Biology

NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers ofthe National Institutes of Health (NIH), leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary Federal agency on Alzheimers disease research.

The objective of this website is to present recent indicators that describe the present state of the Arctic climate and ecosystem in an accessible, understandable, and credible historical context. A summary of changes are listed in the Table of Indicators. The Arctic is a vast, ice-covered ocean that is surrounded by tree-less, frozen land, which is often covered with snow and ice. The rigors of this harsh environment are a challenge to living, working and performing research in the Arctic. None the less, the Arctic is an ecosystem that teems with life including organisms living in the ice, fish and marine mammals living in the sea, birds, land animals such as wolves, caribou and polar bears, and human societies. The Arctic has been changing in the last 30 years, as noted throughout this website. Some of the clearest indicators of this change are shown below: the warming of spring temperatures in Alaska, the warming of winter temperatures in N Europe, the loss of sea ice area in the central Arctic, and the conversion of tundra to wetlands and shrub lands in E. Siberia and NW Canada and Alaska. These changes in physical conditions also have impacted marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eight agencies that compose the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The NCI, established under the National Cancer Act of 1937, is the Federal Government's principal agency for cancer research and training. The National Cancer Act of 1971 broadened the scope and responsibilities of the NCI and created the National Cancer Program. Over the years, legislative amendments have maintained the NCI authorities and responsibilities and added new information dissemination mandates as well as a requirement to assess the incorporation of state-of-the-art cancer treatments into clinical practice. The National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.

The National Institutes of Health is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. It is an Agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. funds scientific studies at universities and research institutions across the Nation. Begun as a one-room Laboratory of Hygiene in 1887, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today is one of the world's foremost medical research centers. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. The goals of the agency are as follows: 1) foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nation's capacity to protect and improve health; 2) develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nation's capability to prevent disease; 3) expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research; and 4) exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science.

The NTP is an interagency program whose mission is to evaluate agents of public health concern by developing and applying tools of modern toxicology and molecular biology. The program maintains an objective, science-based approach in dealing with critical issues in toxicology and is committed to using the best science available to prioritize, design, conduct, and interpret its studies. To that end, the NTP is continually evolving to remain at the cutting edge of scientific research and to develop and apply new technologies.

The Census of Marine Life is a growing global network of researchers in more than 70 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in the oceans -- past, present, and future.

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) is a distinct forum of Arctic professionals, indigenous peoples representatives, and observer countries and organisations,to discuss and address circumpolar Arctic conservation issues. As one of the Working Groups of theArctic Council,its primary role is to advise the Arctic governments (Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States) on conservation matters and sustainable use issues of international significance and common concern.

The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University promotes interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the fields of human sexuality, gender, and reproduction. The Institute was founded in 1947, just before the publication of Sexual Behavior in the Human Male in1948. Today the Institute investigates sexual behavior and sexual health today, and carries out its mission through: development of collections of resources for scholars;programs of research and research publications; interdisciplinary conferences and seminars; provision of information services; and graduate training.

The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) was created in June 1993 by the American Museum of Natural History in order to bring the Museum's extensive scientific and educational resources to bear in conservation decisions and actions. The CBC's programs focus on areas of the world where biodiversity is both rich and of great conservation concern. Currently, the CBC has projects in the Bahamas, Bolivia, Madagascar, Vietnam, and the greater New York metropolitan region.

In May 2001, the Museum announced the establishment of the Institute for Comparative Genomics (ICG). The Institute is a preeminent center for collections, research, and training in the field of non-human comparative genomics and pursues seminal research in the study of gene variation, which informs our understanding of the human genome, the evolution and history of life, and the conservation of Earth's biodiversity.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson's disease within this decade through an aggressively funded research agenda. Enormous progress toward finding a cure has been made on many neurological fronts, and scientists' understanding of the brain and how disease affects it has increased dramatically. The Foundation seeks to hasten progress further by awarding grants that help guarantee that new and innovative research avenues are thoroughly funded and explored. Actor Michael J. Fox established the Foundation in May 2000 shortly after announcing his retirement from the ABC television show Spin City. In 1998 he publicly disclosed that he had been diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's disease seven years earlier.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has provided international leadership in the education of physicians and medical scientists, in biomedical research, and in the application of medical knowledge to sustain health since the opening of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1889. Today, Hopkins Medicine brings together the faculty physicians and scientists of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the organizations, community physicians, nurses and other professionals of The Johns Hopkins Health System to continue that mission.

The National Center for Health Statistics' Web site is a rich source of information about Americas health. As the Nations principal health statistics agency, we compile statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of our people. We are a unique public resource for health information-a critical element of public health and health policy. Working with partners throughout the health community, we use a variety of approaches to efficiently obtain information from the sources most able to provide information. We collect data from birth and death records, medical records, interview surveys, and through direct physical exams and laboratory testing. NCHS is a key element of our national public health infrastructure, providing important surveillance information that helps identify and address critical health problems. Here at NCHS, information is at the core of our mission and our Web site is a vital part of our effort to make this information work for you. Our site is designed to provide you with quick and easy access to the wide range of information and data available from us. We include an overview of our major data collection activities, present our data findings, and provide information about special activities and initiatives to improve access to--and the quality of--health statistics information. Our Web site has links to additional sources of health information and provides a way for you to query us electronically to obtain answers to your specific questions.

Economic progress in developing countries depends on healthy citizens and environments. The Mailman School of Public Health and The Earth Institute at Columbia University are launching the Center for Global Health and Economic Development (CGHED), as a joint venture based at the Mailman School, to mobilize global health programs that help resource-poor countries address the burden of disease.

The Institute brings together Columbia scientists from different disciplines whose research interests are in the processes of early development and how these relate to the etiology and treatment of psychiatric illness. Supported by an endowment from the Sackler Foundation and established at Columbia in April 2001, the Institute is dedicated to an investigation of the complex processes underlying development at levels ranging from the molecular to the psychological. The Institute consists of 3 divisions: Basic Sciences, Behavioral Neuroscience and Clinical. These divisions and their affiliated programs form an integrated network of research projects and training opportunities aimed at gaining a better understanding of the central principles and specific mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal development of brain and behavior. In addition to support from the Sackler endowment and Columbia University, the Institute and its scientists are supported by the New York State Psychiatric Institute and grants to Sackler scientists from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and many non-governmental organizations.

Celera Genomics' mission is to discover and develop meaningful new therapies that improve human health. We are engaged in the discovery and development of targeted therapies for cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (a category that includes diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis). To identify and validate drug targets and diagnostic marker candidates, and to discover novel therapeutic candidates, we are leveraging capabilities in proteomics, bioinformatics and genomics. We are also seeking to advance therapeutic antibody and selected small molecule drug programs in collaboration with global technology and market leaders. Our scientists are also working with their colleagues at Celera Diagnostics to better understand associations between diseases and patterns of genetic variation. This information could be useful in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic products, and in identifying which people will best respond to certain drugs. Read more about our Targeted Medicine concept.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that employs hundreds of leading biomedical scientists working at the forefront of their fields. In addition, through its grants program and other activities, HHMI is helping to enhance science education at all levels and maintain the vigor of biomedical science worldwide. The Institute is one of the world's largest philanthropies, with laboratories across the United States and grants programs throughout the world. Its headquarters and conference center are located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. Using the powerful new tools of molecular biology, HHMI research teams seek to explain how the human body functions and why disease occurs. HHMI investigators have been involved in many recent advances, from the discovery of genes related to cancer, heart disease, obesity, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and other diseases to new insights about how organisms develop, cells communicate or learning occurs. In 2003, the Institute broke ground in Ashburn, Virgina to begin construction on the Janelia Farm Research Campus. The complex will consist of laboratory space, a conference facility, temporary housing for visiting scientists, and many amenities. The collaborative nature of the research will bring biologists, physicists, chemists, computer scientists, and engineers together to tackle the most difficult problems confronting science. The Institute's grants program is the largest privately funded education initiative in U.S. history. The grants are helping to strengthen science education and encourage talented young people to pursue research and teaching careers.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) in 1991 to address the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life in postmenopausal women. The WHI will address cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. The WHI a 15 year multi-million dollar endeavor, and one of the largest U.S. prevention studies of its kind.

JGI brings the expertise of four national laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge, and the Stanford Human Genome Center to bear on the frontiers of genome sequencing and related biology. Our sequencing targets encompass a rapidly expanding range of microbes, animals, and plants. The new Community Sequencing Program (CSP) aims to broaden the range still further. JGI is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy.

This site is a resource for anyone interested in paleontology, from the professional in the lab to the interested amateur scouting for fossils to the student in any classroom. We have gathered many different resources into this single entry "portal" to paleontological information on the Internet. Images and links that you see as you browse through the site have been reviewed and selected for quality by one or more members of the Editorial Board. This site was produced by the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Paleontological Society, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the United States Geological Survey. The site was funded by the National Science Foundation.