January 7, 2022

UNITE Makes Progress, Cites Long Way to Go
By Eric Bock
Racism threatens NIH’s mission, which seeks “fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce illness and disabilities with and for all people,” said then-NIH director Dr. Francis Collins.

Collins Thanks Program, Services Staff for Extraordinary Work
By Dana Talesnik
Countless behind-the-scenes activities continued uninterrupted throughout the pandemic to make sure staff and visitors had needed resources—from producing safety signage to shuttling patients to engineering videocasts. Dr. Francis Collins recently thanked ORS staff and learned more about their efforts.
JHU’s Comfort Discusses Ethics of Gene Editing
By Amber Snyder
Dr. Nathaniel Comfort of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine explored the history of the eugenics movement in a lecture titled “A Galaxy of Genius? The Enduring Dream of Controlling Human Heredity.”
Acting Director Tabak Takes Helm During Transition
Dr. Lawrence Tabak assumed the role of acting director on Dec. 20 to lead NIH during this time of transition. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra had named Tabak to the role on Dec. 9.

A microscopic view of variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles

On the Cover

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of a cell (teal and green) infected with a variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (UK B.1.1.7- purple and pink), isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md.

NIAID/NIH

January 7, 2022

Vol. LXXIV, No. 1

January 7, 2022

Vol. LXXIV, No. 1

January 7, 2022

UNITE Makes Progress, Cites Long Way to Go

Collins Thanks Program, Services Staff for Extraordinary Work

JHU’s Comfort Discusses Ethics of Gene Editing

Acting Director Tabak Takes Helm During Transition

On the Cover

The NIH Record