NLM Musings from the Mezzanine
Innovations in Health Information from the National Library of Medicine
Richard Scheuermann, PhD, went from facing a high school counselor’s skepticism about attending MIT to becoming NLM’s premier Scientific Director. Today, his research focuses on using AI to find patterns in information about the millions of cells that make up our bodies to better understand how they work and keep us healthy.
Free-text clinical notes capture important details about a patient’s medical history, including critical timing information about symptoms, treatments, and recovery. But finding and structuring this information can be difficult. Dr. Jeremy Weiss and his research team are looking to solve this problem with the help of AI.
Multiple sclerosis often causes falls, leading to pain, injury, and insecurity. Dr. Riley Bove and her research team, with the support of NLM, developed the mobile app MS-FIT. MS-FIT tracks falls, analyzes health data, and may help clinicians provide personalized strategies to prevent falls.
This Veterans Day, NLM is celebrating U.S. veterans not only in recognition of their service to our nation but also for their vital contributions to biomedical research. Through the Million Veteran Program and resources like ClinicalTrials.gov, veterans are expanding genetic research and supporting health advancements for all communities. Thank you, veterans!
Since 2002, NLM Traveling Exhibitions have engaged over 8 million people with the vibrant history of medicine. By bringing impactful stories and themes to local venues, these exhibits enrich communities, foster health literacy, and make medical history widely accessible and engaging.
Imagine a world where individuals who are blind or have low vision can navigate their environments with greater independence—where technology and AI can help them recognize faces, objects, and respond to visual cues. Let’s see what this future might look like through the development of a "Smart Bionic Eye."
Researchers from NLM and the University of Maryland Hall Lab, including Xiaofang Jiang, PhD, a Principal Investigator in the NLM Intramural Research Program (IRP), identified a key enzyme in the human gut microbiome, called bilirubin reductase, and investigated its role in the bilirubin-to-urobilinogen reduction process.
When she was young, Dr. Przytycka read a book on Marie Skłodowska-Curie and dreamed of becoming a scientist ever since. The story of this famous Polish-born scientist showed not only how exciting scientific discoveries are, but also that a woman can be a scientist. Now see what she does for our IRP!
With support from NLM funding, scientists from Stanford University have pioneered a groundbreaking medical initiative called the "Green Button." This technology will empower clinicians to make informed decisions about patient care and transforming the landscape of medical practice.
One fascinating question my group asked was, might it be possible to peer into the distant past and figure out what viruses were infecting our distant ancestors? Our conclusions were rather remarkable.