Biomedical Sciences Blog

FHI is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Technical Advisor, Strategic Information in Arlington, VA. FHI is a global health and development organization whose science-based programs bring lasting change to the world’s most vulnerable people. Our approach is rigorous and evidence-driven. Among our worldwide staff of 2,500 are leading physicians, scientists, and technical experts in health, development, and management. Our work is global in scale yet country-focused, with international offices staffed by local professionals.

This position requires someone with knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reproduction health, family planning, public health, and/or social science research health programs in developing countries, including data management and in-depth analysis for peer reviewed publication and program improvement. The qualified candidate should have sensitivity to cultural diversity and understanding of the political and ethical issues in assigned areas, e.g. reproductive health, family planning, HIV infection.

Capable of performing responsibilities of Senior Technical Officer, Grade 8.

BS/BA in public health or related field, and 9-11 years relevant experience in HIV/AIDS or family planning with international development programs and with proven strong data management and robust data analysis experience and skills; overseas field experience required; or MS/MA/MPH in public health or related field, and 7 - 9 years relevant experience HIV/AIDS or family planning with international development programs and with proven strong data management and robust data analysis experience and skills; overseas field experience required; or PhD, MD or similar degree with 5 - 7 years relevant experience in HIV/AIDS or family planning with international development programs with proven strong data management and robust data analysis experience; overseas field experience required. In addition, has international name recognition among peers in same discipline or program area (can be informally assessed); and has a least 5 professional publications in respected journals or other fora.

FHI has a competitive compensation package. Interested candidates may register online through FHI's Career Center at www.fhi.org/careercenter or through the Employment section at www.fhi.org. Please submit CV/resume and cover letter including salary requirements. Please specify source in your application.

The Department of Protein Evolution at the Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen is seeking to fill a Postdoctoral Position in Protein Bioinformatics.

Candidates should hold a PhD in the natural sciences, informatics, or biotechnology, and have a proven record in protein bioinformatics (e.g. sequence-structure-function relationships, structure analysis and prediction, protein classification).

Our department studies broadly the evolution of proteins by combining bioinformatics, protein biochemistry, microbiology, and protein structure determination via NMR and crystallography. A particular focus lies on problems relating to the emergence of structure and mechanism from protein sequence. The working language in the department is English.

Please address your curriculum vitae and supporting materials, including the names of three references by June 15th, 2011 to
Andrei Lupas
c/o Karin Lehmann
Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology
Spemannstr. 35
D-72076 Tübingen
or by e-mail to karin.lehmann@tuebingen.mpg.de.
The Max Planck Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For more than 45 years the PhRMA Foundation has supported the training, research, and careers of young pharmaceutical scientists by awarding competitive grants and fellowships. Our programs have helped facilitate the careers of thousands of scientific investigators, faculty members, and physicians. Every program that we offer aims to improve the field of drug discovery and development. Today's award recipients are the future innovators and leaders of the pharmaceutical industry. The benefits of our programs are long-lasting. By supporting up-and-coming scientists we are also advancing public health – today, tomorrow, and years from now.

Comparative Effectiveness Research Education Initiative

We coordinated an effort in 2009 with a plan to organize and use an expert panel to design a model curriculum. The panel formed to conduct this work included people currently involved in developing clinical effectiveness reviews for AHRQ, evidence-based practice centers for other disciplines, policy-makers, academicians, methodologists and members of industry.

The panel met on December 18, 2009 in Washington, DC to identify and discuss the major content areas of comparative effectiveness research that should be taught to both researchers and applied CER users in Masters and Ph.D. programs taught in North American universities. We are pleased to announce that the journal article on CER education “Curricular Considerations for Pharmaceutical Comparative Effectiveness Research” was published in January 2011 in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (PDS). To view this article, click here: [Curricular Consideration for Pharmaceutical Comparative Effectiveness Research]

Learn more about past grant and award recipients. Download a PDF version of the Foundation's 2009 Annual Report.

Our application system is currently under construction.
We will be accepting applications online starting July 1, 2011.
Each award has a list of components for the application, you can view these in preparation for submitting an application.

AWARDS

Pharmacology/Toxicology [view brochure] (Deadline: September 1, 2011)

• Pre Doctoral Fellowship
• Post Doctoral Fellowship
• Sabbatical Fellowship
• Research Starter Grant

Informatics [view brochure] (Deadline: September 1, 2011)

• Pre Doctoral Fellowship
• Post Doctoral Fellowship
• Sabbatical Fellowship
• Research Starter Grant

Clinical Pharmacology Awards (Deadline: February 1, 2012)

• Paul Calabresi Medical Student Research Fellowship
• Faculty Development Award in Clinical Pharmacology
  

Pharmaceutics [view brochure] (Deadline: September 1, 2011)

• Pre Doctoral Fellowship
• Post Doctoral Fellowship
• Sabbatical Fellowship
• Research Starter Grant

Health Outcomes [view brochure] (Deadline: February 1, 2012)

• Pre Doctoral Fellowship
• Post Doctoral Fellowship
• Sabbatical Fellowship
• Research Starter Grant

I really like what he said, which makes me think how to enjoy my daily life, my work, my family, and importantly, my so limited time in the universe...

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking recently explained his belief that there is no God and that humans should therefore seek to live the most valuable lives they can while on Earth.

Guardian writer Ian Sample asked Hawking if he feared death in a story published yesterday. This was his response:

I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

Hawking's 1988 book "A Brief History of Time" sold 9 million copies, and in it Hawking referenced God metaphorically as the force that could fully explain the creation of the universe.

But in 2010, Hawking told Diane Sawyer that "science will win" in a battle with religion "because it works."

"What could define God [is a conception of divinity] as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of that God," Hawking told Sawyer. "They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible."

Hawking's latest book, "The Grand Design," challenged Isaac Newton's theory that the solar system could not have been created without God. "Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to ... set the Universe going," he writes.

Hawking was diagnosed with the degenerative Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 21. He lost his power of speech and for decades has talked through an electronic speech synthesizer. The device has allowed him to continue his research and attain a top Cambridge research post, which was previously held by Newton. His most famous theory explains how black holes emit radiation, according to The Guardian.

So if everyone is destined to power-down like computers at the end of their lives, what should humans do to lend meaning to their experience?

"We should seek the greatest value of our action," Hawking told the paper.

By Liz Goodwin from Yahoo

Tens thousands of comments posted so far, I like the one from Bob C:

Point one is that we should all strive to be decent people. That is, avoid being destructive, and try to be constructive, or at least useful.

Point two is that today is the only day you can do anything about. You're too late for yesterday and tomorrow has no guarentees. Live today as fully as you can.

11:BIO-004: Merit Review Scientist

Job Type Science Location Houston, TX

Qualifications

• This position requires a Bachelor's degree in a life sciences discipline plus at least 5-6 years of experience; or a Master's degree plus at least 4 years of experience; or a Ph.D. plus 0-2 years experience • Candidate must have experience with merit review • Candidate must have experience writing research grants and proposals that lead to funding awards • Candidate must have demonstrated success using project management principles Skills & Training • PC skills in Microsoft office products • The demonstrated ability to work multiple tasks simultaneously to meet strict deadlines • Must be team-oriented and perform well in a team environment • Excellent organization and communication skills (written and oral) • Must be an autonomous and dynamic self-starter, very proactive, and adept at creative problem solving Desired: • A Ph.D in life sciences discipline • Experience facilitating merit reviews of scientific proposals • Experience with NASA configuration management and procedural requirements for directorate-, program- or division-level boards • Demonstrated experience working effectively with NASA senior program management. • Completion of formal project management training and/or certification

Responsibilities

This position involves the science integration and coordination of human research and technology development for the Human Research Program (HRP) within the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) at the NASA/JSC, specifically in support of the program's Science Management Office (SMO) and its NASA Manager. The successful candidate will help coordinate program-level science merit reviews and annual review panels, and customer acceptance and quality reviews program deliverables. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining an integrated perspective of HRP science to support the balance and integrity goals of SMO. Responsibilities: • Serves as project manager for all assignments, responsible for ensuring that project milestones are delivered on time by maintaining an managing to project schedules • Coordinates activities for program-level science merit reviews, working with personnel at NASA Headquarters and JSC, providing overall project management and scheduling of science merit reviews • Coordinates activities in support of annual science review panels, to include assisting with identification and selection of panel members, organizing reference materials to assist panel members in their review, and overall project management and scheduling of review panels. • Develops and implements process improvements for conducting ting science merit reviews and science review panels. • Works with HRP stakeholders to coordinate quality reviews and customer acceptance reviews of HRP deliverables per NASA guidelines • Develops and implements process improvements for conducting deliverable quality and acceptance reviews • Serves as project manager and book manager for revisions of HRP Science management documents, to include acting as the technical expert and content manager, and coordinating content updates through the NASA Configuration management system • Responsible for compliance with Safety, Health and Environmental plan; must be committed to a high standard of safety and be willing and able to comply with all safety laws and all of the Company's safety policies and rules and must be willing to report safety violations and potential safety violations to appropriate supervisory or management personnel • Responsible for compliance with the Quality Assurance plan, policies and procedures • Must maintain a regular and acceptable attendance level as determined by the Company • Responsible for completing all assigned training • Other duties as assigned. Apply here.

Hoersholm, Denmark/San Diego, California, May 4, 2011 — Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of mRNA and microRNA targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced SPC5001 into Phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of high cholesterol. SPC5001 is a mRNA-targeted drug that inhibits the exciting new target, Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a protein involved in removing low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or “bad” cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Hoersholm, Denmark/San Diego, California, May 11, 2011 — Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of mRNA and microRNA targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced a second drug from its cardiometabolic program, SPC4955 into Phase 1 clinical trials, for the treatment of high cholesterol. Developed using Santaris Pharma A/S proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Drug Platform, SPC4955 is a mRNA-targeted drug candidate that inhibits apolipoprotein B (apoB), a major protein component involved in the formation of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or “bad” cholesterol.

"Advancing two drug candidates, SPC4955 and SPC5001, in the space of only a week from our cardiometabolic program into the clinic is a testament to the efficiency of our LNA Drug Platform and Drug Discovery Engine capabilities and represents an important step for patients as multiple approaches are needed to lower high cholesterol levels," said Arthur A. Levin, PhD, Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Santaris Pharma A/S. "SPC4955 aims to inhibit the production and export of LDL-C in the liver while our other clinical candidate SPC5001, increases the clearance of LDL from the blood. Working on two distinct compounds with different target pathways allows the company to address the broad spectrum of patients trying to control their high cholesterol levels."

The LNA Drug Platform and Drug Discovery Engine developed by Santaris Pharma A/S combines the Company's proprietary LNA chemistry with its highly specialized and targeted drug development capabilities to rapidly deliver potent single-stranded LNA-based drug candidates for a range of diseases including metabolic disorders, infectious and inflammatory diseases, cancer and rare genetic disorders.

With its partners, Santaris Pharma A/S also has a robust product pipeline consisting of mRNA and microRNA drug discovery and development collaborations. These include partnerships with Pfizer, Inc. (delivery of lead candidates against up to 20 targets), miRagen Therapeutics (cardiovascular diseases), Shire plc (rare genetic disorders), GlaxoSmithKline (four viral disease drug candidates) and Enzon Pharmaceuticals (eight cancer targets successfully delivered - three are now in Phase 1 clinical studies).

Regulus Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of innovative new medicines targeting microRNAs, today announced the presentation of new preclinical data from its cardiovascular and metabolic disease program, performed in collaboration with scientists at New York University (NYU) and Wake Forest University. The data were presented at the American Heart Association’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) 2011 Scientific Sessions held April 28-30, 2011 in Chicago, Ill. In an oral presentation titled “microRNA Regulation of Cholesterol Homeostasis,” proprietary chemically modified therapeutic anti-miRs targeting microRNA-33a (miR-33a) and microRNA-33b (miR-33b) were shown to increase levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or ‘good’ cholesterol, and reduce levels of blood triglycerides in non-human primates.

“This important study is the first-ever demonstration of therapeutic benefits resulting from the modulation of a microRNA and its downstream pathways in non-human primates. Equally important, the data support the development of anti-miR-33 as a potential new therapeutic for dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and other related metabolic diseases by showing significant increases in levels of HDL-C and lowering of triglycerides,” said Hubert Chen, M.D., vice president of translational medicine of Regulus. “Regulus is advancing several microRNA therapeutic programs to the clinic, including anti-miR-33.”

The new in vivo research was performed using an experimental design of feeding non-human primates a high carbohydrate, moderate cholesterol diet. anti-miR-33 was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 5 mg/kg twice weekly for the first two weeks and then once weekly for the remainder of the 12 week study. Plasma lipids were analyzed weekly, and non-human primates treated with anti-miR-33 compared to mismatch control showed a 50% increase in HDL-C and a 50% decrease in blood triglycerides. Further, anti-miR-33 treatment increased the expression of miR-33a and miR-33b target genes involved in clearance of excess cholesterol from cells to the liver for excretion to the bile and feces, known as reverse cholesterol transport, and also genes involved in fatty acid oxidation that could be responsible for the observed triglyceride lowering.

Kathryn Moore, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and presenting author said, “Much progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism and the role of microRNAs in this complex genetic network. Our studies with Regulus show that miR-33 specifically targets genes involved in HDL-C biogenesis, cholesterol efflux and fatty acid oxidation, and its antagonism results in direct upregulation of these pathways with clear potential for therapeutic benefit. Modulating dysregulated microRNAs with therapeutic anti-miRs holds tremendous promise as a new innovative class of medicines.”

“Coronary artery disease remains a major killer in the developed world pointing to the need for novel therapeutic approaches,” said Ryan Temel, Ph.D., assistant professor at Wake Forest School of Medicine. “This study in non-human primates demonstrates that anti-miR-33 might be a promising clinical approach in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.”

Regulus is developing microRNA therapeutics targeting both miR-33a and miR-33b. Regulus controls fundamental patent rights related to miR-33, including the miR-33 sequence and complementary sequences covered in the Tuschl III patent series. Additional Regulus patent rights include compositions of matter for various chemically modified anti-miR-33 compounds and methods of use for the treatment of metabolic diseases with anti-miR-33.

About miR-33

Cholesterol metabolism is tightly regulated at the cellular level and recent discoveries have shown that microRNA-33 (miR-33) modulates genes involved in cellular cholesterol transport. miR-33a and miR-33b are found in the introns of the SREBP-2 and SREBP-1 genes, transcriptional regulators of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis, respectively. Inhibition of miR-33a and miR-33b increases cholesterol efflux in the liver and peripheral macrophages through upregulation of the target gene ABCA1. As a result, HDL cholesterol levels increase and reverse cholesterol transport is enhanced, making miR-33 a promising target for treatment of atherosclerosis. Additional targets of miR-33a and miR-33b in the fatty acid oxidation and insulin signaling pathways have also suggested that miR-33a and miR-33b inhibition will be beneficial for multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome.

About microRNAs

The discovery of microRNA in humans during the last decade is one of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs in recent history. microRNAs are small RNA molecules, typically 20 to 25 nucleotides in length, that do not encode proteins but instead regulate gene expression. More than 700 microRNAs have been identified in the human genome, and over one-third of all human genes are believed to be regulated by microRNAs. A single microRNA can regulate entire networks of genes. As such, these molecules are considered master regulators of the human genome. microRNAs have been shown to play an integral role in numerous biological processes, including the immune response, cell-cycle control, metabolism, viral replication, stem cell differentiation and human development. Most microRNAs are conserved across multiple species, indicating the evolutionary importance of these molecules as modulators of critical biological pathways. Indeed, microRNA expression, or function, has been shown to be significantly altered in many disease states, including cancer, heart failure and viral infections. Targeting microRNAs with anti-miRs, antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors of microRNAs, or miR-mimics, double-stranded oligonucleotides to replace microRNA function opens potential for a novel class of therapeutics and offers a unique approach to treating disease by modulating entire biological pathways.

Hoersholm, Denmark/San Diego, California, September 22, 2010 — Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced miravirsen (SPC3649), the first microRNA-targeted drug to enter clinical trials, into Phase 2 studies to assess the safety and tolerability of the drug in treatment-naïve patients infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Paving the way to conduct the first clinical trials of a microRNA-targeted drug in the United States, Santaris Pharma A/S also received acceptance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition to the United States, the Phase 2a clinical trials will be conducted in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

The World Health Organization estimates about 3% of the world’s population has been infected with HCV and that some 170 million are chronic carriers at risk of developing liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. Approximately 3-4 million Americans are chronically infected with an estimated 40,000 new infections per year1. In Europe, there are about 4 million carriers2. The current standard of care, pegylated interferon in combination with ribavirin, is effective in only about 50% of those treated.

Developed using Santaris Pharma A/S proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Drug Platform, miravirsen is a specific inhibitor of miR-122, a liver specific microRNA that the Hepatitis C virus requires for replication. Miravirsen is designed to recognize and sequester miR-122, making it unavailable to the Hepatitis C virus. As a result, the replication of the virus is effectively inhibited and the level of Hepatitis C virus is reduced. "Advancing miravirsen, the first microRNA-targeted drug to enter clinical trials, into Phase 2 studies in patients with Hepatitis C demonstrates Santaris Pharma A/S leadership in developing RNA-targeted medicines," said Arthur A. Levin, Ph.D., Vice President, Chief Development Officer and President, US Operations. "Receiving IND acceptance from the FDA to conduct the first clinical trials with a microRNA-targeted drug in the United States brings Santaris Pharma A/S one step closer to potentially providing a growing number of patients chronically infected with HCV with a more effective and better tolerated treatment option."

The LNA Drug Platform is the only technology with both mRNA and microRNA targeted drugs in clinical trials, reinforcing the broad utility of the platform. The unique combination of small size and very high affinity, which is only achievable with LNA-based drugs, allows this new class of drugs to potently and specifically inhibit RNA targets in many different tissues without the need for complex delivery vehicles. LNA-based drugs are a promising new type of therapy that enables scientists to develop drugs to attack previously inaccessible pathways.

"Using our LNA Drug Platform to advance the first microRNA-targeted therapy into human clinical trials was certainly a scientific breakthrough," said Henrik Ørum, PhD, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Santaris Pharma A/S. "We are extremely pleased with the results of the Phase I trials and excited to progress miravirsen into Phase 2 clinical trials. Because of its unique mechanism of action and tolerability profile, miravirsen has the potential to be an effective treatment option for patients with HCV."

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending multiple-dose Phase 2a study will assess the safety and tolerability of miravirsen and is designed to enroll up to 55 treatment-naïve patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection. Secondary endpoints include pharmacokinetics of miravirsen and its effect on viral load. Miravirsen will be given as subcutaneous injections weekly or every other week for four weeks.
Data from Phase 1 clinical studies with miravirsen in healthy volunteers show that the drug is well tolerated. A recent study published in Science demonstrated that miravirsen successfully inhibited miR-122 and dramatically reduced Hepatitis C virus in the liver and in the bloodstream in chimpanzees chronically infected with the Hepatitis C virus3. Miravirsen provided continued efficacy in the animals up to several months after the treatment period with no adverse events and no evidence of viral rebound or resistance.

San Diego startup Regulus, founded in 2007, has quietly been working on a new way to target RNA for drug development. The company has been studying a subset of RNA molecules called microRNAs, or miRNAs. First discovered in the 1990s, misbehaving miRNAs have been linked to several diseases, including cancer and heart failure. Drug developers hope these molecules will prove to be particularly effective drug targets because manipulating just one seems to suppress several disease-linked proteins--whereas most biotech drugs only target individual proteins.

Regulus is co-owned by Alnylam and Isis, leaders in RNA-based drug development. While it is just one of a handful of startups developing miRNA therapeutics, it has attracted significant attention from big pharmaceutical companies. Last month, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis announced a research alliance with the company. Sanofi has pledged up to $750 million in payments, including $35 million up front to Regulus--an unusually large investment in such early-stage science. Sanofi and Regulus will work together to target fibrosis, an excessive buildup of hard collagen that can wreak havoc on the heart, kidneys, and other organs. Regulus already has a multimillion-dollar alliance with GlaxoSmithKline to codevelop drugs to treat immune diseases and a hepatitis C treatment.

While many RNAs encode proteins, miRNAs instead regulate the expression of multiple genes by preventing protein-coding RNAs from fulfilling their function. That, in turn, controls everything from metabolism to immune response to muscle development. About 700 miRNAs have been identified so far.

"The analogy we like to use is that miRNA is the maestro conducting the orchestra--the entire biological network," says Zak Zimmerman, Regulus's director of business development. "If something goes wrong with the maestro, the orchestra starts to play off-key."

Regulus has synthesized several compounds that block or modify "oligonucleotides"--the chains of nucleotides that comprise miRNAs. In 2008, the company demonstrated that it could inhibit a particular miRNA in mouse hearts, reversing a fibrotic condition that causes heart failure. Regulus is also researching potential remedies for renal fibrosis, a major cause of kidney failure and common complication among transplant patients. Sanofi had a team of scientists researching miRNA for quite some time, but they lacked the chemistry know-how to transform their discoveries into drugs.

Despite their promise, translating miRNA targeting compounds into safe drugs is likely to prove challenging. MiRNAs control many bodily processes, so altering them can cause unwanted side effects. "They're promiscuous--they affect multiple downstream components," says Sumit Chanda, associate professor at the Sandford Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. "The more targets you take out, the more toxicities there can be."

Regulus's scientists acknowledge that they'll have to perform extensive toxicity testing before they identify molecules that are safe for testing in people. Funding from Sanofi and GSK will help move that testing forward. The company expects to choose its first drug candidate for clinical trials by the end of this year.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 By Arlene Weintraub

Date: May 3, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The National Academy of Sciences today announced the election of 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 15 countries in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Those elected today bring the total number of active members to 2,113 and the total number of foreign associates to 418. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States.

Newly elected members and their affiliations at the time of election are:

Akil, Huda; co-director, Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, and Gardner Quarton Distinguished University Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Bartel, David P.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of biology, department of biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge

Beaudet, Arthur L.; Henry and Emma Meyer Professor and chair, department of molecular and human genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston

Belytschko, Ted B.; Walter P. Murphy and McCormick Institute Professor, department of mechanical engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.

Birchler, James A.; Curators’ Professor, division of biological sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia

Buckley, Rebecca H.; J. Buren Sidbury Professor of Pediatrics and professor of immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.

Chamberlain, Gary; Louis Berkman Professor of Economics, department of economics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Church, George M.; director, Lipper Center for Computational Genetics, and professor of genetics, department of genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston

Demmel, James W.; Dr. Richard Carl Dehmel Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, department of mathematics and the computer science division, University of California, Berkeley

Dietz, Harry C., III; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Victor A. McKusick Professor of Genetics and Medicine, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, departments of medicine, pediatrics, and molecular biology and genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore

Dosher, Barbara A.; dean, School of Social Science, and professor, department of cognitive science, University of California, Irvine

Edwards, Richard L.; George and Orpha Gibson Chair of Earth Systems Sciences and Distinguished McKnight University Professor, department of geology and geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Eppig, John J.; senior staff scientist and professor, Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine

Fowler, Catherine S.; professor emerita, department of anthropology, University of Nevada, Reno

Gabai, David; Hughes-Rogers Professor of Mathematics, department of mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

Gazzaniga, Michael S.; director, Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara

Geman, Stuart; James Manning Professor of Applied Mathematics, division of applied mathematics, Brown University, Providence, R.I.

Goldberg, Michael E.; David Mahoney Professor of Brain and Behavior, and director, Mahoney Center for Mind and Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians, New York City

Gottschling, Daniel E.; full member, basic sciences division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle

Gould, Fred; William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, department of entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Grayson, Donald K.; professor, department of anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle

Groves, Robert M.; director, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.

Hanemann, W. Michael; Chancellor's Professor, department of agricultural and resource economics, University of California, Berkeley

Harris, Joseph; professor, department of mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Harrison, T. Mark; director, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, and professor of geology, department of earth and space sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Hawley, R. Scott; investigator, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Mo.

Heuser, John E.; professor of biophysics, department of cell biology and physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis

Hodgson, Keith O.; David Mulvane Ersham and Edward Curtis Franklin Professor of Chemistry, and associate director for photo science, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, Calif.

Hultgren, Scott J.; Helen L. Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology, and director, Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis

Hynes, James T.; professor, department of chemistry and biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder

Jacobsen, Steven E.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor, department of molecular, cell, and developmental biology, University of California, Los Angeles

Johnson, Alexander D.; professor and vice chair, department of microbiology and immunology, University of California, San Francisco

Jorgensen, William L.; Sterling Professor of Chemistry, department of chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

Kareiva, Peter M.; chief scientist, The Nature Conservancy, Seattle

Kingsley, David M.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and professor of developmental biology, department of developmental biology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

Kleinberg, Jon M.; Tisch University Professor, department of computer science, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

Kobilka, Brian K.; professor, departments of molecular and cellular physiology and medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.

Kung, Ching; Vilas Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology, departments of genetics and molecular biology, Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lamport, Leslie B.; principal researcher, Microsoft Research, Mountain View, Calif.

Levine, Herbert; professor, department of physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla

Malenka, Robert C.; Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and director, Nancy Friend Pritzker Laboratory, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.

Manley, James L.; Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Life Sciences, department of biological sciences, Columbia University, New York City

Maquat, Lynne E.; J. Lowell Orbison Chair and professor of biochemistry and biophysics, department of biochemistry and biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, N.Y.

Markman, Ellen M.; Lewis M. Terman Professor of Psychology, department of psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

McCammon, J. Andrew; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Joseph E. Mayer Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, departments of chemistry and biochemistry and the department of pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla

McConnell, Susan K.; Susan B. Ford Professor, department of biology, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

McEuen, Paul L.; Goldwin Smith Professor of Physics, department of physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

McLanahan, Sara S.; William S. Tod Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

Mellman, Ira S.; vice president of research oncology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, Calif.

Moin, Parviz; Franklin P. and Caroline M. Johnson Professor of Engineering, department of mechanical engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

Nathan, Carl F.; chairman, department of microbiology and immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York City

Nussenzweig, Michel C.; investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Sherman Fairchild Professor and senior physician, department of molecular immunology, Rockefeller University, New York City

Oddone, Piermaria J.; director, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Ill.

Parada, Luis F.; professor and Diana K. and Richard C. Strauss Distinguished Chair in Developmental Biology, department of developmental biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas

Perdew, John P.; professor of physics, department of physics and engineering physics, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans

Pfeiffer, Loren N.; senior research scholar in electrical engineering, department of electrical engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

Poor, H. Vincent; dean of engineering and applied science and Michael Henry Strater University Professor of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.

Richmond, Geraldine L.; Richard M. and Patricia H. Noyes Professor, department of chemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene

Rieke, George H.; Regents Professor of Astronomy, and deputy director, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson

Rossky, Peter J.; professor of chemical engineering and Marvin K. Collie-Welch Regents Chair in Chemistry, department of chemistry and biochemistry, University of Texas, Austin

Sandwell, David T.; professor of geophysics, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla

Santer, Benjamin D.; physicist and atmospheric scientist, program for climate model diagnosis and intercomparison, E.O. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.

Shraiman, Boris I.; Suzan F. Gurley Professor of Theoretical Physics and Biology, and permanent member, Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara

Shubin, Neil H.; Robert R. Bensley Professor and associate dean, department of organismal biology and anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago

Strominger, Andrew; Gwill E. York Professor of Physics, department of physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Theologis, Athanasios; emeritus adjunct professor, University of California, Berkeley

Warren, Stephen T.; William Patterson Timmie Professor and chair, department of human genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta

Weingast, Barry R.; Ward C. Krebs Family Professor of Political Science, and senior fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.

Wofsy, Steven C.; Abbott Lawrence Rotch Professor of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, department of earth and planetary sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Wright, Edward L.; David Saxon Presidential Chair in Physics and professor, department of physics and astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles

Xie, X. Sunney; Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, department of chemistry and chemical biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Ye, Jun; NIST fellow, National Institute of Standards and Technology; JILA fellow, JILA; and adjoint professor, department of physics, University of Colorado, Boulder

Newly elected foreign associates, their affiliations at the time of election, and their country of citizenship are:

Björklund, Anders; professor and section chief, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, department of experimental medical science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden (Sweden)

Bond, J. Richard; University Professor, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

Bourgain, Jean; professor, department of mathematics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N.J. (Belgium)

Buckingham, Margaret; professor and director, department of developmental biology, Pasteur Institute, Paris (United Kingdom/France)

Endo, Akira; director, Biopharm Research Laboratories Inc., Tokyo (Japan)

Fenchel, Tom; professor and director, Marine Biology Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Helsingor, Denmark (Denmark)

Hartl, Franz-Ulrich; director, department of cellular biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany (Germany)

Hush, Noel S.; covener of the molecular electronics group and Foundation Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Chemistry, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney (Australia)

Ihm, Jisoon; professor, department of physics and astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea (South Korea)

Johnson, Louise N.; David Phillips Professor in Molecular Biophysics, Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom (United Kingdom)

Kornblihtt, Alberto R.; professor of molecular and cell biology, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina (Argentina)

Lee, Richard B.; University Professor Emeritus, department of anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

Li, Jiayang; professor, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, and vice president, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (People's Republic of China)

McMichael, Anthony J.; professor of population health, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia)

Olsen, Johan P.; professor and director, ARENA Project, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (Norway)

O'Rahilly, Stephen; co-director, Institute of Metabolic Science, and director, Institute of Metabolic Science-Metabolic Research Laboratories, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Ireland)

Tosatti, Erio; professor of theoretical physics, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy (Italy)

Yamanaka, Shinya; senior investigator and L.K. Whittier Foundation Investigator in Stem Cell Biology, Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, University of California, San Francisco (Japan)

The purpose of this Program is to develop and evaluate multidisciplinary career development programs in non-malignant hematology and transfusion medicine that will equip new investigators with the knowledge and skills to address complex problems in blood diseases and transfusion medicine. Through this Program, the NHLBI will support the early career development of clinical researchers who are expected to become independent investigators and assume academic leadership roles in non-malignant clinical hematology and transfusion medicine. To accomplish this, NHLBI invites institutions with established clinical research infrastructures and expertise in non-malignant clinical hematology and transfusion medicine to submit applications to establish Clinical Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Research Career Development Programs. Programs supported under this FOA should provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary training in research designs and methodologies, standard and potentially future or innovative approaches to the clinical management of patients with non-malignant hematologic diseases as well as transfusion practices for multiple patient populations, and research opportunities in these clinical settings. Programs should include a core curriculum, didactics, and a short-term research project for each Scholar.

The official announcement and description of this opportunity may be found on the funding agency's website:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-HL-12-005.html

• Letter of Intent Due Date: May 20, 2011
• Application Due Date(s): June 20, 2011, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
  

Award Amount:

Application budgets are limited to $370,000 in direct costs per year. The maximum project period is 5 years.
Numerical value: $1,850,000

A non-profit scientific society headquartered in DC is seeking a Part-time Alumni Coordinator in the society’s Education Dept. Incumbent would be primarily responsible for supporting 150 college biologists deemed “scholar alumni”. We are seeking a highly achievement-oriented self-starter with a passion for science teaching excellence. The successful candidate will be driven by a vision of reform that positions undergraduate science departments. The individual will be capable of translating a vision into practical steps and timely activities that support college biologists.

The successful candidate will have:
• Bachelors degree; advanced degree is preferred
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience working with college faculty and scientific professional society members
• Excellent communication skills that includes experience preparing original written communications
• Excellent analytical, organizational and problem solving skills
• Ability to critically assess challenges and implement effective solutions
• Ability to take incremental risks, initiate and enhance programs
• Proficient in Microsoft platform, including Excel and Access
• Familiarity with webpage development and on-line collaboration and communications (e.g. social networking)
• Willingness to work some weekends and evenings and to travel occasionally

Send cover letter and resume to: ASM, Attn: Human Resources, 1752 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20036 or email to hr@asmusa.org.

There is a strong potential that a successful candidate will be offered a full time position in the ASM education department effective January 1, 2012 pending budget approval.

The Lancet has pledged long-term support to clinical researchers and health professionals in China, and published special issues about China’s health-care reform and clinical research. The Lancet’s 2012 China issue will provide an opportunity to make an initial assessment of China’s ambitious health-care reform that was launched in 2009, and to present some of the outstanding clinical research from China, when China’s clinical research publication output is expanding at an average rate of 22% annually.

The Lancet invites submissions of high quality research from China or from research teams working on health in China. Priority will be given to randomised trials that advance the evidence-base of treatment and prevention of disease as well as health-system evaluation, but other studies that have the potential to change clinical practice—both in China and other countries at a similar stage of development—are also welcome.

Submission Deadline: August 25, 2011

For more info and to apply, click here.

A postdoctoral research fellow position is available in the Molecular Endocrinology Group at NIEHS/NIH directed by Dr. John A. Cidlowski. The studies are focused on the role of stress hormone signaling in cardiovascular health and disease.

We seek a creative, hardworking, and independent colleague to define the role of glucocorticoids and their receptors in the heart. Expertise in cardiovascular biology, molecular biology and the use of genetically modified animals are a plus.

Applicants should possess a PhD degree in physiology/pharmacology/biochemistry with expertise in molecular biology. They must have a strong publication record and excellent communication skills. NIEHS/NIH has state of the art facilities, research cores and outstanding support for this research. Excellent salaries and health care packages are available to trainees and their families.

For consideration, please click on the button below, or provide a cover letter of interest and curriculum vitae including publications to:

Dr. John A. Cidlowski
Chief, Laboratory of Signal Transduction
NIEHS/NIH - 111 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Email: Cidlows1@niehs.nih.gov
Fax: 919-541-1367

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.