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2008 DIR Annual Report
Friday, August 14, 2009
The NICHD is proud to release the electronic version of the 2008 DIR Annual Report.
Here is a brief excerpt from the Scientific Director’s Preface:
The successes of our recent and past investigative efforts give us optimism for the future. Research scientists within the Division of Intramural Research exemplify the combination of creativity and convergence of fundamental and applied science: neuro-electrophysiology combined with structural biology, cell biology coupled with technology development, genomic technology coupled with developmental and reproductive endocrinology, genetic methodology applied to behavioral science, and physical biology applied to the study of regulation of cell division and differentiation. We are committed to increasing our understanding of developmental and reproductive science so that we can maintain the health and treat the diseases of women and children.
The Annual Report is separated into the following parts:
- Board of Scientific Counselors
- Scientific Director’s Preface
- Research Projects of the Laboratories and Branches
DIR Home
Ten research programs comprised of roughly 102 units and sections constitute the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and include a total of 85 tenured and tenure-track investigators, with a total administrative and staff complement of approximately 1275.
To ensure the birth of healthy babies, to ensure the health of infants who develop into adulthood, and to optimize the health of women, the DIR focuses its research effort on the acquisition of information that will enhance our understanding of the biology of development and reproduction. The research program emphasizes the importance of fundamental investigations into the physics, chemistry, and biology of cells, their component parts, and the processes that govern and regulate their function. As part of their investigative focus, the scientific researchers of the DIR accord primary importance to the transmission of new information to future generations of scientists.
Location
The majority of the DIR laboratories are located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, and nearby in Rockville, Maryland. An additional research facility is located in Poolesville, Maryland. The research program in Perinatal Research and Obstetrics is based in Detroit, Michigan.
