receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1994;18:545-54.

Cole H, Reynolds TR, Lockyer JM, 3Buck GA, and others. Human serum biotinidase. cDNA cloning, sequence, and characterization. J Biol Chem 1994;269:6566-70.

Ehrlich HP, Desmouliere A, 3Diegelmann RF, Cohen IK, and others. Morphological and immunochemical differences between keloid and hypertrophic scar. Am J Pathol 1994;145:105-13.

3Fratiello A, 4Bolanos EL, Chavez O, Laghaei F, 4Ortega JV, Perrigan RD, Reyes F. A direct carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 NMR study of samarium (III) complexation with nitrate and isothiocyanate in aqueous solvent mixtures. J Solution Chem 1994;24:1019-23.

Gillespie RG, Croom HB, 3Palumbi SR. Multiple origins of a spider radiation in Hawaii. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994;91:2290-4.

Goldberg BS, Martyn KD, 3Lau AF. A connexin 43 antisense vector reduces the ability of normal cells to inhibit the foci formation of transformed cells. Mol Carcinog 1994;11:106-14.

Graham MF, Willey A, Adams J, Yager D, 3Diegelmann RF. Role of ascorbic acid in procollagen expression and secretion by human intestinal smooth muscle cells. J Cell Physiol 1995;162:225-33.

1Harris-Hooker S, Sanford GL. Lipids, lipoproteins and coronary heart disease in minority populations. Atherosclerosis 1994;108:S83-104.

3Hicks RA, Bautista J, McCullough M. Snoring may be linked to culture. Med Hypotheses 1994;42:24-6.

3Hicks RA, Johnson C, Cuevas T, Deharo D, Bautista J. Do right-handers live longer? An updated assessment of baseball player data. Percept Mot Skills 1994;78:1243-7.

Hoffman RV, Nayyar NK, Shankweiler JM, 4Klinekole BW. Generation of N-acyl iminium ions from ionization-rearrangement reactions of N-triflyloxy amides. Tetrahedron Lett 1994;35:3231-4.

1Hoyte RM, 2Borderon K, 2Bryson K, 2Allen R, Hochberg RB, Brown TJ. Synthesis and evolution of 7 alpha;-iodo-5 alpha;-dihydrotestosterone as a potential radioligand for androgen receptor. J Med Chem 1994;37:1224-30.

Katheriou S, Mizumoto C, Allen RD, 3Fok AK, Benedict AA. Monoclonal antibodies with a high degree of specificity for Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b. Appl Environ Microbiol 1994;60:3548-52.

Kiska DL, 3Macrina FL. Genetic analysis of fructan-hyperproducing strains of Streptococcus mutans. Infect Immun 1994;62:2679-86.

Kurata WE, 3Lau AF. p130gag-fps disrupts gap junctional communications and induces phosphorylation of connexin 43 in a manner similar to that of pp60v-src. Oncogene 1994;9:329-35.

1Leung MK. Biochemical isolation and detection of morphine. Adv Neuroimmunol 1994;4:93-103.

3Lloyd JA, Case SS, Ponce E, Lingrel JB. Positive transcriptional regulation of the human gamma-globin gene. Gamma PE is a novel nuclear factor with multiple binding sites near the gene. J Biol Chem 1994;269:19385-93.

3Macrina FL, Munro CL. The case study approach to teaching scientific integrity in nursing and the biomedical sciences. J Prof Nurs 1995;11:404.

3Palumbi SR, Baker CS. Contrasting population structure from nuclear intron sequences and mtDNA of humpback whales. Mol Biol Evol 1994;11:42635.

Pon RT, 3Buck GA, Niece RL, Robertson M, and others. A survey of nucleic acid services in core laboratories. Biotechniques 1994;17:526- 34.

Robertson ES, Aggison LA, 1Nicholson AW. Phosphorylation of elongation factor G and ribosomal protein S6 in bacteriophage T7-infected Escherichia coli. Mol Microbiol 1994;11:1045-57.

Schweisguth DC, Chelladurai BS, 1Nicholson AW, Moore PB. Structural characterization of a ribonuclease III processing signal. Nucleic Acids Res 1994;22:604-12.

Srivastava RK, Luu-The V, Marrone BL, 1Harris-Hooker S, Sridaran R. Inhibition of steroidogenesis by luteal cells of early pregnancy in the rat in response to in vitro administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 1994;49:73-9.

3Stalcup AM; Agyei NM. Heparin: a chiral mobile-phase additive for capillary zone electrophoresis. Anal Chem 1994;66:3054-9.

Stemmermann GN, Mesiona W, 3Greenwood FC, Bryant-Greenwood GD. Immunocytochemical identification of a relaxin-like protein in gastrointestinal epithelium and carcinoma: a preliminary report. J Endocrinol 1994;140:321-5.

Tashima LS, Hieber AD, 3Greenwood FC, Bryant-Greenwood GD. The human Leydig insulin-like (hLEY I-L) gene is expressed in the corpus luteum and trophoblast. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1995;80:707-10.

Vasisht V, 1Green V, 1Arjun I, 2Levinger L. Point mutations distal to the processing site affect Drosophila pre-5 S RNA processing. Long range cooperation and breathing model. J Biol Chem 1994;269:18468-74.

Zhuikov AY, Couvillon PA, 3Bitterman ME. Quantitative two-process analysis of avoidance conditioning in goldfish. J Exp Psycho Anim Behav Process 1994;20:32-43.

Send in your references for inclusion in Selected Publications. We would appreciate your contribution to this section in order to represent as many MARC and MBRS programs as possible. All that is needed is a complete bibliographical citation and indication of whether the authors are MARC- or MBRS-supported students or faculty. References can be called, faxed, or mailed to the Editor.

Recent Awards and Fellowships

Predoctoral Fellowships for Minority Students
(listed by fellow and graduate institution)

Adriana Ahumada, New York Medical College, Valhalla.
Walter Besio, University of Miami, Coral Gables.
William Blanco, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Stacy Branch, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.
Gregory Buck, Georgia State University, Atlanta.
Allyson Campbell, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Elena Carrasquillo, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan.
Maria Carrillo, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.
Wayne Clemmons, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Stacey Crummedy, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Amauri Cruz, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark.
Gerald Downes, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.
Carla Easter, University of California, San Diego.
Agatha Eke, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Luis Fernandez, Tufts University, Medford, MA.
Gloria Fuentes, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY.
Eric Gibson, Cornell University Medical Center, New York, NY.
Annette Gonzalez, University of California, San Diego.
Allyson Hall, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Elizabeth Hooper, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Delwin Jackson, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta.
Mona Jhaveri, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.
Cheryl Jones, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Louis Lecour, Jr., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.
Wuleta Lemma, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Arlene Leon, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
Gregory Long, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Donna McCree, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Kyran Mitchell, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Michelle Mochow, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
Milton Morris, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Debra Murray, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Dorkina Myrick, Brown University, Providence, RI.
Joseph Nunez, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Janet Phoenix, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Ray Rabindran, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.
Stephan Reymez, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Elvira Riesgo, University of Houston, Houston, TX.
Deyra Rodriguez, Ohio State University, Columbus.
Cherise Rohr, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Erica Rowe, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Tina Saldana, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Alma Santiago-Cortes, Ponce School of Medicine, Ponce, PR.
Janice Scobie, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Fisseha Tesfaye, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
Luckner Ulysse, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Anthony Valentine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN.
Kathleen Vogel, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
Tammy Wooten, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

MARC Predoctoral Fellowships
(listed by fellow and graduate institution)

Mia Ashe, Baylor College of Medicine, Waco, TX.
Desiree Byrd, University of California, San Diego.
Aida Cancel, Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Kimberly Carlyle, University of California, San Diego.
Gary Conyers, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Carla Edge, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Claudia Garcia, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
Albert Harris, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Daryl Jagoo, State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY.
Janea Mack, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN.
Coral Omene, Columbia University, New York, NY.
Sonya Summerour, University of California, San Diego.
Marcus Ware, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Bridges to the Future Awards
(listed by institution and principal investigator)

2-Year to 4-Year Bridge

California State University, Long Beach; Roger Bauer.
Florida A & M University, Tallahassee; A. Subbayya Shetty.
Louisiana State University Medical Center, Shreveport; Joseph Watkins.
New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas; Ernest Greene.
Talladega College, Talladega, AL; Arthur Bacon.
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA; Margaret Griffiths.
University of California, Santa Cruz; Phillip Crews.
University of Montana, Missoula; Thomas North.

M.S.-Ph.D. Bridge

City University of New York Graduate School and University Center, New York, NY; Pamela Reid.
Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN; James Townsel.
North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Thoyd Melton.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Valener Perry.
University of North Texas Health Science Center at Ft. Worth; Robert Kaman.
University of Rhode Island, Kingston; Linda Lamont.
University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo; Linda Wilkes.

Upcoming Meetings

 
May 21-25, 1995

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Annual Meeting
Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, CA
Contact: Nan Nootenboom
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998
phone (301) 530-7010

May 21-25, 1995

American Society for Microbiology, 95th General Meeting
Convention Center, Washington, DC
Contact: ASM
1325 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005-4171
phone (202) 943-9248

June 7-10, 1995

National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc,
Engineering Diversity Forum '95
Sheraton Colony Square, Atlanta, GA
Contact: NACME
3 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001-2281
phone (212) 279-2626

August 6-10, 1995

American Institute of Biological Sciences, 46th Annual Meeting
Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, CA
Contact: AIBS Annual Meeting
730 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001-4521
phone (202) 628-1500

August 21-23, 1995

American Chemical Society, 210th Annual Meeting
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
Contact: Ann Nelson
1155 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
phone (202) 872-4396

October 24-28, 1995

American Society of Human Genetics, 45th Annual Meeting
Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN
Contact: Elaine Strass
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998
phone (301) 571-1825

November 6-11, 1995

International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research, 1st Annual Meeting
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Baltimore, MD
Contact: Dr. Sidney Pestka
c/o UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
phone (908) 235-5116

November 9-12, 1995

American Indian Science and Engineering Society, 17th Annual National Conference
Cobo Convention Center, Detroit, MI
Contact: Andrea Harshman
1630 30th Street, Boulder, CO 80301
phone (303) 939-0023, ext. 13

December 9-13, 1995

American Society for Cell Biology, 35th Annual Meeting
Convention Center, Washington, DC
Contact: Carol Papalazasus
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998
phone (301) 530-7153

February 18-22, 1996

Biophysical Society, Annual Meeting
Convention Center, Baltimore, MD
Contact: Emily Gray, 9650 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20814-3998
phone (301) 530-7114

March 10-14, 1996

Society of Toxicology, Annual Meeting
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA
Contact: Shawn Lopez
1767 Business Center Drive, Suite 302, Reston, VA 22090
phone (202) 371-1393

April 14-18, 1996

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Annual Meeting
Convention Center, Washington, DC
Contact: Experimental Biology 1996
9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3998
phone (301) 530-7010

April 17-21, 1996

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Annual Meeting
Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
Contact: Michelle Lewis
400 12th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
phone (202) 543-9111

Notice of Division of Research Grants Move

Effective May 8, 1995, the NIH Division of Research Grants (DRG) will be moving to a new location. After that date, all competing grant applications submitted to NIH must be sent to:

Division of Research Grants
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive MSC 7710
Bethesda, MD 20892-7710*

* Applicants who wish to use express mail or courier service should change the ZIP code to 20817-7710.

Please note that all telephone numbers for offices within DRG will also be changing. Essential telephone numbers at the new location and other information updates will be published in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts. For further information, contact the DRG Referral Office at (301) 435-0715.

Acronyms Used in this Issue

AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science
ACS: American Chemical Society
ASM: American Society for Microbiology
CR-LRP: Loan Repayment Program for Clinical Researchers from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
DRG: Division of Research Grants
FIRCA: Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award
HBCU: Historically Black Colleges and Universities
MARC: Minority Access to Research Careers
MBRS: Minority Biomedical Research Support
MHC: Major histocompatibility complex
MI: Minority institutions
MORE: Minority Opportunities in Research
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NIGMS: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
NIH: National Institutes of Health
WWW: World Wide Web

Feedback

While the MORE Division staff members monitor the success of the division's programs from progress reports, site visit reports, and presentations at scientific meetings, they are always interested in hearing about individuals and their experiences in the programs. Write to the NIGMS Minority Programs Update or to the MORE, MARC, or MBRS directors with your comments, criticisms, suggestions, and experiences. We at the Update would also like to know about student and faculty publications, student graduation dates and future plans, and news about MARC and MBRS alumni.

In addition, the NIGMS Minority Programs Update is interested in your specific comments and suggestions on this issue. Let the editor know what types of information and features you would like to see in future issues.

Notifications of address corrections, deletions, and duplications would also be appreciated. We will make the changes in all mailing lists maintained by NIGMS, and will advise the sponsors of other mailing lists of any corrections needed in their lists.