NIH Director, Biosafety Hearing, AI Research

BU IN DC

Karen Antman, Provost of the Medical Campus and Dean of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, addressed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence as part of its Icons in Oncology series on October 16th.

Brooke Blower of the College of Arts & Sciences discussed her recent book during the Washington History Seminar jointly sponsored by the American Historical Association and the Woodrow Wilson Center on October 16th. 

Associate Provost for Special Projects & Emerging Priorities Suzanne Kennedy and Jennifer Gómez of the School of Social Work spoke on panels at the 2023 summit of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education on October 17th and 18th. Jin In of the Office of the Senior Diversity Officer attended the summit.

Milos Popovic of the College of Engineering attended the Microelectronics Commons annual meeting sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense on October 17th and 18th. 

SENATORS QUESTION NIH NOMINEE

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Wednesday. Dr. Bertagnolli, currently director of the National Cancer Institute, was nominated in May to lead the agency, which has been without a permanent leader since December 2021. In her opening statement, Dr. Bertagnolli pledged to broaden and ensure better access to NIH technologies and innovations to underserved populations, as well as build a strong next-generation scientific workforce to carry out this mission. Senators asked the nominee about the Biden Administration’s views on prescription drug prices, better outreach to rural communities, NIH’s knowledge on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the agency’s support for women’s health and youth mental health research. The Committee is scheduled to vote on her nomination next week.

Watch the hearing

CONGRESS FOCUSES ON BIOSAFETY, AI, COLLEGE SPORTS

Congressional committees held several hearings this week on a range of topics that impact colleges and universities.

  • The House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Pandemic held a hearing on biosafety practices at federally-funded research laboratories on Wednesday. Dr. Gerald Parker, former director of the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, urged lawmakers to adopt a national strategy to support high-containment labs so they can continue their important work to prepare the nation for a pandemic. Members then questioned the witnesses on how to improve both federal and international oversight of biosafety labs globally.
  • The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee heard from witnesses from government, academia, and a technology think tank on how to best manage the risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI). Lawmakers queried the panel on how Congress should approach regulating the technology while still ensuring the technology can grow responsibly.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Tuesday regarding “Name, Image, and Likeness, and the Future of College Sports.” College athletes, university athletic directors, and the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association shared their views on how college athletes should be compensated for their efforts. Most acknowledged some degree of support for a uniform national standard to replace the conflicting landscape of state laws currently in place.

EVENTS NEWS YOU CAN USE

The Office of Research is hosting two events next week for researchers:

 

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