Measles, also known as rubeola, is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable viral infection that has been under the spotlight because of the record number of cases in the United States this year. Due to a growing lack of vaccination compliance and global travel that is facilitating the spread of this highly infectious pathogen, well over 1,000 individual cases have been confirmed across at least 30 states in 2019.
Distributing lifesaving antibiotics to 9,000 people within 24 hours of a bioterrorism attack is among the responsibilities of the Environment, Health and Safety Directorate of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. With that life-or-death mission in mind, EHS ran a drill on July 19 at the NCI at Frederick in response to a simulated attack.
As part of Occupational Health Services’ ongoing workplace wellness program, Poster will highlight employees who are committed to health and wellness. The first edition features the current OHS interns.
At the annual Spring Research Festival on Fort Detrick, they placed first in the First-in-Development Cell Biology category. At the Frederick County Science and Engineering Fair, they won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Award of Excellence in Computer Science and placed second in the Molecular and Cell Biology category.
Yet despite these accomplishments, Alexis Adkins and Jacqueline Chung said they didn’t consider themselves “real scientists.” Maybe that’s because they lacked a science degree—or, until very recently, even a high school diploma. However, they are indisputably real scientists.
Waiting in line usually isn’t the way to prepare for a life-or-death situation, but this Friday will be an exception. NCI at Frederick will take part in an exercise that tests how quickly it could distribute antibiotics to employees, families, and visitors in response to a simulated bioterrorism anthrax attack in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Employees will be asked to go to Building 426, fill out a two-question form, briefly wait in line, and pick up the “pill bottles.” Participation is voluntary, but the Environment, Health, and Safety Directorate (EHS)—which is supervising the exercise—needs at least 50 people and is asking everyone on the NCI at Frederick campus to participate.
The second-floor conference room in Building 538 exploded into a blur of motion as children began looking for clues to help Dr. Chaos fill in the last four pieces of “the human genetic code.” With just 10 minutes to solve the puzzle, they rushed around, sifted through science-themed items, and scoured the workspace-turned-escape room for leads. Seven minutes later, they succeeded, triumphantly emerging into the hallway.
NCI at Frederick’s newest student interns smiled for a group photo outside the Advanced Technology Research Facility. Forty-eight young faces stared at the camera, looking excited but slightly overwhelmed. Later that same evening, the students took part in the Incoming Ceremony, the official start to what many in the past have considered one of the most meaningful journeys of their lives.
Preventive maintenance is scheduled, routine maintenance that helps keep equipment running efficiently and reliably while minimizing unplanned downtime and costly repairs. In practice, a preventive maintenance checklist may include things such as cleaning, lubrication, oil changes, adjustments, repairs, parts inspection and replacement, and partial or complete overhauls.
Clustered around a bright green trailer parked outside of Building 549, people holding numbered tickets waited for a voice at the trailer’s window to tell them their orders of banh mi, pho, and grill plates were ready. For curious passersby, two signs and a menu explained everything: “The Pham – Vietnamese Food Truck & Catering.”
