NIH Director Francis Collins Conducts Webinar on NCATS

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Francis Collins was the featured guest of a recent Webinar designed to separate fact from fiction about the proposed National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).

Over 600 Webinar participants included members of patient advocacy groups, medical research foundations and other stakeholders in the medical research system.

Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC) was featured as an example of a rare disease that could benefit from NCATS.

The Webinar was sponsored by FasterCures (The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions).

Visit the NNPDF Web site's NewsLine page for a link to view the hour-long Webinar, and a link to a glossary of acronyms and terms used.

2011 Peter G. Pentchev Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Research Fellowships Support Study of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C

The NNPDF invites applications for the 2011 Peter G. Pentchev Postdoctoral Fellowships. These fellowships provide funding for research projects studying the biology of Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease.

M.D., Ph.D., and D.V.M. postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply for funding to improve understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of NPC. Preference will be given to research projects developing new therapies for NPC, and identifying biomarkers of disease activity for diagnosis and clinical trials.

The fellowships provide support of $50,000 per annum for two years and may be renewable based on performance. Applications are due May 1, 2011.

For more information about Niemann-Pick Disease, visit the NNPDF Web site. For complete details about the Peter G. Pentchev Fellowships, visit this page.

Jimmy "Lee" King and Michelle Rose Trombley

We are very sad to pass along the news of the loss of two more young adults to the tragic effects of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC).

Lee King, age 20, of Alabama, and Michelle Trombley, age 24, of Minnesota, both recently lost their battles against this devastating disease.

Please visit the NNPDF's NewsLine page for more, including links to the obituaries and memorial information.

We extend our deepest sympathy to both families in this difficult time.

Making the Most of Your Visit to the NNPDF Web Site

If you've spent much time at the NNPDF Web site (http://www.nnpdf.org/), you probably know that the site serves as a vital, accurate and up-to-date source for information about Niemann-Pick Disease. The site is updated frequently and serves a worldwide audience, as evidenced by the ever-increasing number of contacts received by the NNPDF from around the globe.

While we strive to ensure the NNPDF Home page is user-friendly with links to the latest news and hot topics, the Web site has many pages and contains a great deal of information. To help you find the content you need and make the most of your visits to our site, we have put together a one-page document of tips. The article gives you tips on how to quickly search the site for a specific topic, and where to look for the latest news when you don't have a lot of time to spend.

Please visit our NewsLine page for a link to a PDF of the tips. We hope you find them helpful!