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Spotlight
on…
Seventh Annual Spring Research Festival
May 14-15, 2003
Spotlight Archive
The third week of May is always eagerly anticipated at the National
Cancer Institute at Frederick. That’s when NCI-Frederick and
the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command jointly host
the annual Spring
Research Festival.
This year’s festival, held May 14-15 on the
Blue and Gray Field at Fort Detrick, gave both civilian and military
scientists as well as
scientific support staff an opportunity to display their current research,
evaluate the latest in laboratory equipment, try a soothing neck and
shoulder massage, get tips on health and safety, and explore career
and educational opportunities. Other features included a demonstration
of
the martial art of Aikido; the Scientific Library’s “Science
in the Cinema,” where participants viewed Regarding Henry and
then discussed its medical accuracy; and a Health and Safety Fair.
Both
veteran and nascent researchers—from post-docs to high-school
students— presented poster sessions judged by their peers. Since
1999, the Technical Sales Association (TSA), a nationwide, member-led
organization based in the greater Washington, DC area, has supported
the awards for the best scientific posters and has donated thousands
of dollars from exhibit proceeds. These poster sessions highlighted
current research in:
- biochemistry
- cancer biology
- diagnostics and therapeutics
- drug development and delivery
- immunology
- molecular biology
- new technology
- scientific core services
- virology
This year’s winning posters were chosen from a field of 150 and
will be posted the first week of June.
Each year, festival organizers choose a flower as part of the logo
that appears on fliers, posters, signs, and even tee shirts. This year’s
flower was the rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a native of Madagascar’s
rainforest. Despite the toxicity of its petals, the flower is valued “as
a source of several potent anticancer drugs, including effective agents
for fighting childhood leukemia and Hodgkin’s disease,” according
to the Spring Research
Festival’s website.
The TSA sponsored more than 200 major national and regional vendors
demonstrating advanced equipment, instruments, and services technology
for biomedical
and biotechnical research. The festival’s website notes that the
TSA exhibit “offers a hands-on update to researchers who otherwise
might not have the opportunity to learn about new product developments
as they emerge from the research lab to the marketplace.”
Article by Maritta Perry Grau
Photography by Martha Welch
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
Web Graphics and Development by Jim Miller
Computer & Statistical Services
National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Images from this years festival!
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