June 24, 2022

McCurdy Studies Whether Kratom Can Reduce Opioid Withdrawal, Ease Pain
By Dana Talesnik
Despite an FDA import alert, an estimated 2,000 metric tons of kratom enter the U.S. monthly from Southeast Asia, suggesting millions of users across the country. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has classified kratom as a drug and chemical of concern, pending further study. A University of Florida investigator asks: can this controversial tree help end the opioid epidemic?

Stibbe Examines Effects of WWI Internment
By Eric Bock
The internment of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians during World War I gave governments a unique opportunity to experiment with different kinds of humanitarian assistance, said Dr. Matthew Stibbe, during a recent NLM History of Medicine talk. By studying the experiences of interned citizens in the 1910s, he hopes to gain insights into how isolation and uncertainty affect people, something that’s relevant today.
NIH Mourns Porter, Longtime Friend of Medical Research
Legendary legislator John Edward Porter retired from Congress in 2001, but never paused his efforts to increase support for NIH and for the medical research enterprise at large. The former U.S. House appropriations subcommittee chair and NIH champion died on June 3.
Implementing Interventions for Environmental Health Equity
By Jennifer Harker
Environmental health scientists forged a new partnership with implementation scientists to discuss how, together, they might address challenges and improve environmental health equity, during a 2-day workshop held earlier this year.