She manages the Clinical Monitoring Research Program. He manages the Applied and Developmental Directorate. Together, Elizabeth Baseler, M.S., and husband Michael Baseler, Ph.D., provide the vision for these programs that underpin much of the clinical research and development at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). And their focus is single-minded: it’s all about the patients.
The Clinical Monitoring Research Program (CMRP) provides clinical research support to NCI and NIAID investigators and clinical teams on the ground. With a staff of 169, CMRP is involved in regulatory, logistical, and clinical trials management supporting clinical protocols, and provides operational support to such high-profile initiatives as the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), a pilot program to bring cancer treatment into more communities throughout the United States; the Phidisa Project, which focuses on the management and treatment of HIV and AIDS in the uniformed services of the South African National Defense Force; the Regulatory Compliance and Human Subjects Protection Program providing support to NIAID; the NIAID-Mali HIV Research Initiative; Ugandan Initiatives; and dozens of other programs related to cancer and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. It also provides support, through the Project Management Office, to Phase 0 trials and the Chemical Biology Consortium, a joint venture between the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) and CCR.
The Applied and Developmental Directorate (ADD) comprises the Clinical Services Program (CSP) and the Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP) Support Group, both of which support the clinical trials and drug discovery and development efforts at NCI and NIAID. With 36 laboratories and 270 people supporting virtually all the divisions of NCI and NIAID, Dr. Baseler said, the ADD “is the most complex directorate in the [NCI-Frederick] facility.” The group also manages the Repository subcontract to store approximately 5 million biological samples that are used by laboratories throughout the world.
The CSP provides laboratory support to the clinical trials, including processing of clinical materials; studies of immune function in patients with cancer, AIDS, and other infectious diseases, or diseases associated with immune deficiency; and studies factors related to drug resistance. CSP staff also evaluate new technologies and develop new assays for monitoring patients during therapy. CSP investigators are also involved in the international AIDS efforts of NCI and NIAID, including projects in Mali and South Africa.
In the DTP Support Group, more than 15 laboratories, programs, and groups provide services to multiple branches of the DTP, with an emphasis on identifying drugs that have potential therapeutic value for patients with cancer.
Today, CMRP and ADD support more than 300 clinical trials domestically and internationally.
Opportunity of a Lifetime
Ms. Baseler will celebrate her 30th anniversary with NCI-Frederick this year. After graduating from Western Maryland (now McDaniel) College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, she began her career here as a research technician in the Biological Markers Program. A few years later, she moved to the Clinical Monitoring Laboratory, which supported the clinical monitoring operations of the Biological Modifiers Research Program. “From these early days, I developed my passion for clinical research,” she said. The support program quickly expanded to include HIV monitoring in support of the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and NIAID. She then transitioned to clinical trials management, and “along the way I picked up my M.S. in business administration.”
She considers her greatest accomplishment to be helping develop the CMRP from a small, clinical research support program into a comprehensive program supporting NCI and NIAID clinical researchers involved in domestic and international clinical trials. “It truly is an opportunity of a lifetime to support some of the leading experts in their field with a comprehensive clinical trials management program,” she said. “It is a great feeling to know something that I have been a part of makes such a difference in the lives of so many.”
From a Small Program to World-Class Status
Dr. Baseler received his undergraduate degree in biology from Clarion State University, and earned both his master’s and his doctorate in medical microbiology and immunology from West Virginia University. In 1986, he came to NCI-Frederick to work in the AIDS Monitoring Laboratory, which, he said, “was a very small program at the time, and part of the Clinical Services Program.”
The CSP grew with the expansion of HIV/AIDS research efforts and was ultimately combined with the DTP support group to form the Applied and Developmental Directorate. Dr. Baseler takes great pride in having been “part of the development of a world-class series of laboratories for the clinical monitoring of experimental therapies at the National Institutes of Health.”
Much of the focus of the ADD is on infectious diseases, specifically HIV/AIDS. Dr. Baseler noted how much the research efforts have progressed since he started. “One of the most interesting things I’ve seen over the years is that when we first started, HIV was a death sentence. We have supported clinical research to the point where HIV is now considered a long-term, chronic, manageable disease.” However, Dr. Baseler noted, the work cannot stop here. “The counterpoint is that there is much more work to be done. The next challenge is to make available to the world what’s available here.”
Dr. Baseler’s ultimate satisfaction comes from helping patients in clinical trials. He speaks with great respect for the volunteers. “[Our work] always comes back to the patients; they sacrifice so much to give us the reagents, to volunteer for the trials, even in the face of [knowing that] it’s not going to help them. They enroll in a trial heroically because it’s going to help someone else.” Ms. Baseler echoes these feelings: “[The patients] have always been my passion. We’re ultimately here for the patients, whether it’s cancer or other diseases.”
A Unique Marriage
What makes this couple unique is their common goal. “What’s really different about our relationship is that we really care about what we do, and we care about SAIC-Frederick, and conversations at home are extensions of that,” Dr. Baseler noted. The two truly understand each other, and brainstorming problems at home occurs as naturally as discussing the weather. “We share a common interest that most husbands and wives don’t have,” he continued. “For us, work never stops. Problem-solving is natural.”
Eight Children, Two Sets of Twins, and One Boston Whaler
The Baselers speak with the same pride for their family as they do for their work. Each of them brought four children into their blended family; amazingly, each of them had a set of identical twins: hers are girls and his are boys. When asked how they managed their careers and their children, Dr. Baseler responded, “It really wasn’t that hard.” In the silence that followed this statement, he quickly added, “probably because of Beth’s organizational skills.”
Both were quite involved in their children’s sports and school activities. Ms. Baseler noted that it was lucky she earned her master’s in business administration before she had children. “Teamwork, communication, and project management,” were the skills that got them through the busiest years, she said with a smile. “I had a big calendar, and if it wasn’t on the calendar, it didn’t get done.”
Time with their children, now grown, has always been a great source of relaxation, and their favorite place to relax is Ocean City, MD. “Some of our best times as a family have been spent either just relaxing on the beach or out fishing,” Ms. Baseler noted. Even though she has traveled around the world and visited some very interesting places, she said, “it is absolutely amazing when we are at the beach together.” Dr. Baseler reiterated that sentiment, saying, “Some of the best memories that I have are of the times that are spent at the beach with friends and family.” With their 29-foot Boston Whaler, said Dr. Baseler, “the whole family enjoys going fishing on the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as [going] deep sea fishing.”
In addition, the Baseler family—all ten of them—are “huge sports fans,” according to Ms. Baseler, “with Steeler football occupying many of our discussions and weekends.” Having grown up outside of Pittsburgh, Dr. Baseler said, “Beth and I try to make at least four home games each year at Pittsburgh, and it is a significant source of enjoyment.”
Looking Ahead
Ms. Baseler hopes to continue expanding CMRP support to clinical trials, both domestically and internationally, “wherever it is needed.” She noted that the CMRP “provides a great level of support, but we continue to identify areas where we can further assist the clinicians and study teams to allow them more time to treat their patients.” She also hopes to make more time for the people in her organization, “to continue mentoring my staff.”
Dr. Baseler hopes to expand clinical monitoring support to include monitoring emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as SARS, as well as to become “an integral part of vaccine trials in the area of highly pathogenic avian influenza.” He also plans to continue support of the DCTD by focusing on new ways to monitor drug toxicology in patients with cancer, and on the new Phase 0 clinical trials now being conducted by the DCTD in collaboration with CCR, NCI.
And, of course, there are the grandchildren. They are the proud grandparents of a 14-month-old grandson, and, according to Ms. Baseler, “we expect this to be the first of probably many more, given the size of our family.”
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She manages the Clinical Monitoring Research Program. He manages the Applied and Developmental Directorate. Together, Elizabeth Baseler, M.S., and husband Michael Baseler, Ph.D., provide the vision for these programs that underpin much of the clinical research and development at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). And their focus is single-minded: it’s all about the patients. 
The CSP grew with the expansion of HIV/AIDS research efforts and was ultimately combined with the DTP support group to form the Applied and Developmental Directorate. Dr. Baseler takes great pride in having been “part of the development of a world-class series of laboratories for the clinical monitoring of experimental therapies at the National Institutes of Health.” 
In addition, the Baseler family—all ten of them—are “huge sports fans,” according to Ms. Baseler, “with Steeler football occupying many of our discussions and weekends.” Having grown up outside of Pittsburgh, Dr. Baseler said, “Beth and I try to make at least four home games each year at Pittsburgh, and it is a significant source of enjoyment.”