Last updated: March 29, 2017
News Features from the Office of the Director
News Features from the Office of the Director
2018
NHGRI Director Eric D. Green receives honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree to Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute, in recognition of his contributions to the field of genomics and its application to medicine. This is the third award given to Dr. Green by Washington University.
2017
NHGRI oral history collection features influential genomics researchers
A collection of video oral histories released today by NHGRI, features conversations with scientists who were the pioneers of the Human Genome Project, and a rare discussion with three institute directors since the organization was established in 1989. In each oral history, influential scientists offer insight into science and medicine, as well as biographical details and commentary on the inner workings of NHGRI and the foundational initiatives that transformed the way we think about the human genome.
We need your input: dbGaP Data Submission and Access Process
NHGRI believes that broadly sharing research data will result in maximum public benefit, and we're committed to providing researchers with access to genomic data. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Genomic Data Sharing Policy establishes a system to promote data sharing, while also protecting research participants involved in genomics studies. We need your help to improve one of NIH's central data sharing tools for human genomic data: the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes, or dbGaP.
2015
This Thanksgiving, join NHGRI in celebrating Family Health History Day!
Since 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General has recognized Thanksgiving as National Family Health History Day. This year, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), along with Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., encourages families to personalize their healthcare by sharing their family health history, and tracking illnesses from one generation to the next. Read more
Watch the video on YouTube
Dr. John Ohab to lead NHGRI communications
Following a nationwide search, John Ohab, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and science communicator, has been named chief of the Communications and Public Liaison Branch (CPLB) at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In this role, he will oversee diverse communications activities about the institute's accomplishments, programs, goals and policies.
NHGRI assists new investigators with Pathway to Independence
The National Institutes of Health supports the rising careers of talented investigators through the Pathway to Independence (PI) award, also called the K99/R00 grant. In 2014, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) hosted two PI awardees and supported 18 additional investigators at institutions nationwide.
2014
Following a rigorous national search, Ellen Rolfes, M.A., has been appointed the executive officer of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The executive officer of an NIH institute oversees all aspects of its administrative management. A human resources specialist by training but broadly accomplished as an administrative professional, Ms. Rolfes has worked at NHGRI for nearly two decades and at NIH for 25 years.
NHGRI leadership, investigators, and trainees to spotlight institute research at ASHG annual meeting
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) researchers and trainees will contribute 11 platform presentations and more than 50 posters describing institute research at the 64th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). The highly anticipated annual meeting, held at the San Diego Convention Center, Oct. 18 - 22, will focus on human genetics and cutting-edge science across this rapidly evolving field. Read more
NHGRI's Mark Guyer retires, played leading role in the Human Genome Project
After more than two and a half decades at NIH, Mark Guyer, Ph.D., former NHGRI Deputy Director, is retiring from federal service and looking back on a career that saw him play a critical role in the HGP and countless other genomics programs at what later became the National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR) and, ultimately, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
In early April, local theater professionals, including a few award-winning playwrights, met with NHGRI scientists and staff to discover the intersection between genomics and theater. The Drama of DNA: Theater and Genomics Workshop led by Karen Rothenberg, J.D., M.P.A., explored theater as a way to examine the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics.
2013
Take stock of health history with family members this Thanksgiving
Families across the nation will gather soon for Thanksgiving. Amid all the road trips, autumn colors and traditional dinner trimmings, the holiday may provide opportunities to take note of the health matters that make each of our families unique. With that goal in mind, and since 2004, the U.S. Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving Family Health History Day.
NHGRI spotlights intramural findings at NIH Research Festival
Hundreds of researchers descended on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center for the 27th annual NIH Research Festival, which showcased some of the life-changing research NIH scientists do every day. Held Nov. 6-8, 2013, the festival commemorated the 60th anniversaries of the NIH Clinical Center, and James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the DNA double helix.
The National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG) closes
The National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG), an organization that has promoted health professional education in human genetics and genomics for two decades, will cease operations on August 31, 2013. Fortunately, the wealth of information collected on its website will be maintained by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG).
On April 25, 2013, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) held the all-day symposium, The Genomics Landscape a Decade after the Human Genome Project, at the Ruth L. Kirschstein Auditorium, NIH. NHGRI Director Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., chose the date for the symposium to coincide with the journal Nature's publication of the discovery of DNA's double helical structure 60 years ago, and the 10-year anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP).
Robert Waterston, M.D., Ph.D., and Sir John Sulston, Ph.D., genomic researchers who led the sequencing of the C. elegans genome back in the 1990s, recently described this ground-breaking project and their involvement in the HGP. Their February 14 presentation on the National Institutes of Health campus, was the first of three paired lectures organized by the National Human Genome Research Institute to celebrate the 10th anniversary of completing the HGP.
NHGRI Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Human Genome Project Completion
To mark the 10-year anniversary of the Human Genome Project's (HGP) completion and reflect on the HGP's revolutionary influence on biomedicine, the National Human Genome Research Institute, which spearheaded the HGP, plans a series of stimulating seminars, a symposium, and an interactive exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
2012
Drama sets the stage for exploring medical technology's ethical dilemmas
Plays like Frankenstein and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? provide insight into the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging medical technologies, according to research by NHGRI's Karen H. Rothenberg, J.D., M.P.A. and Columbia University's Lynn W. Bush, Ph.D., M.S. Their article, Manipulating Fate: Medical Innovations, Ethical Implications, Theatrical Illuminations, appears in an upcoming issue of the Houston Journal of Health Law & Policy.
Gather for a family health portrait this Thanksgiving
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, or at other times when families gather, the Surgeon General encourages Americans to talk about and write down the health problems that seem to run in their family. Learning about your family's health history may help ensure a longer, healthier future together.
NHGRI Scientific Director Dan Kastner elected to the Institute of Medicine
Daniel L. Kastner, M.D., Ph.D., scientific director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
The National Human Genome Research Institute will help raise the awareness of rare diseases by observing Rare Disease Day on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, as it participates in a daylong symposium. The event is coordinated by the National Organization for Rare Disorders and is supported in part by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research. This year's theme is Solidarity.
Genes and plays: Bringing ethical issues to life
Challenging ethical issues pervade genomic research. These complex issues are ripe for innovative approaches to enhance greater understanding and respect for different points of view. Karen Rothenberg, J.D., and Lynn Bush, Ph.D., have created two short plays to help convey the complexity of ethical issues raised by genomic research. The second play - and a commentary - are now available from Genetics in Medicine.
Health disparities research program life-changing for postdoctoral fellows
Keisha Findley, Ph.D., and Bashira Charles, Ph.D., recent fellows in NHGRI's Intramural Health Disparities Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, used genetic and genomic approaches in the area of health disparities research. Hear about their experiences conducting research, which supported their own, profound scientific growth.
Dr. Stanley Lipkowitz to talk on genomics of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment
On Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, Stanley Lipkowitz, M.D., Ph.D., of the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, will present, An Introduction to Genomics: Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment. The lecture is part of the Genomics in Medicine Lecture Series, sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute, Suburban Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medical School.
2011
NHGRI Proposes Reorganizing
With the arrival of a new institute director in 2010 and publication of a new strategic plan last year articulating an ambitious vision for the field of genomics, restructuring is a natural next step for the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health.
NHGRI funds researchers to evaluate standard measures in genomic studies
NHGRI's Office of Population Genomics has launched a new effort called the PhenX Real-world Implementation and Sharing (PhenX RISING) program. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has awarded nearly $900,000, with an additional $100,000 from NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), to seven investigators to use and evaluate the standards. Each investigator will incorporate a variety of PhenX measures into their ongoing genome-wide association or large population study.
African researchers weigh in on ethics of genomic research on African continent
Bioethicists, scientists, policy makers and representatives from Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom met Nov. 28-29, 2011, in Abuja, Nigeria, to develop a comprehensive plan for the ethical conduct of genomic research in Africa.
Create a health portrait for your family this Thanksgiving
Families across the nation will celebrate Thanksgiving with a traditional meal and an extra helping of time together. It's a golden opportunity to learn about, record and pass down your family health history using a customized resource for you and your healthcare provider. Identifying diseases and conditions that run in your family can help you make informed decisions about your health.
Students gain real world experience through NIH summer internship program
In the fall, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) receives thousands of online applications for the NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research. This competitive and rewarding opportunity allows students to work with top notch researchers who help shape their future endeavors in science and health.
NHGRI launches improved online Spanish talking glossary of genetic terms
¿Cómo se dice "gene" en español? The National Human Genome Research Institute releases an updated online Spanish Talking Glossary of Genetics to provide a resource to the Spanish-speaking community seeking a better understanding of genetics and genomics. New features of the glossary - originally launched in 2003 - include an alphabetically-organized navigational tool and lists of related terms.
NHGRI sets sights on 61st ASHG meeting in Montreal
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) researchers will present seven platform presentations, a plenary and an invited talk and 30 posters at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) from Oct. 11-15, 2011, in Montreal. Approximately 7,000 researchers from more than 60 countries are expected to attend this year's ASHG meeting, which is being held jointly with the International Congress of Human Genetics.
NIH Requests Public Comments on the Genetic Testing Registry (GTR)
In a July 27 Federal Register notice, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requested public comments on the Genetic Testing Registry (GTR), an online database to which genetic test developers, manufacturers and researchers would voluntarily submit detailed information about their genetic tests. The goal of GTR, scheduled to launch later this year, is to provide consumers and health care providers with information on the usefulness and availability of thousands of genetic tests.Rackover lauded for introducing genetic literacy to physician assistant education
On June 1, Michael "Rocky" Rackover, PA-C, M.S., a consultant to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), received the 2011 PAragon Outstanding PA of the Year Award from the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) for outstanding service. Mr. Rackover, associate professor and associate director of Philadelphia University's physician assistant studies program, received the award for introducing genetic literacy to physician assistant (PA) education.
Calculating the economic impact of the Human Genome Project
Public funding of scientific R&D has a significant positive impact on the wider economy, but quantifying the exact impact of research can be difficult to assess. A new report by research firm Battelle Technology Partnership Practice estimates that from 1988 to 2010, federal investment in genomic research generated an economic impact of $796 billion. Compared to Human Genome Project spending from 1990 to 2003 of $3.8 billion, this equates to a return on investment (ROI) of 141:1.
Laura Lyman Rodriguez, Ph.D., has been interested in the potential societal implications of the Human Genome Project since graduate school. As the newly-appointed director of the Office of Policy, Communications and Education at the National Human Genome Research Institute, Dr. Rodriguez will now oversee development of the institute's policy positions on the ethical, legal and social implications of human genome research.
At a February 11 symposium, luminaries of genomic research shared their vision for the field's future direction before a standing room only crowd at the National Institutes of Health's Natcher Conference Center. The event, hosted by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), marked the publication of NHGRI's new strategic vision for genomics in the Feb. 10 issue of the journal Nature.
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Rare Disease Day 2011
NHGRI observes Rare Disease Day on Monday, Feb. 28, urging those who can to attend the daylong Rare Disease Day at NIH (RDD@NIH) symposium in Lipsett Amphitheater in the NIH Clinical Center, starting at 8:30 a.m.
2010
Four NHGRI Scientists, Grantees Recognized By President Obama
Charles Venditti, M.D., Ph.D., an investigator in the Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has been selected to receive a prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). He is one of four researchers affiliated with NHGRI, and 85 researchers from across the country, who all received similar transmissions indicating they had been selected for the highest honor awarded by the U. S. government to science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.
Sharing your family health history can save your life
Thanksgiving is the time for family get-togethers. It's also a golden opportunity to ask your family about their health histories. The U. S. Surgeon General has a tool to help with gathering this information so you can make informed decisions about preventive health screening and improved health behaviors.
NHGRI Director Green honored by Washington University at St. Louis
Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will receive the 2010 Distinguished Alumni and Faculty Award from Washington University at St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 6 at the St. Louis Union Station Marriott. The award is given in recognition of Dr. Green's national success and achievement in the field of genomics and his significant public service at NIH. Every year, the university honors distinguished alumni in commemoration of Washington University's founding in 1853.
60th ASHG Program to Showcase NHGRI Research
The 60th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), the largest human genetics gathering in the world, comes to Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the nation's capital from November 2-6, 2010. National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) researchers and staff will participate in presentations, poster sessions and exhibits at this widely anticipated event.
Eric D. Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), will present the Jean Mitchell Watson Lecture at the University of Chicago on Oct. 29. The lecture honors the mother of James Dewey Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA in 1953 and recipient of the 1962 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
NHGRI Scientists Present Genomic Advances to Visiting Judges
Sixty judges from across the country travelled to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently to participate in a continuing education program about genomics, an area of science now impacting criminal and civil cases in the courts. Genomics, Medicine and Discrimination spanned topics from genes and how they work, to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, which protects Americans against health insurance and employment discrimination based on their genetic information.
Genome Pioneers Share Albany Prize, "America's Nobel"
Three scientists with strong ties to the Human Genome Project and the National Human Genome Research Institute recently received the Albany Medical Center Prize, an award often referred to as "America's Nobel".
Rare Disease Day 2010: Patients and Researchers, Partners for Life!
Join the National Human Genome Research Institute in helping raise awareness of rare diseases by observing Rare Disease Day on Sunday, February 28, 2010. The event is coordinated in the United States by the National Organization for Rare Disorders and is supported in part by the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research. This year's focus is Bridging Patients and Researchers to celebrate this vital partnership.
Greider Talks Telomeres for Trent
Nobel laureate Carol Greider, Ph.D., presented the seventh annual Jeffrey M. Trent Lectureship in Cancer Research - Telomerase and the Consequences of Telomere Dysfunction - to a standing room only crowd on Jan. 19. Learn about the groundbreaking research that won her the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Welcome to NHGRI's Redesigned Web Site!
The National Human Genome Research Institute has launched a new, redesigned Web site. Our goal is to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, and to help you take greater advantage of social media to interact with our institute.
2011
NHGRI Scientists to Showcase Research at Annual American Society of Human Genetics Meeting in Hawaii
Scientists and staff from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will catch a wave of genetics and genomics research in Honolulu, Hawaii at the 59th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), Oct. 20-24, 2009. From plenary sessions to research posters, leading-edge NHGRI genomic research will be prominently showcased.
Finding the Missing Heritability of Complex Diseases
In the October 8 issue of Nature, Office of Population Genomics Director Teri Manolio, M.D., Ph.D., summarizes NHGRI's February workshop The Dark Matter of Genomic Associations With Complex Diseases: Explaining the Unexplained Heritability From Genome-Wide Association Studies. She and workshop attendees examine the potential sources of missing heritability and propose research strategies.
President Announces Major Recovery Act Funding for The Cancer Genome Atlas Project
During a visit to the National Institutes of Health, President Barack Obama announced $5 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for medical research across all NIH, including $175 million for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a joint project between the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Community Colleges Have Their Day at the National Institutes of Health
Students from Baltimore and Washington area community colleges get a different taste of campus life on the last Friday of September while participating in the first Community College Day at the National Institutes of Health.
Genetics Pioneer, Former NHGRI Advisor to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Barack Obama has chosen Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., a pioneering cancer genetics researcher and longtime advisor to the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), to receive a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
NHGRI Creates Informed Consent Web Resource for Genomic Research
The National Human Genome Research Institute has developed an online Web resource with the goal of providing the research community with the information needed to develop complete and reliable informed consent materials for genomics-related research projects, such as genome-wide association (GWA) and genome-sequencing studies.
Resources for Understanding the Novel Influenza A Outbreak
Outbreaks of a novel strain of the H1N1 influenza (previously known as Swine Flu) have been detected in humans in multiple states in the United States as well as Mexico and other countries in the spring of 2009.
HHS Issues New Guidance on GINA
Biomedical researchers who want to learn more about the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - and what it means for their research and the informed consent process - should check out a new guidance document from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Sequencing Projects Offer Renewed Hope for Cancer Research
Cancer is a formidable illness. The World Health Organization predicts that it may overtake heart disease as the number one killer of humans by 2010. Despite this grim forecast, there is renewed hope in the cancer research community from early results of cancer genome sequencing projects targeting brain, lung and leukemia that have provided the most comprehensive look yet of the genetic glitches responsible for these deadly diseases.
Free Online Tutorials Teach Anyone How to Use Genome Databases
For researchers not trained in the relatively new field of bioinformatics - which applies information technology and computer programming to the field of molecular biology - the complex information flooding the public databases can be overwhelming. Now, a number of federal research centers and institutes have increased Web-based training to enable any molecular biologist to use the public databases to advance genomic research. National Human Genome Research Institute has funded the latest tutorials to provide essential training on the use of model organism genome databases.
2008
Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., has declared this Thanksgiving the fifth annual National Family History Day. Since 2004, the Surgeon General has urged all Americans to use this time of family gatherings to protect their family's future health by learning about and recording their medical history.
NHGRI Shares Wealth of Science at ASHG Meeting
Research from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will be featured prominently at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting, Nov. 11 to 15, 2008, in Philadelphia. From the exhibitor floor to the plenary halls, NHGRI participation points to its range of outstanding research and its leading role in genetic and genomics research.
Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., Becomes NHGRI's Acting Director
Alan Edward Guttmacher, M.D., a nationally recognized pediatrician and medical geneticist who has played major leadership roles at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) for nearly a decade, became Acting Director of NHGRI on Aug. 2, 2008. He replaces Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., who stepped down after 15 years at the helm of NHGRI to pursue other professional opportunities.
NHGRI Pays Tribute to a Giant of Medical Genetics
Victor Almon McKusick, M.D., University Professor of Medical Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, one of the two distinguished Johns Hopkins geneticists for whom the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine was named, and a towering international figure in genetics research, diagnosis and treatment, died Tuesday, July 22 at home. He was 86. The relentlessly energetic clinician scholar, a pioneer in the pursuit of the links between inheritance and disease, died at home, of complications due to cancer.
Statement By Michael O. Leavitt Secretary of Health and Human Services
On the resignation of Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, May 28, 2008.
NHGRI Director to Receive International Ethics Prize
In recognition of his continuing efforts to improve human health through genetic research and his support of ethical, legal and social implications analysis of genomic science, Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, will be awarded the inaugural Inamori Ethics Prize this fall.
NHGRI-Supported Research Earns High Impact Ranking
A recent independent analysis published in the January/February 2008 issue of Thomson Scientific's Science Watch, shows that the National Human Genome Research Institute holds the second highest "citation impact" in the rapidly expanding field of molecular biology and genetics research from 2002-2006.
Janis Mullaney Joins NHGRI as Executive Officer
Janis Mullaney has joined the National Human Genome Research Insitute as executive officer, a position that oversees virtually every management function of the institute.
New Directions in NHGRI Office of the Director
To advance its efforts to build upon the foundation laid by the sequencing of the human genome in a swift and efficient manner, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has made several key staff changes in the Office of the Director.
2007
Bringing the Genomic Revolution to the Public
Genome-wide association studies have begun identifying the numerous genes involved in many common diseases. To speed the application of these state-of-the-art genomic technologies with the rigorous methods of epidemiology, the National Human Genome Research Institute recently established the Office of Population Genomics to lay a solid groundwork for translating the results into improved medical care.
American Society of Human Genetics' Meeting Showcases NHGRI Research
Investigators from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will figure prominently at the 57th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) taking place Oct. 23-27, 2007 in San Diego.
Researchers Can Apply Now for Access to GAIN Data
The Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN) is now accepting applications from researchers who want access to the rich trove of data that its genome-wide association studies of common diseases will begin generating within the next few months.
Mary Affeldt Joins NHGRI as Executive Officer
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) selects Mary Affeldt, a senior manager at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), to be its Executive Officer. She replaces Frederick Walker, who retired in January.