Community

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research is co-hosting a panel of successful women scientists who will discuss their career paths, allyship and mentorship, and strategies for advancement.

The discussion will take place during the third annual Women in Science Speak event on February 9. A virtual option will also be available. The event is free, but registration is required.

Viruses are often regarded as villains in the story of humanity, but what if they didn’t always have to be? What if these microscopic invaders could serve as our allies instead—for instance, helping us treat cancer, protect against infections, and kill drug-resistant bacteria? This isn’t wishful thinking. They already do, and scientists are exploiting them to help us further. Last year’s HIV Dynamics and Replication Program conference provided a peek behind that curtain.

The 2023 David Derse Memorial Lecture and Award coincided with Día de los Muertos, scientist emeritus Stephen Hughes, Ph.D., noted at the event. It was fitting happenstance. The Day of the Dead, as it’s called in English, is observed primarily in Mexico to celebrate the memory and legacy of deceased loved ones. In a similar spirit, the memorial lecture in Frederick united scientists to honor the legacy of the late David Derse, Ph.D.

For 2023, the National Institutes of Health held its first in-person NIH Research Festival in Bethesda, Maryland, since the start of the pandemic. The five-day event was well attended and included lectures, workshops, posters, and biotech vendor information booths spread across several areas of the campus.

While there was a plethora of events, several scientists agreed that the standout features of this year’s festival were the interactions.

This year’s Scientific Library student Jeopardy! game again embraced a virtual format, like the 2021 and 2022 games, to accommodate interns competing from remote locations. The competition was an enjoyable match, involving 23 participants, including the seven contestants interning at NCI at Frederick from various high schools or colleges, and a fast final round with a high-totaling winner.

It’s a beautiful autumn day as you walk around the NCI Frederick campus taking in the fall breeze. You can hear birds chirping in their birdhouses near the Old Farm Gate, newly planted trees swaying in the wind, and you can almost picture the bees that will be buzzing around the recently added pollinator garden.

This is the work of the Green Team Initiative—a diverse group of individuals working to make the campus more environmentally friendly.

Building 549’s atrium was abnormally crowded one late summer day. Like the cicadas buzzing just outside the building, the room thrummed with excitement, dozens of conversations going at once. The noise was so loud that it was hard to hear someone speaking even a few paces away.

Student Poster Day had returned to the NCI Frederick campus, making its first appearance since the apprehensive days of early 2020

With 100 online attendees, 180 in-person participants, 15 posters, 16 technologies, and 45 speakers, the 2023 Technology Showcase offered a whirlwind look into biotechnology innovation happening at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and National Cancer Institute.

Three NCI Frederick branch chiefs have joined the ranks of three esteemed societies within the last year. While they’re grateful for the honor, they’re trying to share the limelight. The three say the elections serve to applaud their teams’ contributions, acknowledge the importance of investing in other scientists, and underscore that good science happens when many minds come together.

The National Cancer Institute and Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research will host the Technology Showcase on Wednesday, September 6, at the FNL’s Advanced Technology Research Facility in Frederick, Md. The seventh annual event highlights NCI and FNL inventions and capabilities available to the external healthcare and biotech communities and offers the opportunity for networking with others in the biomedical research field.