FNIH Announces the First Annual U.S.—Russia Scientific Forum

BETHESDA, MD, October 10, 2011 — The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) today announced it will host the first U.S.—Russia Scientific Forum on November 16-18, 2011, in Moscow, Russia to facilitate broader collaboration between the two countries in the areas of biomedical and behavioral research.

The Forum, a public-private partnership of the FNIH, was created as a result of the 2009 U.S.— Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission and established in part from a $1.27 million gift from founding partner, Eli Lilly and Company. Launched in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), the Forum will include participation and additional support from Amgen, Amway, Celgene, The Coca-Cola Company, Genzyme, Merck, Novartis and Roche.

The three day meeting will feature distinguished researchers from the United States and the Russian Federation and will be led by Scott E. Campbell, Former Executive Director and CEO of the FNIH; Roger I. Glass, Director of the Fogarty International Center at the NIH; Nils Daulaire, Director, Office of Global Affairs, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Anatoly Grigoriev, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Veronika Skvortsova, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation (MOHSD) and Ivan Dedov, President of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS).

“After much planning and coordination, we are looking forward to the upcoming U.S.—Russia Scientific Forum meeting for Biomedical and Behavioral Research meeting in Moscow, Russia in November,” said Dr. Scott Campbell, Former Executive Director and CEO of the FNIH. “FNIH has a depth of experience in creating and convening partnerships and we are pleased to have this historic opportunity to bring talented scientists from both the U.S. and Russia together for training and to create research collaborations that will ultimately improve human health.”

In April of this year, the FNIH hosted a planning meeting at RAS to develop the agenda and thematic directions for the November Forum, resulting in seven themes: brain sciences, cancer, cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyles, human development, infectious diseases, and rare diseases. Five of the themes (cancer, healthy lifestyles, human development, infectious and rare diseases) will meet at the upcoming Forum in November. Brain sciences and cardiovascular diseases will meet in the U.S. as part of the major conferences being held at the same time in these areas. These groups, coupled with visits to research institutions, laboratories and networking events, are designed to strengthen joint research and facilitate broader research collaboration in the biomedical and behavioral sciences, with the goal of improving public health.

A critical component of the FNIH agreement with Eli Lilly and Company is the formation and funding of an inaugural Clinical Research Training course, modeled after a long-standing course at the NIH Clinical Center. The first course will be held at the Kulakov Federal Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology in Moscow with classes being held from November 14 — 18, 2011. Dr. John I. Gallin, Director, NIH Clinical Center will lead the five-day program, which will be taught by faculty from the NIH, including Gallin, and features lectures on clinical trial best practices, biostatistics and data analysis, orphan and rare diseases, ethics in clinical research, review boards and integrity in research, data safety monitoring, treatments for addiction and tuberculosis, amongst other topics. Approximately two hundred participants will be chosen from a broad range of medical specialties to attend the training course. For registration information please visit ncagip.ru.

An early outcome of the Forum is a report on New Profile of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Russia: A Global and Local Perspective, issued by the IOM Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation, in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The report focuses on the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis, a disease that has been exacerbated by social, political, and economic upheavals. The full report may be accessed online here >>.

Additional information about the U.S.—Russia Scientific Forum can be accessed by visiting the following:

• www.fnih.org
• www.sci-forum.ru
• www.ras.ru

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About the Foundation for the NIH Established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the NIH—improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cures—the Foundation for the NIH is a leader in identifying and addressing complex scientific and health issues. The Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance NIH priorities and activities. For additional information about the Foundation for the NIH, please visit www.fnih.org.

About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., USA, Lilly provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com.

Richard Folkers
Director of Communications
[email protected]
(301) 435-2613