Look at your fingernails. What comes to mind? Now look at the veins in your arms. What about them? Odds are the words “critical” and “historic” aren’t your first thoughts, but they’d be an apt description. At NCI at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory, nail clippings and blood specimens are two ways to make a difference in scientific research.
Joost “Joe” Oppenheim, M.D., senior investigator and head of the Cellular Immunology Section in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, passed away in May. He was one of the longest-tenured scientists at NCI at Frederick. Among his many accomplishments, he has been called “the Father of Cytokines” for his pioneering role in establishing the field of cytokine research in immunology.
As COVID-19 tore across the U.S. in 2020, drug overdose deaths in Maryland rose to an all-time high. The grim statistic has since decreased slightly but remains higher than before the pandemic. Occupational Health Services (OHS) is taking action against the crisis, putting naloxone kits in employees’ hands in a push to reduce overdose deaths in the community and to protect, promote, and improve health and welfare.
NCI and Frederick National Laboratory investigators make important scientific discoveries every day. Sometimes those discoveries lead to an invention. While competitive science can make it tempting to report the findings right away, that might not be the best idea. Instead, it’s time to talk with a technology transfer manager.
With Memorial Day and the 78th anniversary of D-Day on the horizon, please take a moment to locate the small memorial dedicated to nine local individuals who gave the ultimate sacrifice as part of the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
Since the world went virtual in March 2020, the ‘Laptop’ in the Scientific Library’s Laptop Librarian Program has taken on a layered meaning.
For 14 years, the program has taken resources outside the Library’s walls and helped National Cancer Institute at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research scientists where they work. A librarian would bring a laptop to a specified location during regular times to answer questions about Scientific Library resources and services, making research support even easier to access.
The grounds around Building 1071 on the NCI at Frederick campus are about to receive a new ecological improvement network. It won’t come with complex equipment, nor will it add to the campus’ ubiquitous metallic sheen of steam pipes or modules encasing crucial apparatus. Instead, passersby will only see five saplings.
Spring has arrived in Frederick, and with it comes a beloved scientific tradition: the Spring Research Festival. Now in its 25th year, the festival brings together scientists, students, support staff, and spectators from across Fort Detrick, NCI at Frederick, and the larger Frederick community. Participants can expect two days of scientific excellence.
Spring and rain are nearly inseparable in the public conscious. English speakers in the Northern Hemisphere have been repeating the proverb, “April showers bring May flowers,” in some form for at least 500 years. Geoffrey Chaucer even begins his famous Canterbury Tales with mention of the spring rains. Small wonder that rain and water are on the minds of staff in Environment, Health, and Safety as another Frederick winter turns to spring. But their thoughts are considerably less whimsical than proverbs or poetry. In fact, they’re all business.
Nominations for the 2021 Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) Achievement Awards are now underway. This program honors and recognizes staff members for outstanding contributions to the FNL mission over the past year. Nominations will be accepted through March 13. This is an entirely peer-nominated awards program, and all employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues.
