Smithsonian Associates Presents “The Pulse on Modern Medicine: Insights From NIH Experts”

Smithsonian Associates, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), presents a five-session lecture series featuring NIH Institute directors and other scientific and medical experts. Participants will learn what is currently “hot” in biomedical research, receive a lesson in the science behind it and discuss what it all means for people’s health and medical treatment today and in the future. The lectures will take place Tuesday, Sept. 6; Thursday, Oct. 13; Thursday, Nov. 17; Thursday, Dec. 8; and Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6:45 p.m. in the Smithsonian’s S. Dillon Ripley Center.

The NIH is the U.S. government’s medical research agency and the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. The NIH invests more than 30 billion of taxpayer dollars to support cutting-edge research that is helping people live longer and healthier lives, driving the discovery of new treatments and combating major health challenges.

The five-session Smithsonian Associates series will explore topics such as precision medicine, personal health data, genomics, cancer, infectious diseases, the brain and undiagnosed and rare diseases, among others. Participants will hear a brief talk from 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (a 101-level introduction) that offers fundamental information as background for the evening’s topic. Then, a presentation by the featured NIH expert begins around 7:45 p.m. Refreshments will be offered between the two presentations. In late January or early February, participants will have the opportunity to take a trip to the NIH campus in Bethesda for select tours.

Presenters include Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (Sept. 6); William Gahl, clinical director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and director of the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program (Oct. 13); Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Nov. 17); Julie Segre, head of the Microbial Genomics Section and chief of the Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (Dec. 8); and Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (Jan. 24).

Ticket prices for the Smithsonian Associates’ package of presentations are $200 for general admission and $130 for Associate members. Individual session ticket prices are for $45 for general admission and $30 for Associate members. For tickets and information, the public may call (202) 633-3030 or visit www.smithsonianassociates.org.

Smithsonian Associates—the largest museum-based education program in the world—produces vibrant educational and cultural programming inspired by the Smithsonian’s research, collections and exhibitions. Each year more than 750 individual programs are presented to spark creativity and excite learning in people of all ages in the Washington, D.C., area and across the country. Smithsonian Associates brings the Smithsonian to life through seminars, performances, lectures, studio arts classes and local and regional study tours, as well as many engaging programs for children, including performances and summer day camps.

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SI-412-2016