Former House Speaker Gingrich Visits

Newt Gingrich (r) shares a laugh with NEI clinical director Dr. Brian Brooks (c) as NEI director Dr. Paul Sieving looks on. The former speaker of the House spent several hours at NIH on June 20.

Photo: Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

Former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and Gingrich listens to Bharti

Gingrich learns about regenerative medicine from NEI’s Dr. Kapil Bharti.

Photo: Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

Gingrich is welcomed to Bldg. 1 by NIH director Dr. Francis Collins (r) and others.

Photo: Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

Former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich visited NIH on June 20. He met with NIH director Dr. Francis Collins in Bldg. 1 before touring the Clinical Center with CC CEO Dr. James Gilman.

While in the CC, Gingrich sat in on a science briefing with researchers at the National Eye Institute, including NEI director Dr. Paul Sieving and clinical director Dr. Brian Brooks. Sieving gave Gingrich an overview of the institute and research under way.

Then, NEI Stadtman investigator Dr. Kapil Bharti of the unit on ocular stem cells and translational research gave a slide presentation on the latest developments in his regenerative medicine and stem cell research. Gingrich was able to see elements of the science first-hand, visiting Bharti’s lab and viewing cell cultures via microscope.