Institute, Center, or DivisionFY1997FY1998 Estimate National Cancer Institute $2,156,416 $2,217,482 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Inst. 1,370,952 1,404,770 National Institute of Dental Research 182,893 190,081 National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 802,889 821,164 National Insitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 701,582 722,712 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 608,950 634,272 National Institute of General Medical Sciences 970,749 9

"Physicians will not be able to practice medicine in the next century without computers. Individual hospitals and medical centers will have their own intranets, as will health care systems." Robert Trelstad,Professor and Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. THE TIME FACTOR: Southwestern’s M. David Low says medical school faculty may worry about development time for computer-based instruction. Most physicians and educators agree that computer

Sidebar: Information on Minority Access to Research Careers In the United States, there are more than 100 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In the late 1860s, these institutions were designated by the federal government to educate African Americans as a result of a segregated educational system in the South. Science administrators at the majority of these schools view their mission differently from their counterparts at majority U.S. institutions. Rather than focus their eff

POINTED ASSERTION: Dennis Fisher contends that his clinical trial examining methods of obtaining clean syringes is both ethical and valid. Though a federally appointed panel of scientists and ethicists in December okayed the continuation of a controversial needle-exchange clinical trial at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, questions still linger over the ethical and scientific nature of the study. At the same time, the project offers a view of how science can be politicized. Despite survey

An initiative is under way to make the center an NIH institute; critics, however, argue that unnecessary redundancy would result. The National Center for Human Genome Research (NCHGR), which directs the National Institutes of Health's part in the Human Genome Project (HGP), is poised to become an institute. The necessary steps to change the center's status are already in motion, according to director Francis Collins, who supports the move. PROS AND CONS: Supporters note progress in NIH̵

BIDDING ADIEU: David Kessler, who headed FDA for more than six years, says he is pleased with his record. When David Kessler, the commissioner of the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced his resignation in late November, many people were surprised. The controversial FDA head was in the middle of waging war against the United States tobacco industry when he decided to step down after more than six years in the job. His supporters, including public health advocates, contend tha

It's 25 years and counting since President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act on Dec. 23, 1971, marking the United States' official declaration of war on cancer. The act provided funding to establish medical centers dedicated to clinical research and cancer treatment under the auspices of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Yet, after an estimated $28 billion spent to find cures and better treatments for the dreaded disease, the war is far from over. Most scientists note the tremend

Sidebar: Cancer Resources The field of cancer research has been dramatically altered by advances in molecular biology. In some cases, investigators can tease out the precise molecular route by which cells turn cancerous and how those calls are affected by treatments. Researchers are working to understand the nuances of oncogenes, or cancer-causing genes. Others have located cancer susceptibility genes, providing hope for future screening methods and potential treatments. As scientists continue

LUCKY STARS: Harold Kroto was studying carbon clusters when he and coworkers discovered buckyballs. Like many of their predecessors, the winners of the 1996 Nobel Prizes in science have found that the media attention accompanying the honor provides an excellent opportunity to speak out on behalf of important causes. Last month, five of the eight newly named science laureates used their "bully pulpit" to voice concerns about research funding at a National Science Foundation news conference. Th

MISCONDUCT POLICY: University of Illinois' C.K. Gunsalus cites problems of oversight in academia. Is science in crisis? Scientists, historians, administrators, and others have debated this issue over the last few decades. The controversial topic was the impetus for a September 19 conference at George Washington University (GWU). Panelists at the day-long symposium, titled "Science in Crisis at the Millennium," think something has gone awry. Keith Yamamoto, University of California, San Franc

Discoveries announced at conference leave scientists feeling optimistic; yet their enthusiasm is tempered by several persistent concerns. AIDS researchers have many reasons to be encouraged. Studies show that treatments combining new and old drugs can control HIV levels in the blood. Moreover, many scientists and activists note, prevention efforts have helped reduce HIV infection rates. Yet the enthusiasm is tempered by several caveats. Drugs are expensive and have harsh side effects, leading

The institutions strive to overcome a poor image while looking ahead to a new role in a managed-care environment Sidebar : ACCREDITED SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH Once the poor cousins of medical schools, public health schools are coming into their own as universities create new programs or expand existing ones. The advent of managed care, which emphasizes cost-effectiveness, has focused the attention of many institutions on prevention, the traditional raison d'^Ðtre of public health. CON