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Were you aware that part of your federal tax dollars goes to
pay for research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? NIH, which
employs about 18,000, is a branch of the Department of Health and Human
Services, operated by the federal government. NIH conducts a wide variety of
research studies for federal research agencies and supplies grants to
medical centers and universities. NIH’s research is mainly the health issues
that affect the American public. This research is coordinated through its 27
institutes, which are individually devoted to the research of a particular
health area. Other offices and centers also are under NIH’s jurisdiction.
Most people are familiar with the National Cancer Institute. The goals of
the National Cancer Institute are to develop techniques for curing cancers
with valid treatments and managing those cancers that cannot be cured at the
current time. Of course, research on the prevention of cancer is most
important as well. Another prominent research branch of NIH is the National
Institute of Mental Health which is charged with research into mental
illnesses and basic research on both the brain and human behavior.
An institute of NIH that has received significant coverage by the press
lately about its studies is The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
Not too long ago, when the race to examine the structure of human DNA was
all out, NHGRI was established in the U.S. in 1989 to organize genetic
research on the structure of DNA and genetic diseases. The Office of AIDS
Research is another more recent addition to this research genre. Although
this research office is not yet its own institute, the Office of the
Director manages it, along with the Office of Research on Women’s Health.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been active in
research into communicable diseases since 1948. This institute is the
primary research arm for combating AIDS as well as other viral agents that
occur throughout the world, performing basic research into vaccines that may
be effective against bacteria and viruses. This institute is active in
developing effective drug therapies as well. A great deal of research is
being done into asthma, its causes, and effective treatments, especially for
children.
The new institute National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering was formed in 2000. This institute promotes research in the
areas of physics, computer sciences, mathematics and chemistry, along with
engineering disciplines for the creations of new technologies that improve
health.
Another recent addition to the NIH family, but not an institute, is the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine that was
established in 1999. Its goals are to explore the alternative therapies with
controlled studies and to train researchers in evaluating these techniques.
Another NIH center is the John E. Fogarty International Center that supports
international research and health training.
These are just a sampling of the many NIH institutes, offices and centers.
For a vast amount of interesting information about all of NIH’s programs, go
online to http://www.nih.gov.
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