Media Advisory

Friday, September 7, 2007

NIH and NASA Partner for Health Research in Space

What:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NASA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in space-related health research. This agreement will help American scientists utilize the International Space Station to answer questions about human health and disease.

When:

Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 11 a.m. - noon

Where:

U.S. Capitol, Room S-115

Who:

Following the signing, NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., and NASA Administrator Michael Griffin will be available to answer questions from the media. Other presenters include:

  • Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
  • Joshua Zimmerberg, M.D., Ph.D, Chief, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
  • Carl Walz, Advanced Capabilities Division director, Exploration Systems, NASA Headquarters, Washington

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/.

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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