Director's Council of Public Representatives

2009

COPR Alumnus Yee Arranges NHGRI Acting Director Lectures at Hawaii School
October 20, 2009 / Honolulu, Hawaii

COPR Alumnus Douglas Yee, M.B.A., arranged for National Human Genome Research Institute Acting Director Alan Guttmacher, M.D., to speak to two high school anatomy classes at Punahou School in Hawaii. Mr. Yee’s involvement demonstrates the continued support COPR alumni provide to both NIH and their communities.

COPR Member Ahmed Reviews Community Level Competing Revisions
July 2009 / Chicago, Illinois

Dr Syed Ahmed participated as a reviewer for community-level competing revisions (previously called supplements). Competing Revision applications propose supplemental research projects to existing or currently funded NIH research project grants. Many NIH institutes and centers have issued high priority, ARRA- related projects for competing revisions.

COPR Member Furlong Presents Workshop on Research Ethics
March 2009 / Des Moines, Iowa

COPR member Beth Furlong, R.N., Ph.D., J.D., presented a half-day workshop on research ethics at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines. About 60 nursing faculty and practicing nurses attended the workshop, which featured many NIH resources and promoted NIH Web sites on clinical research ethics.

COPR Member Margo Produces Colonoscopy Public Service Announcements with Reference to National Cancer Institute Web Site
February 2009 / New York

COPR Member Matthew Margo, LL.M., produced colonoscopy public service announcements (PSAs) that refer viewers to the CBS Cares Web site, which features a link to the colon and rectal cancer home page of the National Cancer Institute. The PSAs first aired during 60 Minutes on February 22, 2009. In connection with the PSAs, which feature Alan Kalter of The Late Show and Tony Award-winner Patti Lupone, CBS Cares also sponsored a ground-breaking sweepstakes for a free colonoscopy. Weill Cornell Medical College intends to use the PSAs in its curriculum for fourth-year medical students and gastroenterology fellows in New York City and Qatar. Plans also include use of the PSAs at Weill’s Myra Mahon Patient Resource Center.

COPR Members Palermo and Pavão Join Steering Committee for Partners in Research
January 26, 2009 / Bethesda, Maryland

COPR Members Ann-Gel Palermo, M.P.H., and Carlos Pavão, M.P.A., were selected to become members of the Steering Committee for the first Partners in Research Workshop, tentatively scheduled for October 2009. All primary investigators for Partners in Research grants, which combine the efforts of both academic and community organizations, will come to NIH to share their experiences and exchange information and advice. The meeting will give everyone involved the opportunity to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the grant partnerships and provide feedback on whether this initiative bears replicating or expanding. The Steering Committee is charged with planning the workshop so that all attendees can all learn as much from the various experiences as possible.

Dr. Syed Ahmed Represents COPR on the NCI Advocates in Research Working Group (ARWG)
June 2008–Present / Bethesda, Maryland

Dr. Ahmed brings a unique perspective as an academician and advocate with experience in community participatory research. The mission of the ARWG is to develop and provide recommendations to NCI's Director's Consumer Liaison Group on how NCI can more consistently integrate advocate involvement throughout its programs, to ensure that the patient-advocate perspective is appropriately represented. In addition, Dr. Ahmed has been very active on the ARWG Initiation Subgroup, focusing on the selection process, conflict of interest, and related communications issues.