WASHINGTON, DC—The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system provides both benefits and obstacles for anyone looking to conduct pharmaceutical trials in their patient population. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—To screen or not to screen? That is the question that many male patients must ask themselves when it comes to prostate cancer. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—While active duty servicemembers have lower rates of some cancers compared to civilians, they have double the rate of prostate cancer and higher rates of breast cancer, according to a new study. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—Lawmakers were working to find consensus last month on draft legislation reauthorizing the Ryan White Program. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—There are significant weaknesses in the global health community’s ability to prevent and implement early detection of species-crossing microbes, such as the 2009 H1N1 virus, according to a report released last month by the Institute of Medicine. The report provides a detailed plan for establishing and funding a comprehensive, globally coordinated system to identify novel zoonotic disease threats as early as possible to help mitigate loss of human and animal life. Full Article

The 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry is shared by two grantees of the NIH Thomas A. Steitz, PhD, of Yale University, and Ada E. Yonath, PhD, of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. The two researchers share the award with a former NIH grantee, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, PhD, of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom. The three researchers are honored for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome. Ribosomes produce proteins, which in turn control the chemistry in all living organisms. Full Article

In the summer of 2000, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wrote a letter to the Defense Secretary requesting information about three chemical and biological (CB) tests carried out during the 1960s and 1970s as part of a Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) program. This letter ultimately resulted in collaboration between the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA to identify all land- and sea-based testing of CB agents and stimulants. Full Article

WASHINGTON—The Military Health System will hold the 2010 Military Health System Conference from January 25-28, 2010 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The theme of the conference is “Sharing Knowledge: Achieving Breakthrough Performance.” Full Article

United States, Latin America Partner on Cancer Research

The National Cancer Institute formalized bilateral partnerships last month with the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay, to accelerate progress against cancer in Hispanic populations in the United States and Latin America, and improve cancer research. Dr John Niederhuber, NCI director, representing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, signed formal letters of intent to collaborate in cancer research efforts. Full Article