Post-Doc Fellow Program NIH

Across the country, 14 newly funded centers will join together to develop a new field of tobacco regulatory science. The NIH seek the best and the brightest students to begin their career in youth tobacco control and to be the first in this new profession. Could you be the ideal applicant? Post-Doc Fellow Program - Regulatory Science - Tobacco Control National Institutes of Health Austin, Texas, United States View View

NIH's 1st LGBTI Research Listening Session

Reposted at  http://tobaccodeathray.blogspot.com,

Director, The Fenway Institute's Network for LGBT Health Equity

Sometimes you have throwaway days, then sometimes you have really high impact ones, right? Well, today was about as high impact as it gets. I've been nudging NIH to open communications with LGBT researchers for years and today I had the distinct pleasure of being in the room as they launched their first ever LGBT research listening session. Considering that agency has about $40 Billion dollars in research funds, and considering they are easily the leading health research institution in the world, I'd say anytime we get to talk LGBTI health with the top mgmt for an hour and a half is pretty useful. Understand, many LGBTI researchers never even get to speak to these folk once. We got to sit there and yak and yak about what we think they should do on LGBTI health. And we heard there were over a hundred more watching and sending in comments on the videocast.

The day held a couple of surprises too. First, they hired a new guy who's in charge of getting more LGBTI staff on board, Albert Smith. Literally his business card reads "LGBTI Program Manager" at NIH. Pretty sweet eh? Since we know how internal champions really move issues, now's the time for us to recruit great new folk to NIH. Second, NIH really showed their true commitment to keeping the information flowing by announcing that they had just released an RFI, or Request For Information. This literally declares it open season for all of us to give our input on LGBTI health research from now til October. See the RFI here.

 

And of course we all brought up excellent suggestions: invest in career development, data collection, create an office of LGBTI health, do more tobacco research, make sure the program managers are as welcoming as the mgmt wants them to be, do more on Two Spirit, intersex, transgender people. Look at intersectionality more. Put out anal cancer guidelines. If you weren't one of the hundred plus watching online... they'll put the webcast up in a few days, and we'll update with the link.

OK, time for all of us to sharpen our pens, kinda like if you don't vote in an election, when there's this big and broad a call for us to tell them what is needed, speak up now or forever hold your peace, right?

Reoposted at

ANTI-SMOKING MEDICATION SHOWS PROMISE FOR TREATING ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

NIH RESEARCHERS SEEK TO EXPAND TREATMENT OPTIONS

A smoking-cessation medication may be a viable option for the treatment of alcohol dependence, according to a study by NIH scientists. The study found that varenicline (marketed under the name Chantix), approved in 2006 to help people stop smoking, significantly reduced alcohol consumption and craving among people who are alcohol-dependent. The findings were published online in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Press Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2013/niaaa-03.htm

NIH Takes Important Steps for LGBT Health

Article by Dr. Scout, Director, Network for LGBT Health Equity
At The Fenway Institute, reposted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com, http://www.tobaccodeathray.blogspot.com,

A year ago I wrote a HuffPost blog post decrying the apparent stall in LGBT research integration at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Now I'm happy to say NIH is moving forward with good speed on this topic.

Why is NIH integration of LGBT health research important? Because health research is the only way we'll find answers to the persistent health disparities we see across the LGBT population. Why do we smoke cigarettes at rates that are68-percent higher than the general population? Can we do anything to protect against the spike in mental health problems after negative legislation is passed in our states? How can transgender people be assured of welcoming health care? What can be done about the high level of social isolation that LGBT elders report? And what can be done about the horrific LGBT youth suicide rates? If data tells the story of our lives, then research is the first step in writing happier endings.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine released a historic report, "The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People." In it they reviewed the scientific evidence, identified research gaps, and outlined steps to assist NIH in enhancing its efforts in this area. One of the positive steps NIH has since taken in the last year is to finally release a response to this report... Read the rest here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scout-phd/nih-takes-important-steps-for-lgbt-health_b_3468097.html?utm_hp_ref=gay-voices

First Ever Evidenced Based Quit Smoking App Launches on Facebook

Reposted at http://www.tobaccodeathray.blogspot.com

December 19, 2012
Research demonstrates that more than 10 million adults annually search for quitting smoking information online, but only a third of searchers reach evidence-based interventions, and even fewer will take advantage of social support recommended by clinical guidelines for treatment. As part of an innovative 3-year project, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), The Schroeder Institute at Legacy® have developed a new Facebook app that will both help smokers quit as well as provide data about how people quit smoking on social networks like Facebook. UbiQUITous is currently the only evidence-based app on Facebook dedicated to helping users quit smoking. The development of UbiQUITous capitalized on more than a decade of work and experience by Schroeder Institute and Legacy staff, including the design, development and evaluation of the largest and best known online social networks for smoking cessation - BecomeAnEX.org and QuitNet.com.

“Instead of encouraging smokers to join networks of other quitters, UbiQUITous helps smokers build a support network out of their own friends and family on Facebook,” said Dr. Nathan Cobb , lead researcher and developer of the app. “This Facebook-based study is unique in how it will help public health researchers understand how a quitting smoking tool ‘goes viral’ through clusters of smokers online, and what conditions make a public health intervention most likely to spread between individuals.

For More Information:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-ever-evidenced-based-quit-smoking-app-launches-on-facebook-183932931.html