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National Institute of General Medical Sciences

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Coordinates: 38°59′50″N 77°5′59″W / 38.99722°N 77.09972°W / 38.99722; -77.09972
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National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Agency overview
JurisdictionFederal Government of the United States
Agency executive
Parent departmentDepartment of Health and Human Services
Parent agencyNational Institutes of Health
Websitewww.nigms.nih.gov

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports basic research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. NIGMS-funded scientists investigate how living systems work at a range of levels, from molecules and cells to tissues and organs, in research organisms, humans, and populations. Additionally, to ensure the vitality and continued productivity of the research enterprise, NIGMS provides leadership in training the next generation of scientists, in enhancing the diversity of the scientific workforce, and in developing research capacity throughout the country.

NIGMS is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the principal medical research agency of the Federal Government. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

All NIH Institutes and Centers support basic research that is relevant to the diseases, organ systems, stages of life, or populations within their mission areas. In contrast, NIGMS supports fundamental research that does not focus on those specific areas. NIGMS' research mission is aimed at understanding the principles, mechanisms, and processes that underlie living organisms, often using research models. NIGMS also supports the development of fundamental methods and new technologies to achieve its mission. NIGMS-supported research may utilize specific cells or organ systems if they serve as models for understanding general principles. Research with the overall goal to gain knowledge about a specific organ or organ system or the pathophysiology, treatment, or cure of a specific disease or condition will, in most cases, be more appropriate for another Institute or Center. See the NIH listing of Institutes, Centers, and Offices[1] to learn more about their specific missions.

NIGMS also supports research in specific clinical areas that affect multiple organ systems: anesthesiology and peri-operative pain; sepsis; clinical pharmacology that is common to multiple drugs and treatments; and trauma, burn injury, and wound healing.

Head shot of Dr. Jon Lorsch, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Jon Lorsch, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences

NIGMS is organized into the following divisions that support research, research training, and capacity building in a range of scientific fields.

  • Division of Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences[2]
  • Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology[3]
  • Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry[4]
  • Division for Research Capacity Building[5]
  • Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity[6]

NIGMS was established in 1962. In Fiscal Year 2017, the institute's budget was $2.6 billion. The vast majority of this money funds grants to scientists at universities, medical schools, hospitals, and other research institutions throughout the country. At any given time, NIGMS supports more than 3,000 investigators and 4,000 research grants—around 11 percent of the total number of research grants funded by NIH as a whole. Additionally, NIGMS supports approximately 26 percent of the NRSA trainees who receive assistance from NIH.

NIGMS produces a number of free science education materials[7] on topics such as cell biology, genetics, chemistry, pharmacology, structural biology, and computational biology. The institute also produces the magazine Findings,[8] which showcases diverse scientists who do cutting-edge research and lead interesting lives.

Past directors

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Past Directors 1962–present[9]

Portrait Director Took office Left office
Clinton C. Powell July 1962 July 1964
Frederick L. Stone August 1964 April 1970
DeWitt Stetten Jr. October 1970 August 1974
Ruth L. Kirschstein September 1974 July 1993
Marvin Cassman (acting) July 1993 August 1996
Marvin Cassman August 1996 May 2002
Judith H. Greenberg (acting) May 2002 November 2003
Jeremy M. Berg November 2003 July 2011
Judith H. Greenberg (acting) July 2011 July 2013
Jon R. Lorsch August 2013 Present

Research advances

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Among the advances that scientists have made with NIGMS support are:

  • Discovering a gene-silencing process called RNA interference,[10] or RNAi, that is both a powerful research tool and a promising new approach for treating diseases.
  • Revealing how a protein's shape[11] affects its function, which plays a key role in health and disease and also informs the design of new drugs.
  • Increasing survival from burn injury,[12] in part by improving methods of wound care, nutrition and infection control.
  • Shedding light on the critical functions of carbohydrates,[13] sugar molecules found on all living cells that are vital to fertilization, inflammation, blood clotting and viral infection.
  • Modeling infectious disease outbreaks[14] and the impact of interventions through computer simulations to provide valuable information to public health policymakers.
  • Developing new methods to look inside cells[15] and other living systems. These approaches have advanced what we know about basic life processes in a range of organisms.

Notes and references

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  1. ^ "List of NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices". National Institutes of Health (NIH). Apr 14, 2015. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "Division of Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Division of Genetics and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  4. ^ "Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  5. ^ "Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB)". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  7. ^ "NIGMS Electronic Publications - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". Archived from the original on 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
  8. ^ "Findings Home - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". Archived from the original on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  9. ^ "NIGMS Directors". www.nih.gov. 9 July 2015.
  10. ^ "RNA Interference Fact Sheet - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". www.nigms.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-05-11.
  11. ^ "Structural Biology". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "Burns". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
  13. ^ "Life is Sweet". Archived from the original on 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  14. ^ "Modeling Infectious Diseases Fact Sheet - National Institute of General Medical Sciences". Archived from the original on 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  15. ^ "Cellular Imaging". www.nigms.nih.gov. Retrieved Sep 22, 2020.
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38°59′50″N 77°5′59″W / 38.99722°N 77.09972°W / 38.99722; -77.09972

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