Scientific Director's Message

January 2025

I am pleased to announce that the 2024 annual report of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is now available at annualreport.nichd.nih.gov. The report offers an introduction to the array of research endeavors led by NICHD’s DIR and highlights our medical, scientific, and population health discoveries of the past year.

NICHD’s intramural community comprises a broad portfolio of basic, translational, clinical, and population health researchers. Using a range of model systems, we advance knowledge of developmental biology, molecular and cellular biology, neurosciences, structural biology, imaging, and biophysics. Investigators, supported by a wide array of core services, from bioinformatics and imaging to molecular genomics, investigate various animal models, including fruit flies, zebrafish, rats, and mice. Our population health investigators undertake innovative etiologic and interventional studies across the lifespan, translate discoveries into clinical practice, and inform public policy. Each investigator participates in one or more team-based and future-oriented affinity groups, which build on thematic interests while responding to rapidly shifting scientific priorities to create new knowledge.

At the same time, the researchers whose names appear in this publication remain committed to training the next generation of scientists and physician-scientists. From tenure-track investigators, who joined us recently, to accomplished investigators, we all recognize the value of training to forge new scientific paths.

We invite you to review the report to learn about a colleague’s current pursuits, or to identify a laboratory with which you may wish to collaborate or refer a student. The report is also fully searchable to assist potential postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, clinical fellows, and others in navigating to the information they need.

I also encourage you to browse the report’s selection of clinical trials within the context of potential collaboration, such as through the NIH U01 grant mechanism or the NIH Bench-to-Bedside and Back Program at the NIH Clinical Center. These programs could lead to our next great success by helping us combine expertise and patient populations, while leveraging NIH infrastructure to address topics ranging from rare disorders to the most common problems affecting human health. Visit https://ocr.od.nih.gov/new_u01/new_u01.html and https://ocreco.od.nih.gov/btb/btb_program.html to learn more about these programs.

Fostering availability and bolstering utilization of original data and biospecimens generated from our studies remains a central focus of our work. Each laboratory has an established Data Sharing and Management Plan to guide these efforts. If you are interested in accessing data or learning more about data sharing, please reach out to the respective lab. You may also want to check out NICHD’s online data-sharing platform, the Data and Specimen Hub (DASH), which houses data from many of our completed clinical and population health studies.

The drive and purpose of the DIR, on behalf of the American public and the scientific community, is to lead research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. You can share your ideas and proposals for collaborative initiatives with me at mcbainc@mail.nih.gov.

Sincerely yours,
Chris J. McBain, Ph.D.
Scientific Director, NICHD, NIH