Media Advisory

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

NIH Launches Undiagnosed Diseases Program

What: Teleconference to discuss new trans-NIH clinical research program and its anticipated service to the medical community and patients from across the United States.

When: Monday, May 19, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Eastern

Where: Teleconference. Reporters to dial-in at: 800-862-9098; international reporters call: 785-424-1051. Conference ID/Password: 7NIHUDPNEWS

Who:

Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director, NIH
John I. Gallin, M.D., Director, Clinical Center, NIH
William A. Gahl, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Director, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH
Stephen Groft, Pharm.D., Director, NIH Office of Rare Diseases
Amanda Young, NIH Clinical Center patient, whose rare genetic disorder took 10 years to diagnose.

The NIH Clinical Center (CC) is the clinical research hospital for the National Institutes of Health. Through clinical research, physician-investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better treatments, therapies and interventions to improve the nation's health. For more information, visit http://clinicalcenter.nih.gov.

The NIH Office of Rare Diseases stimulates and coordinates research on rare diseases and supports research to respond to the needs of patients, health care providers and the research communities involved in the care, treatment, and evaluation of products for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of these conditions. For more information about ORD and its programs, visit rarediseases.info.nih.gov.

The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/index.htm.

NHGRI is one of the 27 institutes and centers at the NIH, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The NHGRI Division of Intramural Research develops and implements technology to understand, diagnose and treat genomic and genetic diseases. Additional information about NHGRI can be found at its Web site, www.genome.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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