Community

The Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern Program has been a fixture at NCI at Frederick for 31 years, a respected and beloved tradition that has given more than 1,200 high school seniors a unique learning opportunity. This summer, it even received one of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the National Science Foundation. So when the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to break the three-decade streak this school year, dedicated staff and scientists stepped up to ensure the tradition would continue.

A new advance in our understanding of HIV comes from what Steve Hughes, Ph.D., calls “an odd observation.” Certain people living with HIV had only partially suppressed levels of virus in their blood despite being on effective antiretroviral therapy (drugs used to manage HIV). At first, an explanation seemed like it would be simple—but it wasn’t.

COVID-19 has paused or postponed many traditions this year, but it didn’t stop the National Institutes of Health from awarding NIH Director’s Awards to 660 employees and contractors. The ceremony, usually held in Bethesda, Maryland, went virtual. Several NCI at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory employees were among this year’s recipients.

The Scientific Library recently hosted a discussion panel on electron microscopy services at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL), its third panel of 2020. This Electron Microscopy Discussion Panel brought together specialists from the Electron Microscopy Laboratory, the Center for Molecular Microscopy, and the National Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility.

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, in partnership with NCI and the NIH Clinical Center, recently began asymptomatic COVID-19 testing for government and Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., staff. This program is voluntary but encouraged for those currently working on-site.

Science is an interrogation of reality: “putting Nature through a thorough inquisition,” as poet W. H. Auden once wrote. It’s the search for what’s real. But sometimes traditional practices get in the way. What to do when reality itself slows the search?

The 2020 Technology Showcase welcomed more than 300 viewers for half a day of presentations and panels on technology commercialization and collaboration. The annual event once again highlighted the capabilities of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and greater Frederick region—but this year, with its novel virtual format, it reached new audiences.

Just a few years ago, it was difficult to get any meaningful sequence data from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded patient tissue samples. These biopsy specimens, which are tissues preserved in formaldehyde and embedded in wax for storage, are easy to make and store, even in remote research locations. Many are available, and more are made all the time, for use in experimental research and drug development. Because there are so many samples that have been taken over numerous years, they can also be used to help study the evolution of diseases and viruses.

Back to school. They’re familiar words in an unfamiliar time. Most years, they signal the return of the stressful but manageable rituals of supply shopping, schedules, and summer’s end. This is not most years. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), NCI at Frederick, and the Frederick National Laboratory recognize the challenges their employees face this season. Fortunately, they provide multiple resources that empower their staff, enable flexibility, and promote well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest health topic of the year so far, but the 2020–2021 flu season is quickly approaching. With COVID-19 putting a strain on public health systems, it’s important to get a flu vaccine to protect yourself and your community from further illness and strain this winter. Occupational Health Services is offering a flu vaccine for NCI at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory staff, including subcontractors and construction subcontractors.