Carole A. Heilman, Ph.D., Director, DMID
Director's Report
In her opening remarks, Dr. Heilman introduced two ad hoc members and reported that numerous staff changes had occurred since the last Subcommittee meeting and introduced several new OD staff; she then asked the Branch Chiefs in attendance to introduce their own respective new hires.
Dr. Heilman provided a brief overview of DMID biodefense activities, noting that the Division had developed 50 research initiatives to foster biodefense research to date. NIAID recently awarded grants totaling approximately $350 million over five years to establish eight Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (RCE). In addition to the RCE awards, she reported that DMID would be announcing several new biodefense awards tomorrow to establish National Biocontainment Laboratories (NBLs) and Regional Biocontainment Laboratories (RBLs). On October 1, NIAID will announce additional biodefense awards, which focus on developing research resources for the scientific community and partnerships with industry. DMID will also release a progress report in biodefense since 9/11 (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/biodefense/research/category_A_Progress_Report.pdf). In conclusion, Dr. Heilman remarked that FY 2003 has been an extraordinary year and promised to keep the Subcommittee apprised of the scientific progress resulting from this work.
Related to biodefense, DMID is currently supporting a one-year project at the behest of the Department to continue work the Department of Defense initiated with DynPort to develop a tularemia vaccine. Activities in FY04 will help jumpstart work included in a previously approved FY05 initiative.
She also provided an update on the Division's Severe Acquired Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) research program, noting that the Division continues to put a full court press on SARS and has funded a number of research activities to help elucidate all aspects of this new disease. DMID is also working with the private sector to develop a SARS vaccine.
Noting Dr. Anthony Fauci's comments earlier in the day, Dr. Heilman reminded the Subcommittee that NIAID recently initiated a clinical trial to evaluate an experimental treatment for patients infected with West Nile virus and that recruitment is underway. This new study will assess whether WNV-infected individuals given antibodies to the virus are better able to fend off the severe symptoms of WNV, such as encephalitis.
Dr. Heilman reported on the Division's top ten science advances for FY 2003 and briefly summarized each advance for the Subcommittee. Finally, she reported on recently held and upcoming meetings NIAID has played a key role in, including the annual meeting of the Bacteriology and Mycology Study Group, the Gordon Conference on Tuberculosis Drug Development, and a National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting entitled "Pneumococcal Disease Prevention in Adults: Potential Vaccine Strategies."
Malaria Research Update
Dr. Michael Gottlieb, Chief of the Parasitology and International Programs Branch (PIPB), introduced the main topic of today's Subcommittee meeting, an update on DMID's malaria research activities. Dr. Gottlieb noted the significant advances this area of science has seen in recent years, particularly the 2002 Anopheles gambiae and Plasmodium falciparum genomic sequencing accomplishments. He described several NIAID activities that have been launched over the past several years that have significantly increased the Institute's commitment to malaria research. He also remarked on the serious challenges that remain, e.g., drug resistance, and noted the significant toll this disease continues to take on a global level, particularly in tropical regions of the world.
Dr. Kate Aultman, a Vector Biology Program Officer in PIPB, briefly described some of the more promising areas of research in her portfolio and reported that several awards related to vector control were recently made under the FY 2003 Partnerships initiatives. Dr. Lee Hall, Chief of the Malaria Vaccine Development Section within PIPB, provided an update on NIAID activities in malaria vaccine development. Dr. Hall noted that these recent highlights were presented to a Malaria Vaccine Task Force convened to examine coordination between the intramural and extramural programs. Dr. Hall acknowledged ad hoc Council members Jerrold Sadoff and David Brandling-Bennett, who served on the Task Force, and reported that the Task Force found that all of the elements of the Institute's Malaria Vaccine Plan are in place and functioning effectively.
Concept Clearances
A summary of the all concepts presented and the Subcommittee's assessment follows:
Malaria Research-Renewal of the MR4 Contract. This concept aims to maintain a NIAID resource center that supplies parasite, host and mosquito vector reagents and resources to the malaria community. The Subcommittee noted that this initiative will continue important work in acquiring malaria-related research reagents and resources by donation and/or procurement; ensuring standardization, characterization and documentation of reference reagents; and providing these materials to registered users throughout the world and unanimously approved the initiative.
International Collaborations in Infectious Disease Research (ICIDR). DMID continues to support of a robust network that is responsive to scientific research and biomedical development requirements in the field of tropical and emerging tropical infectious diseases. In addition, the network will be expanded to address biodefense research needs. Recognizing that the ICIDR program supports collaborative translational research in tropical endemic areas and is focused on pathogens that disproportionately affect individuals living in tropical countries, the Subcommittee unanimously approved the initiative.
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