Can Computer Vision Models Help Us Picture Better Health Outcomes?

Posted on by Guest Author
photos of streets and neighborhoods on blue and green gradient map of the United States

Guest post by Andrew Wiley, Video Producer, NLM Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL). NLM recently featured a video that highlights an exciting project funded through the NLM Extramural Programs Division. A team led by Quynh Nguyen, PhD, MSPH, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, used … Continue reading Can Computer Vision Models Help Us Picture Better Health Outcomes?

Working to Innovate the Future of Work

Posted on by Patti Brennan

NIH leadership recently gathered for its annual planning and evaluation retreat, and for the first time since late 2019, we all sat together in one large room. I cannot capture in words how inspiring and energizing it was to be together—but let me tell you, it really was! Through masks and with appropriate physical distancing, … Continue reading Working to Innovate the Future of Work

Meet the NLM Investigators: Dr. Zhiyong Lu is Teaching Computers to Think Like Scientists

Posted on by Patti Brennan

Let’s meet Zhiyong Lu, PhD, a Senior Investigator for our National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Computational Biology Branch and member of the NLM Intramural Research Program. He is leading a team of research scientists to harness the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) to advance the ways our products and services work—advancements … Continue reading Meet the NLM Investigators: Dr. Zhiyong Lu is Teaching Computers to Think Like Scientists

Dr. Andrea Norris to Retire, Leaving Legacy of Successful Innovation

Posted on by Patti Brennan
In honor of Dr. Andrea Norris retirement from NIH

NIH’s Andrea Norris is an outstanding example of a visionary and leader in health information technology. She possesses deep technical knowledge, experience, creativity, and thoughtfulness. I had the good fortune to work closely with Andrea and considered her to be one of my closest colleagues here at NIH. In celebration of her more than 30 … Continue reading Dr. Andrea Norris to Retire, Leaving Legacy of Successful Innovation

Renovating and Rebuilding to Advance Our Future

Posted on by Guest Author
NLM building schematic with geometry compass

Guest post by Dianne Babski, Associate Director for Library Operations, and Patrick Casey, NLM Building Engineer. This serves as a follow up to a previous blog post, (Re)Engineering the National Library of Medicine Building, from July 2021. In fall 2017, NLM engaged with NIH facilities management, architects, and historic preservation specialists to explore ways to … Continue reading Renovating and Rebuilding to Advance Our Future

The NLM Mezzanine . . . A Space and a Place

Posted on by Patti Brennan

When we launched this blog over six years ago, we selected the title NLM Musings from the Mezzanine to reflect that the thoughts and ideas originated in this beautiful place, situated on the upper story of the National Library of Medicine building on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. I reflected on this inspirational place … Continue reading The NLM Mezzanine . . . A Space and a Place

Endings and Beginnings

Posted on by Patti Brennan
two figures building a snow person made from the letters N, L, and M

I LOVE this time of year…. I love the cold weather (I am a snow baby at heart!); I love the holiday season and the connections with my past and present; I love the sense that as one year ends, a new one comes along—and we don’t have to do anything to make this happen! … Continue reading Endings and Beginnings

Anticipating a Future We Never Anticipated

Posted on by Patti Brennan

During the summer of 2017, my first summer as Director of the National Library of Medicine, Joyce Backus—our then-NLM Associate Director for Library Operations (ADLO)—approached me with a wild idea: “How about we engage an architectural firm to guide renovations of our library space?” Joyce was a forward-thinking ADLO and had already done much to … Continue reading Anticipating a Future We Never Anticipated

Do You Play Word Games?

Posted on by Patti Brennan
cell phone screen with word game: trust, serve, align, blast, health

There is an astoundingly popular word game in which the player gets six tries to guess the word of the day, which has been pre-drawn from a list of five-letter words. The only skills one needs are the ability to recognize the alphabet and basic English-language spelling ability. My sisters and I play every day … Continue reading Do You Play Word Games?

Giving Thanks Where Thanks is Due

Posted on by Patti Brennan

One of the great joys of being the Director of the National Library of Medicine is the many opportunities for me to express gratitude. In the past, I have given thanks to NLM staff who are veterans (2021), for progress during my tenure (2020), and to our amazing NLM staff members (2019). This year, I … Continue reading Giving Thanks Where Thanks is Due