A new system has been developed for reporting safety issues in the workplace. The Environment, Health, and Safety’s (EHS’) Safety Inspection and Issue Management System (SIIMS) is an online resource where any employee can report a problem or issue, said Siobhan Tierney, program manager at EHS.

A winner has emerged in the most recent Poster Puzzler contest! Congratulations are in order for Rose Bradley, secretary III, Cancer Research Technology Program.

The current Poster Puzzler image shows the refrigerant condensers for the two story freezers in the Building 1073 repository, which are used to store samples at -20°C. Put simply, the condensers act like the outdoor unit on a home AC system.

The SRF, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, aims to “acquaint our [NCI at Frederick and Fort Detrick] neighbors––scientists, citizens, and especially students––with the nature of our research and to facilitate collaboration between partner agencies.”  The event is open to the Fort Detrick and NCI at Frederick communities and invited guests.

Platinum Publications are selected from articles by NCI at Frederick scientists published in 42 prestigious science journals. This list represents articles published during the time period shown above, as generated from PubMed.

Articles designated as Platinum Highlights are noteworthy articles selected by Dr. Craig Reynolds, associate director, National Cancer Institute, from among the most recently published Platinum Publications.

Wafting cumin through the building, 15 slow cookers full of chili lined an L-shaped conference room at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Advanced Technology Research Facility (ATRF), as voters strolled past “No electioneering” signs and the tasting began Feb. 29.

Chili No. 13 came out of the gate with a spicy authority. “My tongue’s still tingling,” said one taster. “Just looking at it, you can tell how spicy it is,” said another judge. Thick with ground beef, with a smoky, peppery aroma, it was layered with black beans and corn, and it had a back-of-the-throat burn no other contestant’s offering could match. A nearby box of tissues served as a must-have for anyone sampling the sinus-clearing concoction.

NCI at Frederick employees have a unique opportunity to contribute directly to cancer and AIDS research by donating blood, saliva, and other samples through the Research Donor Program (RDP). Donors are compensated for their time, which is typically between 10 and 30 minutes.

The RDP, which is administered by Occupational Health Services (OHS), Leidos Biomedical Research, provides samples from healthy donors for use in in vitro research conducted at NCI at Frederick and Fort Detrick. Samples are provided anonymously to researchers.

Members of the Eighth Joint National Committee recently released new standards for treating hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure (BP). The new standards do not recommend treatment changes for individuals under 60 years of age. However, treatment changes were recommended for people over the age of 60 who do not have conditions such as diabetes or chronic kidney disease (CKD), but whose BP numbers are 150/90 or higher. This BP threshold is up from the previously recommended threshold of 140/90. The panel also recommended that for people over 60 years of age who have diabetes or CKD, treatment should begin when BP is 140/90, which is an increase from 130/80. Treatment may involve lifestyle changes and/or medication to bring the BP numbers into a healthy range.

You don’t really know something until you can teach it to someone. Raul Cachau said he believes this is not only true in academia, but in research laboratories as well. He said that being a mentor means rediscovering things long taken for granted.

“It really forces you to rethink some of the things you do,” said Cachau, Ph.D., principal scientist, Advanced Biomedical Computing Center (ABCC). “It brings focus to many of the things that happen on a daily basis … There’s a positive impact to taking a fresh look at something.”

Scientists throughout NCI gathered at the 2016 Intramural Scientific Investigators Retreat on Jan. 12, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, to discuss the results of their research with fellow investigators.

Several researchers who have made significant advances toward the goal of eliminating the threat of cancer spoke to a packed auditorium of like-minded experts. Speaker topics included the role genetics play in the risk of breast cancer, using fiberglass to...

An herbal extract used for centuries to prevent heart disease has now been shown to be effective against colorectal cancer when tested in laboratory cell cultures.

Scientists from NCI at Frederick found that the natural extract cryptotanshinone (CPT) stops the uncontrolled cell growth characteristic of cancer by interfering with a protein that has been implicated in several cancers, including those of the colon and rectum. The results appear in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.