Announcements

NCCIH Clinical Digest: Spotlight on Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm tree native to the southeastern United States. Currently, saw palmetto is used as a dietary supplement for urinary symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as for chronic pelvic pain, decreased sex drive, migraine, hair loss, and other conditions.

Pain Signals May Travel as Fast as Touch Signals in Human Nerve Cells

Pain signals may travel as speedily as touch signals in human peripheral nerves that have a thick layer of myelin, according to new research conducted by an international collaborative of scientists and funded in part by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, part of the National Institutes of Health [NIH]). The research, conducted by scientists at Linköping University (Sweden), Liverpool John Moores University (UK), and the NIH, was published in a recent issue of the journal Science Advances.

Researchers Develop Improved Methods of Noninvasive Mind Control of a Robotic Arm

Researchers have developed improved methods for mind control of a robotic arm that can continuously track and follow a randomly moving target. The research is an important step in developing interfaces between the human brain and external computers, and has important implications for the continued development and implementation of neurorobotics. The study, funded partly by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), was published in a recent issue of Science Robotics.

Understanding NIH Funding of Individual Fellowships for Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Lanay M. Mudd

July 18, 2019

Understanding options for funding predoctoral and postdoctoral research training can be confusing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides two main options to support extramural research training—institutional training programs (discussed in a previous blog) and individual fellowships. In this blog, I hope to clear up some common questions about individual fellowships (also known as “F-awards”).

Resources for Researchers

We're Recruiting! Postdoc Position Available, Neuroimaging of Pain and Affect

Application Deadline: August 15, 2019 (or until filled)

Dr. Lauren Atlas’s laboratory is recruiting 1-2 postdoctoral researchers with expertise in fMRI and affective science to join the Section on Affective Neuroscience and Pain to lead new projects on the psychological modulation of pain and emotional experience using high field imaging (7-Tesla MRI). Dr. Atlas’s lab is part of NCCIH’s new intramural program, and affiliated with the Intramural Research Programs of the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

New Funding Opportunities

NIH Expanding Usage of Notices of Special Interest (NOT-OD-19-107)

Upcoming Events

Neurocircuitry of Force-Based Manipulations

September 17, 2019 to September 18, 2019; Bethesda, MD.

Please register, whether you plan to attend in person or via videocast, using this Eventbrite link.

A variety of manual therapies, including chiropractic manipulation, deep tissue massage, gentle strokes, and physical therapy, apply mechanical forces to peripheral tissues as part of the therapeutic delivery. Research in fundamental neuroscience to understand the basic neural mechanisms underlying mechanosensation (sensing of external mechanical forces) has provided novel insights in recent years into the peripheral and central neural circuitry of force-based manipulations, as well as the molecular sensors that modulate mechanosensation. NCCIH, in conjunction with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), is excited to present a workshop that brings neuroscientists studying mechanosensation together with clinical investigators in the field of manual therapies. This workshop will explore potential neural and extraneural mechanisms of biomechanical force-based manipulations and interventions.