May 16, 2013

FEATURE STORIES

Robert H. Carter, Ph.D.

Letter From Dr. Robert H. Carter: Enhancing the Biomedical Workforce

Dear Colleagues,

Training and career development are essential components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NIAMS missions. This month’s letter focuses on two trans-NIH efforts that will be preparing the next generation of biomedical and behavioral researchers for productive careers improving the health of the American public. Read more.

Image: Robert H. Carter, Ph.D.


Maria I. Morasso, Ph.D.

A Conversation With NIAMS Scientist Dr. Maria Morasso

Maria I. Morasso, Ph.D., is chief of the Laboratory of Skin Biology in the Intramural Research Program at the NIAMS. Her research focuses on the developmental and molecular aspects of epidermal differentiation and skin barrier formation. In her interview, Dr. Morasso discusses the influences in her career choice, the importance of mentoring and what she finds most rewarding about being a scientist. 

Image: Maria I. Morasso, Ph.D.


Alex Barton, with NIAMS investigator Dr. Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky

Meet Alex, Before and After NIH Clinical Trial

Alex Barton recently turned 17. That’s incredible because Alex was born with a rare, often fatal genetic disease and wasn’t expected to reach his teenage years. When Alex was born, he looked like he’d been dipped in boiling water: his skin was bright red and blistered. He spent most of his time sleeping. When awake, he screamed in agony from headaches, joint pain, and rashes. After a torturous 14 months, a rheumatologist told his mother that Alex suffered from Neonatal-Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease. The doctor showed her a brief and scary paragraph in a medical text. Kate Barton, Alex’s mother, admitted that it “knocked her over like a freight train.” Read more.

Image: Alex Barton, with NIAMS investigator Dr. Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky

FEATURED RESOURCES

Twitter

Twitter is on the NIAMS home page! Now, visitors can see all of the NIAMS tweets in real-time. Check it out or visit us on Twitter.
Follow @NIH_NIAMS


Asian couple

Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is National Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Check out these helpful resources about staying healthy and managing bone conditions.

Healthy Bones: Why They Matter for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
This fact sheet offers a general overview of osteoporosis and describes factors that may increase the chances of developing the disease among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The fact sheet also includes a simple risk factor checklist, along with details about where to go for additional information and advice.

Healthy Bones: Why They Matter for Chinese Americans
This bilingual fact sheet (in English and Chinese) offers a general overview of osteoporosis and describes factors that may increase the chances of developing the disease among Chinese Americans. The fact sheet also includes a simple risk factor checklist, along with details about where to go for additional information and advice.


Osteoporosis and Asian American Women

This fact sheet contains information about osteoporosis in Asian American women. It describes why Asian American women are at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis and fractures. It provides information about the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and how to find additional resources.


Help FDA Help Patients Have a Bigger Voice: The New Patient Network Website

The new Patient Network website, PatientNetwork.FDA.gov, is an interactive tool to educate patients, patient advocates and consumers on how their medications—both prescription and over-the-counter—and medical devices move from the realm of idea to the realm of the marketplace. It brings together, in one place, information that is important to patients, making it easier for them to find what they are looking for and to understand the significance of their findings. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that your immune system is the network of cells and tissues throughout your body that work together to defend you from infection? However, sometimes problems with your immune system cause it to mistake your body’s own healthy cells for invaders, and then it repeatedly attacks them. This condition is called an autoimmune disease. Read more.

PROGRAM UPDATES

Update on the NIAMS National Multicultural Outreach Initiative

Enhance Your Materials and Websites With Images From the 
NIAMS National Multicultural Outreach Initiative

Collage of people of different ethnicities

The NIAMS National Multicultural Outreach Initiative was established in recognition of the need to ensure that health information is available and accessible to people from all walks of life, including those from underserved populations.

The NIAMS created an electronic toolkit for the National Multicultural Outreach Initiative that offers valuable resources to assist organizations with promoting health information to underserved minority populations.

One such resource is the image gallery.

The image gallery holds more than 150 photos of people from multicultural populations engaged in a variety of activities and in multiple settings. The images are available for public use and are copyright-free.

Images can make your materials more appealing to the people you want to reach, and they can reinforce the messages you are conveying. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Insert the images into flyers for workshops, group classes and health fairs.
  • Update your patient education materials with photos of people engaged in physical activity or interacting with a health care provider.
  • Enhance your website, blog or Facebook page with images.
  • Include an image in a news release or an article for your local media.

The images are categorized by population (e.g., African American), but you can also use the keyword search to find a specific image (e.g., physical activity). They are available in low and medium resolutions for downloading directly from our website. If you need a high-resolution image, contact ClarkR1@mail.nih.gov and we will send the image to you.

WHERE IS NIAMS?

The NIAMS Exhibit

The NIAMS exhibit will be traveling to several events in 2015. See the schedule of health fairs and exhibits.

The NIAMS can provide health information or staff to help make your community event or health fair successful. Please contact Sara Rosario Wilson by email, srosario@mail.nih.gov, for more information.

Image: the NIAMS Exhibit

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