October 21, 2016

Ancient DNA Is ‘New Machine’ For Peering into Human Past
By Rich McManus
Harvard geneticist Dr. David Reich opened the 2016-2017 Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series on Sept. 21. Reich’s lab is taking samples mostly of European human remains dating back between 4,000 and 7,000 years and, using DNA sequencing machines that have gotten faster and cheaper over time, begun to learn the recipe for making a modern European.

Have You Had ‘The Talk?’
By Dana Talesnik
Speaking at an NINR Director’s Lecture, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist & co-founder of The Conversation Project Ellen Goodman made an impassioned plea for all of us to contemplate and frankly discuss end-of-life wishes with our families and doctors, before it’s too late.
NIA Teams Take First, Second in Institute Relay
By Eric Bock
Practice pays off. That’s the take-home lesson from the 33rd NIH Institute Relay. In dominating fashion, NIA’s “Charm City NeuRUNS” won the race. They finished in a record time of 12:07. That shattered the previous record, set in both 1980 and 1985, by 45 seconds.
Challenge Spurs Ideas on Sickle Cell Awareness
A smartphone app, a social media campaign, a catchy tune—those were the concepts that took top honors after the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute challenged college students nationwide to find innovative ways to raise awareness about sickle cell disease. Winning innovators presented their ideas at an NHLBI sickle cell disease research conference.